The waiver wire is where leagues are won and lost. The draft is long past and now your rosters feel completely different if you are even moderately active. Players come and go due to poor performances and/or injury all the time. Staying on top of your needs is essential to winning matchups and grinding your way to a championship.
As a reminder for most leagues, it is crucial to plan ahead. Waiver wire adds, scheduling, and player injuries are all things to consider. Make an effort to improve your team by maximizing your weekly adds and utilizing streamer spots via the waiver wire. Be wary of weekly streaming options and stay ahead of your opponents.
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 19.
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Week 19 Standard Leagues - Waiver Wire Pickups
*Securing your categorical needs at this point is important, especially if you're playing in head-to-head leagues*
Columns are written based on H2H 9-category standard size leagues:
Dewayne Dedmon - PF - Atlanta Hawks (45% owned)
With Alex Len out of town and Clint Capela sidelined for a few more weeks due to plantar fascitis, Dedmon stands alone as the only true play-able center in Atlanta. He was a hot pick up last week with the news of Capela's absence but struggled in a few starts and saw his minutes dwindle. Foul trouble caused part of that and while he will struggle against more talented centers, he is going to continue getting solid minutes consistently. Dedmon's primary value comes from rebounds and blocks. The field goal percentage is oddly low given that he is a big, however, he does not shoot much and also provides a plus free throw percentage. He can provide the occasional three and double-digit scoring game as well. Grab him in all 12-plus team leagues and even some shallower if you need blocks.
Daniel Theis - C - Boston Celtics (46% owned)
Daniel Theis is the only good true center in Boston. Enes Kanter is a fugazi who provides negative defensive value and cannot stretch the floor, completely altering the way Boston wants to play. Theis can shoot the three and defend and a nearly-elite level for a big so his minutes should be plentiful as the season winds down. His role has seemingly expanded of late as his fantasy production has increased. He's averaging nearly a double-double over his past five games while providing the occasional blocks and three. His field goal percentage is a big plus at 56 percent on the season and his free throws are not a killer at 74 percent on low volume. He's a great glue guy for any team in 12-man or deeper leagues.
Naz Reid - C - Minnesota Timberwolves (33% owned)
With Karl-Anthony Town sidelined for at least the next two weeks with a wrist injury, Reid steps in as the starting center in Minnesota. There is no guarantee that he will remain there throughout the length of Towns' absence but for now, he is a solid pick-up. Reid has scored double-digit points in five of the Wolves' past six games while providing threes, blocks, steals, and rebounds. His percentages are unspectacular but the volume of counting stats provided is hard to find elsewhere on waiver wires. He is an immediate drop if his PT diminishes or when/if KAT returns this season.
Seth Curry - SG - Dallas Mavericks (25% owned)
Seth Curry is on fire. After Dwight Powell's season-ending injury, Curry stepped into the starting lineup as the Mavericks decided to stylistically shift gears to smaller ball from the jump with Kristaps Porzingis at the center spot (where he belongs). Curry, over the past month, is averaging 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, three threes and nearly a steal per game on immaculate shooting percentages while hardly turning the ball over. He is a must-own in almost all leagues unless he crashes down or gets hurt.
More Fantasy Basketball Analysis
By popular demand, RotoBaller has aggregated all of our fantasy basketball NBA waiver wire pickups into a running list of NBA waiver options, so bookmark the page and check back often for updates.