🖥 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
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.

 

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

Quentin Grimes

Returns to Starting Lineup Saturday
Jakob Poeltl

Misses Meeting With Celtics
Josh Jacobs

Active for Saturday's Game
Klay Thompson

Available for Saturday's Tilt
Paul George

Out Saturday
Ricky Pearsall

Ruled Out for Week 16
Joel Embiid

Won't Play Against Mavericks
Anthony Davis

Cleared to Play Saturday
Jaylen Brown

Sits Out Saturday's Game
Mike Matheson

Returns Against Former Team Saturday
Timothy Liljegren

Misses Saturday's Game
Mackie Samoskevich

Out on Saturday
Anthony Cirelli

Available Against Hurricanes
Brandon Hagel

Added to Injured Reserve
Nikita Kucherov

a Game-Time Call Saturday
J.T. Miller

Injured in Saturday's Win
Christian Watson

Should Be Able to Go Against Bears
Collin Sexton

Sidelined Again on Saturday Evening
Joel Embiid

Doubtful for Meeting with Dallas
Jaylen Brown

Not Expected to Play on Saturday Night
Rui Hachimura

Questionable Versus the Clippers
Al Horford

to Miss More Time With Back Injury
Seth Curry

Ruled Out vs Suns
Peyton Watson

Questionable Saturday Against Rockets
Tristan da Silva

Uncertain for Saturday Against Jazz
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out Against Sacramento
Tari Eason

Still Sidelined Saturday vs Nuggets
Zach Bogosian

Unavailable Saturday
Marcus Johansson

Questionable for Saturday
Bo Horvat

to Miss Fourth Straight Game Saturday
Seth Jarvis

to Be "Out for a While"
Phillip Danault

Rejoins Canadiens for Draft Pick
Mason Marchment

Blue Jackets Acquire Mason Marchment
Ja Morant

to Miss Second Straight Game Saturday
Brandon Lowe

Pirates Acquire Brandon Lowe in Three-Team Trade
RJ Barrett

to Remain Out Saturday
Jakob Poeltl

Facing Another Potential Absence Saturday
Jerami Grant

Picks Up Questionable Tag
Shane Baz

Orioles Acquire Shane Baz From the Rays
Jonathan Marchessault

Out Day-to-Day
Tristan Jarry

Oilers Place Tristan Jarry on Injured Reserve
Patrick Kane

to Remain Out Saturday
Shea Theodore

Considered Week-to-Week
Jack Eichel

to Miss at Least Two More Games
Davante Adams

Likely Won't Play in Week 17
Jordan Martinook

Misses Friday's Contest
Evan Rodrigues

Available Against Hurricanes
Tyler Seguin

Undergoes Surgery, to Be Re-Evaluated After Olympics
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Listed as Questionable for Week 16
Drake London

Expected to Play Sunday
Tee Higgins

Questionable to Play in Week 16
Michael Carter

Will Start at RB in Week 16
Dalton Kincaid

Will Practice on Friday, Expected to Play on Sunday
Garrett Wilson

Shelved for Remainder of 2025
CFB

Darian Mensah Returning to Duke Next Season
CFB

Josh Hoover Linked to Indiana in Transfer Portal
CFB

Arch Manning Agrees to Reduced Compensation for 2026 Season
Kenneth Walker III

Breaks Off Long Touchdown in Comeback Win vs. Rams
Matthew Stafford

Racks Up Highest Yardage Total in Over a Decade
Puka Nacua

Delivers Career-Best Performance on Thursday Night Football
Michael King

Padres Bring Michael King Back on Three-Year Deal
Logan Webb

Will Pitch for Team USA in World Baseball Classic
Tarik Skubal

Joins Team USA for World Baseball Classic
Jakobi Meyers

Jaguars Agree to Three-Year Extension With Jakobi Meyers
Davante Adams

Officially Out on Thursday Night
Devin Neal

Placed on Injured Reserve, Will Not Return in 2025
CFB

Will Muschamp Becoming Next Texas Defensive Coordinator
Christian Watson

Questionable for Week 16
Josh Jacobs

Listed as Questionable for Saturday Night
T.J. Watt

Unlikely to Play in Week 16
D'Andre Swift

Questionable to Face the Packers
Rome Odunze

Ruled Out for Week 16
CFB

Beau Pribula Set to Enter Transfer Portal
Bo Bichette

Willing to Make the Move to Second Base
CFB

Jeremiyah Love Officially Heading to NFL Draft
CFB

Jake Merklinger Leaving Tennessee for Transfer Portal
Mike Trout

Angels Open to Mike Trout Playing Center Field in 2026
CFB

Kansas State's Jayce Brown Intends to Transfer
CFB

Nation's Leading Passer Drew Mestemaker to Enter Transfer Portal
Justin Crawford

Phillies Planning to Start Justin Crawford in Center Field
CFB

Jayden Maiava Signs New Deal to Return to USC
CFB

Aidan Mizell Won't Return to Florida, Entering Transfer Portal
CFB

East Carolina Targeting Jordan Davis as Next Offensive Coordinator
CFB

Michigan QB Jadyn Davis Set to Enter Transfer Portal
CFB

Travis Williams Joining Texas A&M Defensive Staff
CFB

Dylan Raiola Entering His Name into Transfer Portal
CFB

Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby Plans to Transfer When Portal Opens
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia, Phillies Finalizing One-Year Deal on Monday
Brandon Royval

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
CFB

Baylor, LSU, Miami Among Potential Suitors for DJ Lagway
CFB

Aidan Chiles Will Enter Transfer Portal
Manel Kape

Shines At UFC Vegas 112
Kevin Vallejos

Gets Second-Round Knockout Win
Giga Chikadze

Suffers His First Career Knockout Loss
CFB

Quarterback DJ Lagway Entering Transfer Portal
Cesar Almeida

Gets Dominated
Cezary Oleksiejczuk

Wins Sixth Fight In A Row
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Melquizael Costa

Gets First-Round Knockout Win
Marcus Buchecha

Still Winless In The UFC
Kennedy Nzechukwu

And Marcus Buchecha Fight To Draw
Lance Gibson jr

Lance Gibson Jr. Drops Decision In His UFC Debut
King Green

Gets Back In The Win Column
Kenley Jansen

Agrees to One-Year Deal With Tigers
Merrill Kelly

Returns to Diamondbacks on Two-Year Deal