NBA Injury Report: Who to add with Anthony Edwards, Paolo Banchero and other stars sidelined

It’s been a week and a half of injury hell to start the NBA season and the bodies keep dropping. What hurts more is the caliber of players falling victim to unfortunate circumstances. Anthony Edwards, Jalen Williams, Paolo Banchero, Kawhi Leonard, Jalen Duren, Jaren Jackson Jr., Cason Wallace, Jalen Suggs and Ivica Zubac are all out — with a handful of others who haven’t played yet. 

Here’s who’s hurt, how long they might be gone and the viable fantasy replacements. 

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Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards 

Edwards is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and is expected to miss up to two months, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. That’s a gut punch after a start that included two 40-plus-point games, including 47 in Monday’s overtime loss at Cleveland. He had been playing through knee pain and fantasy managers will be disappointed to have to stash him on IR until at least January. In what looked like the start of an MVP-like campaign, Edwards won’t be eligible for seasonal awards but hopefully will return during the second half of the season to help the Timberwolves (and fantasy managers) get a championship.

The replacements: Ayo Dosunmu (75% rostered) is the obvious next man up to replace Edwards in the starting unit. He’s averaging 12-4-4 in 26 minutes through four games. When Edwards missed time with a knee injury at the end of last season, Dosunmu stepped up, averaging 19-6-4 with 1 steal in 33 minutes across seven games. If he’s gone, Terrence Shannon Jr. (20%) is the one to grab. He’s averaging 13.0 points and 2.5 threes in 22 minutes. Jonathan Kuminga (64%) got his first double-double with the Wolves on Monday and should also see an expanded role in the rotation.

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Thunder: Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren 

Williams has a dislocated left ankle and a fractured fibula and will need surgery. No recovery timeline has been provided, but J-Dub is likely out for the rest of the season. For fantasy purposes, he’s a drop in most leagues unless you have an IL spot that you’re not using and want to wait for an update on the slim chances for a return late…

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Author : Dan Titus

Publish date : 2026-10-28 16:41:00

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