Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 1 (2026): 10/19 to 10/25

October 18, 2026

Thunder Dan's fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups for Week 1 of the 2025-26 NBA season. Consider these players as fantasy basketball adds, streamers, and stashes.

The season is nearly upon us! I wrapped up my last few drafts last night, and I am now switching over into Week 1 mode, focusing on starting strong out of the gate in my league matchups. Welcome to the first edition of my weekly waiver wire content, where we figure out how to maximize the available talent every week!

If we drafted well, we established a good foundation for our rosters. But the hard work has just begun! 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 looking at players who are still widely available to start the season despite strong preseasons or injuries that should open up opportunities for more playing time. I like to start with players rostered at 30% or lower for my analysis, and don't worry, deep-leaguers, I try to go deeper into the player pool than most!

Week 1 Schedule Breakdown (10/19 to 10/25)

How about a new color-coded chart this season with matchup grades? Feedback is welcome! 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

• The Sixers are the only 4-game team, but do they even have any bench players worth streaming?
• Portland, Cleveland, Phoenix, Denver, and Boston have only two games this week.
• Most valuable back-to-backs: NOP, MIL, CHI (all Fri-Sat)

Standard League Adds: Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire for Week 1

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

Moussa Diabate - C (28%)

Moussa is the starting center in Charlotte, and Kalkbrenner isn't a threat to that job anytime soon. He's capable of double-doubles with some defensive stats, and his FT% (66%) doesn't hurt much on low volume. He may have to deal with Steinbach as competition in time, but the Hornets love Diabate's energy, defense, and tenacity on the boards.

Nikola Vucevic - C (28%)

It feels like people are sleeping on Vooch a bit. Yes, his value took a big hit when he went to Boston last year and came off the bench, but I like him this year back in Orlando as he gives the Magic more size and better perimeter shooting than Wendell Carter Jr.

His days of being a 20-10 guy are long over, but he still has a very fantasy-friendly game and a chance to earn enough minutes (around 25, I'd guess) off the bench to be helpful in standard leagues.

Yves Missi - C (28%)

A lot of folks want Derik Queen to start at center for the Pels, but it's just not happening. Queen's deficiencies on defense are well-documented, and New Orleans really can't put him next to Zion Williamson out there.

Missi won't score much, but has solid potential to contribute in boards and blocks. He swatted 1.5 shots per game in just 19 minutes a night last year. That's more blocks per minute than this next guy, another notable shot-blocker.

Mitchell Robinson - C (26%)

There's quite a theme going here to start things off, as we have yet another center in a timeshare. Mitch-Rob started the last few preseason games, and he interests me a bit more if that trend continues into the regular season.

Starting or not, we are really just looking for 20 to 22 minutes from Robinson, and he can be impactful on the boards, blocks, and sneaky good in steals. He's better suited for punt FT% teams, but even teams with good FT% can usually absorb his impact, as he usually doesn't take that many attempts.

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

Eason was a part-time starter last season, but now shifts back to the bench as Houston's rotation gets a bit more crowded. I think he has the best chance of any of their guys on the second unit of carving out some value, due to his ability to hit threes, rebound at a solid rate, and rack up defensive stats.

FVV is going to sit out back-to-backs to start the year, too, which could create some spot start opportunities for Eason or perhaps Reed Sheppard. He should be rostered in more leagues, though, at least until we see how his minutes shake out.

Gui Santos - SF/PF (24%)

I think Santos comes off the bench behind Draymond Green, but he's ticketed for a pretty big role for the Warriors this year. Porzingis is out indefinitely, and the Warriors are very thin in the frontcourt. Yaxel Lendeborg has been awesome this preseason and has stolen some of the luster from Santos, who had somewhat of a breakout last year.

I drafted him in deeper leagues, and I'm holding him until we see what his role looks like in the first few games. I'm expecting minutes in the low to mid twenties for now, but there will be days when Draymond and Al Horford get rested down the road, too.

Tre Jones - PG (23%)

Jones was a great asset last year at times when he filled in as a starter and then had a substantial role off the bench. He's back to the bench this year, but Chicago will likely lean on him to run the second unit, and he can also play alongside Giddey off the ball, too.

He's a solid defender and rebounder at his position and is a great fit on teams that value FG% and rebounding, while still trying to win assists and steals. I'm hoping for 22-24 minutes from him.

Keaton Wagler - SG (21%)

The Clippers have zero depth, and there's really no reason why they shouldn't just roll Wagler out there with Darius Garland and let him learn on the fly.

'Tween.
Drive.
Spin.
Stepback.
SPLASH.

Keaton Wagler (15 PTS) plays hero late and lifts the @LAClippers to victory in his NBA preseason debut 🔥 https://t.co/lqHNU1RBXK

— NBA (@NBA) October 5, 2026

He'll have some rough games as a rookie; the NBA learning curve is steep. But he's a lottery pick with a lot of upside, so a starting role and anything close to 28-30 minutes puts him immediately into consideration.

Be careful with him if you care about FG%, though.

Bobby Portis - PF/C (21%)

Portis should reprise his bench role in Miami, but could play enough right away to be impactful in points, boards, and threes. The Heat have only Nick Richards and Nikola Jovic as other frontcourt options behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

Portis can stretch the floor with his shooting and provide some much-needed scoring on the second unit. It's nothing flashy, but 12 and 6 with some threes on decent percentages can be quite useful, especially for teams that lean into guard-based stats and need some C-eligible players.

Grayson Allen - SG/SF (20%)

Allen didn't play the last few preseason games, but I expect him to start at shooting guard for the Hornets on opening night. He's a good fantasy player with minutes and still one of the most efficient three-point shooters in the game. With Kon Knueppel and Coby White out, he could have a really solid month or so of production ahead of him.

Aaron Nesmith - SG/SF (18%)

Nesmith is going to start at the three and is much better with Haliburton facilitating than without him. His game is not for everyone, and there will be games where he just doesn't get many counting stats. But he's someone who can contribute threes without hurting percentages or turnovers.

Jared McCain - PG/SG (17%) 

We all love Ajay Mitchell's upside as the sixth man in OKC, but McCain is going to play solid minutes with the second unit, too, and was jacking up shots this preseason with reckless abandon.

His fantasy game is pretty hollow and limited to points, threes, and a handful of assists, but I won't be surprised if he averages like 12-14 points per game this year and pops off occasionally when one of the OKC guards ahead of him in the rotation sits out.

Collin Sexton - PG/SG (16%)

Sexton has a new home in L.A., but his role is likely to remain unchanged. He's a combo guard who can come off the bench and score in bunches, and the Lakers are going to need him to do just that.

Like McCain, he doesn't offer much upside in other categories, but points are an easy category to try to win every week through streaming, and Sexton's efficiency is good enough that I don't worry about him tanking FG%.

Pelle Larsson - SG/SF (16%)

Just be warned that Larsson sat out the last few preseason games with headaches, so his status for the opener is up in the air. I like him the most of any of the Miami wings this year (other than Wiggins), and I'm going to hold him in leagues, even if Klay Thompson starts ahead of him, which I think is likely to happen for now,

Paul Reed - PF/C (14%)

Reed won't be this widely available in a week, mark my words! He's slated to be Jalen Duren's primary backup and, frankly, he outplayed him in the playoffs last year.

He only needs 18-20 minutes to be impactful in boards, steals, and blocks. I think he gets those minutes and carves out some nice late-round value this season.

Jalen Smith - PF/C (13%)

We all know the drill here. Smith is very fantasy-viable with minutes, and it looks like he'll begin the season as the starting center for Chicago with Nicolas Claxton out.

He's going to pop off for 15 points, 10 boards, and some threes and blocks this week in a game and be added in hundreds of leagues overnight, mark my words! If you need center help, get ahead of the curve and snag him now while you can.

Isaiah Jackson - C (13%)

Jackson is another starting center who is far too lightly-rostered. His fantasy game and per-minute production in boards and blocks is well-known at this point, so even like 24 minutes in a timeshare with Brook Lopez puts him into standard league consideration.

He has a few weeks before Yanic Konan Niederhauser gets back, and Lopez isn't really a threat to his job at this stage of his career.

Zaccharie Risacher - SF/PF (10%)

Risacher looked great this preseason and appears to have locked up a starting spot in Dallas for now. He managed 12-5-2 with 1.5 stocks in 24 minutes a game this preseason, and let's not forget he was the number one overall pick just a few years ago.

Zaccharie Risacher 16 PTS (7-13 FG, 2-6 3P), 3 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK vs. Rockets

Made 6 straight shots in the 2nd half https://t.co/RJaz3lqNIh

— Role Player Performances (@BenchHighlights) October 11, 2026

A move to Dallas may be exactly what he needed to jumpstart his career. I'm intrigued.

Joan Beringer - C (9%)

Beringer is finally getting a chance to crack the rotation this year and will operate as Rudy Gobert's primary backup. He brings big-time shot-blocking upside and could flirt with 7-8 boards and 1+ blocks per game with a steady 16-18 minute role.

Deep League Adds - Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire for Week 1

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

Scotty Pippen Jr. - PG (15%)

Cam Spencer - PG/SG (6%)

GG Jackson II - SF/PF/C (4%)

I lumped all the Grizzlies together here to save time, and yeah, Pippen is at 15%, so he should probably be in the standard league section.

I like Jackson the most of the three. He had a great preseason and has less competition for minutes at the three or the four than Spencer and Pippen do in the backcourt.

If Walter Clayton Jr. gets minutes, he's going to destroy the potential value of both Grizzlies guards, but he's now being rumored as a trade candidate.

The schedule is great for Memphis out of the gate, but the rotation is potentially very messy. This is a situation to monitor closely, but the Grizzlies could be annoying with minutes all season.

Dennis Schroder - PG/SG (6%)

Ugh, I wish we didn't have to consider Schroder, but he's looking at the starting gig in Charlotte for as long as Coby White is out. His fantasy game is extremely weak other than points, threes, and assists, but he really should be rostered in more leagues than this if we expect 25-28 minutes.

Leonard Miller - SF/PF (5%)

Lenny really popped this preseason, averaging 16 points, six boards, two assists, and a steal per game in only 19 minutes per contest. With Jalen Smith shifting into the starting lineup and Zach Collins still out, Miller could function as the primary backup big man and play some decent minutes right out of the gate.

Leonard Miller put together another great game for the Bulls, his been incredible this preseason.

26 PTS, 7 REB, 11/14 FG, 4/6 3PT, 93 TS%

Year 5 leap 🔥 https://t.co/HBM9ccav8U

— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) October 12, 2026

He has a very fantasy-friendly skill set and a great schedule here in Week 1.

Robert Williams III - C

The TIME LORD is a beast and has always tantalized us with his elite per-minute production in boards, assists, blocks, and steals. I think he's looking at 17-18 minutes off the bench to start the year as Donovan Clingan's backup, and Yang Hansen is still behind him as a young player who needs more seasoning.

Jay Huff - C (5%)

Ivica Zubac is now the starting center in Indiana, so the Jay Huff experience for standard leagues is a thing of the past. However, let's not forget he blocked 1.9 shots per game in only 20 minutes last year and is still a unicorn-type player who can rack up threes, boards, and blocks in bunches when he's out there.

Tre Johnson - PG/SG/SF (4%)

I know it might seem like the Wizards rotation is messy, but I think Johnson's role as their microwave guard off the bench might be the most stable, and that he's good enough to provide some low-end value in 20 minutes a night.

Tre Johnson is a truly ridiculous shooter https://t.co/RtXt5Z8R03

— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) October 13, 2026

Again, this is a lottery pick with a ton of potential, and he's clearly a guy that Washington wants to get involved. Bub Carrington looks like the young guard who is on the outs right now in terms of finding minutes, but Johnson and Kyshawn George should get plenty of run, even with Trae Young in town and A.J. Dybantsa joining the rotation.

Jamal Shead - PG (4%)

There's really no cheaper assist guy out there than Shead. He averaged over five dimes per contest last year off the bench, and while he's not a good three-point shooter, he can still chip in some steals (0.9), without hurting us in turnovers.

Jaxson Hayes - C (2%)

Guys, Hayes is the starting center in Utah for at least the next month...or more! He does enough in boards and blocks to be useful and is a really good fit for them on the first unit as he doesn't command any usage, and they have a lot of players who are going to be hoisting up plenty of shots.

I think 8 points, 10 boards, and 1.2 blocks is very possible for Hayes in like 25 minutes a night. That's basically Rudy Gobert, and he's free on the wire!

Charles Bassey - C (1%)

Bassey has never really been a starter in the league, but has put up some Robert Williams-esque per-minute numbers. He started a few games this preseason at center, and is someone who should be on our radar if he starts opening night.

All we really need is like 20 minutes from him, and he'd have a chance to be very impactful for fantasy purposes.

Nolan Traore - PG (1%)

We all love Egor Demin in Brooklyn this year, but Nolan Traore was also a first-round pick of the Nets last season and honestly played better than Demin at times. He looked sharp this preseason, too. I think they'll bring Mikel Brown Jr. along slowly, and that Traore is going to hang onto around 20 minutes a night off the bench.

Jock Landale - C (1%)

Landale has always been awesome with minutes; we know that. He's now in Atlanta and functioning as Onyeka Okongwu's backup. He popped off with some big lines this preseason, reminding us of his fantasy potential. He doesn't even need an injury to carve out some late-round value; he just needs a solid 16-18 minute role, which feels doable.

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