Injuries to key players continue to pile up, and the latest news around the Association has been brutal for fantasy hoops managers. Fortunately, we’re back for another edition of Waiver Wired, chock full of replacements and potential “silly season” heroes!
The format for this article will feature players who are “tired” and those who are “wired.” Tired players are those worth adding off the wire but with tempered expectations or highly rostered players who can be dropped in favor of a hot pickup. Wired players are those who are the best additions with the highest rest-of-season ceilings.
Thanks for reading! It’s going to be an exciting season bringing this column to you each and every week. LET’S GO!
Pickups in Order of Priority
- Kyle Anderson
- Duop Reath
- Kelly Olynyk
- Tre Mann
- Naz Reid
- Duncan Robinson
- Keyonte George
- Brandin Podziemski
- Isaac Okoro
- Caris LeVert
- Vasilije Micic
- Caleb Martin
Tired: Karl-Anthony Towns 95% 😪
Wired: Kyle Anderson 35%, Naz Reid 66% ⚡
Towns was diagnosed with a meniscus injury in his left knee Thursday… according to Woj. According to Shams, it’s a tear, but no matter which social media news breaker you fancy, the news is clear - Towns is out indefinitely. A major meniscus injury means that even if he’s back for the NBA playoffs, he’s done for the fantasy playoffs. Towns is an easy drop with this news.
In 45 games played without Towns last season, Slow Mo averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.9 blocks and 0.7 triples across 30.5 minutes. He’s not going to wow you in any category, but his across-the-board production and ability to rack up defensive stats make him a must-add. Reid’s stats weren’t quite as useful with Towns on the bench last season, but the big man has had standalone value in deeper leagues this season and should be expected to provide strong scoring with some quality defensive stats mixed in. Reid’s high roster percentage makes him a player we don’t typically include in this article, but he’s worth mentioning based on KAT’s season-ending injury. Anderson is still widely available.
Tired: Deandre Ayton 94% 😪
Wired: Duop Reath 31% ⚡
Ayton has missed four straight due to a wrist injury, and there’s still no timeline for a potential return. We’re coming down the home stretch of the season, and it would be in Portland’s best interest to lose as many games as possible over the final month of the season. Don’t count on a return for Ayton.
Reath has started each of the Blazers’ last four games and averaged 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.5 blocks and 2.0 triples across 29.3 minutes. He should remain in the starting lineup until Ayton returns, but as mentioned above, the chances of that happening are unlikely.
Tired: Jakob Poeltl 71% 😪
Wired: Kelly Olynyk 66% ⚡
Poeltl underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left pinky finger, and it was announced Tuesday that he’ll be out indefinitely. Indefinitely in early March means he’s done for the fantasy season, so we can go ahead and drop him in favor of our recommended pickup.
Olynyk immediately jumped into the starting lineup in place of Poeltl on Tuesday, and he finished with a monster 15/6/7/2/2 line across 28 minutes. He was great again Thursday, piling up an 8/4/2/2 line. Over his last seven appearances (two starts), Big Kelly O has averaged 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.7 blocks and 0.7 triples. He’s a phenomenal pickup who should see big minutes down the stretch for the shorthanded Raptors. Like Naz Reid, Olynyk’s roster percentage is too high to typically receive a mention here, but he gets a shout given the nature of Poeltl’s injury.
Tired: Kevin Huerter 48% 😪
Wired: Duncan Robinson 50% ⚡
Huerter continues to start for Sacramento, but his play has been dreadful over the last two weeks. Over his last five games, Huerter has averaged 5.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.8 triples across 20.4 minutes. He’s been a fringe guy all season, but the production has been trending down as of late, and it’s culminated in some awful stat lines. Huerter is an easy drop at this point.
D-Rob is still available in half of Yahoo leagues, and it’s time to grab him before it’s too late. Robinson has started eight of his last 10 and averaged 15.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.6 triples while shooting 50% from the floor and 91.7% from the charity stripe. He’s a must-roster player until Tyler Herro returns.
Tired: Ben Simmons 36% 😪
Wired: Jake LaRavia 8%, Santi Aldama 27% ⚡
To no one’s surprise, the basketball world found out Thursday that Simmons will miss the rest of the season while getting additional opinions on his back impingement. He’s now rostered in fewer than 50% of fantasy leagues, and if you hadn’t dropped him by now, consider this your sign to do so.
LaRavia has posted back-to-back double-doubles and averaged 16.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 triples in those two outings. Aldama has been stuffing the stat sheet, averaging 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 blocks and 3.3 triples across his last three appearances. Both players should see plenty of minutes down the stretch for the flailing Grizzlies, making them appealing “silly season” options.
Tired: LaMelo Ball 98%, Mark Williams 56% 😪
Wired: Tre Mann 33%, Visilije Micic 17% ⚡
Ball hasn’t played since January 26 due to his ankle injury, and he’s still without a timeline for return. He’s rostered in 98% of leagues, and fantasy managers are understandably reluctant to drop him due to his monstrous upside. We’ve got a month left in the regular season, and it’s time to rip the bandaid and acknowledge that Ball is not coming back to finish the 2023-24 campaign. As is the case with most bottom-of-the-barrel teams, the Hornets would do well to win as few games as possible to end the season. Fantasy managers should have dropped Williams long ago, and both he and Ball belong on the waiver wire.
Mann has been a top-100 player since joining the Hornets, averaging 11.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.5 triples across 30.5 minutes. Mann has started every game since landing with Charlotte, and there’s no reason to think that will change anytime soon. Micic, the 30-year-old rookie, went off for a career-best 21 points in his last game out, and he’s averaged 15.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.0 steals across his last three outings. Micic has dished at least six assists in five of his last games overall.
Tired: Malcolm Brogdon 64% 😪
Wired: Dalano Banton 5%, Matisse Thybulle 15% ⚡
Brogdon has been out since February 2 due to a lingering elbow injury, and the Blazers surely have no interest in rushing him back. Fewer than 20 games remain on the season, so we should expect Brogdon to sit them all out. He’s a drop.
Over his last four, Banton has averaged 15.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 combined blocks/steals and 1.5 triples. Banton has started each of the Blazkers’ last two outings, and he could provide value as a “silly season” option to close out the 2023-24 campaign. Portland’s backcourt is ridiculously thin due to injuries, and Banton is one of the last men standing. Thybulle is another of Portland’s available backcourt options, and he posted a 16/6/3/3 line with three triples in his last outing. Neither of these players offers high ceilings, but they could see meaningful minutes at a time when so many players are on the sidelines due to injuries.
Tired: Taylor Hendricks 9% 😪
Wired: Brice Sensabaugh 1% ⚡
Hendricks is out at least a week due to a left big toe sprain, and fantasy managers can cut him loose. He was a nice speculative option when he was starting, but Hendricks wasn’t doing enough to make him a hold while he’s dealing with this injury. It’s time to pivot to immediate production, and we can get that with Sensabaugh.
Sensabaugh posted a 15/12 double-double in his first start in 30 minutes against the Bulls on Wednesday. He’s certainly not a must-roster option, but he’s worth a speculative pickup while Hendricks is out.
Tired: Khris Middleton 82% 😪
Wired: Caleb Martin 27% ⚡
Middleton has missed 12 in a row, and he’s appeared in just 43 games this season. Milwaukee could take a cautious approach and hold him out (or greatly limit his playing time) in preparation for the playoffs like they did a season ago. It’s time to move on.
Martin has been right around the top 100 in per-game fantasy value over the last month, and he’s offered third-round value over the last week. Across his last three, he’s averaged 15.3 points, 4.7 boards, 2.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 3.3 triples while shooting 52/52/89 splits. He’s benefited tremendously from Tyler Herro’s absence, but fantasy managers should continue to rock with him until Herro is back.
Tired: Trae Young 93% 😪
Wired: Isaac Okoro 27%, Caris LeVert 46% ⚡
As of February 25, he was given four weeks to be re-evaluated from finger surgery, which puts his earliest return at the end of the fantasy playoffs. It was fun while it lasted, but it’s time to move on.
Okoro has started four straight and averaged 15.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.3 blocks and 2.5 triples across 31.3 minutes. Over his last five, LeVert has averaged 13.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.8 three-pointers across 32.2 minutes. Injuries to Max Strus, Donovan Mitchell and now Evan Mobley have opened up opportunities for Okoro and LeVert, and both need to be rostered until the Cavs get healthier.
Tired: Scottie Barnes 92% 😪
Wired: Brandin Podziemski 34% ⚡
Barnes underwent hand surgery on Monday, and his season is likely over. He enjoyed a breakout campaign and handsomely rewarded fantasy managers who got him at a major discount on draft day. Them’s the breaks in fantasy hoops, unfortunately, and Barnes can be dropped.
After a great run as a fantasy-relevant option, Podz was unfortunately a drop before Thursday’s loss to Chicago. Steph Curry rolled his ankle late in the game and was not able to return. That means Podz could be in line for expanded minutes if Curry is forced to miss time moving forward. In the three games that Curry missed this season, the rookie averaged 19.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.0 triples. Golden State was dealing with other absences in those games, but the production is nonetheless impressive and warrants our attention after Curry’s injury.
Tired: Josh Giddey 84% 😪
Wired: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 56% ⚡
The third-year man has taken a big step back this season, and he’s ranked outside the top 150 on the season. Things haven’t improved as the season has progressed, as his ranking remains the same over the last month. His FG% has regressed, his scoring is sporadic, and the big assists and rebounds have shrunken considerably. There are better options out there.
He’s a top-100 player on the season, but over the last two weeks, KCP has provided third-round value behind 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals, 2.5 triples and 54.2/91.7 shooting splits in six appearances. He’s not going to dazzle with scoring, but he does enough across the board (especially on defense) to be worthy of a pickup.
Tired: Jordan Clarkson 76% 😪
Wired: Keyonte George 53% ⚡
Outside the top 200 on the season and outside the top 125 over the last month. He posted a monster 38/10/7 line against the Wizards on Monday, and he followed that up with a 15/0/5/1 line on Wednesday while shooting 5-of-17 from the floor. Clarkson can pop off for some huge games
George logged only six minutes on Monday, and he sat Wednesday due to an illness. Those two games may have caused fantasy managers to forget about what he did in three games before coming down with the sickness. In those games, the rookie averaged a healthy 21.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 4.0 triples across 35.7 minutes. Take advantage of George’s recent absences and scoop him up for the stretch run.
Others: Jalen Suggs, Royce O’Neale, De’Andre Hunter, Kelly Oubre, Gary Trent Jr., Paul Reed, Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura