X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Basketball Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups Include Tari Eason, Santi Aldama, Jalen Williams, Ayo Dosunmu

Week 1 fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups, adds, and sleepers for the 2022-2023 NBA season. Justin recommends free agent targets in 9-category leagues.

The 2022-23 NBA season is here, basically. I guess technically it doesn't start until Tuesday, but whatever. Close enough. This year, we're adding an additional piece of information to our weekly waiver wire column: a schedule breakdown, so that you can have an idea of which teams play the most games so you can use that as a tiebreaker when deciding between players if you need them for the short term.

These recommendations are mainly for 9-cat leagues, but if you play in another format, there's a good chance that the information here can still help you. We'll be looking at centers, forwards, and guards whose low rostership and upside make them ideal players to get onto your fantasy team.

Our staff at RotoBaller has great insight and daily columns on how to improve your squad and tips to make your team successful, so be sure to check them out! Now, let's get prepared for Week 1.

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Jamie Calandro and Dan Palyo lead the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with exclusive DFS picks, Prop picks and more. Gain VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, DFS Cheat Sheets and VIP Chat Rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

 

NBA Week 1 Schedule Guide

Let's take a look at some notable things on the schedule this week.

Teams with four games: N/A

Teams with three games: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Golden State, Houston, Indiana, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis, Miami, Minnesota, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Toronto, Utah, Washington

Teams with two games: Brooklyn, Dallas, Milwaukee, New York

Number of teams playing each day:

Monday: 0
Tuesday: 4
Wednesday: 24
Thursday: 4
Friday: 22
Saturday: 18
Sunday: 14

Back-to-Backs:

Monday/Tuesday: 0
Tuesday/Wednesday: 0
Wednesday/Thursday: 0
Thursday/Friday: 0
Friday/Saturday: Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indiana, Memphis, Miami, Orlando, San Antonio, Toronto
Saturday/Sunday: Cleveland, Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City, Sacramento

 

9-Category Leagues - Waiver Wire Adds

This column is written based on H2H 9-category 12-team leagues. All players in this article are rostered at around 50 percent or less.

 

Tari Eason, SF/PF - Houston Rockets

54% rostered 

Eason has been a popular late-round pick all draft season due to a mixture of his strong play and the fact that a rebuilding Rockets team will likely get him on the floor a lot, especially considering that Eason can play the three and four, plus can give you some small-ball five minutes.

In the preseason, Eason has averaged 17.8 points per game on 63.6% shooting and has connected on 45.5% of his three-point attempts. He's also added 9.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Fantasy managers who need threes and steals should take a lot at Eason if he's still on your wire, though with how his value has been shooting up, he might be gone by now.

 

Ayo Dosunmu, PG/SG - Chicago Bulls

46% rostered 

With Lonzo Ball still sidelined, the Bulls are set to make Ayo Dosunmu their starting point guard to begin this season. As a rookie last year, Dosunmu was a pleasant surprise, giving Chicago some really important minutes.

Dosunmu ended up starting 40 of his 77 games last season. As a starter, the then-rookie averaged 10.9 points and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 52.3% from the floor. He was much more efficient from deep as a reserve (41.5% off the bench vs 35.5% as a starter), but efficiency tends to suffer when you're in a bigger role, and he's now had a full NBA offseason to try working on that issue. I love Dosunmu as a cheap source of assists to open the season, and he should provide solid points and steals as well.

 

Jalen Williams, SG/SF - Oklahoma City Thunder

24% rostered 

I'll be honest here: I really have no idea what to think about the Thunder this year. I mean, I know they'll be bad, but what will the rotation look like?

Based on the preseason, I think we should see a lot of rookie wing Jalen Williams, who averaged 14.4 points per game on 61% shooting in the preseason. His scoring average ranked third on the team behind Luguentz Dort and Tre Mann. Williams also added 5.2 assists per game. Until Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on the court, we should see Williams—who, I should note, led the team with 1.8 steals per game in the preseason—serving as a secondary ball-handler, though when SGA is back, he'll likely spend more time off the ball since the Thunder have Josh Giddey.

 

Santi Aldama, PF/C - Memphis Grizzlies

30% rostered 

With Jaren Jackson Jr. sidelined, Aldama looks set to start at the four for the time being. It's not clear when JJJ will return, but Aldama's ability to stretch the floor will make him a nice fit beside Steven Adams.

Aldama didn't play a ton last year. He appeared in 32 games for the Grizzlies, averaging 11.3 minutes per contest and posting averages of 4.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. But in the preseason, Aldama shot 40% from three and averaged 12.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per contest. He can provide some well-rounded numbers for your fantasy team.

 

Jonathan Kuminga, PF/C - Golden State Warriors

38% rostered 

I don't want you to think that I'm super high on Kuminga. In fact, when he was drafted in the 10th round of our RotoBaller writer's league, I—along with a lot of people in the league—was like "uhh...okay." But there's a difference between drafting Kuminga before the final round and picking Kuminga up off the waiver wire.

The appeal of Kuminga is pretty easy to see. He's really athletic and he's delivered when he gets minutes. In the 29 games as a rookie where he played at least 20 minutes, Kuminga averaged 15.9 points per game. He's an efficient scorer at the basket who also provides some appeal from three.

The problem is that Kuminga is on a contending team that has Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins at the forward spots, so his minutes might be a little too limited to pay off. He's worth an add though because if he ends up with a decent role in this rotation, he'll produce solid numbers.

 

Jonathan Isaac, SF/PF - Orlando Magic

26% rostered 

Isaac is currently injured. He's been limited since camp with a hamstring issue and didn't play at all in the preseason. His status to open the regular season is in doubt.

But at some point, we can assume Isaac returns. And once he does, there's definitely fantasy appeal. Sure, he hasn't played since the 2019-20 season, when he played 34 games, but he averaged 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game back then. If he can be close to his pre-injury self, he'll be a decent source of defensive stats.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis


By popular demand, RotoBaller has aggregated all of our fantasy basketball NBA waiver wire pickups into a running list of NBA waiver options, so bookmark the page and check back often for updates.



POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Terry McLaurin

Could be a Holdout at Training Camp
Roger McCreary

a Candidate for a Contract Extension?
Max Fried

Exits Start With Blister
Mike Evans

Buccaneers Could Have Difficult Time Retaining Mike Evans
Charles Cross

Could Sign Extension Before Training Camp
Xavier Restrepo

One to Watch Going into Training Camp
Calvin Ridley

Appears Re-Energized
Mark Andrews

Still a Key Piece in Ravens Offense
Ndamukong Suh

Officially Announces his Retirement
Jaylen Waddle

Motivated After Disappointing Season
Tre Harris

Still Unsigned
Hunter Dobbins

to Miss Rest of Season With Torn ACL
Nolan Arenado

Held Out of Lineup on Saturday
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
Carlos Correa

Sitting on Saturday
Austin Riley

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Nolan Arenado

Exits Friday's Contest With Sprained Finger
Jake Burger

Expects to Play on Saturday
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Wyatt Langford

Records Four-Hit Night
Cal Raleigh

Homers Twice, Drives in Five
Cody Bellinger

Swats Three Homers in Victory
Jake Burger

Leaves With Quad Discomfort on Friday
Carlos Correa

Exits Game With Mild Ankle Sprain
Edward Cabrera

Dealing with Posterior Elbow Discomfort
Austin Riley

Leaves Game Early on Friday With Abdominal Tightness
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Rafael Devers

Dealing With Back Inflammation
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Returning on Friday
Sauce Gardner

Wants to be Highest-Paid Cornerback
Rhamondre Stevenson

Heading into an Important Season
Minnesota Vikings

Josh Metellus, Vikings Have Mutual Interest in Extension
Tua Tagovailoa

2025 Could be Tua Tagovailoa's Last Season in Miami
Rashawn Slater

has "Full Confidence" a Deal Will Get Done
Byron Buxton

Returns on Friday
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Jake Meyers

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Calf Strain
Brandon Lowe

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Tightness
Kodai Senga

Reinstated to Start on Friday
Alex Bregman

Officially Activated and Starting on Friday
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
Chicago Bears

Bears Extend General Manager Ryan Poles
Dalton Knecht

Avoids Serious Injury
MarShawn Lloyd

in a "Much Better Spot" Heading Into Training Camp
Javon Small

Signs Two-Way Deal
Dustin Hopkins

Browns Still Counting on Dustin Hopkins
Demarcus Robinson

Sentenced to Three Years of Probation
Jalen Nailor

In Line for WR3 Role in Minnesota
Andrew Thomas

Could Miss Start of 2025 Season
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF