Steve Alexander Nov 9, 2026, 11:38 AM ET Risers and Fallers is back this week with a look at three players who are on the rise and might be worth adding, along with three others who are struggling to the point of being potential drop candidates. I didn't write up Oklahoma City big man Aday Mara, but if you're in need of a center, Chet Holmgren is out for about three months and Mara simply has to play. I think he's going to have a big second half, and he's only rostered in 18.7% of ESPN leagues.
Fellow rookie Kingston Flemings is starting for the Atlanta Hawks and is also worth a close look, while Duncan Robinson is having a career year for the Detroit Pistons. Here's a closer look at the latest fantasy risers and fallers around the league. Resources: Rankings | Adds/Drops | Scoring leaders | Player Rater | Mock draft lobby | Depth charts | Schedule | Injuries Grayson Allen, SG/SF, Charlotte Hornets (18.3% rostered in ESPN leagues)Allen posted a total dud Friday night, missing all five of his shots and failing to score a point in a blowout loss to the Boston Celtics.
But he had 22 points, a steal, a block and five 3-pointers in his previous game, and he has scored in double figures in seven of his 10 games this season. The zero-point effort was possibly a blessing in disguise, as it means he might still be available on your waiver wire. Allen isn't going to help you much if you're seeking steals and blocks, but he's an elite 3-point shooter, has excellent shooting percentages and can really help in scoring while also chipping in some assists and rebounds.
Kon Knueppel suffered a hamstring injury in his return and will be sidelined at least four more weeks, so that provides Allen more opportunities. Cam Spencer, PG/SG, Memphis Grizzlies (9.4% rostered)Ty Jerome is having an incredible season, but he has an extensive injury history and isn't likely to play in back-to-backs. And while the Grizzlies are deep in the backcourt, Spencer has emerged as their second-best point guard.
Like Allen, Spencer also put up a dud in his last game, as he hit just two of five shots for seven points and zero assists in a blowout loss Friday to the Oklahoma City Thunder. But he had seven points, six rebounds, nine assists, a steal and a 3-pointer in his previous game and is averaging 8.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.8 3-pointers for the season. Those assist numbers are hard to find on the waiver wire, and while the lack of scoring is a bit annoying, Spencer could turn out to be an incredibly valuable fantasy player if Jerome goes down.
And if Jerome stays healthy all season, Spencer should still be able to average around 10 points, five dimes and two 3-pointers off the bench. Brayden Burries, SG, Milwaukee Bucks (12.6% rostered)Burries replaced Ryan Rollins in the starting unit for the Bucks on Nov. 2 and played well for two games, then went off for 21 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, a block and a 3-pointer in 28 minutes in Friday's loss to the Toronto Raptors. Rollins doesn't really fit now that Milwaukee has Tyler Herro to run the point, and the one-win Bucks could use the scoring punch that Burries can provide.
The No. 10 pick in the 2026 draft out of Arizona looks like an NBA player and has scored in double figures in five of his nine games thus far. And now that he's a starter, the scoring is going to get even better. I also like the fact that the Bucks are 1-9 and aren't playing for much, meaning Burries should get all the run he can handle the rest of the way.
If Burries is already rostered in your league, take a look at the aforementioned Flemings (Hawks) and Brown (Nets). Fallers Matas Buzelis, SF/PF, Chicago Bulls (61.8% rostered)Buzelis and the Bulls have generally been a disaster this season, as the entire game plan seems to be to give the rock to Caleb Wilson and get out of the way. Buzelis is, shockingly, outside of the top 200 in fantasy rankings and the Bulls look like one of the worst teams in the league.
The.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing