Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 9

Welcome back to the waiver wire! Need to bolster your flailing team? We've got you covered.

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 9.

9-Category Leagues - Waiver Wire Adds

This column is written based on H2H 9-category standard size leagues. All players in this article are rostered at around 50 percent or less.

Cody Martin, SG/SF - Charlotte Hornets

51% rostered 

Martin has scored in double figures in four consecutive games. He had at least five rebounds in each of those contests. He had five steals over the last two games. He blocked three shots against the Kings.

He's also played 40-plus minutes in three consecutive appearances.

Lot of minutes and stats for Martin, who is succeeding because the Hornets have a lot of guards in COVID protocols. Expect at least another few games of Martin getting this level of playing time.

Larry Nance Jr., PF/C - Portland Trail Blazers

41% rostered 

With Robert Covington struggling, the Trail Blazers moved Nance into the starting lineup. In his first start against Minnesota, Nance played 26 minutes, with eight points, 12 rebounds and three assists.

As long as Nance remains in the starting five, he'll be on the court enough to be a viable fantasy play who should help you on the boards and provides some solid assist numbers for a big.

Anfernee Simons, PG/SG - Portland Trail Blazers

38% rostered 

Simons returned from an ankle injury and immediately was like "HEY REMEMBER ME," scoring 26 points with six three-pointers, plus he added three assists and a rebound.

Portland is currently without C.J. McCollum and likely will be for awhile, so Simons should have plenty of chances to pile up points as the off-guard with Damian Lillard taking the attention of the defense.

Jae Crowder, SF/PF - Phoenix Suns

38% rostered 

Crowder has had some good scoring numbers lately, hitting double figures in four of the last five games and putting up 16 points and nine rebounds against the Celtics in 31 minutes.

Without Devin Booker, Phoenix is finding scoring in different ways. Of those ways, Crowder has been one of the key ones. He's likely the most reliable of the various Suns waiver wire options.

Luke Kennard, SG/SF - Los Angeles Clippers

32% rostered 

Kennard's last six games: 17.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.2 threes per game on 52.2 percent shooting.

Ride the hot hand, y'all! Kennard is on fire and while his history suggests that he'll slow down at some point, you should proceed with the belief that we haven't reached that point yet.

JaVale McGee, C - Phoenix Suns

32% rostered 

Deandre Ayton missed last game with an illness, and McGee got the start, with 21 points and 15 boards. If McGee stays in the starting five, you need to stream him, because he's definitely someone who can put up a double-double when he actually gets the minutes.

Darius Bazley, SF/PF - Oklahoma City Thunder

27% rostered 

Bazley has scored in double figures in two of the last three games. His minutes are up and he's getting involved on the boards and is blocking shots.

He still has some bad shooting nights, but if you're punting on field goal percentage then Bazley becomes a really intriguing play.

Cameron Johnson, SF/PF - Phoenix Suns

26% rostered 

Double-digit points in five consecutive games for Johnson, who is a solid pick-up right now if your fantasy lineup is in need of points, threes, and steals.

Johnson doesn't necessarily give you a lot else, limiting his value a bit, but in deeper leagues, he's got a good bit of value.

Armoni Brooks, PG - Houston Rockets

17% rostered 

Brooks has been scoring well lately, with three double-digit scoring games in a row. Against the Grizzlies, he put up 18 points, six rebounds, and six assists.

Brooks is getting some good volume lately, making him an intriguing deep-league pick-up, albeit with the caveat that we don't know how long this will last.

Saben Lee, PG - Detroit Pistons

5% rostered 

Saben Lee was a popular waiver pickup last season, but his numbers have been down this year. Inconsistency has plagued Lee, which makes it hard for me to know how much to buy into his big game against the Nets, when he had 17 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block.

But in a deep league, I'm willing to pick him up and see if I should buy into it.

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis