NBA2026-10-30NBA Injury Wave Waiver Wire: Jrue Holiday, Andrew Nembhard, Ayo Dosunmu and the Pickups Created by Week 1's Star Absences
By Verdexed Fantasy Desk
The first full week of the 2026-27 NBA season has produced an injury list that looks like February. Anthony Edwards is having knee surgery and could miss up to two months. Kawhi Leonard is expected to miss three to four weeks with knee swelling. Tyrese Haliburton will miss at least two weeks with a hamstring strain. Paolo Banchero is out four to six weeks with a high ankle sprain. Jaren Jackson Jr. tore his MCL. And on Thursday night, Ja Morant left Portland's loss to Memphis with a hamstring injury.
One report counted 79 players on the league's afternoon injury report for a single 12-game slate this week, roughly 15 percent of the league. For fantasy managers, every one of those absences creates minutes somewhere else. This is the weekend to act, before the replacements' box scores make them obvious.
The absences driving the waiver wire
Here is where the biggest injuries stand, based on team announcements and reporting from ESPN and other outlets:
| Player | Team | Injury | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Edwards | MIN | Knee, arthroscopic procedure | Up to two months |
| Kawhi Leonard | TOR | Left knee swelling | 3 to 4 weeks (Haynes) |
| Paolo Banchero | ORL | Right high ankle sprain | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Jaren Jackson Jr. | UTA | Torn right MCL | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Tyrese Haliburton | IND | Left hamstring strain | At least 2 weeks |
| Jalen Williams | OKC | Lower left leg | Long absence expected |
| Ja Morant | POR | Left hamstring | Evaluated Friday |
Tier 1: add now in all leagues
Andrew Nembhard, Pacers. With Haliburton out at least two weeks, Nembhard is Indiana's starting point guard. Starting point guards in Rick Carlisle's system produce assists, and Nembhard's defensive role adds steals. He is a must-roster player for as long as Haliburton is out, and Haliburton's history makes a cautious return likely.
Ayo Dosunmu, Timberwolves. He is the likeliest replacement for Edwards in Minnesota's starting lineup and the closest stylistic match on the roster. Edwards' absence frees up one of the largest usage shares in the league; Dosunmu gets the first claim on the shots, with a track record of big scoring nights when the guard rotation is thin.
Jrue Holiday, Trail Blazers. If Morant misses time, Holiday moves from sixth man to starter. He scored 22 points in 30 minutes against the Lakers on Wednesday in a reserve role. His all-around game (assists, threes, steals) plays in every category format.
Tier 2: strong adds in 12-team leagues
Ajay Mitchell, Thunder. Oklahoma City's rotation has been hit hard, with Jalen Williams carried off on a stretcher and Cason Wallace dealing with a shoulder issue. Mitchell is the guard best positioned to absorb the extra ball-handling next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Ja'Kobe Walter, Raptors. Projected to step into the starting lineup with Leonard out and Brandon Ingram out indefinitely. Minutes are the main selling point; threes and steals are the likely categories.
Anthony Black, Magic. Orlando is without Banchero, and Jalen Suggs hurt his knee on Sunday. Black returned from his own ankle issue and scored 18 points in the win over the Knicks, and he should handle more of the ball while the Magic are short-handed.
Tier 3: deep-league and DFS targets
Scoot Henderson, Trail Blazers. Backup point guard minutes if Morant sits, and he has shown flashes of production when given a featured role.
Bones Hyland, Timberwolves. A shooting-volume play on nights when he gets 25 minutes or more without Edwards.
Utah's center rotation. With Jackson out and Lauri Markkanen dealing with a wrist sprain, the Jazz are splitting center minutes among Jaxson Hayes, Kyle Filipowski and Mo Bamba. None is a must-add, but Filipowski's passing gives him the most fantasy upside in deeper formats.
What not to do
Do not drop the injured stars. Edwards, Leonard, Banchero and Jackson all have defined timelines measured in weeks, not seasons. Use IL slots where available. In leagues without one, the per-game value these players provide when healthy is almost always worth the wait.
Do not chase one big game. The waiver wire this week will be full of players who had a 25-point night because of an absence. Prioritize the ones whose role is structural, such as a new starter, over the ones who simply got hot.
Watch the timelines in reverse. Haliburton and Morant are the most likely to return first. Players added as their replacements carry the shortest shelf life; plan to cycle them out when the starters return.
The Verdexed angle
Injury waves like this tend to push the market toward overreaction on team totals and spreads. A team that loses a star often outperforms expectations in its first game without him, as Toronto did in a 30-point win over Orlando, and then regresses as opponents adjust. Spread markets that react to the first result tend to misprice the second and third.
The model's nightly NBA picks are at /blog/nba-picks-2026-10-30, and the full board of win probabilities is at /nba/predictions.
What to do in your league
Add Nembhard, Dosunmu and Holiday first. Add Ajay Mitchell, Ja'Kobe Walter and Anthony Black in 12-team leagues. Stream Henderson, Hyland or Filipowski in deeper formats and DFS. Stash your injured stars in IL slots, and set a reminder to recheck Morant's and Suggs' timelines this weekend.