NBA.com published its Week 3 fantasy basketball waiver-wire leaderboard on Wednesday, focused on players who can help rosters on the glass. The list highlights big men who are available in at least 50% of Yahoo leagues and have produced on the boards over the previous week, according to the outlet.
Rebounding is a major source of fantasy points and a deciding factor in category formats, NBA.com notes, which is why the outlet singled out players who have been cleaning the glass recently.
Why it matters
Week 3 is early enough that productive players can still be found on the wire in most leagues, but late enough that managers have real data to act on. For anyone chasing rebounds in a category league, the five names below represent the clearest opportunities NBA.com identified. Several of them owe their value to injuries ahead of them on the depth chart, which makes their outlook tied to how quickly those teammates return.
Daniel Gafford and the Dallas frontcourt
NBA.com points back to earlier advice that if either Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively II went down, fantasy managers should grab the healthy one. With the two no longer splitting time at center, Gafford is the big to own in Dallas, according to the outlet.
Lively (foot) and Santi Aldama (knee) have not yet played this season, NBA.com reports. Gafford has averaged 19 points and seven rebounds across his last two games, and the outlet describes him as the dependable interior option in that lineup while the other bigs are sidelined.
Jalen Smith, rookie Mara and Andre Drummond
Jalen Smith has kept producing while filling in for the injured Nic Claxton, averaging 10 rebounds over three games in the past week, per NBA.com. Smith has been managing a finger injury but has not missed time. The outlet argues that any starter in this Chicago offense is worth rostering right now, noting the Bulls sit in the top 10 in both offensive rating and pace. As long as Claxton is out, NBA.com calls Smith a must-roster player.
Rookie Mara has carved out a role as a backup big on a contender, averaging 18.1 minutes, according to the outlet. The No. 12 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft is averaging 5.6 rebounds for the season, a figure that rose to seven over the past week. NBA.com also notes the 7-foot-3 center is averaging 1.7 blocks, boosting his fantasy value. His scoring is not yet at a high level, but the outlet sees him as a strong option in deeper leagues for rebounds and defensive stats.
Andre Drummond, now New York's backup center, has shown throughout his career that he will rebound regardless of how much he scores, NBA.com writes. He is averaging 8.7 rebounds over the last week and 7.6 for the season. The Knicks have leaned on the veteran more than expected, per the outlet: he played 24 minutes in the season opener with 12 points and 14 rebounds, and while he has not reached that minutes total since, he is averaging 13.7 minutes across his last four games. NBA.com notes that several guards may come off the New York bench before Drummond, but he is the first frontcourt player outside the starting five to see time.
Jarace Walker's expanded role in Indiana
Jarace Walker is another name on the list. With Tyrese Haliburton out again due to a hamstring injury, Indiana players have absorbed extra opportunities, according to NBA.com. Even though Walker returned for the season opener, his minutes have hardly dipped. He logged a career-high 45 minutes against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, per the outlet.
Walker is averaging 24.6 minutes on the season, along with 7.9 points and 6.1 rebounds. NBA.com describes the fourth-year forward as a versatile fantasy option who can operate inside and out while still contributing on the boards.
Wednesday's leaderboard arrived alongside other Week 3 fantasy coverage, including NBA.com's rookie power rankings and waiver-wire advice from FantasySP, Fantasy Alarm and FantraxHQ. The common thread across those pieces is the same one driving NBA.com's rebound list: early-season injuries are opening minutes, and managers who move quickly can benefit.
What to watch next: whether Lively and Aldama return to the Dallas lineup, and how long Claxton stays out in Chicago. Both situations determine how long Gafford and Smith hold their current value.
