TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

NBA Bench Risers: Waiver Wire Sleepers for Fantasy Basketball (Week 7)

NBA teams have a multitude of players coming off the bench, each with a unique role to fill. As a fantasy owner, you need to decide which of those players can contribute across multiple categories and have the potential to make the most of their time on the court.

To find bench players that can contribute more than just energy and defense during their time on the court, I will analyze usage rate and Per 36 statistics. Below are my Week 7 bench risers and waiver wire adds for fantasy basketball. These are some bench players whose stock should be rising based on their recent play and could be great fantasy pickups for deep leagues.

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.

Featured Promo: New Novig users get a $25 purchase match (50% discount up to $25) on your first Novig deposit, and 6 free months of RotoBaller's "Big-4" Premium Pass (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL) which includes exclusive tools for Betting, Props, DFS and more! CLAIM IT NOW

 

Rising NBA Bench Performers

Note: I will only be selecting players who are not regular starters and who are owned in less than 50% of Yahoo! leagues.

Jeff Green (SF/PF, ORL) - 8% owned

In an unusual reversal of fortune, Green's value may be rising now that he has become a bench player again. Green wasn't putting up useful stats in his first 16 games for the Magic, half of which came as a starter. His .366 FG% is well below his .433% career average and well below the league average. However, he is turning things around in his last three games, averaging just over 14 points on .451% shooting. Green has never been a great rebounder for his size, but he's collected 11 over the last two games and won't hurt you at the SF position.

What's interesting about Green is the trade talk circulating around Orlando already. The Magic are a young team that don't appear to be playoff bound, so a player like Green could be moved to a contender in need of scoring before too long. Conversely, if someone like Serge Ibaka is traded instead, Green could find himself in a bigger role. Green's current usage rate of 19.9% is already ahead of teammate Elfrid Payton (19.8%) and barely behind Serge Ibaka (20.9%) and former Magic guard Victor Oladipo (20.8%). That number could shoot up further in the near future. Green is a player to watch more than an immediate add at the moment, but he could become a fantasy factor in deeper leagues eventually.

 

Dario Saric (PF, PHI) 49% owned

A position switch might be just what the doctor ordered for Saric and the 76ers. Saric has been off to a slow offensive start in his rookie year, shooting just .388 from the field. Like Green, Saric also moved out of the starting lineup onto the bench 10 games into the season. He got into a funk soon after, totaling 10 points in a three-game span at one point in late November. Saric may be re-emerging now after shifting to small forward. He's dropped 21, 17 and 17 the last three games, including a season-high 3-for-6 from behind the arc in all three contests.

Perhaps more impressive have been the rebounding numbers this past week. Saric has 27 total rebounds in the last three games. Obviously that's an average of nine per game, which matches nicely with his Per 36 numbers: 1.4 Offensive Rebounds and 7.5 Defensive Rebounds. Despite that production, Saric slots best as a SF in fantasy because he doesn't block shots (0.3 BLK per 36). He is listed only as a PF in Yahoo! leagues, but that may change in the near future. With Robert Covington struggling from the field and now facing a knee injury, Saric's role should continue to expand along with his ownership rates.

 

Wayne Ellington (SG, MIA) 18% owned

Just when it looked like Josh Richardson was ready to make an impact, he goes down again with an ankle injury. Dion Waiters will be out at least a couple of weeks and Justise Winslow has missed 12 games already. Enter Ellington, the veteran shooter and former Tar Heel in his first year with the Heat. Ellington has been everything the team could have hoped for, doubling his career scoring average so far with 14.8 PPG. His three-point percentage is decent (.368) and he's increased his overall field goal percentage to .475.

Ellington has only appeared in five games for Miami after starting the season with a bruised thigh suffered in the preseason. It's hard to extrapolate too much from such a small sample size, but so far the results are promising. Ellington is averaging 13 shots per 36 minutes, 8.3 of which come from three-point land. His shortcomings come in the counting stats where he contributes very little (1.8 REB, 2.2 AST, 1.3 STL per 36). He is a shooter first and foremost, so consider adding him if you need help in points or multiple three-point categories. This may be Ellington's seventh NBA team in six seasons, but he seems to be right at home in Miami and should find a larger role as the injuries keep piling up.


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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

CFB

Auburn, Ohio State the Lead Suitors for Kyle Parker
CFB

Oregon QB Transfer Bryson Beaver Linked to Georgia, Kentucky
CFB

Jake Merklinger Commits to UConn
Tobias Harris

Set for First Appearance in 2026
New York Giants

John Harbaugh Finalizing Deal With Giants
Isaiah Stewart

Expected to Return Thursday
Jalen Duren

on Track to Return Thursday
Bilal Coulibaly

Departs Early Due to Back Problem
Daniel Gafford

Makes Early Exit Wednesday
Cooper Flagg

Exits With Ankle Injury Wednesday Night
Jalen Brunson

Injures Right Ankle Versus Kings
Darius Garland

Exits Early Wednesday With Foot Injury
Jalen Suggs

to Miss Sixth Straight Game Thursday
Wendell Carter Jr.

Cleared to Play in Berlin
Myles Turner

Available Thursday
Deni Avdija

Likely to Remain Out Thursday
Jaylen Brown

Ready to Face Heat Thursday
Bruce Brown

Spencer Jones, Bruce Brown Available Wednesday
Aaron Gordon

Cleared for Wednesday Night
Jamal Murray

Active Wednesday Night
Cade Cunningham

Ready to End Two-Game Absence
Devin Booker

Questionable for Thursday Night
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Probable to Face Spurs
Brandon Williams

Available Wednesday
Max Christie

Out Wednesday
Mackenzie Blackwood

Activated From Injured Reserve
Ben Griffin

Looks To Stay Hot In 2026
Tom Wilson

Cleared for Contact, Could Return Thursday
Neal Pionk

Lands on Injured Reserve, Out Week-to-Week
Jamie Drysdale

Activated From Injured Reserve
Corey Perry

Unavailable Wednesday
Teuvo Teravainen

to Miss at Least One Game
Connor Bedard

Returns to Practice
Alexandre Texier

Canadiens Sign Alexandre Texier to Two-Year Extension
New York Giants

Giants Making "Massive Push" to Hire John Harbaugh on Wednesday
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez Agrees to Five-Year Deal With Red Sox
CFB

Dante Moore Not Entering 2026 NFL Draft, Will Return to Oregon
NFL

Mike Tomlin Doesn't Plan to Coach in 2026
Travis Hunter

Expected to Play More Defense in 2026
CFB

FBS Coaches Unanimously Vote to Expand Redshirt Eligibility to Nine Games
CFB

Ohio State Transfer Mylan Graham Signs with Notre Dame
CFB

Caden Durham Withdraws from Transfer Portal, Will Stay at LSU
Leon Draisaitl

Has Three Points in Tuesday's Loss
Joel Hofer

Controls Hurricanes Tuesday
Jordan Spieth

Perhaps the Most Intriguing Player at Sony Open
Jeremy Swayman

Posts First Shutout of the Season
Zach Werenski

Totals Three Points in Tuesday's Win
Chandler Stephenson

Available Wednesday
Aaron Rai

Looking For Putting Confidence at Waialae Country Club
Jonathan Marchessault

Moved to Injured Reserve
Brayden Point

Labeled Week-to-Week
Collin Morikawa

Isn't The Safe Play He Used to Be Ahead of Sony Open
Kurt Kitayama

Needs His Putting to Turn Around For Success at Year's First Event
Ryan Weathers

Yankees Add Rotation Depth, Acquire Ryan Weathers in Four-Player Deal
Robert Thomas

Out Tuesday
Jake Walman

Available Against Predators
Troy Terry

a Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Justin Sourdif

Won't Play Tuesday
Jakob Chychrun

a Game-Time Call Tuesday
Morgan Geekie

Available Tuesday
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Fire Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman
Pittsburgh Steelers

Mike Tomlin Stepping Down as Steelers Head Coach
CFB

Georgia Tech the Favorite to Land Justice Haynes?
Nolan Arenado

Cardinals Trade Nolan Arenado to Diamondbacks
Tom Kim

Desperately Needs a Solid Week at Sony Open
Billy Horschel

Hoping For a Fast Start to New Season at Sony Open
Corey Conners

Looks to Have a Return to Form in 2026
PGA

Chris Gotterup a Decent Play at Sony Open
Gary Woodland

Could Prosper at the Sony Open
Keith Mitchell

Unlikely to Contend at Sony Open
Robert MacIntyre

Looking for a Good Performance at the Sony Open
Michael Kim

Hopes to Start Sony Open Better This Week
Tom Hoge

Tries to Erase Poor 2025 Second Half in Hawaii
Brian Harman

Seeks Fresh Start in Hawaii
Eric Cole

Looks to Last Year for Success at Sony Open
Daniel Berger

Starts Off 2026 at Sony Open
Nico Collins

Suffers Concussion Against Steelers
Nico Collins

Carted to Locker Room for Concussion Evaluation
Kyle Tucker

Mets Meet With Kyle Tucker
Dalton Kincaid

"Should be Fine" for Divisional Round
Brooks Koepka

Officially Returning To PGA Tour
Tucker Kraft

Hopes to be Ready for Week 1 of Next Season
CFB

Georgia Lands Kentucky Transfer Dante Dowdell
Matthew Stafford

has "Little Sprain," Should be "Good to Go"
CFB

Sam Leavitt Expected to Sign with LSU
Green Bay Packers

Packers Expected to Work Out New Deal With Matt LaFleur in the "Coming Days"
CFB

Dylan Raiola Commits to Oregon
CFB

Isaiah Horton Landing with Texas A&M
George Kittle

Suffers Torn Achilles on Sunday
Omarion Hampton

Active for Wild-Card Round Against Patriots
George Kittle

Ruled Out After Non-Contact Achilles Injury
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Request Interview With Ejiro Evero
Los Angeles Rams

Mike LaFleur to Interview With Raiders and Cardinals
Aaron Rodgers

Steelers Open to Re-Signing Aaron Rodgers?
Matthew Stafford

X-Rays Come Back Negative
MacKenzie Gore

Yankees Pursuing Trade for MacKenzie Gore
Alex Bregman

Cubs Sign Alex Bregman to Five-Year, $175 Millon Contract
Freddie Freeman

Withdraws from World Baseball Classic
Max Kepler

Receives 80-Game PED Suspension
CFB

Cam Coleman Visiting Alabama on Friday
Omarion Hampton

Expects to Play Sunday Night
CFB

Eric Singleton Jr. Enters Transfer Portal, Trending to Land at Florida
CFB

NCAA Denies Trinidad Chambliss a Sixth Year of Eligibility
Omarion Hampton

Questionable for Wild-Card Weekend
Kyle Tucker

Mets Remain in Mix for Kyle Tucker
Ketel Marte

Will Remain With Diamondbacks