It’s an incredibly weird Week 8 schedule in the NBA because of the NBA Emirates Cup second round. The second round of the cup kicks off on Tuesday and this week, there are only TWO days with more than three games being played and that comes on Friday and Sunday. During this bizarre week, only the Celtics, Pacers, Lakers, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Suns, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Wizards have more than one game. Let's dive into the top injuries and waiver wire pickups for Week 8 of the fantasy basketball season.

 

 

Fantasy Basketball Week 8 Injury Report

Franz Wagner Injury Update - Oblique

In what is an absolutely brutal blow to the Orlando Magic, Franz Wagner is going to be out indefinitely with a torn oblique. He’ll be reevaluated in four weeks.

Brandon Ingram Injury Update - Ankle

Per Shams Charania of ESPN, Brandon Ingram has a significant ankle sprain that will sideline him indefinitely. There’s no further information on when Ingram is likely to return.

Tari Eason Injury Update - Concussion

Eason will miss his second straight game on Sunday as he remains in concussion protocol. The Rockets play the Warriors on Tuesday in the Emirates NBA Cup and he could return then.

Malcolm Brogdon Injury Update - Hamstring

The Wizards ruled out Malcolm Brogdon for both games of their back-to-back over the weekend due to a strained hamstring. There’s no telling how many games Brogdon will miss.

 


Fantasy Basketball Week 8 Waiver Wire

De'Andre Hunter, Atlanta Hawks - 37% rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

With the way the Hawks are rolling right now, it’s hard to envision them pivoting away from what has worked for them lately. The reality is it doesn’t matter if Hunter’s starting or coming off the bench. He’s been an absolute bucket offensively and a fantastic fantasy addition to boot. He’s scored 18-plus points in six straight games and 20 in five of them. He isn’t always the best peripheral stat producer, but what he does is enough if he continues to approach 30 minutes a night.

Moritz Wagner, Orlando Magic - 28% rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

The Magic are down their best two players, the top two offensive weapons on their team. I know Moritz Wagner plays different positions than both, but his ability to score will be needed with them out. We could see the Magic explore using Wagner more at PF while also playing him in his normal backup center role. Without those two he has a 26% usage rate and averages over 1.2 FP/min. If Wagner sees his nightly minutes tick up into the low-to-mid 20s, we’re talking about the potential for 30 fantasy points nightly. In deeper leagues, he’s worth a flier while Banchero and Wagner, his brother, are out.

Royce O'Neale, Phoenix Suns - 25% rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

With Kevin Durant still slated to miss some time, Royce O’Neale is a great temporary pickup as he continues to play extremely well. O’Neale has actually played 28-plus minutes in three straight games and four of five overall. He’s been on a little bit of a scoring kick too, putting up 19 and 23 actual points in back-to-back games. He’s a guy known more for his defense than he is for his offense but he’s giving fantasy owners a spark that they could use while Durant remains sidelined.

T.J. McConnell, Indiana Pacers - 16% rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

The Pacers are reeling and although Andrew Nembhard has returned, he’s been limited. The Pacers' depth is also depleted due to injuries as Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard are hurt, so the only meaningful minutes left to hand out are to T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin off of the Pacers bench. Minutes have long evaded McConnell consistently but heading into Sunday, he had played 22 or more in five straight games and has been churning out solid fantasy performance after solid fantasy performance. The rotation for Indiana is shrinking because they have to make up ground in the Eastern Conference.

Carlton Carrington, Washington Wizards - 11% Yahoo! Fantasy

There are not many teams with more than one game during Week 8 of the fantasy basketball calendar but the Washington Wizards are one of them. We don’t know who’s going to take the floor next when Washington plays, but Malcolm Brogdon suffered multiple injuries in the past two games he’s played and injury concerns have plagued him for years. Carrington started on Saturday and played 34 minutes, providing 10 points and 10 combined rebounds and assists, flashing a glimpse of why he was selected in the first round this year. If Brogdon’s injuries are anything that hinders him moving forward, Carrington should step into a bigger role.