Welcome back to RotoBaller's weekly fantasy basketball waiver wire column and schedule breakdown. How's this season going for you? Need some help with your team? Let's get you some!
These recommendations are mainly for 9-cat leagues, but if you play in another format, there's a good chance that the information here can still help you. We'll be looking at centers, forwards, and guards whose low rostership and upside make them ideal players to get onto your fantasy team.
Our staff at RotoBaller has great insight and daily columns on how to improve your squad and tips to make your team successful, so be sure to check them out! Now, let's get prepared for Week 6.
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NBA Week 6 Schedule Guide
Let's take a look at some notable things on the schedule this week.
Teams with four games: Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, Cleveland, Detroit, Golden State, Indiana, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Portland, Utah
Teams with three games: Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, Washington
Teams with two games: Charlotte, Houston, Toronto
Number of teams playing each day:
Monday: 16
Tuesday: 8
Wednesday: 24
Thursday: 0
Friday: 28
Saturday: 8
Sunday: 18
Back-to-Backs:
Sunday/Monday: Cleveland, Golden State, Miami, New York
Monday/Tuesday: 0
Tuesday/Wednesday: Brooklyn, Denver, Detroit, Philadelphia, Sacramento
Wednesday/Thursday: 0
Thursday/Friday: 0
Friday/Saturday: Houston, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, San Antonio, Utah
Saturday/Sunday: Dallas
9-Category Leagues - Waiver Wire Adds
This column is written based on H2H 9-category 12-team leagues. All players in this article are rostered at around 50 percent or less.
Tyus Jones, G - Memphis Grizzlies - 50% rostered
If Tyus Jones is still out there on the waiver wire, add him now. Ja Morant has gone down with an ankle injury and is being described as "week-to-week" right now, while Desmond Bane is still a couple of weeks away from returning from a toe sprain.
That gives Jones some pretty firm control of this backcourt. The last time that Grizzlies were without both Morant and Jones was on the 13th against Washington. In that one, Tyus Jones played 36 minutes, scoring 17 points with three rebounds, five assists and three steals. He'll get some really good volume until the rest of the Memphis backcourt returns.
Shake Milton, G - Philadelphia 76ers - 30% rostered
While we're on the subject of guys who are trending up because of injury, Tyrese Maxey will miss about a month with a foot fracture, opening up more chances for Shake Milton, especially with James Harden still out with a foot injury. Assuming De'Anthony Melton (67% rostered) isn't on your wire, take a look at Shake Milton.
In the first game without Maxey, Milton played 38 minutes and scored 27 points, plus added six rebounds and two assists. He made three three-pointers. Milton's not a super consistent player, but as long as the Sixers are forced to play him 30-plus minutes, his usage should be high enough to make him worth a spot in your fantasy lineup.
Killian Hayes, G - Detroit Pistons - 41% rostered
This is just the "add guys because other guys are hurt" week, isn't it? Cade Cunningham had a shin issue and has already missed five games in a row, with the potential to be out awhile longer still. Hayes has played well with Cunningham out, though he's been pretty inconsistent. For example, he has 18 points and nine assists against the Lakers, one day after he had just five points and one assist. One thing has been consistent, though, and it could be a difference maker in determining who you pick up: he's definitely going to get you steals and blocks every night.
Torrey Craig, F - Phoenix Suns - 22% rostered
Yep, the Suns are also dealing with injuries. That helps account for Craig's recent play—he isn't necessarily playing too much more than he was before, but Phoenix has had to rely on him more offensively, and he's responded with 10 or more points in three consecutive games, plus six or more rebounds in each of those games. He also adds a couple assists per night, plus he has at least one steal in seven straight games and at least one three-pointer made in nine straight.
Caleb Martin, F - Miami Heat - 20% rostered
Martin played 47 minutes in an overtime loss on Friday. Miami is dealing with a ton of injuries right now, which is why Martin has been an uptick in minutes and usage. He's scored in double figures in three consecutive games and has been filling up the score sheet. He's made multiple threes in four of the last five games. He's recorded four steals and five blocks in the last three games. He can get you a few assists and rebounds. Martin's not someone who can single-handedly win you a matchup this week, but he can raise your floor as long as the Heat remain short handed.
John Konchar, G/F - Memphis Grizzlies - 18% rostered
While Tyus Jones gets the most out of the Memphis injuries, Konchar should get a nice boost as well. Last game—with Morant but without Bane—Konchar made five three-pointers, finishing the game with 19 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and one block. For the next week or two, Konchar should prove to be a reliable source of three-pointers, plus he's a good rebounder who has guard eligibility, something that could help you win at the margins in a close matchup where you need some rebounds.
Jericho Sims, C - New York Knicks - 10% rostered
This really isn't a great week to need a center on your fantasy team, as there's really just not a lot of guys with upside on the wire with center eligibility. But one that I do have my eyes on is Jericho Sims from the Knicks, who has double-doubles in two of the last three games. He's played at least 25 minutes in three of the last four, and he had three blocks in his most recent game against the Warriors. Once Mitchell Robinson is back, Sims will lose most of his value, but he's got upside in the short term, especially if you need rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage help.
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