Injuries to star players continue to create opportunity for their less-heralded teammates as we move deeper into the fantasy basketball playoffs.
On Saturday, we learned both Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry are slated to miss the rest of the regular season, a devastating blow to their respective teams and fantasy owners alike. Those in redraft formats have no reason to hang on to either player moving forward, but you won’t find someone on the waiver wire to single-handedly replace that type of output.
All hope is not lost, though.
When star players go down, their teammates have to pick up the slack and move into larger offensive roles. Terry Rozier has done so brilliantly in place of Irving over the past two weeks, making him one of the hottest pickups of March. Greg Monroe’s fantasy value has benefited from the Boston Celtics’ recent wave of injuries to a lesser extent, too.
That’s the theme of this week’s waiver-wire watch, as a number of injuries have opened the door for unheralded contributors to become difference-makers at the perfect time. With Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine hobbled in Chicago, a pair of Bulls players have emerged as somewhat steady contributors. Curry’s knee injury — not to mention the ongoing absences of Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson — forced Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr to dig deep into his bench. And with Nicolas Batum nursing an Achilles injury, one Charlotte Hornets reserve in particular has received a massive fantasy boost.
The following five players — all of whom are owned in no more than 50 percent of ESPN.com leagues — deserve your attention as streaming options heading into championship week.
Next: 5. Denzel Valentine