Fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups and drops are crucial for winning your league in 2025-26.
Today's Yahoo Fantasy Basketball trends reveal must-add players like Kyshawn George and Ben Sheppard, while D'Angelo Russell tops the drop list.
This fantasy basketball waiver wire analysis breaks down the most added players and most dropped players on Yahoo, helping you dominate your fantasy basketball league with strategic adds and drops.
Whether you're in 10-team, 12-team, or deep fantasy basketball leagues, these waiver wire targets and streaming options will improve your fantasy basketball roster for Week 2 of the 2025-26 NBA season.
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THE HOT ADDS
Ben Sheppard, Pacers 
Opportunity Knocks, But Proceed with Caution
Ben Sheppard has become the most added player on Yahoo today, partially as a product of Indiana having a Saturday/Sunday back-to-back. But he was impressive in the Finals rematch: 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists across 39 minutes against Oklahoma City. With Andrew Nembhard (shoulder) sidelined for an unclear amount of time, the Pacers find themselves in a legitimate point guard crisis, and Sheppard has stepped into expanded minutes as a result.
However, before you burn your top waiver priority, it's crucial to understand what you're actually getting. Sheppard isn't a traditional point guard who's suddenly going to unleash facilitating skills we've never seen before. His NBA identity has been built as a 3-and-D connector—someone who spaces the floor, makes the extra pass, and defends multiple positions. He's not going to run the offense or rack up assists like a traditional floor general.
The massive minute total is appealing, and in deep leagues where you're scraping for any production, Sheppard makes sense as a speculative add. But temper your expectations accordingly. He's a fine streaming option if you need some depth, but he's not going to be a league-winner.
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Kyshawn George, Wizards 
The Real Deal in Washington
Now here's where things get interesting. Kyshawn George is averaging an eye-popping 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists with 4 combined steals and blocks over his first two games of the year (vs. MIL and vs. DAL). More importantly, he's absolutely dominating Washington's offensive touches, which is exactly what you want to see from a waiver wire target.
Yes, the 60% shooting percentage will inevitably regress. But the opportunity is undeniably real, and opportunity is the currency of fantasy basketball. When a player is getting this kind of usage on a rebuilding team that has no reason to limit his minutes, you need to pay attention.
George should be a must-add in all 12-team leagues and a strong consideration in 10-team formats. The Wizards are going nowhere this season, which means they'll continue feeding their young players minutes to evaluate their future. That makes George's fantasy value more stable than you might initially think.
Stay up to date on who is in and who is out with RotoWire's NBA Injury Report!
Dillon Brooks, Suns 
Riding the Injury Wave in Phoenix
Dillon Brooks is putting up 21.5 points per game on 20.5 field goal attempts as the clear second option behind Devin Booker in Phoenix. He's also contributing solid steals numbers, which adds to his fantasy appeal. Both Brooks and Grayson Allen should maintain elevated roles until Jalen Green returns to the lineup.
Here's the key phrase: "until Jalen Green returns." This is temporary value, pure and simple. Brooks is worth adding in 12-team leagues if you need immediate production or have an injury you're trying to cover, but understand that you're renting, not buying. Set a calendar reminder for when Green is expected back, and be ready to cut bait before Brooks' role evaporates.
Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire's NBA Projections!
THE BIG DROPS
D'Angelo Russell, Mavericks 
The Writing's on the Wall
D'Angelo Russell's situation in Dallas has gone from concerning to critical. Through two games, he's played just 23 total minutes. For a player who was drafted in the late rounds with expectations of contributing before Kyrie Irving's return, this is a disaster.
The warning signs are everywhere. Ryan Nembhard, Brandon Williams, and Jaden Hardy are all eating into what should be Russell's minutes, and Jason Kidd's recent comments about the point guard position didn't exactly inspire confidence in Russell's future role. If you're still holding Russell, you can maybe wait two more games to see if something—anything—changes. But even that might be too generous. Sometimes the writing is on the wall, and it's time to move on.
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Ace Bailey, Jazz 
Patience Required
Unlike Russell, the Ace Bailey drops feel premature. Yes, Bailey is dealing with double knee tendinitis and an illness that limited his court time recently. Yes, this isn't the immediate production league managers were hoping for when they drafted him. But we're talking about a highly-touted prospect whose long-term value remains intact.
Give Bailey at least another week or two to get healthy and establish what his true role looks like. Panic dropping talented rookies because of early-season injury issues is exactly how you lose leagues in the long run. Stay patient here.
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Buddy Hield, Warriors 
Streamer Territory Only
Buddy Hield drops make sense for most leagues. These are primarily managers who picked him up for streaming purposes deciding to move on, and that's the correct decision. Unless you're in a 14-team league or deeper, Hield simply doesn't need to be rostered in standard formats. He's a volume shooter who can get hot, but the consistency isn't there for season-long value.
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