Fantasy Basketball 2022: Waiver-Wire Advice for Injured NBA Players After November 9

Whether making use of injury slots or simply rotating bench pieces, it's always good to keep your roster moving in fantasy basketball. If you're dealing with the unfortunate variety of injuries this week, that holds even truer.

While one could have forecasted missed games for guys like Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard, a number of others have entered the injury conversation. From first-round superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to later-round surprise Paolo Banchero, lineup cornerstones across the league are suddenly dealing with health question marks.

So, if you've got the space, it's good to rotate some new guys in. And, looking solely at players rostered in fewer than 33 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues, there are three top options you can turn to for spot starts: Malik Monk, Mo Bamba and Kenyon Martin Jr.

Rostered in 30 percent of leagues, Monk's status is growing daily. Even if science goes against the mythos of the hot hand, it's something hoopers (and fantasy managers) subscribe to. And, right now, Sacramento's 24-year-old guard is feeling it.

Over his past four games, Monk has hit two, three, three and three threes, while scoring 19, 15, 24 and 14 points, respectively. The minutes have followed suit, with the new King getting 27-plus minutes in three straight games.

Just the points and threes can help fantasy managers, but Monk's ceiling extends beyond them. Over that same four-game span, he's totaled 21 assists, which is a positive bonus you might not find with other scorers. While he's still coming off of the bench, you can ride with the hot hand until he cools off.

This hasn't been Bamba's year. Over the Magic's first 10 games, the 24-year-old big hadn't played 18-plus minutes once—despite averaging 25.7 last season.

But something may be changing in Orlando, as Bamba has now played 20-plus minutes in each of the team's last two games. For fantasy managers who remember Bamba's unique ceiling (probably the 26 percent rostering him currently), or fans who have simply watched him play, that uptick in opportunity is enough to deserve attention.

A rare, relatively mobile seven-footer with both rim-protecting instincts and some touch from three, Bamba's upside is massive—especially given how difficult center can be in fantasy. Last year, he averaged 10.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.5 threes per game, while shooting a steady 78.1 percent from the line.

Over this two-game stint this year, he's put up 26 points, 10 rebounds, two threes and two blocks. Small sample and not quite awe-inspiring production, but the intrigue is there. If your lineup works best with a big who can help from outside and on defense, Bamba's developing role is worth taking note of.

Another player seemingly stepping into a bigger role after relative obscurity, Martin Jr. is back in action. This season has been a bit rough for the 21-year-old, but things have started clicking over the past week or so.

In four of his last five games, Martin Jr. has scored double-digit points and hit two-plus threes. In three of those, he's also tallied two blocks. Giving a sense of his current ceiling, he put up 21 points, four rebounds and five assists, with four threes and two blocks, against the Magic on November 7.

Rostered in just 20 percent of leagues, the 6'7" forward is an add for deeper leagues because his kind of versatile upside is rare this far into the waiver pool. The Rockets are a team full of youth, so no rotational player's role can ever be safe, but Martin Jr. is contributing right now, and there's no reason to expect him not to continue doing so moving forward.