It's probably playoff time in your fantasy leagues, so let's just get right into things.
You need wins. The waiver wire still exists. Let's make some moves.
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 16. All players in this article are rostered at around 50 percent or less.
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9-Category Leagues Waiver Wire
Columns are written based on H2H 9-category standard size leagues:
Bobby Portis, PF/C - Milwaukee Bucks
51% rostered - Over the last four games, Portis is averaging 15.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. There's a lot of bigs who can help you on the waiver wire right now, but none are more reliable than Portis, whose role in Milwaukee is pretty secure. He can give you a double-double with some nice efficiency, as he's shooting 49.1 percent in the aforementioned four games. Add in that he's a viable three-point threat and you get someone who should be on your roster.
Tomas Satoransky, PG/SG - Chicago Bulls
36% rostered - Satoransky was held scoreless in his last game, but he's still playing 30-plus minutes per game and taking a decent number of shots. The big thing you get with Satoransky is assists, with him averaging 7.8 of them over the last four games. He's also averaging 1.5 steals over that frame. Again, not the most consistent scorer, but he brings enough other things to the table.
Malachi Flynn, PG - Toronto Raptors
34% rostered - In his last game, Flynn set new career-highs in points (20) and assists (11). He's played 30-plus minutes in five consecutive games. The rookie is playing some great basketball, but the impending return of Kyle Lowry from a foot injury will cut into his value. He's not the highest priority add out there, but he should remain a key piece of this Raptors rotation.
Jalen McDaniels, PF/C - Charlotte Hornets
31% rostered - On the season, McDaniels is playing just 12.3 minutes per game. But he's started the past two games for the Hornets, averaging 31.5 minutes with averages of 20 points, six rebounds, four assists, one block, and 1.5 steals. He's making 2.5 threes per game over that span. The second-year forward is going to keep getting a lot of work with Gordon Hayward sidelined and might be my favorite waiver wire add this week.
Isaiah Stewart, PF/C - Detroit Pistons
26% rostered - Stewart only playing 21 minutes last game tempers my enthusiasm for him a little, but he's shown an ability to post a nice stat line when he gets the minutes. Detroit is bad, so we should probably expect some more minutes for Stewart going forward over Mason Plumlee, since there's a better chance Stewart is part of the team's future.
Dorian Finney-Smith, SF/PF - Dallas Mavericks
20% rostered - DFS has the most secure role of anyone in this article, as we're virtually guaranteed to see him on the floor for 35ish minutes per night. Now, the production he gets in those minutes is a little less secure, but Finney-Smith has six blocks in the last four games, is grabbing a good amount of rebounds, and usually makes multiple threes per gmae. The points and the efficiency are both going to fluctuate each night, but overall you'll get some solid stuff from the fifth-year forward.
James Johnson, PF/C - New Orleans Pelicans
17% rostered - Here's what I said last week about James Johnson:
Over the last three games, Johnson has averaged 17 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.3 blocks, and 2.3 threes per contest. And yes, this is the same James Johnson that you're thinking about when you hear the name James Johnson. Given minutes and opportunities, he's playing some incredibly productive basketball. It probably won't last, but grab him while you can.
Well, uhh, it didn't necessarily last, as he's now scored in single digits in the last three games. But he's still seeing a decent bit of work, and as long as Johnson is getting heavy minutes, he's capable of putting up some strong numbers. The efficiency has fallen off the last two games, but there are worse adds than Johnson.
Mo Bamba, C - Orlando Magic
17% rostered - The third-year center is finally turning into more than just the namesake of that one song. Over the last three games, Bamba is shooting 55.6 percent from the floor and making 2.3 threes per game to go along with 14.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks. There are better rebounding bigs out there on the wire, but if you need threes from the center position, he's a great option.
Isaiah Hartenstein, PF - Cleveland Cavaliers
10% rostered - With Jarrett Allen out with a concussion, Hartenstein has been getting minutes for the Cavs. How long this lasts is in question, but in six games with Cleveland, Hartenstein is averaging 10.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. Don't gut your roster to make room for Hartenstein because his role could dissipate at any moment, but if you need a cheap source of rebounds and blocks, he's available.
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