Navigating the NBA injury report is key to a winning fantasy basketball draft strategy. With crucial injuries to Joel Embiid and Christian Braun, NBA depth charts have been dramatically reshuffled. Andre Drummond is a must-add, producing elite NBA player stats and immediately impacting fantasy basketball rankings. We also evaluate Isaiah Jackson and Cameron Johnson, whose increased minutes demand a speculative add.
Most-Added Fantasy Basketball Players on Wednesday
Isaiah Jackson, Pacers 
If you've been following Isaiah Jackson's season, you know the routine by now: bench role for a few games, then suddenly thrust into the NBA starting lineup, followed by quality production, then back to the bench.
After three consecutive games coming off the bench, Jackson returned to the starting lineup against the Pistons two days ago and delivered his second-best performance of the season. In 27 minutes, he posted 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.
The reason for Jackson's inconsistency isn't mysterious—he fouls. A lot. Instead of using his athleticism and timing to rack up blocks, Jackson too often gets whistled for reaching, bumping, and making poor defensive decisions. Until he cleans up his foul trouble, the minutes will remain volatile as the coaching staff gets frustrated.
Despite the volatility, Jackson makes sense as a streaming candidate, especially with the Pacers playing today. If you need immediate production in a single game and Jackson is starting, he can provide value across multiple categories.
But in 16-team leagues, he's essentially a must-roster player. The Pacers have a thin NBA depth chart, especially at center, which means even with his inconsistency, Jackson will see opportunities simply due to lack of alternatives. In deeper formats where the waiver wire is barren, you can't afford to be picky about consistency.
While Jackson's game-to-game production swings wildly, when you zoom out to a weekly basis, he can produce fringe top-100 numbers. Some nights he'll give you 27 minutes and a full stat line; other nights he'll foul out in 15 minutes. Average it out over a week, and you get acceptable value.
If Jackson ever figures out how to stop fouling and instead channel that defensive aggression into blocks, as he's done in past season, he could become a legitimate fantasy asset. The physical tools are there—he's athletic, long, and has good instincts. The discipline just hasn't caught up yet.
Recommendation: Add Jackson in 16-team leagues. In 12-team leagues, he's a solid streaming option when the Pacers have favorable schedules or you need to fill a specific category need. In 10-team leagues, he's probably too inconsistent unless you're desperate. Just be prepared for the inevitable frustration when he picks up two quick fouls and sits for a huge stretch.
Andre Drummond, 76ers 
In the latest NBA news, Joel Embiid is doubtful for tonight's game against the Raptors, and the 76ers have another game tomorrow. Whether Embiid plays or not, Drummond is valuable right now.
Over his past four games, Drummond has been a rebounding machine, averaging 14.3 points and 13.5 rebounds in 35.5 minutes per contest. Those are elite big-man numbers that provide exactly what fantasy managers crave from the center position—reliable double-doubles with excellent percentages.
Drummond should already be rostered in most standard leagues at this point. If he's somehow still available in your format, that's a mistake that needs to be corrected. The combination of Embiid's injury history and Drummond's proven ability to produce fantasy basketball stats when given minutes makes him far too valuable to be sitting on waivers.
Even if Embiid does play tonight (which seems unlikely given the doubtful designation), Drummond still makes for an elite streaming option. The back-to-back tonight and tomorrow gives you two guaranteed games of production, and the 76ers have shown they'll manage Embiid's minutes carefully, which often means extended run for Drummond.
Add Drummond now and worry about Embiid's return later. And even when Embiid does return, history suggests he won't immediately play heavy minutes or back-to-backs. Embiid hasn't strung together more than three consecutive healthy games in recent memory, so betting on Drummond having continued value is the smart play.
Recommendation: If Drummond is available in your league, add him. This is as close to a no-brainer waiver pickup as you'll find. He should be rostered in all 12-team leagues and deeper. Even in 10-team leagues, he provides more reliable value than most streaming options. The only scenario where you might pass is if your roster is completely locked with long-term assets and you have no one droppable.
Cameron Johnson, Nuggets 
Christian Braun is out for the next 6+ weeks, which reshuffles the Nuggets' wing rotation and creates opportunities. Johnson, who has struggled this season, saw his role expand significantly in the first game without Braun.
Against the Bulls, Johnson played 37 minutes and produced 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. On the surface, those are encouraging numbers that suggest Johnson might be returning to his productive Nets form.
Let's focus on the positives first. The minutes (37) and shot attempts (12 field goal attempts, 7 three-point attempts, 2 free throw attempts) are exactly what you want to see. Johnson is getting the volume necessary to produce fantasy value, which is half the battle.
Now for the cold water. This was an extremely close, high-pace game—the type of contest that inflates everyone's statistics. Johnson also hit 5 of his 7 three-point attempts, a 71.4% shooting percentage that is not sustainable. When that shooting percentage regresses toward his season average, or even his career average, the scoring will drop significantly.
Also, the on/off court numbers with Braun out for the entire season don't suggest Johnson will see a meaningful usage bump. This isn't a situation where Johnson is suddenly becoming the focal point of the offense or seeing dramatically more touches. He's just playing more minutes in a similar role.
Don't expect Johnson to transform back into "Nets Cam Johnson". That version of Johnson benefited from a specific role and offensive system in Brooklyn that doesn't exist in Denver.
The most optimistic projection is that Johnson plays 30-35 minutes per game consistently and turns his efficiency around. If that happens, he could settle in as a top-100 player. That's a meaningful outcome, but it's also far from guaranteed.
Johnson is fighting against his own poor early-season performance and a system that doesn't prioritize him. That's a lot of headwinds for a player to overcome.
Recommendation: Johnson is a fine "see-what-happens" add in standard leagues, particularly if you have a streaming spot or can afford to take a flier on potential. The expanded minutes create a floor of value that makes him worth rostering for at least a week or two to see if the role stabilizes. However, don't invest significant FAAB or drop anyone with established value. Johnson is a lottery ticket, not a sure thing. If you need threes and can stomach potential efficiency struggles, he's worth the gamble. Just keep expectations measured and be ready to move on if the production doesn't materialize.
