Week 3 fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups are essential as injuries continue devastating NBA rosters at a staggering rate.
Trae Young's knee sprain elevates Nickeil Alexander-Walker's already-strong bench role in Atlanta. Jeremiah Fears claims New Orleans' starting point guard spot with Jordan Poole benched. Josh Minott locks down Boston's starting forward position after posting consecutive double-doubles. The Lakers' injury crisis—LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Gabe Vincent all sidelined—makes Jake LaRavia a priority add after his 27-point explosion. Kevin Huerter provides three-point streaming value while Coby White remains out. Jarace Walker absorbs heavy minutes with Indiana's frontcourt decimated.
These widely available fantasy basketball waiver wire adds offer immediate roster reinforcement.
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, lineups, roster changes and more, head to RotoWire's NBA News or follow @RotoWireNBA on X.
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Week 3 Adds
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta Hawks (48% rostered)
In Wednesday's matchup against the Nets, Trae Young suffered a right knee sprain when one of his teammates fell into his leg. He has been ruled out for Friday's matchup with the Pacers, and the team has yet to announce a timetable for his return. He was reportedly going for an MRI on Thursday to get a better handle on his injury.
Alexander-Walker has already been fantasy-relevant in his role off the bench this season, averaging 16.2 points, 3.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.2 three-pointers per game. He has averaged 7.0 three-point attempts per game, which is up from 4.5 attempts per game last season with the Timberwolves.
Week 3 fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups are essential as injuries continue devastating NBA rosters at a staggering rate.
Trae Young's knee sprain elevates Nickeil Alexander-Walker's already-strong bench role in Atlanta. Jeremiah Fears claims New Orleans' starting point guard spot with Jordan Poole benched. Josh Minott locks down Boston's starting forward position after posting consecutive double-doubles. The Lakers' injury crisis—LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Gabe Vincent all sidelined—makes Jake LaRavia a priority add after his 27-point explosion. Kevin Huerter provides three-point streaming value while Coby White remains out. Jarace Walker absorbs heavy minutes with Indiana's frontcourt decimated.
These widely available fantasy basketball waiver wire adds offer immediate roster reinforcement.
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, lineups, roster changes and more, head to RotoWire's NBA News or follow @RotoWireNBA on X.
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Week 3 Adds
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta Hawks (48% rostered)
In Wednesday's matchup against the Nets, Trae Young suffered a right knee sprain when one of his teammates fell into his leg. He has been ruled out for Friday's matchup with the Pacers, and the team has yet to announce a timetable for his return. He was reportedly going for an MRI on Thursday to get a better handle on his injury.
Alexander-Walker has already been fantasy-relevant in his role off the bench this season, averaging 16.2 points, 3.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.2 three-pointers per game. He has averaged 7.0 three-point attempts per game, which is up from 4.5 attempts per game last season with the Timberwolves. The Hawks have also played him at least 28 minutes in all five of their games. If Young misses extended time, Alexander-Walker could rack up even more points and assists. Even if Young returns quickly, Alexander-Walker has value in his current bench role.
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Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans (36% rostered)
The Pelicans appear to want to give Fears more opportunities to contribute. After scoring at least 13 points and coming off the bench in each of his first two games, the Pelicans inserted him into the starting five for last Friday's battle with the Celtics. It was a disaster, though, with Fears scoring two points on 1-for-11 shooting from the field.
Despite his struggles against the Celtics, Fears remained in the starting lineup for Wednesday's battle with the Nuggets. He played much better, shooting 10-for-15 from the field on his way to recording 21 points, six assists and two steals. He also played a season-high 30 minutes. Jordan Poole was benched Wednesday and likely isn't a part of the Pelicans' long-term plans. We could see Fears stick in the starting five moving forward, making him a viable fantasy option for those who need scoring.
Stay up to date on who is in and who is out with RotoWire's NBA Injury Report!
Josh Minott, Boston Celtics (31% rostered)
Despite the offseason dismantling of their roster, the Celtics entered the regular season with plenty of depth at guard. Their biggest issues are at forward and center, where they don't have a ton of size. At 6'8", Minott was in the mix for one of their forward spots. After beginning the season as a member of the second unit, Minott has started each of the last two games.
Minott posted a double-double against the Cavaliers on Wednesday and has averaged 13.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.5 three-pointers over his two starts. Chris Boucher seems to be falling out of favor already, playing a total of 12 minutes over the last three games. Minott could stick in the starting lineup, so it might be time to add him already.
Check out where all the players on your fantasy basketball team fit into RotoWire's Fantasy Basketball Cheat Sheet!
Kevin Huerter, Chicago Bulls (24% rostered)
The Bulls have been a pleasant surprise with their 4-0 record out of the gate. They have remained undefeated despite playing without Coby White (calf). Tre Jones has been performing well while replacing White in the starting lineup, but he's not eligible for this column because he is rostered in 66% of CBS leagues.
Huerter isn't starting, but he has averaged 26 minutes per game off the bench. He has parlayed that into averages of 14.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 three-pointers. It helps that the Bulls have played at the sixth-fastest pace in the league, leaving Huerter with more opportunities to contribute. The Bulls said they will re-evaluate White within a week, but even then, it's no guarantee that he will be ready to return. Huerter has averaged at least 1.8 three-pointers in every season of his career, so at worst, he's worth streaming for those who need help from behind the arc. When White does eventually return, then it will be time to drop Huerter.
Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire's NBA Projections!
Jarace Walker, Indiana Pacers (21% rostered)
The Pacers' season is already spiraling because of injuries. The most recent players to go down are Bennedict Mathurin (toe) and Obi Toppin (hamstring). Mathurin has been deemed as week-to-week, while Toppin is expected to miss at least one month. Toppin being out is a big loss for their already thin frontcourt that didn't make any significant additions after losing Myles Turner in free agency.
In the first game without Toppin, Walker started and played 36 minutes. He recorded 20 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block and four three-pointers. His stat line could have been even better had he not shot just 5-for-19 from the field. The Pacers don't have a lot of options right now, so Walker should continue to see significant playing time.
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Jake LaRavia, Los Angeles Lakers (9% rostered)
The Lakers have their own injury concerns with LeBron James (sciatica) and Luka Doncic (finger) out. The hits kept coming with the announcement that Gabe Vincent (ankle) has been ruled out for two to four weeks. The combination of their absences resulted in LaRavia playing 37 minutes against the Timberwolves on Wednesday. He stepped up by posting 27 points, eight rebounds, one steal, one block and five three-pointers. He shot 10-for-11 from the field, which is obviously a rate that isn't sustainable. However, he shot 47.5% last season, which was the best mark of his career.
Doncic could be back as early as Friday, but James and Vincent both figure to be out for at least the next couple of weeks. Across the four games that LaRavia has played at least 28 minutes, he has averaged 11.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 three-pointers. That makes him a viable waiver wire target in deeper formats.
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