🦃 BLACK FRIDAY - 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 Waiver Wire (Week 9): H2H Defensive Category Streamers

This week's streamers will be a little different.  Since nearly all NBA teams play on Friday, you'll have no trouble filling your lineup with existing rostered players.  Meanwhile, there are no games on Christmas Eve Saturday.  That means 100% of the streaming value comes from who's playing in a good Christmas Day matchup.  So that's all I'll be looking at!

Below are my Week Nine defensive category streamers for fantasy basketball - rebounds, steals, and blocks for Christmas Day! All position eligibility and ownership percentages are based on Yahoo! fantasy leagues.  Merry Christmas, RotoBallers.

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive our full season NBA (or NFL) Premium Pass for free (includes DFS Cheat Sheets). Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium Pass.

 

Rebounds Streamers

Marreese Speights, PF/C, LAC, Sun @ LAL (owned in 25% of Yahoo leagues)

With all the actual good NBA teams playing on Christmas Day, we gravitate toward the Lakers as the ideal opponent for streaming, with Speights filling in for Blake Griffin as the ideal streaming candidate. Speights is averaging 11.8 rebounds per 36 minutes on the season, so if he can play in the min-20s against the Lakers, he should get a shot to go for a double-double -- because you know the points will be there. He is averaging over 20 points per 36 for the third straight year, and has in fact been more efficient scoring this year by cutting his two point attempts in half and moving most of those shots across the arc. He is in fact scoring more points per 36 despite fewer field goal attempts per 36 than notable stars including Marc Gasol, Kristaps Porzingis, Devin Booker, and Dennis Schroder. Mo Buckets is an ideal rebounds streamer if you don't want to sacrifice scoring or treys, and don't particularly care about FG%.

Other options: Larry Nance Jr., PF, LAL (23% owned); Joakim Noah, PF/C, NYK (40% owned)

 

Steals Streamers

Andre Roberson, SG/SF, OKC, Sun vs. MIN (owned in 12% of Yahoo leagues)

Roberson is the only elite steals specialists active on Christmas, and has a nice matchup against the Wolves. There's not much to say about that. I'd also plug Austin Rivers here. He'll have a nice matchup in all respects against the Lakers, for both playing time and scoring opportunities. Meanwhile the Lakers young roster turns over the ball a ton, giving even a guy not known for steals like Rivers the chance to luck into a few. He makes for a nice add for Sunday in a lot of ways.

Other options: Austin Rivers, PG/SG, LAL (2% owned); Justin Holiday, SG/SF, NYK (1% owned)

 

Blocks Streamers

Kyle O'Quinn, PF/C, NYK, Sun vs. BOS (owned in 12% of Yahoo leagues)

Boston's opponents are averaging 5.4 blocks per game. Only eight teams get more of their shots blocked than that on a nightly basis, and none of those teams are allowed to play on Christmas Day (the only team with a winning record to see more opposing blocks is Memphis). This makes it as good a day as any to fire up O'Quinn as a blocks streamer. The other usual suspects either aren't playing (Hibbert) or have tough matchups for blocks and playing time (Dewayne Dedmon). If you're looking to stream only partially for blocks and partially for other stats, you're probably better off grabbing a wing who blocks shots here and there like Roberson or a big who isn't known for blocks like Speights and hoping for the best.

Other options: Dewayne Dedmon, C, SAS (2% owned); Andre Roberson, SG/SF, OKC (12% owned)


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

Jameson Williams

Explodes for 144 Yards, Touchdown on Thanksgiving
Dontayvion Wicks

Breaks Out for Two Touchdowns on Thanksgiving
Jordan Love

Lights Up Lions for Four Touchdowns on Thanksgiving
Stephen Curry

Expected To Miss About A Week With Quad Injury
Michael Porter Jr.

Won't Play Friday Versus 76ers
Paul George

Faces Game-Time Call Against Nets
VJ Edgecombe

Sidelined Again Against Nets
Joel Embiid

Out Again Friday vs. Nets
Paolo Banchero

Ruled Out Again Friday With Groin Injury
Jalen Williams

Set to Make Season Debut Friday
Chris Olave

Misses Thursday's Practice
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Will Miss 1-2 Weeks
DeVonta Smith

Off the Injury Report, Cleared for Friday's Game vs. the Bears
Jaxson Dart

Clears Concussion Protocol, Set to Return vs. the Patriots
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Downgraded to Out, Won't Return on Thursday
Daniel Jones

Dealing With Fractured Fibula, Will Play Through it
Jonathan Kuminga

Hoping to Return on Saturday Versus Pelicans
Stephen Curry

to Undergo an MRI
Josh Jacobs

Feels Close to 100%
Brady Tkachuk

Aims to Return Friday
Matthew Tkachuk

Resumes Skating
Jakob Chychrun

Stretches Point Streak to Nine Games
Matej Blumel

Expected to Miss Some Time
Marcus Foligno

Exits With Injury Wednesday
Jaden Schwartz

Suffers Lower-Body Injury Wednesday
Trendon Watford

to Sit Out at Least Two Weeks
Gradey Dick

Injured on Wednesday
RJ Barrett

to Be Re-Evaluated in One Week
Anthony Davis

on the Cusp of Returning
Gary Payton II

Hurt in Wednesday's Loss
Stephen Curry

Diagnosed With Quadriceps Contusion
Alvin Kamara

Doesn't Practice on Wednesday
Lukas Dostal

Out Wednesday Night
Sean Durzi

Available Against Canadiens
Thomas Chabot

to Remain Out Wednesday
Jared McCann

Expected to Rejoin Kraken Lineup Wednesday
Andre Burakovsky

a Game-Time Decision Wednesday
Zach Edey

Good to Go Versus New Orleans
Mikko Rantanen

Returns to Stars Lineup Wednesday
J.K. Dobbins

Could Return Later This Season
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Available on Wednesday
Mark Stone

Ready to Return Wednesday
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Good to go on Wednesday
Dylan Cease

Agrees With Blue Jays on Seven-Year, $210 Million Deal
Norman Powell

Back in Action Wednesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Ruled Out on Wednesday Evening
Andrew Wiggins

Will Suit Up Against Milwaukee
Terry McLaurin

Plans to Play on Sunday Night
Anthony Rendon

Angels Could Buy Out Final Year of Anthony Rendon's Contract
Brandon Aiyuk

49ers Won't Open Brandon Aiyuk's Practice Window This Week
Joe Burrow

Bengals Officially Activate Joe Burrow for a Return on Thanksgiving
C.J. Stroud

Practicing Wednesday
Trey Benson

Spotted at Practice on Wednesday
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Back at Practice Wednesday
DeVonta Smith

Missing From Practice Again on Wednesday
Josh Hader

Says his Shoulder is "Back to Normal"
Ketel Marte

Diamondbacks "Actively Listening" on Ketel Marte
Jaxson Dart

to be a Full Participant at Wednesday's Practice
Dalton Kincaid

has "a Chance" to Play in Week 13
Josh Norris

Nearing Return
Kevin Lankinen

Not Traveling With Canucks
Zach Werenski

Escapes Serious Injury, May Play Wednesday
Auston Matthews

Could Be an Option Wednesday
Jason Robertson

Scores in Seventh Consecutive Game
Wyatt Johnston

Ends Dry Spell With Four-Point Performance
Vinnie Hinostroza

to Miss 4-6 Weeks
Pyotr Kochetkov

Dealing With Undisclosed Injury
J.T. Realmuto

Red Sox Showing Interest in J.T. Realmuto
Sonny Gray

Red Sox Acquire Sonny Gray From the Cardinals
CFB

Jeremiah Smith, Makai Lemon, Skyler Bell Named Biletnikoff Award Finalists
Shohei Ohtani

to Play for Team Japan in 2026 World Baseball Classic
Colorado Rockies

Warren Schaeffer to Stick Around as Rockies Manager in 2026
CFB

Chris Bell Out for Rivalry Matchup Against Kentucky
Ryan Helsley

Tigers Eyeing Ryan Helsley as a Starter
Dan Hooker

Suffers Second-Round Submission Loss
Marcus Semien

Shipped to the Mets on Sunday
Arman Tsarukyan

Gets Submission Win
Brandon Nimmo

Traded to Texas
Belal Muhammad

Loses Back-to-Back Fights
Belal Muhammad

Ian Machado Garry Outpoints Belal Muhammad
Alonzo Menifield

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Volkan Oezdemir

Gets Back In The Win Column
Jack Hermansson

Gets Knocked Out
Jack Hermansson

Myktybek Orolbai Knocks Out Jack Hermansson
Shamil Gaziev

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Shines At UFC Qatar
Tagir Ulanbekov

Suffers Third-Round Submission Loss
Kyoji Horiguchi

Makes Triumphant UFC Return