Fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups & advice: Week 17

It’s Friday. You know what that means.

It’s time for another look at the waiver wire to find players that you can add for short-term and long-term success.

We’ll look at players that 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.

Without further delay, let’s get to it, starting with the schedule of games being played for next week.

Four games:

BOS, BKN, CHI, CLE, DAL, DET, SAC, SAS, UTA

Three games:

ATL, CHA, DEN, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHX, POR, TOR, WAS

Two games:

NOP

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Rostered in 50-60% of leagues:

Immanuel Quickley (PG/SG – NYK)

A lot of these recommendations are going to be because we are just two weeks away from the NBA trade deadline. One of the names I can see getting moved is Quickley. On a new team with a fresh chance at a bigger role, Quickley could be a big second-half fantasy winner.

Cole Anthony (PG – ORL)

There’s still a lot that’s left to be desired from the Orlando backcourt, but Anthony has posted top-90 production over the last two weeks off the bench. It’s come mainly in the form of scoring, but he’s also been helping with 3s and assists during that stretch.

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Rostered in 30-49% of leagues:

Deni Avdija (SF/PF – WAS)

I’m not sure why Avdija is below 60% let alone the 50% mark, but here we are. Since Jan. 21, Avdija has been a top-36 player in fantasy and is seeing an increased role in the Washington offense. It’s easy to forget just how young he is, and since the Rui Hachimura deal, he’s been on fire. He’s nearly averaging a double-double over his last four games, and he’s not just a must-roster, but he’s a must-start player.

Tari Eason (SF/PF – HOU)

Look, deadline winners are always a gamble, and sometimes, a player just isn’t playing a lot because the other guys are better. But I don’t buy that with Eason. If he’s available on your wire, run – don’t walk – and pick him up. He’s been a top-65 player over the last two weeks, and he’s now posted three straight double-doubles. His latest – a 20-point, 13-board effort – came in just 19 minutes.

Rostered in 15-29% of leagues:

Zach Collins (PF/C – SAS)

I’m pretty positive that Jakob Poeltl will likely be dealt at the deadline. Collins is going to be the guy to grab for the Spurs, as the big man will fill the gap left by Poeltl. The big man can give you solid FG%, points, rebounds, and blocks at a cheap cost.

Ayo Dosunmu (PG/SG – CHI)

With more bad news surrounding the status of Lonzo Ball‘s knee, the Bulls are afforded more run time with Dosunmu’s development. The second-year guard has been playing in the mid-to-late 20s in minutes already, and I expect that to tick up even more. Now, if he can do anything with those minutes remains to be seen from a fantasy perspective, but the opportunity is and will continue to be there for him.

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Rostered in 0-14% of leagues:

Naz Reid (C – MIN)

With Rudy Gobert hurt again, it means it’s time to add and start Reid in your lineups. The big man had a monster 24-point, 13-board, 2-STOCK effort in an overtime win over the Warriors on Wednesday night. You can only start him if Gobert misses time, so he still remains a deep-league stash for now.

Drew Eubanks (PF/C – POR)

Jusuf Nurkic departed in the first quarter of Portland’s win over Memphis on Wednesday night, and he was in a walking boot after. The injury is a calf injury. While Nurkic is out, Eubanks becomes a must-grab player. The big man will play a lot of minutes and can give you defensive help as well as be a double-double threat on a nightly basis. I think he’s better than Nurkic, and now he’ll have a chance to show it.

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Michael Waterloo is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @MichaelWaterloo.