Fantasy Basketball 9-Cat Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 4

January 10, 2021

Week 4 fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups, adds, and sleepers for the 2020-2021 NBA season. Justin Carter recommends guards, forwards and centers to target through waivers or free agency in fantasy leagues.

Well, we knew things wouldn't go smoothly all year. COVID-19 has hit the NBA. The Sixers just played a game with seven players. Jayson Tatum is quarantining. Things are a mess.

This is going to be an odd year, and this week is when that oddity really starts to hit. What guys should you be targeting to get you through that oddity?

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 4. All players in this article are rostered at 50 percent or less.

Standard 9-Category Leagues - Waiver Wire Adds

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

Cole Anthony - PG - Orlando Magic (46% rostered)

With Markelle Fultz out for the year with a torn ACL and Michael Carter-Williams dealing with a foot issue, rookie Cole Anthony has moved into the starting lineup for the Magic. His numbers haven't been great and you'd like your point guard to get more than three assists per game, but Anthony has a firm grasp on this starting job and will be playing 30-plus minutes per night. Opportunity is a big part of fantasy sports, and he has the opportunities.

Daniel Theis - C - Boston Celtics (46% rostered)

COVID has hit Boston. Tristan Thompson, Grant Williams, Robert Williams, and Jayson Tatum are all out for the near future due to the league's medical protocols, opening up significant chances for other players on this team to step up. One of those guys will be Theis, who could average 10-plus points while shooting over 50 percent from the field and making at least one three per game for the next week or so. Not a lot of long-term upside here, but for right now, Theis is a good fantasy add.

Kelly Olynyk - PF/C - Miami Heat (31% rostered)

Hey, do you need three-pointers from a player who you can plug in at center? And you also need points? And some rebounds? And some blocks? And occasionally a handful of assists?

Well, why haven't you picked up Kelly Olynyk yet! He's only rostered in 31 percent of leagues despite providing some really nice value. He'll play 25-plus minutes each night as Bam Adebayo's backup, and in games like Sunday's win over the Wizards where Bam was in foul trouble, he can come in and play 30 minutes.

Justin Holiday - SG/SF - Indiana Pacers (30% rostered)

As long as T.J. Warren (foot) remains out, Holiday will be a valuable piece in Indianapolis. In his past two games, he's averaging 18.5 points and five rebounds with 2.5 made threes, and he's shot 60 percent or better in both games. While I'm not sold on Holiday as a long term option, he's playing well right now and can contribute to your fantasy team in multiple ways.

Austin Rivers - PG/SG - New York Knicks (23% rostered)

Rivers has played 30-plus minutes in three consecutive games. The Knicks are *gasp* winning games, which has led to a shortened guard rotation and plenty of minutes for Rivers. While his night-to-night production is a little tough to predict, he should be able to score in double figures and make multiple threes every time out, plus has upside in terms of steals and assists.

Royce O'Neale - SF/PF - Utah Jazz (17% rostered)

O'Neale is another guy who can give you three-pointers, but he also comes with the added bonus of rebounds! O'Neale has five or more rebounds in four consecutive games, including an 11-point, 11-board double-double against the Spurs. He also is capable of getting five assists per game, though he seems to flutter between dishing out five of them and dishing out none. Consistency is a concern.

JaMychal Green - PF/C - Denver Nuggets (17% rostered)

I love Green because he's got center eligibility and has made multiple threes in every game this season. He's not a huge ceiling guy and his low rebounding numbers and total lack of blocks are definitely problems for a big, but if you want to maximize your shooting and want someone who can help you in a few categories, Green's a solid guy to have as the last player on your bench.

Tyrese Maxey - SG - Philadelphia 76ers (14% rostered)

So, this is a tough one.

Maxey just had a monster game because contact tracing and other injuries led to the Sixers playing with seven players. Maxey played 43 minutes against Denver, scoring 39 points on 18-for-33 shooting with six assists, seven rebounds, and two steals.

The problem with picking up Maxey is that as soon as Philly is at full strength, his value is gone. But will they be at full strength for the back-to-back this week against the Hawks and Heat? Is there a short window of viability for Maxey before he returns to his bench role? Probably, and if you have room on your bench, you should pick Maxey up and play him until this team is back to having their normal rotation.

Hamidou Diallo - SG/SF - Oklahoma City Thunder (6% rostered)

Honestly, we're still working through things in terms of understanding the Thunder this year. But Diallo's minutes are up, so if you want to hope that he's the OKC player to watch, you can grab him off the waiver wire. He had 23 points and 11 rebounds on Friday off the Thunder bench, and while there's no guarantee that he can repeat numbers like that, fantasy managers in deep leagues might be interested in his scoring upside.

Robin Lopez - C - Washington Wizards (1% rostered)

Thomas Bryant left Saturday's game with a knee injury and didn't return. We don't know how severe the injury is, but Robin Lopez will likely see significant minutes if Bryant misses time. He scored 13 points on 75 percent shooting on Saturday and while his lack of rebounding hurts, he's an interesting add in 14-team leagues if he ends up starting at the five until Bryant is back.

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis