NBA.com published its Week 3 fantasy basketball waiver wire leaderboard on Wednesday, with a focus on players who have been productive on the glass over the past week. The list is limited to players who remain available in at least half of Yahoo leagues, according to the outlet. Rebounding, NBA.com notes, is a key source of fantasy points and carries particular weight in category-based formats.
Why it matters
Fantasy leagues are often decided by the margins — the category you win by a handful of boards or the streamer who fills a hole while a starter sits. NBA.com's approach narrows the pool to players most managers can actually add right now, which makes the list immediately actionable rather than theoretical. Several of the names are tied to injury situations, meaning their value could shift quickly depending on how those situations resolve.
Frontcourt options tied to injuries
NBA.com points to Daniel Gafford as the big man to target in his offense now that he is no longer splitting the center position with Dereck Lively II. Lively (foot) and Santi Aldama (knee) have not yet appeared this season, per the outlet. Over his last two games, Gafford has averaged 19 points and seven rebounds, and NBA.com describes him as the dependable interior option in that lineup given the injuries around him.
The outlet also flags Jalen Smith, who has been filling in for the injured Nic Claxton. Smith averaged 10 rebounds across three games over the past week, according to NBA.com, and has not missed time despite dealing with a finger injury. NBA.com argues that any starter in that offense is worth rostering at the moment, citing the team's top-10 standing in both offensive rating and pace, and calls Smith a must-roster player for as long as Claxton is sidelined.
A rookie big and a veteran rebounder
NBA.com highlights rookie Mara, the 12th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, as a backup center on a championship contender who is already seeing 18.1 minutes per game. The 7-foot-3 center is averaging 5.6 rebounds on the season, a figure that rose to seven over the past week, and he is also averaging 1.7 blocks, per the outlet. NBA.com acknowledges his scoring is not yet at a high level but identifies him as a strong option in deeper leagues for defensive stats and rebounds.
Andre Drummond, now New York's backup big man, is averaging 8.7 rebounds over the last week and 7.6 on the season, according to NBA.com. The outlet notes the Knicks have leaned on the veteran center more than expected, pointing to a 24-minute outing in the season opener in which he posted 12 points and 14 rebounds. He has not reached that minute total since, but NBA.com reports he is averaging 13.7 minutes over his last four games and is the first frontcourt player off the bench behind the starters.
A versatile forward earning minutes
NBA.com also lists Walker, a fourth-year forward, whose minutes have held steady even with Tyrese Haliburton back in the lineup to open the season. Haliburton is out again with a hamstring injury, per the outlet, but Walker's role has not shrunk — he logged a career-high 45 minutes against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. He is averaging 24.6 minutes on the season, along with 7.9 points and 6.1 rebounds, according to NBA.com, which describes him as a versatile option who can operate inside and out while still contributing on the boards.
The broader context of the piece is a waiver wire landscape shaped by injuries. NBA.com's summary of the week's coverage also includes a fantasy rookie power ranking and waiver wire columns from FantasySP, Fantasy Alarm and FantraxHQ, reflecting how much of the current pickup advice is driven by absences rather than breakout form alone.
What to watch: the status of Lively, Aldama and Claxton, since each directly affects how long the players above hold their current value.
