🦃 BLACK FRIDAY - 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 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 11 and Buy/Sell

Dicky Fung reviews Week 10 breakouts, and looks ahead to Week 11 for fantasy basketball waiver wire adds/pickups, buy lows, sell highs, and more lineups advice.

On behalf of the RotoBaller staff, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Due to the holidays, I am away on a trip and this post will be more brief.

If you haven't checked out our injury updates, make sure to give that a look. I also write a feature during the week on recent notable injuries and which players can benefit.  We are expanding our NBA fantasy coverage throughout the site, so be sure to check them out!

Now let's look back on Week 10 and get prepared for Week 11.

Black Friday Special! Save 50% on any Big-4 Sports Premium Pass using discount code THANKS. Win more with our DFS, Betting and Season-Long Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice for NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL from from proven winners! Dan Palyo leads the team with exclusive picks for DFS picks, Props, betting. Enhance your game with industry-leading tools like our Lineup Optimizers, Team Sync Platform, DFS Cheat Sheets and more. GAIN ACCESS

 

Week 11 Schedule

4 Games – Wizards, Kings, Sixers, Thunder, Knicks, Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Lakers, Pacers, Rockets, Warriors, Mavericks, Bulls, Nets, Celtics

3 Games – Hawks, Hornets, Cavaliers, Nuggets, Pistons, Clippers, Heat, Bucks, Pelicans, Magic, Suns, Spurs, Raptors, Jazz

2 Games – Trail Blazers

 

Week 10 Breakout Performers

Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder

Week 10 averages: 29.8 PPG 9.0 RPG 9.5 APG 2.5  SPG 0.8 BPG 1.0 3PM 60% FG 85% FT 2.3 TO

No need to say much, but when Russell Westbrook is efficient without turning the ball over, he's a fantasy popcorn machine. He was the #1 overall player this week, and there's not much stopping the Brodie from getting his team out of the recent slump.

Kyle Kuzma, SF/PF, Los Angeles Lakers

Week 10 averages: 27.0 PPG 8.5 RPG 2.8 APG 0.8 SPG 0.8 BPG 4.0 3PM 55% FG 75% FT 2.0 TO

Kyle Kuzma has been a beast lately, flashing his first-round upside this week. He joined Jerry West and Elgin Baylor as the only Lakers rookies to score 25 or more points in three straight games, and the injury to Brook Lopez (ankle) has pushed him to averaging nearly 38 minutes per night over the last five. There's absolutely no reason to sell high. While he doesn't get much defensive stats, his massive upside on offense can't be ignored.

Victor Oladipo, PG/SG, Indiana Pacers

Week 10 averages: 31.3 PPG 5.3 RPG 3.0 APG 1.5 SPG 0.5 BPG 2.8 3PM 57% FG 84% FT 1.0 TO

Oladipo's magical season continues, and he's looking more and more like a first-round player for years to come. We knew the defensive numbers were gonna be there from Oladipo, but this hot shooting with him averaging a block as a GUARD is surely impressive. He's a lock for Most Improved Player and should certainly earn a nod into the All-Star game in Los Angeles.

Kyrie Irving, PG/SG, Boston Celtics

Week 10 averages: 30.0 PPG 2.8 RPG 5.0 APG 1.0 SPG 0.3 BPG 4.8 3PM 50% FG 92% FT 2.0 TO

Kyrie's hot, hitting nearly five triples per game this week. The Celtics has slipped a bit over their last ten, going just 5-for-5. But as long as Kyrie is healthy, he's going to continue to flirt with top-20 numbers.

Kevin Love, PF/C, Cleveland Cavaliers

Week 10 averages: 24.3 PPG 8.7 RPG 2.0 APG 0.7 SPG 0.0 BPG 4.7 3PM 52% FG 100% FT 1.3 TO

The return of Tristan Thompson has made little to no impact on Love, who continues his fine season. He's ultra-efficient right now, connecting on over 53 percent shooting over his last five games. The eventual return of Isaiah Thomas could take some touches away, but he's still going to be a top-25 player going forward.

DeMar DeRozan, SG/SF, Toronto Raptors

Week 10 averages: 30.8 PPG 3.3 RPG 4.5 APG 0.8 SPG 0.8 BPG 3.3 3PM 52% FG 82% FT 3.0 TO

The sudden outburst of 3-pointers and assists has vaulted DeRozan into second-round value this week. The knock on his fantasy game was always the lack of 3-pointers and assists, which he showed he can provide. It's a bit of an outlier since he makes his living off the mid-range jumper, but this sudden outburst of treys could make him take more shots behind the arc the rest of the way.

Josh Richardson, SG/SF, Miami Heat

Week 10 averages: 20.3 PPG 4.0 RPG 4.0 APG 1.5 SPG 1.0 BPG 1.8 3PM 51% FG 83% FT 1.8 TO

There was some leagues which he was dropped earlier in the season, and he's showing everyone why patience pays off. He's been a second-round play this week, and you can see the similarity to Victor Oladipo, another guard who is able to rack up the defensive stats in steals and blocks. These players are rare and should be treated like a vital piece to your squad.

 

Week 11 Standard Leagues - Waiver Wire Pickups

Jarrett Jack, PG/SG, New York Knicks (11% Ownership)

The Knicks play four games this week, with a Christmas day match-up. Jack has been a reliable source of assists with 5.8 assists per game, which isn't bad for a waiver wire pick up considering he's not hurting you elsewhere in percentages or turnovers.

Michael Beasley, SF/PF, New York Knicks (30% Ownership)

Beasley was a huge reason why the Knicks were able to erase a deficit to beat the Celtics on Thursday night, hitting 13-of-20 for 32 points. He did fizzle out against the Pistons on following night, but he's still worth a look to see if he's able to get off to a good start. Just know this is a short-term pick up with Tim Hardaway J.R. (leg) due back soon.

Jordan Bell, PF/C, Golden State Warriors (33% Ownership) 

The Warriors has given Bell more minutes lately and he has answered to the occasion. Bell is averaging 9.0 points, 5.8 boards to go along with 1.6 blocks and 1.4 steals over his last five games.  The promising news is coach Steve Kerr elected to play Bell next to Draymond Green, which is a huge boost to his value going forward. Bell is a very nice upside player for those seeking big man stats.

Bismack Biyombo, PF/C, Orlando Magic (20% Ownership)

Nikola Vucevic (fractured hand) is going to miss the next 6-8 weeks, and Biyombo makes for a popular add for owners who needs help in rebounding and blocks. He's not going to be very consistent, nor is he someone whose capable of handling 30 + minutes per night. But the opportunity is there and it's worth an add to see what happens. It's worth monitoring to see if Orlando makes a trade for a big man before the trading deadline.

Yogi Ferrell, PG/SG, Dallas Mavericks (16% Ownership)

Ferrell has been flirting with mid-round numbers for the past two weeks with 13.8 points and 2.1 3-pointers per game. Granted that Dennis Smith JR (hip) has returned from his hip injury, Ferrell continues to get minutes and shots up. He's worth rolling until he cools off.

Delon Wright, PG/SG, Toronto Raptors (3% Ownership)

The Raptors loves Wright's versatility, where he can play next to DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. He's a combo guard who can score and dish, all while having the size to guard opposing guards. He's averaging 1.1 steals in just 20 minutes per game, and he's been rolling in his last two with 13.0 points, 2.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.5 treys. He's also seeing an increase in minutes with 26.5. There's no telling if this is due to C.J. Miles being out, but he's worth deploying while he's this good.

 

Week 11 Deep Leagues - Waiver Wire Pickups

Josh Hart, SG/SF, Los Angeles Lakers (3% Ownership)

Hart has been playing well lately, and coach Luke Walton loves his size and energy while he's out there. Brandon Ingram (knee, quad) missed Saturday's contest and is questionable Monday against the T-Wolves, so Hart could also be looking at more minutes. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is dealing with personal issues and cannot leave the state of California until mid-January, where he's only allowed to play games in the state. So Hart is in line for huge minutes whenever KCP can't suit up. It also helps that Lonzo Ball (shoulder) is also expected to miss a week. He's not going to score 20 points a night, but the rebounding with a trickle of 3-pointers are nice for deeper formats.

Denzel Valentine, SG/SF, Chicago Bulls (18% Ownership)

Valentine's ability to stay on the court is tied to how well he's shooting on most nights. He has to play well enough to hold off David Nwaba and Justin Holiday to sustain value, which is why he's more suited for deeper leagues. Zach LaVine (knee) also could be back soon so Valentine's outlook isn't too promising.

Bam Adebayo, PF/C, Miami Heat (9% Ownership)

Hassan Whiteside (knee) is not expected to return to the Heat this week, giving Adebayo another week to start. He's averaging just 0.8 blocks on the season, which is why his upside is capped. However, the minutes has been nice lately at 28 per game over the last two weeks. He's still putting up decent numbers of 10.0 points and 6.3 boards on 63 percent shooting.

P.J. Tucker, SG/SF, Houston Rockets (17% Ownership)

The Rockets are banged up and coach Mike D'Antoni loves to play tight rotations. Tucker is in line for 30+ minutes and should be given a look considering how fast the Rockets like to play and shoot 3-pointers.

Anthony Tolliver, SF/PF, Detroit Pistons (2% Ownership)

Tolliver is coming off three straight double-digit outings, where he connected on 12 triples in his last three games. He's worth a look if given the minutes, just know he won't do much else other than points and 3-pointers.

 

Buy Low

Isaiah Thomas, PG/SG, Cleveland Cavaliers

The major news this weekend was that Isaiah Thomas finally has a target in mind, and that's early January. To make it clear again, he shouldn't be on any waiver wires in any fantasy format, and he should be viewed as an early-round guy with top-25 upside if everything clicks. You shouldn't expect Isaiah Thomas to put up the numbers he did with the Celtics last season, but you can bet he's going to thrive playing next to LeBron James if he's able to stay healthy. He's also motivated more than ever the Celtics traded him away after a MVP-caliber season last year. The scoring might not be as high as last year, but his efficiency and his 3-point makes could increase. Thomas is worth the gamble if you're willing to trade away pieces you won't miss.

Lonzo Ball, PG, Los Angeles Lakers

Say what you want about the rookie's ugly shooting form, but he has been sneaky good over the past few weeks. He's been a steady top-50 play over the last two weeks and a top-75 play over the past month. Not many are noticing his out-of-positions blocks from a point guard position, but he's getting it done with 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game over the last two weeks. Many owners are just reading into the shooting struggles, without noticing other things like rebounds, dimes, and 3-pointers are all up from the previous month as well. He hasn't blow up yet, but the Big Baller Brand star is going to be given a long leash in LA. Get him while his value is still low.

Hassan Whiteside, C, Miami Heat

The big man is close to a return, although the team hasn't announced a set return date. He's been ruled out Monday and Wednesday, so his earliest target date would be Friday against the Mavericks. If anyone follows him on Snapchat, he has said to his fans he's progressing very well in his recovery. He's already lifting weights and working on conditioning. He has said to the media he will not return unless he feels 100 percent right, so he could be held just a bit longer. Expect big things from him when he does return, as he will return first-round value. Get him while you still can.

 

Sell High

Dwyane Wade, PG/SG, Cleveland Cavaliers

Wade has already started to trend down a bit after a hot two-week stretch. That may be the best Wade has looked all season and it's a great idea to sell him for a player with a better outlook. Isaiah Thomas is also close to a return and he will almost definitely have a negative impact on Wade's fantasy production. There's no telling if Wade can fully stay healthy either. I advise owners to starting exploring trade offers including Wade as his value has never been higher all season.

Spencer Dinwiddie, PG/SG, Brooklyn Nets

Dinwiddie has really struggled lately, shooting just 39 percent the past week. He hasn't exactly been the dynamite player we saw earlier in the season, and it's a huge reminder that players will often regress back to their mean. He was simply playing out of his mind and it'd be wise to see if you're able to send him off for a player with a better outlook, especially given that D'Angelo Russell (knee) could come back in the near future. Dinwiddie will have a hard time sustaining value with Russell back in the picture.

Carmelo Anthony, SF/PF, Oklahoma City Thunder

The OK3 experiment just isn't working, and I'm not sure if it will ever work at all this season. With that said, I do believe Anthony's recent struggles will improve, and so will the team. However, I'm not banking on the fact that Melo's rank of #101 is suddenly going to sky rocket. He's been ranked outside the top-150 over the last two weeks and ranked #204 over the past month, so it's safe to say Melo's best fantasy days are well behind him. He's struggling mightily with efficiency, and his once strongest contribution (points) has fallen to just 17.5 this season. He should be sold once he strings together a couple of strong games, mainly because he still holds decent name value. I'd unload him as soon as he puts up a decent line, or use him as a sweetener in a package deal.

 

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis

 

NBA DFS Premium Subscription

Get a free trial of our powerful NBA Premium Tools. Our famous DFS Cheat Sheets, and NBA Lineup Optimizer & Generator with daily matchup projections.

Win more. Try the most advanced lineup optimizer in daily fantasy basketball.

Sign Up Now!


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

Chris Godwin

Expected to Play in Week 12
Kawhi Leonard

Sidelined for Saturday's Game Against Hornets
Joe Burrow

Won't Be Activated This Week
Tre Mann

Dealing With Ankle Soreness
Jaden Ivey

Could Make Season Debut Soon
Tobias Harris

Listed as Questionable for Saturday
Aaron Gordon

Expected to Miss Time With Hamstring Injury
Matas Buzelis

Leaves Friday's Game Early With Ankle Issue
Gabriel Vilardi

Has Two Goals in Losing Effort
Jordan Staal

Provides Two Goals in Friday's Win
Matt Boldy

Amasses Three Points in Impressive Road Win
Filip Gustavsson

Shuts Out Penguins Friday
Josh Doan

Pots Two Goals Friday Night
Alex Tuch

Tallies Four Assists in Big Win
Vinnie Hinostroza

Suffers Serious Injury Friday
Aaron Gordon

Won't Return to NBA Cup Meeting with Houston
Travis Kelce

Open to Returning in 2026?
Onyeka Okongwu

Could Miss Matchup With Pelicans
Brandon Aiyuk

49ers, Brandon Aiyuk Headed for a Divorce Soon?
D'Angelo Russell

Ruled Out Against Pelicans
Trey Hendrickson

Ruled Out for Week 12
Tre Jones

Cleared to Play Friday with Planned Minutes Limit
Jaden McDaniels

Cleared to Face Phoenix
Coby White

Ruled Out for Friday's Game Against Miami
Jarrett Allen

Ruled Out on Friday
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Doubtful as Grizzlies Face Mavericks
Adolis García

Rangers Non-Tender Adolis Garcia on Friday
Jaylon Tyson

Returning Versus Indiana
Darius Garland

Cleared to Play on Friday, Expected to See Limited Action
Marvin Bagley III

to Miss Friday's Game Against Raptors
Auston Matthews

Doubtful for Saturday
Rashod Bateman

Ruled Out for Week 12
Alexandre Sarr

Ruled Out for a Second Straight Game
Roman Josi

Could Return Saturday
Samuel Honzek

Out for Six Months After Surgery
Chris Godwin

Officially Questionable for Week 12
Sion James

Expected to Play Through Groin Issue Saturday
Jalen Chatfield

Available for Friday's Matchup
Andrew Wiggins

Labeled as "Day-to-Day"
Nico Sturm

Activated From Injured Reserve
Jason Zucker

Available Friday
Brandon Miller

Returning To Charlotte's Lineup On Saturday
Connor Hellebuyck

to Miss 4-6 Weeks
Jaylen Warren

Cleared From Injury Report Ahead of Week 12
Brian Thomas Jr.

Ruled Out for Week 12
Kenneth Walker III

Listed as Questionable for Week 12
Trey Benson

Ruled Out For Week 12
Josh Jacobs

Officially Questionable to Play in Week 12
Darius Slayton

Cleared to Return From Hamstring Injury in Week 12
Daniel Jones

"Good to Go" for Week 12
Alvin Kamara

Officially Questionable to Play in Week 12
Xavier Worthy

"Trending in the Right Direction," Officially Questionable
Isiah Pacheco

Out Against Colts
Drake London

Officially Ruled Out for Week 12
CFB

Beau Pribula Expected to Start Against Oklahoma
Aaron Rodgers

Questionable to Play Against Bears
Rhamondre Stevenson

Expected to Return in Week 12
Jayden Reed

Packers Open Jayden Reed's Practice Window on Friday
Dan Hooker

An Underdog At UFC Qatar
Arman Tsarukyan

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ian Machado Garry

A Favorite At UFC Qatar
Belal Muhammad

Looks To Bounce Back
Alonzo Menifield

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Volkan Oezdemir

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Myktybek Orolbai

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Jack Hermansson

Makes His Welterweight Debut
Kyoji Horiguchi

Returns To The UFC
Tagir Ulanbekov

Set To Open Up UFC Qatar Main Card
Sergei Bobrovsky

Frustrates Devils With Shutout
Adam Fantilli

Leads Blue Jackets to Victory in Toronto
Ilya Sorokin

Posts Second Shutout of the Season
Alex Ovechkin

Nets 33rd Career Hat Trick
Andre Burakovsky

Ruled Out for Friday
Gavin Brindley

Hurt Versus Rangers
Jake Evans

Exits With Injury Thursday
Elly De La Cruz

Played Through Partially Torn Quad to End 2025
Tarik Skubal

Tigers "Doubtful" to Trade Tarik Skubal
Raisel Iglesias

Returning to the Braves on One-Year Deal
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Continue Fall Run at RSM Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Looking to Bounce Back at RSM Classic
Tom Hoge

Looking to Regain Form at RSM Classic
Joe Highsmith

Searching for Turnaround at RSM Classic
Adam Hadwin

Looking to Build on T11 Finish in Bermuda
Austin Eckroat

Searching for Momentum at RSM Classic
Joel Dahmen

Trying to Find Form at the RSM Classic
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful to Play Against Western Kentucky
Michael Thorbjornsen

Hopes to End 2025 Campaign With Another Solid Finish
Andrew Novak

Looks to End 2025 Season on High Note at RSM Classic
Harry Higgs

Teetering for PGA Tour Card in 2026
PGA

Nico Echavarria has the Potential to Contend at the RSM Classic
Sam Stevens

Finishing Out Year in Georgia
Seamus Power

Playing Better at the Right Time
Beau Hossler

Roller Coaster Comes to Saint Simons Island
Quade Cummins

The Time is Now for Quade Cummins in Georgia
Austin Cook

Needs a Win at the RSM Classic
Cameron Champ

on the PGA Tour Card Bubble
Grayson Rodriguez

Shipped to Angels
Taylor Ward

Orioles Acquire Taylor Ward From Angels
Shota Imanaga

Accepts Cubs Qualifying Offer
Brandon Woodruff

Returning to Milwaukee in 2026
Denny McCarthy

Looking For Another Solid Finish at RSM Classic
Si Woo Kim

Looking To Use Current Momentum to Flip Script at RSM Classic
Mackenzie Hughes

a Good Bounce-Back Candidate at RSM Classic
Harris English

Making 14th Start at This Week's RSM Classic
Konnor Griffin

Could Compete for Starting Shortstop Job in 2026
Gleyber Torres

Accepts Tigers Qualifying Offer
CFB

Sam Leavitt Set to Enter Transfer Portal?
Jose Altuve

Undergoes Foot Surgery
Alex Bregman

Red Sox Going for Either Alex Bregman or Pete Alonso?
CFB

James Franklin to be Virginia Tech's Next Head Coach
CFB

Fernando Mendoza the Clear Heisman Trophy Favorite?
CFB

Beau Pribula Has Chance to Face Oklahoma on Saturday
Jack Della Maddalena

Gets Dominated
Islam Makhachev

Claims UFC Welterweight Belt
Zhang Weili

Gets Outclassed
Valentina Shevchenko

Wins Unanimous Decision At UFC 322
Sean Brady

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Michael Morales

Remains Unbeaten
Leon Edwards

Suffers Second-Round Knockout Loss
Leon Edwards

Carlos Prates Becomes The First Man To Knock Out Leon Edwards
Beneil Dariush

Suffers Brutal First-Round Knockout Loss
Beneil Dariush

Benoit Saint Denis Knocks Out Beneil Dariush In 16 Seconds
Josh Naylor

Mariners Finalizing Five-Year Contract