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Welcome back to RotoBaller's weekly fantasy basketball waiver wire column and schedule breakdown. How's this season going for you? Need some help with your team? Let's get you some!
The NBA season just keeps on chugging along, and so does the fantasy basketball season. If you need to bolster your roster or turn around a downward slide, then let's find you some help.
These recommendations are mainly 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 16.
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NBA Week 16 Schedule Guide
Let's take a look at some notable things on the schedule this week.
Teams with four games:Â Atlanta, Charlotte, Denver, Detroit, Golden State, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, Toronto, Washington
Teams with three games:Â Brooklyn, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Indiana, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, San Antonio
Teams with two games:Â Boston, Utah
Number of teams playing each day:
Monday: 16
Tuesday: 10
Wednesday: 18
Thursday: 14
Friday: 16
Saturday: 18
Sunday: 12
Back-to-Backs:
Sunday/Monday: 0
Monday/Tuesday: Los Angeles Lakers
Tuesday/Wednesday: 0
Wednesday/Thursday: Golden State, Memphis
Thursday/Friday: Charlotte, Indiana
Friday/Saturday: Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, Phoenix, Portland, Washington
Saturday/Sunday: Denver, New Orleans, New York
9-Category Leagues - Waiver Wire Adds
This column is written based on H2H 9-category 12-team leagues. All players in this article are rostered at around 50 percent or less.
Chris Duarte, G/F - Indiana Pacers - 35% rosteredÂ
Duarte has scored in double figures in three straight games, and he has at least one steal in five straight. Included in that stretch was a huge showing against the Magic, with Duarte scoring 16 points in that one to go along with two rebounds, five assists, and six steals.
While his minutes won't remain this high forever, he needs to be in your lineup until Tyrese Haliburton (knee/ankle) is back, because he'll continue to get points, assists, steals, and threes.
Rui Hachimura, F - Los Angeles Lakers - 40% rosteredÂ
Was there a tinge of desperation in the Lakers' decision to trade for Rui Hachimura? Yes, for sure. But after being in and out of the Wizards rotation, Hachimura has landed on a team that should play him 20-25 minutes per game because they have a desperate need for wing help.
His first two games with the Lakers were solid. 12 points and six boards against the Spurs, followed by six points and four boards against the Celtics. You'd like more consistent scoring and some more contribution from three, but he's worth a bench stash right now just to see what his role with the Lakers ultimately ends up looking like.
Deni Avdija, F - Washington Wizards - 29% rosteredÂ
In the wake of the Rui trade, Avdija is getting a more consistent role in Washington, posting three straight games with at least 10 points and nine rebounds, including a pair of double-doubles.
That includes a game against the Mavericks where Deni finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and three steals while shooting 60% from the floor. He isn't going to consistently give you three-pointers, but he appears to be a good source of points, rebounds, and steals going forward, or at least until Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) is back in the lineup.
Pat Connaughton, G/F - Milwaukee Bucks - 34% rosteredÂ
Connaughton is playing well these last two games. Against the Nuggets, he had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and then he followed that up with 14 points and eight boards against the Pacers. He had a combined nine threes and five steals between those two games.
Connaughton has now hit multiple three-pointers in 10 consecutive contests. There's probably not a better source of threes out there on the wire right now, and he'll also give you rebounds and threes.
Larry Nance Jr., F/C - New Orleans Pelicans - 24% rosteredÂ
Nance is a great pickup if you need efficiency because he's shot 50% or better from the floor in eight consecutive contests. Of course, low volume means that that doesn't always translate into big numbers—going 2-for-2 for five points isn't going to help you much—but his minutes have been ticking up, which adds to his appeal. He's had six or more rebounds in three of the last four games.
Max Strus, G/F - Miami Heat - 32% rosteredÂ
Strus has seen an uptick in minutes, scoring in double figures in three consecutive games. Am I a little worried that the minutes dropped from 29 on Friday to 16 on Sunday? Yes! But he's shooting the ball well right now and looks to be a solid source of three-pointers and steals.
Grayson Allen, G/F - Milwaukee Bucks - 25% rosteredÂ
Allen's not as reliable as teammate Connaughton, but he has appeal because he makes threes and gets steals. The scoring is more boom-or-bust than it is with Pat, and the three-point volume isn't quite as high, but Allen contributes good stuff in multiple categories.
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