Fantasy Basketball 2021: Streaming Options for Injured NBA Players for Week 9

Houston Rockets rookie Alperen Sengun needs to be at the top of your fantasy basketball waiver-wire wishlist.

The 19-year-old has started to come alive in the offensive stat categories over the past few weeks, and he is the perfect player to take a risk on in fantasy basketball while a slew of stars are out with injuries or in health and safety protocols.

Sengun received more than 20 minutes on the court in four of his past five games and is starting to fill up the offensive stat columns on a regular basis. His roster percentage in Yahoo fantasy basketball leagues has gone up, but there is still a chance to pick him up before it is too late.

Chuma Okeke of the Orlando Magic and the New Orleans Pelicans' Herbert Jones could be trending in Sengun's direction soon since they have both impressed recently.

All three players could help salvage your fantasy teams while some of their contemporaries miss time. The full list of injured players and those in health and safety protocols can be found here.

Alperen Sengun's minutes increase of late is a positive development for fantasy basketball players who bought low on his stock at the start of December.

The 19-year-old played at least 22 minutes in four of his past five games, and Christian Wood's return did not affect much of his playing time. In fact, the Rockets may be inclined to use Sengun next to Wood instead of trotting out Daniel Theis in the starting lineup.

Sengun's best individual performance of the season came in the blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. He had 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

He followed that up with two average performances against the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons, which is why some fantasy players may be hesitant to pick him up.

Do not let the 10 points in the past two games steer you away from Sengun. He has six double-digit performances in December and should have more offensive opportunities as he settles into his role alongside Wood.

Chuma Okeke has not been shooting the ball like a player who averages 7.3 points per game.

The Orlando Magic power forward attempted 10 or more field goals in each of his past three appearances. He reached double figures in two of those contests.

Okeke's appeal goes beyond his increased scoring. He had a season-high 10 rebounds against the Miami Heat on Friday, and he can shoot three-pointers well for a player at his position.

He is 7-of-14 from three-point range in his past two games, and if he continues to shoot at a high level, he could drop in more shots from beyond the arc.

The 2019 first-round pick is far from a must-start player when your roster is healthy, but he come help in a few stat categories while players go in and out of health and safety protocols.

Herbert Jones attracted some fantasy basketball attention Friday, when he came one rebound short of a double-double.

The 2021 second-round pick tied his second-highest scoring total of the season with 17 points and added nine rebounds and four assists for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Jones reached double figures in three of his past five games and is averaging 7.9 field-goal attempts in December, which is a two-shot increase from November.

The small forward is not rostered in many fantasy basketball leagues, so he could be worth a flier with so many unknowns regarding the availability of some players.

Jones is expected to receive a steady dose of minutes in New Orleans with Zion Williamson still out injured, and his increased scoring numbers could lead to him being in double figures every night.