The NBA announced the 10 All-Star starters on Thursday, with Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, and Jaylen Brown arguably the biggest snubs of the evening. What more do these three players need to do to get some respect from this league and its fans!? Don’t worry, fellas — we see you. And we also see a great number of fantasy basketball studs who deserve to be rostered everywhere but still sit amongst the vast fantasy land of the unclaimed.
Let this column guide you to the players falling under your league’s radar, like a beacon of light across a busy ocean in the dead of winter. We share the same basic goals: maximize the value of each roster spot and dominate our leagues. So, let’s get to it!
Here are our must-roster players available in 25-50 percent of fantasy leagues, our top waiver adds amongst those available in over 50 percent of leagues, and the best 9-cat streamers for the remainder of this week. Good luck this weekend and beyond!
Best Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups this Weekend: Must-roster players available in 25-50 percent of leagues
The following 11 players are available in 25-50 percent of Yahoo leagues and should be considered ‘must-roster’ players in standard 9-cat formats.
Cameron Johnson, F, Suns (74 percent rostered). The sharpshooter’s back, people — look alive! Johnson recently came off the IL, and he already hit 11 three-pointers over the past two games. He’s also averaging 23 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.5 blocks in that span. The Suns only have one game left this week, but it’s in San Antonio where the young, tanking Spurs won’t know what hit them. Cam’s a must-roster for the remainder of the season, and could help win you some weeks with his usage up while Devin Booker remains shelved with a groin injury. Chris Paul has this offense looking smooth right now, so capitalize if you can.
Walker Kessler, F/C, Jazz (71%). A ton of people must either be living under rocks or locked out of their Yahoo accounts, because Kessie has seemingly become the biggest cult phenomenon since the Loch Ness Monster (Lock Kess Monster? Kessie lives? There’s something there…we just have to find it). The 7-foot, 245-pound big-foot behemoth of Utah has been a double-double machine this season with plenty of passing and defensive prowess to boot. If you’re lucky enough to come across him on a waiver wire, stop, take a picture, and grab him as quickly as you can. Then you, too, can tell the Legend of Kessie.
De’Anthony Melton, G, 76ers (68%). It feels like I’ve talked about this guy all season, and people still seem to be dropping him. Sure, he had a brief week-or-two of quiet stat lines, but he still does way more with his 28 minutes than the majority of most waiver players could do in 40. Since recently returning to the Sixers’ starting lineup, he has averaged Over his six appearances since returning to the starting lineup, he’s averaged 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals. Scoop him up, ya big sillies.
Killian Hayes, G, Pistons (65%). Hayes has been lighting it up ever since 2021 No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham went down, supplying his investors with insane fourth-round value after a lackluster first few seasons in the Association. He’s doing it all — aggressively penetrating to the hoop, knocking down jumpers from range, dropping dimes left and right, even gobbling up rebounds and swiping steals. Get this guy and hold onto him. He’s a Dwayne Casey favorite now, which means his volume will only go up, especially if high-volume players like Bojan Bogdanovic get shipped to contenders ahead of the trade deadline.
Jalen Duren, F/C, Pistons (67%). Duren can score effortlessly (and efficiently), bang with the best of the bigs on the boards, and swat shots better than most seasoned veterans. He rarely turns the ball over and shoots well from the stripe. He’s a solid add and hold on a squad that should be moving Nerlens Noel, Bojan Bogdanovic, and maybe even Marvin Bagley Jr. soon.
T.J. McConnell (65%) and Andrew Nembhard (14%), G, Pacers. McConnell has been an absolute stud since fringe All-Star and NBA assists leader Tyrese Haliburton went down with a knee injury, ranking eighth in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. McConnell’s averages during that span: 16 points, 8.6 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 67.5 percent from the field, 100 percent from the line. Put some sunglasses on that Top Gun. But the Goose to his Maverick — at least until Hali returns — will be backup point-man Andrew Nembhard, who should return from an illness either Friday or Sunday. Nembhard has quietly averaged eight points, four assists, three boards, and a steal this season, but his per-36 numbers suggest he’s a must-roster at least in 14-team leagues and greater.
Bruce Brown, G/F, Nuggets (60%). All Brown does is show up, hit open shots, create for others, pound the glass, and play solid defense. There are plenty of reasons why Denver coach Mike Malone and back-to-back reigning MVP Nikola Jokic love this dude, and plenty of ways he can help your fantasy squad.
Jalen Williams, G/F, Thunder (55%). Come on, how is this guy available in 45 percent of leagues? He’s a smooth three-level scorer, a good rebounder and creator, and an above-average defender who regularly fills it up in 9-cat leagues. Don’t let this dude or his sweet afro stay on the waiver wire with the bums.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G/F, Nuggets and Kyle Anderson, F, Timberwolves (both 53%) — KCP is a steals maestro who occasionally drains a bunch of treys and throws in some assists, while SloMo Anderson has taken on a larger role across the board since the Wolves lost Karl-Anthony Towns. Both should be on most 12-team rosters.
Best Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Sleepers this Weekend: Five top pickups under 50 percent rostered
The following five players are available in over 50 percent of Yahoo leagues and make for solid additions and streamers in standard 9-cat formats.
Caris LeVert, G/F, Cavaliers (50 percent rostered). LeVert has always performed well as a starter, even dating back to his Nets’ days, so the opportunity to start for Donovan Mitchell while the All-Star nurses a groin injury should produce immediate dividends for LeVert’s fantasy investors. He’s an elite one-on-one scorer with a smooth stroke and the ability to finish in traffic. He’s an elite three-point shooter and he’s averaging 16.3/4.8/4.5 as a starter, so gobble him up ahead of Cleveland’s two-game weekend.
Tim Hardaway Jr., G/F, Mavericks (49%). Hardaway won’t help you (or the Mavs) much on defense, but he certainly contributes as a scorer, three-point shooter, and here-and-there passer. With Christian Wood out for at least another week with a broken thumb — and backup three-and-D man Maxi Kleber out for the season — Hardaway’s offense will be needed by Jason Kidd and welcomed with open arms by his fantasy owners.
Kevon Looney, C, Warriors (47%). I’m here to say that Looney, whether starting or coming off the bench, is a must-roster 9-cat talent. He ranks sixth in the NBA in rebounds per 36 minutes (13.4), he shots 63.5 percent from the floor, and his 5.5 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks second in the NBA — among all players! Stop sleeping on this man! The Bay Area understands his worth, and it’s time for fantasy hoops managers to value him as well.
Tyus Jones, G, Grizzlies (41%). Jones serves as another assist-to-turnover god, but he can fill it up with other peripheral stats, too. His shooting ability, excellent steals numbers, and superb rebounding for his size all come in handy even when Ja Morant is active. But on nights in which Morant rests — or if the MVP candidate ever gets injured, God forbid — Jones could be a borderline league-winner. The Grizz have two games remaining this week, so fire him up.
Jeremy Sochan, F, Spurs (31%). The Spurs rookie has been on a hot streak over the past couple weeks, but he remains under the radar because he plays for San Antonio. The hair-dyed swingman has averaged 16 points, 6.3 boards, and three assists over the past week while shooting 48.6 percent from the floor and 81.8 percent from the line. The last part is the most tantalizing — he started the season shooting in the 50s from the stripe! Grab this guy now, because if Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson get dealt at the deadline, Sochan could have Dennis Rodman-like impact and hair!
Other waiver-wire sleepers under 50 percent rostered: Royce O’Neal, G/F, Nets (45%); Immanuel Quickley, G, Knicks (44%); Rui Hachimura, F, Lakers (42%); Daniel Gafford, C, Wizards (39%); Patrick Williams, F, Bulls (38%); Dennis Schroder, G, Lakers (37%); Precious Achiuwa, F/C, Raptors (36%); Kenyon Martin Jr., Rockets (29%); Chris Boucher, F/C, Raptors (28%); Deni Avdija, F, Wizards (28%); Delon Wright, G, Wizards (28%)
Best Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Streamers this Weekend: Sleepers for each remaining day of this week
Best streamer under 50 percent owned for every day of the weekend.
Friday/Saturday streamers (Jan. 27 & 28)
Across the board streamers: Cole Anthony, G, Magic (47%); Precious Achiuwa, F/C, Raptors (36%); Chris Boucher, F/C, Raptors (28%)
Friday/Sunday streamers (Jan. 27 & 29)
Scoring streamers: Caris LeVert, G/F, Cavs at Thunder (50 percent rostered); Max Strus, G/F, Heat (27%)
Assists streamers: Tyus Jones, G, Grizzlies (41%); Donte DiVincenzo, G, Warriors (22%)
Rebound/FG streamers: Kevon Looney, C, Warriors (47%)
Three-point streamers: Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton, G/F, Bucks (both 20%)
Saturday streamers (Jan. 28)
Scoring streamers: Tim Hardaway Jr., G/F, Mavericks (49%); Immanuel Quickley, G, Knicks (44%)
Steals/assists streamers: Alex Caruso, G, Bulls (48%); Dennis Schroder, G, Lakers (37%)
Rebound streamers: Daniel Gafford, C, Wizards (39%); Thomas Bryant, C, Lakers (48%)
Three-point streamers: Hardaway Jr. (49%); Dorian Finney-Smith, F, Mavericks (27%); Josh Richardson, G/F, Spurs (25%); Grant Williams, F, Celtics (22%)
