With early season injuries impacting the Thunder, Cason Wallace should be on your fantasy radar.
Fantasy squads have been drafted, and the NBA season is underway. Early in the season, it’s important to make key waiver wire moves that could pay off for the long haul. With that in mind, here are some players to consider adding off the waiver wire who are still available in at least 50% of Yahoo leagues.
VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers (47% rostered)
Talk about an incredible debut. Edgecombe started and played 42 minutes in Wednesday’s victory over the Celtics. He scored 34 points, shooting 13-for-26 from the field, which included him going 5-for-13 from behind the arc. In addition to his stellar scoring contributions, he chipped in seven rebounds, three assists and one steal.
A couple of things helped Edgecombe Wednesday. Paul George (knee) was out, and Joel Embiid was limited to 20 minutes as he continues to work his way back from injury. While George will be back at some point, both he and Embiid have checkered injury histories. Edgecombe is one of the players that the 76ers want to build the franchise around, so he should have a large enough role this season to warrant being rostered in most fantasy leagues.
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors (43% rostered)
It took a while, but the Warriors finally signed Kuminga to a new contract just before the start of the preseason. His role was fluid at times last season, which ultimately resulted in him averaging 24 minutes over 47 games. Despite the limited playing time, he provided 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
Kuminga not only started the Warriors’ season opener against the Lakers, but he also played 33 minutes. He parlayed that into 17 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four 3-pointers. Talent is never the question with Kuminga. The concern is whether or not Steve Kerr will give him consistent playing time. If the new contract has helped Kuminga land a larger role, then adding him now in fantasy could pay off significantly in the long run.
Cason Wallace, Oklahoma City Thunder (37% rostered)
The Thunder began their season Tuesday, but did so with Jalen Williams (wrist) and Isaiah Joe (knee) sidelined. Williams being out pushed Wallace into the starting five. He logged 42 minutes in their double-overtime win, finishing with 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists, four steals and three 3-pointers.
Wallace isn’t going to receive many opportunities to play 40+ minutes in a game. However, it’s possible that Williams misses a few games to begin the season. The Thunder play two more games this week and then four games the following week. For however long Williams remains out, Wallace is an appealing fantasy option. Wallace is listed as questionable for Thursday’s matchup with the Pacers because of a knee issue, but there are no reports indicating that he is dealing with a serious ailment. Alex Caruso is now sidelined with a concussion, which means that the Thunder will need Wallace even more.
Isaiah Jackson, Indiana Pacers (16% rostered)
The Pacers will take the floor for the first time this season Thursday. When they do so, they will look very different from the team that we saw in the NBA Finals. Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) is out for the season, Myles Turner is now on the Bucks and T.J. McConnell (hamstring) might be out until December. The biggest change for Jackson is the departure of Turner. The Pacers did not add a noteworthy replacement for him, leaving Jackson with the inside track to the starting center job.
The trio of Jay Huff, James Wiseman and Tony Bradley are now what stands between Jackson and significant playing time. The Pacers could deploy some small lineups with Pascal Siakam or Obi Toppin at the five, but that might not be as appealing with McConnell out. Jackson could play around 25 minutes a game, which makes him fantasy relevant because he averaged 6.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks over just 13 minutes per game two seasons ago.
Cam Whitmore, Washington Wizards (12% rostered)
With so much young talent on the Rockets, Whitmore had a difficult time finding his way onto the court during his first two seasons in the league. After averaging 19 minutes during his rookie season, he logged just 16 minutes per game last year. Still, he flashed his fantasy upside, averaging 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.6 steals and 1.3 3-pointers. In the offseason, the Rockets shipped him to the Wizards for two second-round picks. Now on a rebuilding team in Washington, Whitmore projects to see more action this season.
Whitmore played a prominent role off the bench Thursday against the Bucks, recording 14 points, five rebounds, one assist and one 3-pointer over 19 minutes. He wasn’t shy about shooting, jacking up 12 shots. It did help Whitmore that Bilal Coulibaly was out, but it’s worth noting that Tre Johnson (26 minutes) was the only member of the Wizards’ bench to spend more time on the floor than Whitmore. Whitmore could have even more value as the season moves along if veterans like Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum are traded or rested.
