Fantasy waiver wire targets after Week 1: Demin, Jones, Clayton headline early adds
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The first week of the 2025-26 NBA season has already produced several unexpected fantasy opportunities. ESPN fantasy analyst André Snellings lists a group of lightly rostered players who are capitalizing on extra minutes and should be considered in all formats.
Point guards
Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs (41.8% rostered): The No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft is logging heavy minutes while De’Aaron Fox recovers. At 6-foot-7, Harper defends across the perimeter and has shown enough polish to keep a sizable role even after Fox returns.
Egor Demin, Brooklyn Nets (43.7%): The most NBA-ready of Brooklyn’s five first-round rookies missed much of the preseason but impressed once healthy. A strong start, highlighted by rebounding and three-point shooting, positions him as a long-term fantasy contributor.
Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder (26.1%): A 2024 second-round pick who earned a standard contract, Mitchell is thriving with Jalen Williams sidelined. His self-created offense complements Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and is solidifying his place in the rotation.
Shooting guards
Ben Sheppard, Indiana Pacers (15.8%): With Tyrese Haliburton already out and Andrew Nembhard nursing a shoulder injury, Sheppard is seeing major minutes and filling the box score for Indiana.
Walter Clayton Jr., Utah Jazz (5.8%): Last spring’s NCAA tournament star carried a strong preseason into the regular schedule. Isaiah Collier’s hamstring issue has opened the door for Clayton to earn meaningful rookie minutes on a rebuilding roster.
Small forwards
Dillon Brooks, Phoenix Suns (31.0%): Starting as a 3-and-D forward, Brooks is Phoenix’s No. 2 scoring option while Jalen Green is out and is maintaining his usual mid-teens production.
Herbert Jones, New Orleans Pelicans (30.9%): Known for dependable defensive stats—at least a steal and a block per game the past two seasons—Jones is also flashing improved scoring and rebounding, making him a multi-category asset.
Ronald Holland II, Detroit Pistons (7.9%): The 2024 No. 5 pick is benefiting from Detroit’s thinner wing rotation and showing scoring upside in an expanded role.
Power forward
Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers (39.8%): A career 19-point scorer over the previous five seasons, Grant is thriving as Portland’s sixth man and remains a reliable source of points and threes.
Centers
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Charlotte Hornets (14.9%): The 2025 second-rounder has already claimed the starting center spot, opening his career with a double-double thanks to elite rebounding and rim protection.
Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons (21.3%): Despite backing up Jalen Duren, Stewart regularly tops 20 minutes because of Duren’s foul trouble, as evidenced by his opening-night 20-point, 10-rebound line.
With injuries and lineup changes creating early volatility, these waiver-wire options offer immediate help and long-term upside for fantasy managers willing to act quickly.
Source: ESPN
