NBA Fantasy: Top Waiver Wire Adds for the Early Season

The Philadelphia 76ers have not provided a specific timeline for Joel Embiid's return from a knee injury. Understanding his history of injuries, the team is taking a cautious approach and prioritizing his long-term health over rushing his return to the court. The 76ers have their eyes set on a championship, and having a fully healthy Embiid for the playoffs is crucial to their success. Additionally, their key offseason addition, Paul George, has also been sidelined with a knee injury and has yet to make his debut this season.

Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers (53% available)

Drummond is a more than capable injury fill-in for Embiid. Over four games, he has averaged 9.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals. While his 52.9% shooting from the charity stripe has been rough, he hasn’t hurt fantasy managers in that department because he has averaged only 4.3 free-throw attempts per game. Drummond should be rostered in more than half of Yahoo leagues. Those who drafted Embiid should handcuff him with Drummond, at the very least. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Drummond started over 30 games this season.

Nick Richards, Charlotte Hornets (57% available)

We’ve seen this story unfold before. Mark Williams is the center of the future for the Hornets, but he is hurt again, this time dealing with a foot injury. When he missed time last season, Richards averaged 10.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks over 51 starts.

Richards has been even better filling in for Williams this season, averaging 13.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks across four games. After shooting 69.1% from the field last season, he has shot 65.6% this season. While he might not be a flashy name, adding Richards now and rolling with him until Williams gets healthy could still be a winning strategy.

Bilal Coulibaly, Washington Wizards (61% available)

Things are a bit up in the air regarding Kyle Kuzma (groin) right now. He did not play Wednesday against the Hawks and has already been ruled out Saturday against the Heat. When he first suffered the injury, the Wizards said that his status would be, “updated as appropriate.” He could be out for more than a couple of games.

Coulibaly exploded against the Hawks, recording 27 points, nine rebounds, three steals, one block and three 3-pointers across 35 minutes. He has played at least 30 minutes in all four games this season, so even when Kuzma was healthy, Coulibaly has taken on a significant role. As one of the focal points of the Wizards rebuild, Coulibaly shouldn’t still be available in this many leagues.

Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards (69% available)

Sarr is a specific type of add for fantasy basketball. He is starting for the Wizards but has averaged a modest 24 minutes per game. He hasn’t looked good offensively, shooting 29.7% from the field and 23.8% from behind the arc. That has resulted in him averaging just 8.0 points per game. While he has a lot of raw talent, the expectation was that he would at least struggle on the offensive end of the floor when he entered the league.

It’s not all bad news with Sarr, though. He has grabbed at least five rebounds and blocked at least two shots in all four games this season. Wednesday, he provided four blocks against the Hawks. Despite his poor efficiency, he is also averaging 1.3 3-pointers per game. For those hunting specifically for blocks, Sarr should be a prime target to grab off the waiver wire.

Gradey Dick, Toronto Raptors (68% available)

Injuries have been a problem for the Raptors right out of the gate. Bruce Brown (knee) hasn’t played yet and remains out indefinitely. Immanuel Quickley (pelvis) has missed each of the last four games and is listed as doubtful for Friday’s matchup with the Lakers. Their worst news is that Scottie Barnes will miss at least three weeks with an orbital fracture.

With so many key players sidelined, the Raptors have turned to Dick for added minutes and scoring. He hasn’t let them down, averaging 18.8 points and 2.2 3-pointers over 31 minutes per game. A plus for fantasy managers is that he has shot 48.5% from the field and 89.5% from the free throw line. However, he is also averaging just 1.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. He’s a specific waiver wire target for fantasy managers who are only in search of points and 3-pointers, but that doesn’t mean he can’t excel in those two areas.

Jordan Hawkins, New Orleans Pelicans (74% available)

Dejounte Murray fractured his left hand in the Pelicans’ first game of the season. Now CJ McCollum is dealing with right adductor soreness that forced him to sit out Wednesday against the Warriors. While it was the second game of a back-to-back set, this wasn’t a rest situation because he has also been ruled out for Friday’s matchup with the Pacers.

After logging just 17 minutes per game during his rookie season, Hawkins has averaged 31 minutes this year. He even had his first start Wednesday, producing 23 points, four rebounds and four 3-pointers over 39 minutes. He has logged at least 29 minutes in three of four games since Murray went down, and he scored at least 17 points in all three of those games. Regardless of the prognosis of McCollum’s injury, Hawkins is worth adding off waivers with Murray sidelined.