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Fantasy Basketball 9-Cat Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 3

Week 3 fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups, adds, and sleepers for the 2021-2022 NBA season. Justin Carter recommends guards, forwards and centers to target through waivers or free agency in 9-cat fantasy leagues.

The NBA is back, y'all! Hopefully the first two weeks of fantasy basketball treated you well. If it didn't — well, we're here for you.

These recommendations are for 9-cat leagues, but if you play in another format, there's a good chance that the information here can still help you. We'll be looking at centers, forwards, and guards whose low rostership and upside make them ideal players to get onto your fantasy team.

Our staff at RotoBaller has great insight and daily columns on how to improve your squad and tips to make your team successful, so be sure to check them out! Now, let's get prepared for Week 3. All players in this article are rostered at around 50 percent or less.

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9-Category Leagues Waiver Wire

Columns are written based on H2H 9-category standard size leagues:

 

Carmelo Anthony, SF/PF - Los Angeles Lakers

58% rostered 

Going a little over the 50 percent threshold for this one because of how Carmelo's leapt up in rostered percentage this week, with Yahoo having him as up 31 percent this week.

(Quick aside: Orlando's Cole Anthony is up 56 percent since last week, but he's now at 76 percent, which is a little too outside of the purview of this column.)

Anyway, Melo. He has two games with 20-plus points over the last four games and is coming off a huge showing against Cleveland, with 24 points and five rebounds, plus six threes. This is the second time he's made six threes this year.

Franz Wagner, SG/SF - Orlando Magic

44% rostered 

Wagner has been huge this year for the Magic and he shows no sign of slowing down considering Saturday saw him set a new career-high in points with 19.

Wagner is averaging 13.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.0 threes on a 49.4/43.8/71.4 shooting split. Just a well-rounded game that can help fantasy managers in a lot of different areas. This young Magic team is going to keep funneling him minutes as long as he's producing.

Kevin Love, PF/C - Cleveland Cavaliers

44% rostered 

I never thought I would be adding Kevin Love in fantasy this year, or at least not unless the Cavaliers moved on from him. On a young team, giving minutes to Love seemed like a thing that wouldn't happen. But considering how hard finding a trade partner is going to be, it shouldn't be a surprise that Love's getting some run.

He's not getting huge minutes, as he's played 24 minutes or fewer in each game, but he has double-doubles in two of his last three games. The efficiency is low, but he's making threes, grabbing boards, and getting a ton of usage when he is on the floor. Love is making the most of the time that Cleveland puts him on the floor.

LaMarcus Aldridge, PF/C - Brooklyn Nets

43% rostered 

Aldridge is going to be a roller coaster. But when things are going well, Aldridge will play 20-plus minutes, with a good shot to score 20-plus points, which he's done twice this year.

He's coming off of a strong showing against the Pacers, scoring 21 points on 10-for-16 shooting while grabbing eight rebounds. He's also blocked at least one shot in every game this season.

Grayson Allen, SG/SF - Milwaukee Bucks

39% rostered 

I had no idea what to expect in terms of Allen's role in Milwaukee, but he's playing 28.8 minutes per game, with averages of 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 3.0 threes.

And he's only shooting 34.6 percent from three, about five percent worse than last year in Memphis. Get that efficiency up and Allen will help fantasy managers win in the three-point category every week.

Cody Martin, SG/SF - Charlotte Hornets

26% rostered 

Martin just set a career-high in scoring and while it was only 15 points, it's still notable that he's scored in double figures in all but one game this year. He also has five steals over the past two games, another boon to his fantasy value.

Will he keep playing this many minutes?

IDK. Terry Rozier will be back at some point, which likely cuts down on Martin's minutes. But fantasy basketball doesn't require you to make a long-term commitment on a player. Pick him up now and ride this hot streak while you can.

Maxi Kleber, PF/C - Dallas Mavericks

22% rostered 

Kleber exited Sunday's game against the Kings after playing just seven minutes, so let's start this with an injury caveat: if Kleber has a back injury that causes him to miss time, he's obviously not a top add.

But hey, he had seven points and five boards in that short time. He had 12 points, 10 rebounds, and six blocks earlier in the week against the Spurs. There's a lot of ways that Kleber can help fantasy managers right now, assuming he's able to get back on the floor.

George Hill, PG/SG - Milwaukee Bucks

11% rostered 

Here's one for the deeper leaguers.

George Hill is still in the NBA. After his final 16 games last year after he landed in Philly saw him average just 6.0 points and shoot 44.2 percent from the floor, you'd be forgiven for thinking that wherever he landed, he wasn't going to do a whole lot.

But surprise: Hill's averaging 26.5 minutes per game with starts in four of six contests. He's averaging 8.2 points per game, which isn't ideal, but he adds some good numbers in other spots: 1.0 threes, 2.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. Fantasy managers in deep leagues who need threes and steals should be looking at Hill.



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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Max Muncy

Exits With Apparent Knee Injury
Christian Moore

Exits Early with Thumb Irritation
Cleveland Cavaliers

Larry Nance Jr. Headed Back to Cavaliers
Josh Naylor

Returning to Diamondbacks Lineup
Eric Gordon

Remaining with 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers

Deandre Ayton Joining Lakers
Oronde Gadsden

an Active Pass-Catcher This Offseason
Brashard Smith

Speed Could be Put to Use
Emil Heineman

Signs Two-Year Deal with Islanders
Pat Bryant

Off to a Good Start
Simon Holmstrom

Re-Signs With Islanders for Two Years
Cody Barton

Quickly Becoming a Leader With his New Team
UTA

Nate Schmidt Signs Three-Year Deal With Mammoth
Montaric Brown

has Worked With Starters
UTA

Brandon Tanev Moves to Utah on Three-Year Contract
NJ

Evgenii Dadonov Joins Devils on One-Year Deal
BUF

Sabres Snap Up Alex Lyon on Two-Year Contract
Dallas Mavericks

Dante Exum Returning to Dallas
Ryan McLeod

Inks Four-Year Extension with Sabres
NAS

Predators Bring in Nick Perbix on Two-Year Deal
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Has Surgery to Repair a Turf Toe Injury
LA

Cody Ceci Moves to Los Angeles
DET

James van Riemsdyk Joins Red Wings on One-Year Contract
Viktor Arvidsson

Traded to Boston
Charlotte Hornets

Spencer Dinwiddie Lands With Charlotte
Josh Jung

Sent to Triple-A
Jurickson Profar

Officially Reinstated and Hitting in Five-Hole on Wednesday
Spencer Schwellenbach

Going on Injured List With Fractured Elbow
Maxwell Hairston

Facing Sexual-Assault Lawsuit
Tai Felton

Rookie Season Likely to be Spent on Special Teams
LeQuint Allen Jr.

to Have Receiving Role for Jaguars?
Justin Walley

Turning Heads Going into Rookie Season
Bud Cauley

in Great Form Ahead of John Deere Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

a Player to Avoid at John Deere Classic
Jake Knapp

Riding Momentum Ahead of John Deere Classic
Jamari Thrash

Establishing Himself as Reliable Option
Grayson Murphy

Could Provide Rotational Pass-Rush Depth
Joe Andreessen

in a Good Position to Compete for Backup Job
PGA

Sungjae Im Looking for Consistency at John Deere Classic
Ryan Gerard

a Solid Option at John Deere Classic
Bhayshul Tuten

Needs to Improve Pass Protection
Rickie Fowler

Looking to Rebound at John Deere Classic
Cameron Champ

a Volatile Option at John Deere Classic
Brandon Woodruff

Likely to Pitch on Sunday in Miami
Jackson Suber

Staying Below 70 is Key to Success for Jackson Suber
Kevin Roy

Playing Better Heading into John Deere Classic
Justin Lower

Hoping for Something Positive in Illinois
Ben Kohles

a Long Shot at John Deere Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Attempts to Stop Roller-Coaster Ride
Beau Hossler

Needs a Challenge in Illinois
Harry Higgs

Has Potential at John Deere Classic
Nick Dunlap

Keeps Plugging Through Tough 2025 Season
PHI

Dan Vladar Links Up With Flyers on Two-Year Deal
EDM

Andrew Mangiapane Signs Two-Year Pact With Oilers
SEA

Ryan Lindgren Joins Kraken on Four-Year Contract
PHI

Christian Dvorak Heads to Philadelphia
Logan Stankoven

Signs Long-Term Extension with Hurricanes
NYI

Jonathan Drouin Joins Islanders on Two-Year Contract
NJ

Devils Hand Connor Brown a Four-Year Contract
SJ

John Klingberg Lands in San Jose
William Eklund

Signs Three-Year Extension with Sharks
Will Cuylle

Agrees to Two-Year Contract with Rangers
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
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
Jacob Wilson

Scratched With Hamstring Soreness
Milwaukee Bucks

Gary Harris Inks Deal With Bucks
Charlotte Hornets

Mason Plumlee Heading Back to Charlotte
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Jakob Poeltl

Agrees to a Contract Extension With Raptors
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
Vasilije Micić

Vasilije Micic Dealt to Bucks on Tuesday
Daniel Suarez

and Trackhouse Racing Parting Ways After 2025 Season
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
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
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
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
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
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
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