Fantasy Basketball 2022: Waiver-Wire Advice for Injured NBA Players After December 8

The normal train of thought regarding Karl-Anthony Towns' injury loss was that the Minnesota Timberwolves would have another big man fill his scoring production.

That has not been the case in the three games the Wolves have played without the star big man.

Jaylen Nowell has stepped up to fill that void with a pair of 20-point performances.

Nowell outperformed Naz Reid and others off the bench on Wednesday, and that could be a trend that follows in the coming weeks while Towns is down with a calf injury.

The Minnesota guard is one of a few unexpected players filling vacated roles because of injuries. Those players could be valuable for fantasy basketball purposes to fill added depth off the waiver wire.

Three of Jaylen Nowell's four 20-point performances this season have come in the last two weeks.

Nowell produced 23 points in the game Karl-Anthony Towns left with an injury and 24 and 21 points in the two that followed when his injury absence started.

The 23-year-old guard played over 20 minutes in each of the last five games. That is a good sign for fantasy basketball players looking to take advantage of his increased role.

Nowell has also chipped in with rebounds and assists recently. He has seven rebounds and six assists in his last two games. He had at least three boards and two assists in his last five games.

He could add some valuable depth at both guard positions over the next few weeks, and he could even be a spot starter on nights when the Wolves are playing on small league-wide slates.

AJ Griffin averaged 31.3 minutes per game in the Atlanta Hawks' first three December games.

The rookie out of Duke scored 24 points on December 2, and he has at least 13 field-goal attempts in those contests.

Atlanta is playing without De'Andre Hunter and John Collins right now. Griffin seems to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of those absences.

It makes sense for Atlanta to play the rookie and see what he can bring to the floor with a gaping hole on the depth chart.

Griffin's field-goal accuracy may be an issue, as he shot under 30 percent in his last two games, but the better takeaway from those numbers has to be the overall shot production.

If the shots fall more consistently, Griffin could be a vital piece for the Hawks even when Collins and Hunter return.

Blake Griffin is going through a small career renaissance in Boston.

Griffin has become a solid rotational piece in the Celtics frontcourt. He played over 20 minutes in four of his last five games.

Griffin played a season-high 32 minutes on Monday against Toronto. He had 13 points and eight rebounds in that game.

The 33-year-old started in Phoenix on Wednesday in place of Al Horford, who was placed in health and safety protocols before the game.

Griffin will not be a starter on a regular basis, but he can be a decent contributor off the bench.

His fantasy production will be limited as a frontcourt reserve, but he may have a larger chance to add numbers if the Celtics keep blowing out teams.

Griffin could get some extra run over the next few weeks while Boston still has a gaping hole in its frontcourt depth.

The Celtics will have a smaller role for Griffin once Robert Williams III returns, but no specific date has been set for his comeback yet.