NBA Injury Report & Waiver Wire Ahead of Week 3 Games: Paolo Banchero Updates
It’s been a tough injury week for the NBA Injury Report Week 3 as key names such as Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, and Lauri Markkanen all suffered something that has and will keep them out for an extended period. Between the injuries and waiver wire additions, let's dive into everything you need to look at heading into Week 3 of the fantasy basketball season.
Fantasy Basketball Week 3 Injury Report
Paolo Banchero Injury Update - Oblique
After completing a game against the Chicago Bulls last week, Paolo Banchero sought out tests on his oblique to find out he had an oblique strain that would sideline him for at least four weeks. Anthony Black started in his place in the first game he missed. Black isn’t a priority add.
https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1852165370196463794
Desmond Bane Injury Update - Oblique
Desmond Bane has a right oblique strain and the Memphis Grizzlies have deemed him week-to-week. He’s likely going to miss the entire third week of the NBA season and possibly the fourth as well.
https://x.com/GrizzliesPR/status/1852480037896819097
Lauri Markkanen Injury Update - Back
After speaking with reporters over the weekend, Lauri Markkanen expects to be back during this current road trip that the Utah Jazz are on. They play three games in the upcoming week on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. If the Jazz want to get him back at 100%, we could possibly not see him back until Thursday. That would impact this upcoming week tremendously.
https://x.com/desnewssports/status/1852943571114225800
Jamal Murray Injury Update - Concussion
Jamal Murray is currently in concussion protocol. He’s already missed one game due to the concussion and we’ll see if he’s able to clear it before Monday’s game. Russell Westbrook started in his place and will do so if Murray misses any more time.
CJ McCollum Injury Update - Thigh
Per Shams Charania of ESPN, CJ McCollum suffered a right adductor strain and is out for 2-3 weeks. Jose Alvarado will start in his place and is a very solid fantasy addition while McCollum is out.
https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1852410755204952333
Jordan Clarkson Injury Update - Heel
Jordan Clarkson will be unavailable for at least the next week with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. He’s not playable in this three-game week for Utah Jazz and if you previously moved on from Collin Sexton, not so fast my friend. Check to see if he’s available as a short-term fantasy option.
https://x.com/utahjazz/status/1852486339473899690
Marcus Smart Injury Update - Ankle
Marcus Smart is dealing with an ankle sprain that the Grizzlies are calling a week-to-week injury. He should remain sidelined throughout Week 3 of the fantasy basketball season.
https://x.com/GrizzliesPR/status/1852480037896819097
Mark Williams Injury Update - Foot
It doesn’t seem like we’re any closer heading into the third week of the NBA season as we were before the season began because all Williams is doing at practice is individual work according to head coach Charles Lee. Continue to stash the very talented Williams in your IR spots.
https://x.com/HornetsReddit/status/1852464870911824351
Fantasy Basketball Week 3 Waiver Wire
Bilal Coulibaly, Washington Wizards - 47% on Yahoo! Fantasy
Some..SOME of Bilal Coulibaly’s recent production is aided by Kyle Kuzma being out of the lineup, but again, the key word is some. Coulibaly has now scored 17-plus points in four straight games and Kuzma was active in two of them. Coulibaly looks like a different player offensively because we knew his pedigree as a defender, what we didn’t realize was the leap he would take offensively and how FAST it was hit us in the face. He’s averaging 19.4 points per game while still averaging 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals. Go get him NOW.
Santi Aldama, Memphis Grizzlies - 44% on Yahoo! Fantasy
Watching the Memphis Grizzlies makes you wonder how sustainable their formula is but then you watch everyone play and you think it could work long-term. Aldama is one of 10 guys that plays significant roles nightly and right now, while they’re dealing with injuries, he’s their starting small forward. He’s played more minutes than anyone and is averaging 13.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 stocks. He’s in the top 50 amongst all fantasy producers this year and was drafted closer to 200 than 100.
Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics - 37% on Yahoo! Fantasy
We’ve seen enough from Payton Pritchard early on in the year to know he’s a must-own roster moving forward. The Celtics are shorter on depth than last year with Kristaps Porzingis out and are willing to ride the hot hand with Pritchard when he has it going. Through seven games he’s averaging 15.7 points, which is fourth on the team behind Tatum, Brown, and White. He’s almost averaging 27.9 minutes despite playing exclusively off the bench. Pritchard’s still rostered in less than 40% of Yahoo! Fantasy leagues and that’s simply a mistake.
Scotty Pippen Jr., Memphis Grizzlies - 39% on Yahoo! Fantasy
There’s no reason to think Scottie Pippen Jr. cannot continue to have success day in and day out as long as Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane are off the court. Pipopen has three double-doubles through seven games and has settled into 20+ minutes per game and he’s an absolute elite fantasy producer when on the court. He’s averaging 11 points, 7.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. He contributes on both ends and his production will be sky-high with absences in the backcourt.
Jose Alvarado, New Orleans Pelicans - 30% on Yahoo! Fantasy
With CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray out for the Pelicans, they’ve turned to Jose Alvarado in back-to-back games and will for the foreseeable future. As stated in the injury section of this article, McCollum will be out for 2-to-3 weeks. That means all eyes are on Jose Alvarado for that period. He won’t ALWAYS be as productive offensively as he has been in the last two games scoring 12 and 15 points, but he is always coming away with steals, assists, and rebounds. He earned his contract thanks to his gritty, tough play.
Player News
Aaron Gordon had a quiet night, finishing with 13 points (6-of-13 FGs, 0-of-1 FTs), five rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one three-pointer in the Nuggets’ loss to the Thunder on Tuesday.
Gordon was mostly held in check on the offensive end, finishing with his fewest three-point makes of the series, the second-lowest scoring output, and no production from the free throw line. While Gordon has made several big plays down the stretch of games this postseason, he was notably quiet in Game 5, making his line feel even less spectacular. He’s performed well in Denver’s two home games this series and will need to empty the tank on Thursday in Game 6 to help the Nuggets keep their season alive.
Jamal Murray scored 28 points (10-of-27 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), four rebounds, three assists, one block and three three-pointers in 42 minutes for the Nuggets in their loss to the Thunder on Tuesday.
Murray registered his third 20-plus-point game of the series on Tuesday, but did so on rather inefficient shooting. A monster 13-point third quarter is where much of his production came from, which gave Denver a decent lead going into the final quarter. However, Murray cooled off down the stretch, scoring five of Denver’s 19 points in the fourth quarter. Both he and the rest of the Nuggets will want a better close to Thursday’s Game 6 if they hope to extend their season.
Nikola Jokic was dominant in the Nuggets’ loss to the Thunder on Tuesday, posting 44 points (17-of-25 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and 5 three-pointers.
Jokic bounced back in a big way on Tuesday after a few inefficient shooting performances in Games 2, 3 and 4. The three-time MVP had his fingerprints all over the game on the offensive side, regaining his shooting touch and being particularly dangerous from beyond the arc. He made some contributions as a passer, but still hasn’t found a way to dominate in this series as a facilitator, not yet tallying more than six assists in any game. Even with the Nuggets receiving the inevitable bounce-back game for Jokic, it wasn’t enough for them to take control of the series. Denver will need everything it can get from Jokic in Thursday’s Game 6 if it wants to extend the season.
Luguentz Dort came up big for the Thunder in their win over the Nuggets on Tuesday, finishing with 12 points (4-of-8 FGs), three rebounds, one assist and four three-pointers.
Well-known for his prowess on the defensive end, Dort’s offensive eruption in the fourth quarter helped the Thunder climb from out of a big hole to secure a come-from-behind win and move Oklahoma City one win closer to a trip to the conference finals. His three triples in the final frame were huge, but a late assist on a Jalen Williams three might have been the play that delivered the Thunder the victory. Dort’s double-digit outing marked his third of the series, and Oklahoma City would welcome another as it tries to close out the series on Thursday in Game 6.
Jalen Williams was impressive for the Thunder on Tuesday, posting 18 points (5-of-14 FGs, 6-8 FTs), nine rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers in the win over the Nuggets.
Williams landed in double figures in scoring for the fifth time in as many games this series. And while he continued to struggle with shooting efficiency, he remained impactful as a facilitator. The fourth-year wing also delivered one of the biggest shots of Game 5 as he sank a corner three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to give Oklahoma City a lead it wouldn’t surrender the rest of the way. Williams will continue to be relied upon when the Thunder head to Denver for a chance to close out the Nuggets in Game 6 on Thursday.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 31 points (12-of-23 FGs, 6-of-6 FTs), six rebounds, seven assists, two steals, two blocks and one three-pointer in the Thunder’s win over the Nuggets on Tuesday.
Gilgeous-Alexander did it all for the Thunder on Tuesday, taking on the roles of scorer and facilitator while remaining active on the defensive end along the way. Most importantly, he was key in the final handful of blows that Oklahoma City dealt Denver down the stretch in what ended up being a dominant 34-19 fourth quarter for the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP finalist, delivered his third 30-point game of the series and will have a chance on Thursday to produce his fourth as the Thunder try to eliminate the Nuggets.