Basketball Pickups: Is that Skylar Mays' music?

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After the entire NBA took off Election Day, the league was back in full force on Wednesday. Twenty-eight of the 30 teams were in action, with Atlanta and Orlando being the exceptions (they play in Mexico City on Thursday), and there were some notable injuries that will impact how fantasy managers approach waiver wires in the coming days. We'll start with the final game of the night, as Portland lost another guard due to injury.

With Anfernee Simons (thumb) and Scoot Henderson (ankle) already sidelined, Malcolm Brogdon went down with a hamstring injury during the first quarter of the Trail Blazers' overtime loss in Sacramento. That opened the door for Skylar Mays, a two-way contract recipient rostered in less than one percent of Yahoo leagues. A player no one had on their fantasy radar before Wednesday was suddenly in a prominent position within the Trail Blazers' rotation, and he had himself a night. Playing 37 minutes, Mays finished with 18 points, two rebounds, 11 assists, and two steals, shooting 8-of-15 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line.

A stat line like that automatically makes Mays a pickup, right? Well, not exactly, as there are two factors working against him here. First and foremost is the schedule, as the Blazers won't play again until Sunday in Los Angeles against the Lakers. The other is the status of Henderson, who reportedly wanted to give it a go on Wednesday but was held out by team trainers. He was a limited participant in Tuesday's practice, but maybe that changes in the lead-up to Sunday's game.

If Henderson's cleared, would Portland immediately place him back into the starting lineup, or would they take an approach similar to what San Antonio did with Devin Vassell on Wednesday and bring him off the bench? Mays shouldn't automatically be dismissed as a fantasy add, but the circumstances aren't exactly working in his favor, which is a shame, given how well he played in Sacramento.

Let's take a look at some of Wednesday's top pickups, sticking with players rostered in less than 40% of Yahoo leagues.

Grayson Allen (22%)

Bradley Beal (back) made his Suns debut on Wednesday, but with Devin Booker (calf) still sidelined, Allen's role within the rotation didn't change. He remained in the starting lineup and had one of the best nights of his NBA career, hitting eight 3-pointers and finishing with 26 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one steal, and two blocks in 37 minutes. While it was reported that Booker could be targeting the Suns' upcoming home stand for a return to action, one has to assume that the Suns will take a measured approach when the time comes (as they did with Beal in Chicago). Phoenix plays two more games in Week 3 (Friday and Sunday), and the final game of the three-game home stand isn't until November 16 (Wednesday, Week 4).

Santi Aldama (17%) and Bismack Biyombo (12%)

While the aforementioned Trail Blazers have been hit hard by injuries in the backcourt, the Grizzlies have lost multiple big men. Steven Adams (knee) is out for the season, and Brandon Clarke (Achilles) remains out indefinitely, and Xavier Tillman Sr. (knee) joined them on the injury list ahead of Wednesday's loss to the Heat. His absence opened things up for Bismack Biyombo, who started and accumulated nine points, 10 rebounds, and one steal in 30 minutes. He'll have streaming value for managers who need rebounds and defensive stats, with the field-goal percentage being a bonus.

But managers looking for a player with a higher upside may prefer Aldama, who finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, two steals, one block, and two 3-pointers in 26 minutes. According to Cleaning the Glass, 16 of the 38 possessions Aldama played in his season debut (11/5 vs. POR) were with Jaren Jackson Jr. on the court. He may not move into the starting lineup anytime soon, but Aldama is worthy of consideration ahead of the Grizzlies' final two games of Week 3.

Rui Hachimura (11%)

With Anthony Davis (hip) ruled out, the Lakers had a massive void within their rotation to fill. Christian Wood received the spot start in Houston, and there was no way the Rockets were going to let him go off. Wood played 22 minutes and went scoreless, finishing with more fouls (four) than field goal and free throw attempts combined (three). The one "supporting cast" member who actually did have a good night was Hachimura, who scored 24 with eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, one block, and two 3-pointers in 26 minutes off the bench. Hachimura, who was back in action after a stint in the league's concussion protocol, didn't do all of that work in the fourth quarter after the outcome had long been decided. With the Lakers playing two more games this week, Hachimura's worth considering, especially if Davis remains sidelined.

Aaron Nesmith (10%)

Nesmith has hit double figures in three of his last four games, with Wednesday's performance being the best of the bunch. He finished the 134-118 win over the Jazz with 24 points, two rebounds, two steals, and four 3-pointers in 30 minutes off the bench. While largely a points and 3-pointers player for his career, Nesmith is averaging 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game this season and ranks within the top 100 in 9-cat per-game value. What also helps is the Pacers having two more games on the schedule this week as opposed to one (or none).

Duncan Robinson (8%)

The Heat also incurred a significant hit to its rotation on Monday, as Tyler Herro sprained his right ankle during the first quarter and did not return. Robinson picked up a lot of the slack off the bench, playing 35 minutes and finishing with nine points, three rebounds, two assists, and two 3-pointers. The one negative for Robinson was his committing five turnovers; maybe he was being asked to do too much with one of Miami's top players sidelined. The Heat play two more games in Week 3, and with Herro expected to be down for a while, this is a good time to grab Robinson. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Josh Richardson also stand to do more with Herro sidelined, and they're worth a look as well.

Keyonte George (7%)

With Talen Horton-Tucker struggling with turnovers and inconsistent play, Jazz coach Will Hardy decided to start the rookie George at point guard. He didn't do much scoring, but the most important thing for George is that he committed just one turnover with nine assists. George may not be leaving the Jazz starting lineup any soon, especially if he can continue to make plays without turning the ball over.