Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 2 (2026): 10/26 to 11/1

October 25, 2026

Thunder Dan's fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups for Week 2 of the 2026-27 NBA season. Consider these players as fantasy basketball adds, streamers, and stashes.

The first week of the season is nearly in the books, and we've seen some significant injuries (pour one out for Paolo) open up opportunities for other players. I will say (before I tell you all the good players to pick up for the week) that I do think you should use some discretion as to who you are casting aside in order to make room for the hot pick-ups. I'll be dropping the first edition of the Cut List later this week with some more thoughts on which players we can move on from and which players deserve more time to get going.

I have always been an advocate of being aggressive on the waiver wire! If your league has daily lineups, you should use that to your advantage and maximize your weekly games in H2H formats when necessary. Before you start "churning and burning," however, make sure you check your league settings to see what the weekly (and possibly season) moves cap is.

This week, I'm going to move the threshold for players featured down to 25% (it was 30% last week). That excludes a lot of players in the 25-40% band who are good pick-ups in 10-team leagues or smaller formats, with most of my analysis aimed at 12-team leagues or deeper. As always, feel free to hit me up on X or Reddit with specific questions, but always make sure to include the size of your league, depth of your rosters, and league scoring format!

Week 2 Schedule Breakdown (10/26 to 11/1)

How about a new color-coded chart this season with matchup grades? The matchups are based on last season's defensive ratings and pace of play. I'll update them with new data by Week 3.

Schedule Highlights

• Nine teams have four-game weeks. I have the Celtics, Hornets, Cavs, and Pacers with the best-rated schedules based on their opponents. The Pacers have their four games spaced out evenly with no back-to-backs, while the other three teams all have at least one B2B set.
• The Warriors have four games, too, and no B2Bs, so we might not see Steph, Podz, or Draymond rest. But Gui Santos left last night's game with an injury, so there could be some opportunity there.
• There are no Saturday-Sunday B2Bs to end the week.
• Tuesday (4), Thursday (3), and Sunday (4) are the three lightest days on the schedule. Portland and Sacramento are attractive targets with games on Tues-Thurs-Sat.
• The Sixers have a B2B set on Friday-Saturday, so if they do what they did this weekend, we will probably see LeBron rested one night and Embiid rested in the other game, but they haven't made that official or anything; I am just speculating.
• Phoenix is the only team with two games this week.

Standard League Adds: Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire for Week 2

Percent owned numbers for Yahoo! "Standard League" refers to 12-team leagues.

Dennis Schroder - PG (26%)

Schroder and the Hornets have four games this week, and he's locked in as the starting point guard until Coby White returns. He's been very much what we expected so far, scoring some points and dishing out some low-end assists, but he's also averaging 3.7 turnovers and offers very few threes or steals.

Just make sure his counting stats are worth it before you roll him out there; he's typically pretty inefficient.

Zaccharie Risacher - SF/PF (26%)

The Frenchman was already on our radar last week, and now an injury to Cooper Flagg has pushed him into a bigger role in Dallas. He's played 32 minutes in back-to-back games and has been a stocks machine this year with 2.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game.

Kyrie sat out last night, but should be back in the mix all week, but Flagg could miss some additional time. Make sure he's not floating around on your waiver wire; he should be rostered in any 12-team leagues or larger.

Aaron Wiggins - SG/SF (25%)

Wiggins has been simply tremendous for his new team so far. He's playing 27 minutes off the bench and averaging 17 points per game on 58% shooting. The knock on him for fantasy is that he doesn't do much other than score, but he's knocking down 3.3 threes and adding 1.7 steals with only 1.0 turnovers.

That's some real value, and it's got him inside the top-75 right now. Even if we think he's only good for like 75% of this production going forward, he's still easily a must-roster player right now. Add him in all formats.

Tari Eason - SG/SF/PF (25%)

After getting ejected only three minutes into his first game of the season, Eason has bounced back with two strong performances, including 19 points last night against the Hawks.

Tari finishing STRONG 💪 https://t.co/GnbH9XkysL

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) October 24, 2026

He played a season-high 31 minutes as Houston was without Fred VanVleet and Marcus Smart. He's more likely to play around 25-26 minutes most nights, but the Rockets have another back-to-back set later this week, so we could see another 30+ minute game coming. He really should be rostered in all formats; he does enough in defensive stats alone to be valuable, and the scoring is really just a bonus.

Bobby Portis Jr. - PF/C (22%)

I had Portis in last week's article, and he's doing pretty much what I expected with 10 points, 6.7 boards, and 2.0 threes per game. Those numbers will play, and his 25-minute role looks pretty secure right now.

Julian Champagnie - SF/PF (21%)

I thought Keldon Johnson would be the Spurs bench guy to pop off in Tobias Harris's absence, but it's been Champagnie who has been playing more minutes and adding more fantasy value. He finally hit double digits in scoring last night with 12 points, but he's averaging 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game, while also adding 2.3 threes.

He's a great "3 and D" guy, and he should continue to function as San Antonio's sixth man for as long as Harris is out.

Alex Caruso - SG/SF (19%)

Caruso's fantasy game is a unique one, but 22 minutes per night is enough for him to carve out enough value for standard leagues. OKC doesn't need him to score, but when he does make shots, they're usually threes. He's averaging 1.5 threes to go along with 5.0 boards, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks.

He's the jack of all trades and master of none. If you need everything BUT points, he's your guy.

Jaxson Hayes - C (19%)

I hope you snagged Hayes last week when he was only 1% rostered! He was featured here and has had a strong start to the year filling in for Jusuf Nurkic at center.

He actually didn't start the last game for Utah, as they went with a small lineup and started Ace Bailey, but he played really well off the bench with 17 points. I think he's locked into around 25 minutes a night for a while, and is a great option for teams that need FG%, rebounds, and defensive stats.

Precious Achiuwa - PF/C (18%)

The Sacto big man has been coming off the bench but is logging heavy minutes (27) with Dylan Cardwell and Maxime Raynaud out, plus Keegan Murray is dealing with a bum ankle. He's averaging 14-and-5 with two steals on some really good shooting (63%). The Kings have two games on light days (Tuesday and Thursday), too, making him an ideal streamer.

Obi Toppin - SF/PF (15%)

It's now two games in a row with 25 minutes to start the year, as the Pacers have gone small with their bench unit and poor Jay Huff has been riding the pine. Toppin probably won't be this good all season, but 16 points and a few threes a game on good percentages is exactly what I'm looking for from a streamer.

Jaylon Tyson - SG/SF/PF (14%)

Tyson has had a strong start to the season as Cleveland's sixth man. He may only be playing 22 minutes a night, but he's averaging 1.5 threes, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks. He is a really good defender, three-point shooter, and rebounder for his size.

Just how they drew it up https://t.co/iEND8EEBcY

— Mack Perry (@DevaronPerry) October 25, 2026

I expect him to continue to lead their second unit, and with four games on the schedule, he's firmly on my radar for standard leagues.

Pelle Larsson - SG/SF (13%)

Bad news - the Miami Heat are struggling and are 0-3. The good news? They finally played Larsson 36 minutes last night, and he was pretty obviously their best player on the court other than Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

PEL 😤 https://t.co/TXG3R6ve4f

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 24, 2026

He finished with 15 points, seven boards, four assists, a steal, and a three. His slow start caused him to be dropped in some leagues. Go check your wire right now, this kid is an add in all formats! Hurry up and add him now before he has another big game and people realize how good he is.

Tristan da Silva - SF/PF (12%)

Orlando's schedule is brutal this week as they face the Raptors twice and then Boston next Sunday. But this is not a streamer; this is a must-add player for the next month, in my opinion.

Paolo Banchero is out for 4-6 weeks, and I expect da Silva, along with Anthony Black, to be the biggest beneficiaries of his absence in terms of their minutes and roles.

Franz Wagner is about to go on a run with top-25 value, too. But back to TDS. He's already playing 28 minutes per game right now and should slide into the starting lineup where he'll probably play closer to 30 to 32 a night. He averaged 12-4-2 with a steal and two threes per game last year across 34 starts, and he's still an improving young player.

He has the green light to shoot the three and is knocking down 2.5 per game. Paolo's absence also opens up a lot of rebounding opportunities. I really think he's one of the best adds this week who is still widely available in many leagues.

Kris Dunn - PG/SG (12%)

Dunn is not for everyone. You have to value his steals, boards, and assists in order to really appreciate his game, as he's averaging just seven points per game across 30 minutes a night. But as long as he's playing that much, he's going to rack up stats in his strong categories, making him an asset in the right builds and for those looking to stream for steals.

Deep League Adds - Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire for Week 2

Percent-owned numbers for Yahoo! "Deep Leagues" refer to 14-team leagues or larger.

Kasparas Jakucionis - PG/SG (8%)

Jaku has been the biggest beneficiary of the departure of Kevin Porter Jr. (the Chinese league is calling KPJ!). He's playing 24 minutes per game and has carved out some sneaky top-100 value thus far with averages of 11 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals on really good efficiency.

Brayden Burries is going to come for more minutes with time, but for now, Jaku is the Milwaukee guard to roster in the short term.

De'Anthony Melton - PG/SG (7%)

Melton had a chance to ball out last night with the Warriors resting Steph, Podz, and Draymond, and he didn't disappoint as he posted a vintage 25-5-5 line with three steals and four threes.

Melton spins for the and-1 🔄 https://t.co/TwVum0sv6v

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 25, 2026

He probably won't get a start this week, but he's played at least 20 minutes in their two other games this season and looks like their most important bench guard right now. He's a threes/steals streamer right now in his bench role, but a pretty darn good one.

Leonard Miller - SF/PF (7%)

Miller is getting 20+ minutes a night, which is what we were hoping for. He's had a few underwhelming performances, but sandwiched in there was a 19-point outing against the Bucks. It's not a great schedule this week with the Celtics twice and the Knicks in between those Boston games, but as long as Nicolas Claxton remains out, I'm interested in streaming Miller.

Ziaire Williams - SG/SF (6%)

The Lakers are trying out a lot of different guys on the wing around their big three of Luka, Kessler, and Reaves. Matisse Thybulle got a start, too, and both he and Williams were solid in last night's win over the Clippers. Now Jake LaRavia and Cameron Carr were out, and Collin Sexton played only 16 minutes in his first action of the season, but Williams has a chance to stick as the starting SF and I like what he can offer in threes, steals, blocks on low turnovers.

Trevon Brazile - PF (6%)

The rookie second-round pick is getting a chance to make an impact more quickly than we expected. He snagged 12 boards in 18 minutes in his first NBA game, then followed that up with 17 points and 9 rebounds in 28 minutes against the Pelicans last night.

Trevon Brazile blocks his second (!!!!) three-pointer https://t.co/bNNsClqIMe

— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) October 25, 2026

Cam Johnson is nursing a bum ankle, Julian Strawther is out for a while, and Alpha Diallo is hurt, too. The Nuggets started Bryce Hopkins at small forward last night, but he only played 10 minutes. It's going to be DeMar DeRozan and Brazile doing the heavy lifting for the Nuggets on the wing until Johnson gets back.

Robert Williams III - C (5%)

The Time Lord is back at it with 7.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game in just 16 minutes. He's also shooting 78% from the floor! You're never going to get a ton of counting stats from him, but the peripheral stats are so juicy.

Miles McBride - PG/SG (5%)

After doing almost nothing in the opener, Deuce McBride had a huge game against the Celtics this week, knocking down six threes on his way to 20 points. He's only a threes and points streamer, but he looks like he's ahead of Jordan Clarkson right now for the bench scorer minutes.

Mario Hezonja - SF/PF (4%)

It's been fun watching Hezonja back in the NBA. He's a much different player than he was in his early 20s, and he's established himself as a very valuable part of this Cavs rotation, playing minutes at power forward while Nae'Qwan Tomlin is out. He's only averaging 19 minutes per game so far, but has been able to chip in 1.0 threes, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks. With four games this week and some good matchups (WAS, MIL), I think he's a sneaky stream.

Ja'Kobe Walter - PG/SG (4%)

Walter has gotten some solid run so far with the second unit, leading all bench players in minutes (23). He can chip in across the board and most notably in steals (2.5). This Raptors team is really good...and deep. He's going to be reserved for deeper leagues only unless there's an injury to a guard or wing player, but I think he has enough value in 23 minutes a night to be the last player on your bench.

Justin Champagnie - SF/PF (3%)

The other Champagnie brother deserves our attention as well. With A.J. Dybantsa yet to make his 2026 debut, the Wizards have been leaning on Bilal Coulibaly and Champagnie more than we expected to start the season. Champ is putting up 9 points, 9 boards, and 1.4 stocks per game in 23 minutes. We still don't have a return date for Dybantsa yet, so he could have a few more games of relevance.

Terrence Shannon Jr. - SG/SF (2%)

The Wolves are running a pretty tight rotation with their top six guys, but Shannon is currently the 7th man and has played 21 minutes per game thus far, chipping in 11.5 points and 2.0 threes per game. It's nice finally seeing him get some consistent run. He has four games this week, and I think he could definitely help out in the deepest of formats.

Sidy Cissoko - SF/PF (1%)

Cissoko is getting a lot of run so far with 25 minutes per game off the bench. He didn't do much in the season opener, but 15-and-7 with a steal and two threes against the Kings got my attention. Add him to your watchlist at the bare minimum.

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