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Max Kulish looks at some mid-week waiver wire options for fantasy basketball leagues. These players may be free agents to target on waivers in Week 16.
If you're one of those fantasy basketball players that sets a lineup at the beginning of the week, checks out, and then comes back seven days later to see how things shook out, this post is not for you.
This is for those who are grinding through each day and keeping track of categories as the days tick off. Maybe you need a handful of assists to get you over and win the week, or maybe a key injury is forcing you to rethink a category you previously considered stable. The goal is here to is target specific players who are rostered in less than half of Yahoo! leagues who will help you get you into the winner's circle. Mostly we're looking at players who might be available in 12-team leagues, but there will be some deeper options too when available.
As is always the case when streaming, it's possible that some of these recommended options are worthy of a longer-term add. But in order to hold long term, you first have to make the pickup. Regardless of where you're deficient, here are some names to consider to help you make up ground in the short term. Be sure to check out my Twitter (@Maxadelphia) for my nightly NBA plays, as well. Let's get into it!
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Points - Streaming Options
Justin Holiday - SG/SF - Indiana Pacers (40% rostered)
Currently missing Damontas Sabonis, Myles Turner, and Malcolm Brogdon, the Pacers are possibly the most injured team in the league right now. Holiday is quietly averaging over 11 PPG this year, and with Sabonis slated to miss this whole week of games, I think Holiday offers a nice upside as a streaming option this week.
Other streamers:
- Max Struss - SG/SF - Miami Heat (20% rostered)
- Chuma Okeke - PF - Orlando Magic (30% rostered)
- Kevin Huerter - SG/SF - Atlanta Hawks (31% rostered)
Assists - Streaming Options
Patrick Beverley - PG/SG - Minnesota Timberwolves (31% rostered)
Beverley is a regular in the assists section here, mainly due to his solid role as a #2 ball-handler for the Timberwolves, but also due to his defensive prowess. Both of these factors still apply, but with D'Angelo Russell having missed two straight games with a shin injury, Beverley is looking directly at a path to starters level minutes.
- Eric Bledsoe - PG/SG - LA Clippers (31% rostered)
- Gabe Vincent - PG - Miami Heat (34% rostered)
Rebounds - Streaming Options
Bismack Biyombo - C - Phoenix Suns (49% rostered)
This is as straightforward as it gets: both guys in front of Biyombo on the depth chart are currently dealing with injuries. Deandre Ayton has missed the past 5 games with an ankle injury, and JaVale McGee sat out Tuesday's game @ Utah with knee pain. If both continue to miss time, expect Biyombo to keep posting monster numbers like he has in the last 4 games (66 total points, 44 total rebounds). This could be your last chance to grab him for the year.
Week 2: To my surprise, the re-activation of McGee seems to have kept Biyombo from going over our sub-50% rostered threshold, so I will be taking a layup here. Biyombo is still rebounding at an elite clip, and anyone playing fantasy basketball seriously shouldn't allow him to sit on waivers.
Other streamers:
- Precious Achiuwa - PF/C - Toronto Raptors (11% rostered)
- Hassan Whiteside - C - Utah Jazz (42% rostered)
- Onyeka Okongwu - PF/C - Atlanta Hawks (26% rostered)
Blocks - Streaming Options
Hassan Whiteside - C - Utah Jazz (42% rostered)
Short and sweet: as long as Rudy Gobert misses games, Whiteside is an elite fantasy asset. Whiteside has tallied 7 blocks in his last 4 games.
Other streamers:
- Kevon Looney - PF/C - Golden State Warriors (14% rostered)
- Bismack Biyombo - C - Phoenix Suns (37% rostered)
- Alperen Sengun - C - Houston Rockets (30% rostered)
Steals - Streaming Options
Chuma Okeke - PF - Orlando Magic (46% rostered)
Okeke is starting to develop into a solid defender for the Magic, I would say he's a quintessential 3&D guy but I don't want to stick my neck out that far for a guy shooting under 30% from 3. On the defensive side though, there is no denying Okeke's production. He's averaging 1.4 steals per game, good for 23rd in the entire NBA. With at least 1 steal in 8 straight games and 5 of those games being multi-steal performances, Okeke is one of the best defensive-focused adds available.
Week 2: Okeke stonks have gone through the roof in the last week, he's now almost ineligible for the article! This is surely due to his strong offensive performances in his last two games; scoring 19 and 17 points. I may have jinxed Okeke's consecutive games with a steal streak, but if he can consistently hit double-digits scoring, we're okay with a game without a steal here and there.
Other streamers:
- Gary Payton II - PG/SG - Golden State Warriors (10% rostered)
- Dorian Finney-Smith - SF/PF - Dallas Mavericks (39% rostered)
- Darius Bazley - SF/PF - Oklahoma City Thunder (15% rostered)
Threes - Streaming Options
Luke Kennard - SG/SF - LA Clippers (47% rostered)
Full disclosure: I have no real idea why Kennard barely played/produced in the Clippers game @ Indiana Monday night. Looking past this oddity, Kennard has been absolutely on fire. He knocked down 2+ 3's in six straight games, including his epic game winner to cap off the Clippers' huge comeback win over the Wizards last week. The Clippers seemed to have accepted fate that this just isn't their year, and Kennard should continue to fire away the rest of the year.
Other streamers:
- Max Struss - SG/SF - Miami Heat (20% rostered)
- Nicolas Batum - SF/PF - LA Clippers (18% rostered)
- Kevin Huerter - SG/SF - Atlanta Hawks (31% rostered)
Field Goal Percentage - Streaming Options
Hassan Whiteside - C - Utah Jazz (42% rostered)
This has been a major week for dejavu in this article, I am yet again doubble-dipping Hassan Whiteside, and I'm doing it in the same two categories as I did in the Week 13 article three weeks ago.
At the time of writing that article, Whiteside had only taken 7 shots outside the paint all year, and in the three weeks since, he has only taken 4 more shots outside the paint (and missed them all)!
Other streamers:
- Nicolas Batum - SF/PF - LA Clippers (18% rostered)
- Gary Payton II - PG/SG - Golden State Warriors (10% rostered)
- James Johnson - PF/C - Brooklyn Nets (8% rostered)
Free Throw Percentage - Streaming Options
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - SG/SF- Washington Wizards (30% rostered)
I'll be honest, it's a pretty thin week for FT%, the majority of the best plays are big men this week. However, with Bradley Beal out for at least one week, that leaves a lot of offense in the air, and KCP is surprisingly an 87.7% FT shooter. He doesn't rack up a ton of attempts, but if he gets to the line, he's quite reliable for makes.
Other streamers:
- Brandon Clarke - SF/PF - Memphis Grizzlies (20% rostered)
- Max Struss - SG/SF - Miami Heat (20% rostered)
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