X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

NBA Waiver Wire: Deeper League Pickups (Week 12)

By Chensiyuan. CCSA 4.0. Via WikiCommons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/1_mike_muscala_2015.jpg)

Milos Zvekic digs up deeper league NBA waiver pickups for Week 12 of fantasy basketball. These waiver wire adds can be sleepers for fantasy basketball teams.

Finding decent help from the waiver wire gets harder and harder the deeper an owner's league is. A player underperforming can overstay his welcome on a fantasy team just based on the lack of visible talent available in the free agent pool.

We dig deeper. We'll take a look at some players performing better than their selected % in Yahoo! leagues and some players in a situation to up their performances if something realistic happens in their case.

Here are my Week 12 deeper league waiver wire pickups for your fantasy basketball teams.

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive BOTH our full season NBA and NFL Premium Passes for free, a $119.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium Passes.

 

Deep League Waiver Wire Add

Michael Carter-Williams, PG, CHI (26% owned in Yahoo! leagues)

Carter-Williams was traded to Chicago to be a backup for Rajon Rondo. And that was the case until the last Bulls game of 2016 against Indiana when Rondo was benched for the entire second half. Rondo was later benched for the next five games before returning in a bench role in Chicago's last two games. Who drew the start in those games? You guessed it! Michael Carter-Williams.

Now if you look at his season as a whole, he's not really worth rostering with averages of 7.2 PTS with 0.3 3PM on poor 32.4 FG% and 82.1 FT%, 4.5 REB, 2.5 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.5 BLK and 2.0 TO in 21 minutes per contest. But when you take a look at his stats since Rondo being benched it's a different story. He saw a slight increase in most statistical categories important in fantasy with averages of 9.5 PTS with 0.4 3PM on 36.8 FG% and 85.0 FT%, 4.8 REB, 2.6 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.5 BLK and 2.0 TO in 25 minutes a night.

Now while the field goal shooting is still pretty poor, his defensive stats, nice free throw percentage and out of position rebounds are worth a look, especially if he continues to start. And with Rondo currently rubbing the Bulls' organization the wrong way, former Rookie of the Year might just keep the starting gig. Furthermore, in the previous eight games the Bulls are 3-5, but in the three games Rondo played in they're 0-3.

If Carter-Williams can get close to the 30-minute a game mark he will be worth owning in most leagues, but even if he keeps getting around 25 minutes a game he is still worth owning for teams that aren't bothered by his FG% and can use the rebounds and defensive stats from the PG position.

 

Super Deep League Waiver Wire Add

Matt Barnes, SG/SF, SAC (12% owned in Yahoo! leagues)

Barnes is a kick ass now, ask questions later kind of player. He is as gritty as they get. Right now, his role on the Sacramento Kings isn't big enough to warrant a spot in most fantasy rosters. His season averages of 7.3 PTS with 1.2 3PM on 37.8 FG% and 68.1 FT%, 4.7 REB, 2.7 AST, 0.7 STL, 0.4 BLK and 1.6 TO in 25 minutes per game aren't overwhelming. But all that might change soon.

There are a lot of players in Sacramento who play similar positions as Barnes. Some of them Rudy Gay, Omri Casspi and Arron Afflalo with Gay, of course, getting the most minutes with 34 per game. But there are rumors going around that the Kings are looking to deal Gay before the trade deadline. If that were to happen, Barnes would definitely get more minutes and more time to produce for his fantasy owners. With Gay on the sidelines for four games with a hip injury in late December and early January, we got a glimpse of what Barnes' life might be with Gay out of Sacramento. In four games without Rudy, Matt averaged 12.5 points with 2.3 threes on 50.0% from the field and 77.8% from the charity stripe, 5.8 boards, 3.3 dimes, 0.5 steals, 0.5 swats and 2.0 turnovers in 31 minutes per game. Now that's worth owning in more than his current 12% of fantasy leagues.

If Gay was to be moved, Barnes would arguably be the primary beneficiary and see his minutes rise to around 30 a night. With what we saw from him in Gay's recent absence he could produce on such a level that would have him a must own player in most leagues.

 

Insanely Deep League Waiver Wire Add

Gerald Henderson, SG/SF, PHI (4% owned in Yahoo! leagues)

Henderson has been quietly useful this whole season with averages of 9.6 PTS with 0.8 3PM on 46.4 FG% and 83.6 FT%, 2.6 REB, 1.6 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.2 BLK and 0.8 TO in 25 minutes per game. Now that is some nice all around contribution with pretty good efficiency. Fantasy owners in Roto leagues or owners in head-to-head leagues with a well balanced strategy without punting can really use Henderson's qualities.

Now while there isn't too much of an upside for Henderson on the Philadelphia roster, his main competitor for minutes is Nik Stauskas at the SG spot, with Robert Covington, Dario Saric and Ersan Ilyasova all getting some of their minutes at the SF position. The three-headed monster that consists of Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel is rumored to be beheaded in the near future. The 76ers are looking to trade one of their talented bigs before the deadline. There's not enough minutes to keep the players happy and they want to make more room for other players on their roster to develop, too.

If one of them is moved, more space would open up at the PF spot which could see Lord Cov, Ilya or Saric playing even less SF minutes which could see Henderson's on court time rise. Now while it's not reasonable to expect him to contribute too much, his well balanced production could see improvement in increased minutes, and if he can keep the efficiency at this level he might be worth owning in some shallower formats, too.

 

NBA & DFS Premium Subscription

Get an edge on your NBA DFS competition, every single night of the week:

  • DFS Cheat Sheets and Lineup Picks: Access to 10 deeply researched lineup picks, and sample lineups - seven days a week! Includes advanced stats to unlock NBA player values, and boost DFS success.
  • DFS Optimizer Tool: Generate optimal DFS lineups in seconds. Use advanced features and stats for including/excluding players, cash games vs. GPPs, stacks and more.
  • DFS Value Picks: Our Optimizer helps you find, sort and filter the best lineup values and DFS sleeper picks. Premium stats like "Usage Rate" and "Points/$1K" give you a leg up on the DFS competition.
  • Daily NBA Projections: Our secret sauce - the Optimizer Tool provides DFS points projections for FanDuel, DraftKings and Yahoo scoring.

 

Lineup Optimizer/Generator & Sleepers Tool


Click here to see a full size version of the tool


Click here to see a full size version of the cheat sheet

 

Premium NBA DFS Lineup Picks & Cheat Sheet


Click here to see a full size version of the cheat sheet


By popular demand, RotoBaller has aggregated all of our fantasy basketball NBA waiver wire pickups into a running list of NBA waiver options, so bookmark the page and check back often for updates.



POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zac Gallen

Fans 10 in Tuesday's Win
Hunter Goodman

Hits Two More Homers Tuesday
Josh Hader

Stays Perfect In Save Conversion On Tuesday
Milwaukee Bucks

Taurean Prince Staying in Milwaukee
Shane Baz

Fans 11 Against Athletics
Grant Holmes

Strikes Out 10 in Scoreless Outing
Houston Rockets

Jeff Green Signs One-Year Deal to Remain in Houston
T.J. Watt

Trying to Become Highest-Paid Non-QB?
Willson Contreras

Doubtful for Wednesday
George Springer

Clubs Two Homers in Seven-RBI Day
Joshua Palmer

Could be a Sleeper
Los Angeles Lakers

Jake LaRavia Lands with Lakers
Laviska Shenault Jr.

on the Bubble
Orlando Magic

Tyus Jones Signs One-Year Deal With Magic
Raheem Blackshear

to Work Mostly As Special-Teamer
Golden State Warriors

Kevon Looney Heads to New Orleans
Rico Dowdle

Trevor Etienne to Split Carries?
Chuba Hubbard

Should See Majority of Touches in 2025
Milwaukee Bucks

Jericho Sims Staying in Milwaukee
Denver Nuggets

Tim Hardaway Jr. Joins Nuggets
Willson Contreras

Avoids Structural Damage on Hand After HBP
Detroit Pistons

Duncan Robinson Lands With Detroit
Charlotte Hornets

Tre Mann Remaining in Charlotte
Josh Naylor

Scratched From Tuesday's Lineup Against Giants
Kevin Yu

a Near Must-Play at TPC Deere Run
San Francisco Giants

Giants Exercise Bob Melvin's 2026 Option
PGA

J.T. Poston Returns to John Deere Classic Looking for Another High Finish
Josh Naylor

Back in Action on Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Suffers Setback
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Nolan Arenado

Dealing with Finger Sprain
ANA

Mikael Granlund Moves to Anaheim on Three-Year Deal
Jacob Wilson

Scratched With Hamstring Soreness
NJ

Jake Allen Signs Five-Year Extension With Devils
VAN

Brock Boeser Remains in Vancouver on Seven-Year Deal
Conor Garland

Signs New Six-Year Deal with Canucks
Thatcher Demko

Signs Three-Year Extension with Canucks
Brandon Woodruff

Ready for Season Debut
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary Agrees to Seven-Year Extension with Capitals
Garrett Mitchell

Out for the Rest of the Season
MLB

Brewers-Mets Postponed on Tuesday
MLB

Tigers-Nationals Postponed on Tuesday
Zach Neto

Returns to Tuesday's Lineup
Milwaukee Bucks

Gary Harris Inks Deal With Bucks
MLB

Padres-Phillies Postponed on Tuesday
Charlotte Hornets

Mason Plumlee Heading Back to Charlotte
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Hunter Goodman

Back Behind the Dish on Tuesday
Jakob Poeltl

Agrees to a Contract Extension With Raptors
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
Jason Day

is a Fine Play With Limited Upside at John Deere Classic
Vasilije Micić

Vasilije Micic Dealt to Bucks on Tuesday
Daniel Suarez

and Trackhouse Racing Parting Ways After 2025 Season
Luke Clanton

Looks to Have Another Strong Week at TPC Deere Run
Pat Connaughton

Traded to Hornets
Atlanta Hawks

Luke Kennard Lands in Atlanta
Breece Hall

Aiming to Prove He is "Still One of the Best in the League"
T.J. Watt

Steelers Not Planning to Trade T.J. Watt
Sacramento Kings

Dennis Schroder Set to Join Sacramento
Boston Celtics

Luke Kornet Agrees to Contract With San Antonio
Jonas Valančiūnas

Nuggets Trade for Center Jonas Valanciunas
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Signs Massive Extension With Oklahoma City
New York Knicks

Knicks Pick Up Guerschon Yabusele
NFL

Negotiations on 18-Game Season Not Expected Until Next Year
Indiana Pacers

Myles Turner Leaves Indiana, Signs With Milwaukee
Tyler Boyd

Steelers Have Talked With Tyler Boyd
Darren Waller

Coming Out of Retirement to Play for Dolphins
Alexander Romanov

Islanders Retain Alexander Romanov on $50 Million Contract
Andrei Kuzmenko

Signs Up for One More Year with Kings
Morgan Geekie

Signs Long-Term Extension with Bruins
Ivan Provorov

Stays in Columbus on Seven-Year Deal
Alex Pietrangelo

Stepping Away From Golden Knights for Health Reasons
Matias Maccelli

Maple Leafs Bring in Matias Maccelli
Evan Bouchard

Inks $42 Million Contract with Oilers
Vladimir Tarasenko

Wild Acquire Vladimir Tarasenko From Detroit
Patrick Kane

Signs New One-Year Deal with Red Wings
Brad Marchand

Lands Six-Year Extension
Aaron Ekblad

Remains a Panther on Eight-Year Deal
Mitchell Marner

Heads to Vegas
Jalen Ramsey

Could Move Around in Pittsburgh
Jonnu Smith

to be Used in Hybrid Role
Terry McLaurin

Commanders, Terry McLaurin Not Close on Contract Extension
Michael Mayer

Raiders Not Interested in Trading Michael Mayer
Aldrich Potgieter

Wins Rocket Mortgage Classic
Thorbjorn Olesen

Finishes Tied for 41st at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Denny McCarthy

Finishes Tied For 12th at Travelers Championship
Chris Kirk

Finishes Tied For Second at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Michael Kim

Finishes Tied for 26th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Max Homa

Misses Cut at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Lucas Glover

Finishes Tied For Ninth at Travelers Championship
PGA

Nico Echavarria Finishes Tied For Sixth at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Pittsburgh Steelers

Rumors Still Swirling Around Potential T.J. Watt Trade
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Tyler Boyd

Interested in Playing for Steelers
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Now Looking to Acquire a Tight End
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
L'Jarius Sneed

Says he's Healthy
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Minkah Fitzpatrick

Heading Back to Miami
Jonnu Smith

Shipped to Pittsburgh
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Jonas Brodin

Expected to Miss Start of Next Season
TB

Conor Sheary Placed on Waivers for Contract Termination
Dante Fabbro

Stays with Blue Jackets on Four-Year Deal
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
Charles Oliveira

Can Become A Two-Time Lightweight Champion
Ilia Topuria

A Favorite At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fourth Title Defense At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Renato Moicano

Returns At UFC 317
Beneil Dariush

An Underdog At UFC 317
Payton Talbott

Looks To Bounce Back
Felipe Lima

Set To Open Up UFC 317 Main Card