Fantasy Basketball Injury Report: Opening Night Sidelined Stars and Top Waiver Wire Targets

The 2026-27 NBA season tips off with a severely depleted opening night injury report, forcing fantasy basketball managers to scour the waiver wire for early-season replacements. Big-name players including Bradley Beal, Brandon Ingram, Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, Mark Williams, and Shaedon Sharpe headline a crowded list of sidelined stars, opening the door for backups, rookies, and streaming options to elevate their fantasy value right out of the gate.

In the backcourt, Bradley Beal is sidelined due to knee inflammation with no solid return date confirmed. His absence opens extra opportunities for players like Kris Dunn, Kobe Sanders, and Gradey Dick to see increased action. Meanwhile, the team must also navigate the absence of Max Strus, who is dealing with a partial tear to his plantar fascia that will keep him out for at least the first couple weeks of the season.

Brandon Ingram arrived via a late-offseason trade from the Raptors carrying expectations of a major offensive load, but a partially torn Achilles required surgery and leaves the 29-year-old with an uncertain return timeline. Derrick Jones is positioned to step up in Ingram’s absence, having previously proven his reliability as a starter. At the same time, fifth-overall draft pick Keaton Wagler is projected to secure a starting role at shooting guard for the Clippers, putting the rookie in prime position for an immediate impact.

In the frontcourt, Nurkic faces a recovery timeline until at least early November due to a partial plantar plate tear in his toe. Filipowski remains without a clear return date as he continues recovering from back surgery. These frontcourt vacancies pave the way for Jaxson Hayes to step into a significant starting role at center, with Mo Bamba serving as backup, while Ace Bailey and Brice Sensabaugh could see added minutes at power forward.

Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton is expected to miss at least two weeks with a hamstring injury, leaving Jalen Smith to handle starting center duties until his return, supported by extra minutes from Patrick Williams and Zach Collins. The situation is even more dire for Ben Simmons, who suffered a torn Achilles at practice just days before his anticipated return, ruling him out for the entire season. De’Andre Hunter, Nique Clifford, and Precious Achiuwa are slated to take on larger roles in his wake.

The Kings are similarly short-handed in the frontcourt with Raynaud and Cardwell both expected to miss a couple of weeks due to knee and calf injuries respectively, increasing reliance on Achiuwa and new addition Jonathan Mogbo. Phoenix center Mark Williams faces a multi-month recovery from shoulder surgery for a torn labrum, leaving third-year big man Oso Ighodaro and sophomore Khaman Maluach to shoulder the load in the middle.

Donte DiVincenzo remains out for most of the campaign following a playoff Achilles tear last season, leaving Terrence Shannon, Isaiah Evans, Bones Hyland, and Ayo Dosunmu to absorb extra minutes. Portland guard Shaedon Sharpe is sidelined until at least March 2027 after suffering an offseason torn meniscus, prompting the Trail Blazers to lean on their backcourt depth with Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, and Vit Krejci stepping into larger responsibilities.

Golden State faces multi-faceted roster holes as Jimmy Butler deals with a knee injury keeping him out until early next year, and Moses Moody handles a knee issue that could allow for a December return. Kristaps Porzingis also remains sidelined with an illness without a clear return timeline. The Warriors will look to Gui Santos and Yaxel Lendeborg to take on starting spots, with Draymond Green sliding to center, backed up by Al Horford, and Georges Niang contributing off the bench.

Dallas center Dereck Lively II is still recovering from foot surgery performed last December, leaving Daniel Gafford to handle the primary center minutes alongside strong-minute reserve Moussa Cisse. In other injury news, White is missing at least the season opener with a training camp calf strain, and Knueppel continues working back from a preseason hamstring injury, though neither young star is expected to miss extended time. Dennis Schroder is prepared to anchor the starting point guard spot as needed, while Grayson Allen, Sion James, and Royce O’Neale compete for heavy backcourt workloads.