Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for the Stretch Run

While some of you are still fighting for a playoff spot, most owners in H2H leagues are either out of it or have a spot locked up now that it’s Week 18, and most leagues open up their playoffs in Week 21 or Week 22.  Now is the time to plan ahead for your first playoff matchup.  Below are a few guys to add in the stretch run for Week 21 and 22.   Note: all ownership percentages are based on Yahoo’s current numbers.

Week 21

Mike Dunleavy (SG/SF, 27% owned), DJ Augustin (PG, 47% owned), Kirk Hinrich (PG/SG, 15% owned) - Chicago Bulls

If someone has impatiently dropped Jimmy Butler, add him to the list, too.  There are two main reasons you want to load up on Bulls for the first round of the playoffs: 1) They play 4 games, and 2) two of those games are against the 76ers.

Terrence Ross (SG/SF, 24% owned), Jonas Valanciunas (C, 78% owned), Amir Johnson (PF, 74% owned) - Toronto Raptors

Normally I wouldn’t list guys who are 70+% owned, but J-Val and Amir are only so largely owned overall in Yahoo because of robo-drafters and people who abandoned their teams.  They’re often available in more active leagues (because they haven’t been very good).  Like the Bulls, the Raptors are a team you can try to ride against a decent schedule.  Toronto plays Atlanta twice, New Orleans, and Oklahoma City in Week 21.

Atlanta Hawks players

One last tip for preparing in advance for a playoff week in a H2H league with daily lineups and limited transactions – pick up players on a team that play a back-to-back on Monday and Tuesday.  The Hawks are the only team to do so in Week 21, with games against Charlotte and Toronto to start the week.  You can add a player in advance, drop him before Wednesday for someone playing three more games by Saturday, and then drop that player for someone playing on Sunday.  You get 6 games in the week out of that roster spot, and only spend 2 transactions to do so.  You also have the luxury of tailoring your pickups later in the week to target important categories.

Week 22

In case your playoffs start a week later, or you’ve locked up a round 1 bye week, here's what to look forward to for Week 22.

Kyle Singler (SG/SF, 18% owned) – Detroit Pistons

Singler’s been shooting really well--shooting .480 from the field in February, including over half his shots from beyond the arc--and he’s playing a ton of minutes lately for the Pistons.  The stars are aligned for success in Week 22 with a favorable 4 game slate against Utah, Cleveland, Miami and Philadelphia.

Marco Belinelli (SG, 29% owned), Patrick Mills (PG, 30% owned), Boris Diaw (PF/C, 11% owned) – San Antonio Spurs

Belinelli, Mills and Diaw may be reserves for the Spurs, but the Spurs have played their reserves a lot, and will only amp it up at the end of the year.  In Week 22, the Spurs face a Charmin- soft schedule of Philadelphia, Denver twice, and New Orleans.  They will be on cruise control, and these role players will see heavy action against very bad competition.