Do you know what the term “Silly Season” means? That’s when the NBA goes into a mode of chaos, with many of the crappy teams tanking and many of the top teams resting players to get ready for the postseason. It always causes carnage for fantasy circles and we’re starting to hit it right now. It’s a great time to capitalize on the waiver wire, though, since there are more opportunities than ever. With that in mind, let’s dive into this critical Week 21 because there are only a few weeks left in the regular season!
Weekly, I look at the waiver wire for the players you should target for short- and long-term success.
We’ll look at players you should consider picking up who are rostered in four different rostership tiers:
- 50-60%
- 30-49%
- 15-29%
- 0-14%
What’s more, we’ll give you a breakdown of how many games each team has for the upcoming week so that you can maximize the minutes of your streamers.
Let’s get to it without further delay, starting with the game schedule for next week.
Check out the latest fantasy basketball expert consensus rankings
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 21
Five games:
NONE
Four games:
BOS, CLE, DET, GSW, IND, MIA, MIN, NOP, PHI, POR, SAC, UTA
Three games:
ATL, BKN, CHI, DEN, HOU, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIL, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHX, SAS, TOR, WAS
Two games:
CHA, DAL
Some might be disappointed with Scoot Henderson’s ugly showing on Wednesday and drop him. That would be a mistake, though. The Blazers are about to unlock this rookie because they’re getting close to resting everybody. Malcolm Brogdon has already missed most of the year, while Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton have been in and out of the lineup. That should allow Henderson to run the show over the closing weeks, which he’s capable of. In the 13 games Henderson has played at least 33 minutes, he’s averaging 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.8 threes per game. That’s essentially a Fred VanVleet-type player. Henderson should get plenty of chances in this four-game week.
De’Andre Hunter (SF, PF – ATL)
Injuries have hounded this Hawks team. Over the last month, they’ve lost Trae Young, Saddiq Bey, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu. That’s four 30-minute players. It should force De’Andre Hunter into the starting lineup. This youngster has been playing well in a bench role anyway, averaging 17.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.3 threes across his last 11 outings. Those are great totals in a 28-minute bench role. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Hunter creep closer to 35 minutes with so many key players missing from this rotation.
Rostered in 30-49% of Leagues
This trade looked strange at the deadline but Detroit saw something in the aging Italian. Most importantly, this team cleared their roster at the deadline, forcing Simone Fontecchio into a 35-minute role as the starting small forward. Over his last nine outings, Fontecchio has averaged 15.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.8 threes per game. He’s also done that damage on some elite shooting percentages. It looks even better since he’s gone off in three of his last four fixtures. Getting a four-game week only adds to his intrigue because he could easily provide 10-15 threes with ample opportunities.
We weren’t sure what Houston would do when Alperen Sengun went down. Inserting Amen Thompson into the starting lineup made me say, “Amen!”. The youngster has looked incredible when given the opportunity all season, averaging 14.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 steals in the 12 games he’s played at least 24 minutes. Getting 24 minutes should be his minimum from here on out as a starter. That sort of production is a top-50 player, given how this rookie is stuffing the stat sheet. There’s also a chance VanVleet will be shut down with Houston’s playoff chances slipping away. Thompson would be a league-winner if that ends up happening.
Rostered in 15-29% of Leagues
Matisse Thybulle is one of the worst offensive players in the NBA but might be the best defender of this generation. That makes him an attractive fantasy streamer, averaging at least 1.2 steals each season. He’s done that in severely limited roles. However, Thybulle is looking at the most prominent opportunity he’s ever had. The Trail Blazers are in tank mode and have played Thybulle 26 minutes a night across his last 15 fixtures. Thybulle is averaging 2.6 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in that expanded role. That’s intriguing since he gets four games this week, which could account for 10-12 steals and a handful of blocks. Those are the type of statistics that could swing your head-to-head matchup because steals and blocks are the most rare statistics out there.
I’ve always been a fan of this Aussie and he could be the primary center with Sengun sidelined. We were surprised he didn’t start the first game without Sengun. However, he still provided 11 points, four rebounds and five assists across 26 minutes in a reserve role. Jock Landale has showcased a similar profile, averaging about 13 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.7 blocks on great shooting in the 16 games he’s played at least 22 minutes throughout his career. There are no other centers on this roster, so don’t be surprised to see this guy play 25 minutes a night from here on out.
Rostered in 0-14% of Leagues
It’s hard to believe we’re at this point of the season but it’s time to get Gradey Dick in your life. This rookie was deep down the bench early in the year, but with Toronto’s season falling apart, he’s being asked to do much more. Trading away Pascal Siakam started the Dick train but losing Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl and Chris Boucher opened up the train tracks. They’ve also been dealing with injuries to Gary Trent Jr. Bruce Brown and RJ Barrett. It’s getting close to tanking time for Toronto. All of these question marks have led to Dick playing 36 and 39 minutes in his two most recent outings. That’s hard to overlook on the waiver wire, especially since Dick had 17 points, four rebounds, seven assists and two steals in his most recent outing.
Bilal Coulibaly (SG, SF – WAS)
I love this kid’s fantasy profile and it’s been fun watching him take on an expanded role in Washington. This team’s season has been falling apart for months now and a Marvin Bagley injury has forced Bilal Coulibaly into the starting lineup. In the nine games Coulibaly has played at least 33 minutes, he’s averaging 13.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.3 steals and 1.8 threes. That sort of stat-stuffing is sensational. Looking at a 33-minute threshold is no outlier because he’s playing over 31 minutes a night across his last five fixtures. Finding a five-category player this deep on the waiver wire is a treasure chest of a find and this kid is only scratching the surface of what he could become.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.