X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

NBA Waiver Wire: Four-Game Fantasy Basketball Sleepers (12/1 – 12/7)

By Keith Allison (Flickr: J.R. Smith) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Keith Allison (Flickr: J.R. Smith) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsThis weekly column is geared toward anyone playing in a head-to-head format, and especially those of you in weekly lineup leagues.

It is a great idea to keep up with which players are scheduled to play four games during the upcoming week, as fantasy basketball managers can use this information to gain an advantage in games played over an opponent. Simply put, the more games played, the more potential there is for production.

Based on their respective four-game schedules, the following four players should be viewed as “sleepers” for next week. Advising fantasy owners to play the likes of LeBron James or Anthony Davisis a waste of time and effort; hopefully it is common knowledge that studs of that nature should be in lineups regardless of how many games they are slated to play.

Position Eligibility & Ownership Rate Based On Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Leagues

 

Top Four-Game Sleepers (12/1 - 12/7)

Mo Williams (MIN, PG/SG) - 38% Owned

The injury to Ricky Rubio has opened the door for other guys to take advantage of extra playing time. The first man up was rookie Zach LaVine, who received the nod as the starting point guard for the Timberwolves. That experiment did not last long, as LaVine was mostly terrible during his time as a starter. He is a great talent, but still very young and looks overmatched right now. Enter Mo Williams.

Williams has really taken off since taking over the starting gig. He is a veteran player that can still get it done. In his last five games, he is averaging 15.6 points, 9.6 assists, and 2.2 three-pointers per game. Those are fantastic totals for any player. He has been hovering right around 30 minutes a game, and Rubio is not coming back anytime soon, so Williams should have no trouble sustaining this type of production.

Minnesota's upcoming schedule shows games at LA Clippers, Philadelphia, Houston, and at San Antonio. Williams is a terrific asset in points, threes, and assists. He should be universally owned right now, and is a must-start player until Rubio makes his return to the court.

 

K.J. McDaniels (PHI, SG/SF) - 26% Owned 

Similar to LaVine, McDaniels is a rookie, and it is probably going to be a roller coaster ride as he gets accustomed to playing at the NBA level. The difference here is McDaniels plays for the hapless 76ers, who know they are not going to win this year and need to get their young guys some experience. The Philadelphia roster is also severely lacking in talent, so there is not much competition for his playing time.

McDaniels does come off the bench, but usually still plays starter’s minutes. He has been especially hot lately, averaging 14.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 1.4 three-pointers over his last five games. This includes his 21 point, 13 rebound explosion on Saturday against the Mavericks, both career-highs.

The schedule next week for McDaniels features San Antonio, at Minnesota, Oklahoma City, and at Detroit. He should be a solid play this week, and with his playing time secure he has a chance to be one of the most productive rookies in the NBA this season. There will be some ups and downs because the 76ers get blown out a lot, but his ability to contribute in every category makes him worth owning in standard leagues.

 

Timofey Mozgov (DEN, C) - 59% Owned

Mozgov is about as solid yet unspectacular as they come in fantasy hoops. He averages 10.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks on the year. He also provides excellent percentages, shooting a cool 54.3 percent from the field, and a surprising 73.3 percent from the line.

Stop me if you have heard this before; JaVale McGee is injured. Shocking, I know. In his absence, Mozgov should pick up some of his minutes. More time on the court usually means more production, so Mozgov’s arrow is pointing up. There is not really anyone else to challenge him for playing time right now.

Although three of his four games this week are on the road, the schedule is still a favorable one. Mozgov will play at Utah, Portland, at Washington, and at Atlanta. He provides steady production in the big man stats, and will not hurt you in any category. If you are in the market for a center, give Mozgov a long look.

 

J.R. Smith (NYK, SG/SF) - 63% Owned

This pick is not recommended for those with a weak stomach. Now that we have the disclaimer out of the way, Smith has an excellent opportunity at short-term value due to the injury to Carmelo Anthony. He has started at small forward the last two games, with mixed results.

The book is out on Smith; he is a streaky player who relies exclusively on his jump shot. He is generally either red hot or ice cold, and it is nearly impossible to predict which extreme he will be on a given night. However, without Melo, the Knicks really do not have a pure scorer, so they need Smith to step up and fill that role. His percentages are likely going to be hideous, but he should be an asset in points, threes, assists, and steals.

The upcoming schedule for the Knicks includes matchups with Brooklyn, Cleveland, at Charlotte, and Portland. Melo is dealing with back spasms, and it is unclear how much longer he will be out. It remains to be seen what Smith will do, but the opportunity is there for him right now and he has shown the ability to put up big numbers in the past. If you feel like rolling the dice, gamble on Smith this week.

 

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

6 hours ago

Willson Contreras Will Transition To 1B/DH Role In 2025
6 hours ago

Ben Brown To Have Injured Neck Scanned This Month
7 hours ago

Austin Hedges Re-Signs With Guardians
Lauri Markkanen7 hours ago

Questionable Versus Milwaukee
Giannis Antetokounmpo7 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Another Game
Los Angeles Dodgers7 hours ago

Dodgers Expected To Use Six-Man Rotation In 2025
Ja Morant7 hours ago

Injures Hamstring, Leaves Game In Third Quarter
8 hours ago

Astros Having Discussions About Trading Ryan Pressly
8 hours ago

Mookie Betts To Play Infield For The Dodgers In 2025
Bradley Beal9 hours ago

Active On Wednesday
9 hours ago

Baker Mayfield Gets Tagged As DNP On Wednesday
Josh Giddey9 hours ago

To Play On Wednesday
Zach LaVine9 hours ago

Ruled Out On Wednesday
Dereck Lively II10 hours ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
D'Angelo Russell10 hours ago

Austin Reaves Will Play Wednesday
Jose Alvarado10 hours ago

Jordan Hawkins Both Active On Wednesday
10 hours ago

Chris Olave Visiting With Specialists, Saints Not Rushing Him Back
Zion Williamson10 hours ago

Good To Go On Wednesday
10 hours ago

Dallas Goedert Practicing In Full On Wednesday
Anthony Davis10 hours ago

Ruled Out On Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski11 hours ago

Won't Play Against Boston
11 hours ago

Christian McCaffrey Pain-Free As He Returns To Limited Practice
Caris LeVert11 hours ago

Good To Go On Wednesday
LaMelo Ball11 hours ago

Will Play Against Detroit
11 hours ago

Dak Prescott Partially Tore Hamstring Off Bone
Shaedon Sharpe11 hours ago

Questionable For Thursday Night
David Roddy11 hours ago

Good To Go Versus New York
De'Andre Hunter11 hours ago

Still Out On Wednesday
11 hours ago

DeVonta Smith Does Not Practice Wednesday
Jaylen Brown11 hours ago

"Day-To-Day"
Trae Young12 hours ago

Cleared To Suit Up On Wednesday
Derek Forbort12 hours ago

Out Week-To-Week With A Knee Problem
Bryan Rust12 hours ago

Logs Full Practice On Wednesday
Kevin Hayes12 hours ago

Misses Practice With An Upper-Body Injury
Mason Marchment12 hours ago

Considered Day-To-Day
Matt Roy12 hours ago

Ready To Return On Wednesday
Connor McDavid12 hours ago

Returns To Action Wednesday
13 hours ago

Justin Fields Does Not Practice On Wednesday
13 hours ago

Isiah Pacheco Nearing Return To Practice
13 hours ago

Patrick Mahomes To Practice In Full On Wednesday
13 hours ago

Brian Robinson Jr. Will Practice On Wednesday
13 hours ago

Isaiah Likely Ruled Out For Week 10
13 hours ago

Lamar Jackson Off The Injury Report
13 hours ago

Michael Pittman Jr. Sidelined On Wednesday
14 hours ago

Chris Olave, Cedrick Wilson Jr. Not Practicing On Wednesday
Tari Eason14 hours ago

Listed As Questionable With Illness On Wednesday
Dillon Brooks14 hours ago

Questionable Wednesday With Illness
14 hours ago

Tee Higgins Doubtful For Thursday Night Versus Ravens
14 hours ago

Bryce Young Will Start In Week 10
14 hours ago

Jonathon Brooks To Be Activated, Week 10 Status Still Unclear
15 hours ago

Dallas Goedert Returns To Practice Ahead Of Cowboys Matchup
15 hours ago

A.J. Brown On The Practice Field To Begin Week 10 Prep
15 hours ago

CeeDee Lamb Expected To Be Limited On Wednesday
15 hours ago

Nico Collins Not Practicing On Wednesday, Could Return In Week 10
16 hours ago

Willy Adames Projected To Sign Seven-Year, $189 Million Deal In Free Agency
16 hours ago

Corbin Burnes Projected To Land Seven-Year, $225 Million Deal
MLB16 hours ago

Roki Sasaki Expected To Be Posted For MLB Teams
16 hours ago

Juan Soto Projected To Sign For 13 Years, $611 Million
16 hours ago

Royce Lewis Might See More Time At Second Base
16 hours ago

Alex Bregman Has Bone Chip Removed From Elbow
Seattle Mariners16 hours ago

Mariners Closely Monitoring Hye-seong Kim
16 hours ago

Angels Sign Kyle Hendricks
Max Greyserman16 hours ago

Earns Highest DraftKings Salary For WWT Championship
Harry Hall17 hours ago

In Solid Form Heading To Cabo
PGA17 hours ago

Matti Schmid On Fire Ahead Of WWT Championship
Jhonattan Vegas17 hours ago

A Safe Play At WWT Championship
Taylor Moore17 hours ago

Looks To Contend At WWT Championship
Patrick Fishburn17 hours ago

A Volatile Option At El Cardonal
Michael Kim17 hours ago

Aims For Back-To-Back Top-10 Finishes At WWT Championship
Charley Hoffman17 hours ago

Tough To Trust At WWT Championship
Adam Svensson18 hours ago

A Risky Play In Mexico
Daniel Berger19 hours ago

Looks To Keep Cuts-Made Streak Alive In Mexico
Tom Hoge20 hours ago

Hopes To Steady The Ship At World Wide Technology Championship
Travis Konecny22 hours ago

Tallies Four Points In Losing Effort
Nathan MacKinnon22 hours ago

Matches Franchise Record With Five Assists
Andrew Peeke22 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Tuesday
Anthony Mantha22 hours ago

Suffers A Lower-Body Injury
Cale Makar22 hours ago

Exits With Injury Versus Seattle
Dylan Holloway22 hours ago

Taken To Hospital After Being Hit By A Puck
San Diego Padres1 day ago

Padres Nearing Contract Extension With Manager Mike Shildt
1 day ago

Jazz Chisholm Jr. Could Be Moved Back To Second Base
1 day ago

Astros Have Had "Productive" Talks With Alex Bregman
1 day ago

Pirates Claim Trey Cabbage Off Waivers
1 day ago

Rangers Decline 2025 Option On Andrew Chafin
1 day ago

Camilo Doval Generating Interest
1 day ago

Shohei Ohtani Undergoes Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery
Ryan Poehling1 day ago

Out On Tuesday
Alexander Romanov1 day ago

Remains Sidelined Tuesday
Artem Zub1 day ago

Remains Out On Tuesday
Ty Dellandrea1 day ago

Ready To Rejoin Action On Tuesday
Jake Walman2 days ago

Sits As Healthy Scratch On Tuesday
Brayden Point2 days ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Auston Matthews2 days ago

Out On Tuesday
Chandler Phillips2 days ago

Attempts To Keep Final-Round Form This Week
Neal Shipley2 days ago

Past Five Tournaments Make Him An Interesting DFS Option
Austin Eckroat2 days ago

Wants To Shake Off Some More Rust In Mexico
Rico Hoey2 days ago

Needs The Putter To Work In Mexico
J.J. Spaun2 days ago

Tries To Keep Second Half Rolling In Mexico
Sam Stevens2 days ago

Hopes To Continue Riding A Hot Putter In Mexico
Erik Van Rooyen2 days ago

Erik van Rooyen Tries To Defend WWT Title
Lucas Glover2 days ago

Well-Rested Heading Into WWT Championship
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Hopes To Continue Good Form In Mexico
Keith Mitchell2 days ago

An Unappealing Play At World Wide Technology Championship
Artturi Lehkonen2 days ago

Will Make His Season Debut On Tuesday
Ilya Sorokin2 days ago

Takes On Penguins Tuesday
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Wins At Martinsville And Has Chance To Earn Second Straight Championship
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Penalized At Martinsville, Removed From Championship Four
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Not A Factor At Martinsville And Looks Ahead To Phoenix
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Misses Advancing Through Playoffs Despite Top-Three Finish
Brad Keselowski3 days ago

Has A Solid Top-10 Performance At Martinsville
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Loses Out On Winning At Martinsville
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Drops Decision Matchup
Erin Blanchfield3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Dustin Stoltzfus3 days ago

Gets First-Round Knockout At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault3 days ago

Knocked Out At UFC Edmonton
Trevin Giles3 days ago

Losses Third Fight In A Row
Mike Malott3 days ago

Wins Decision At UFC Edmonton
NASCAR3 days ago

Speeding Penalty Foils Martin Truex Jr.'s Last Realistic Shot At Winning
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Fails To Advance To Championship 4 But Runs Well
Shane Van Gisbergen3 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Earns Best Oval Finish at Martinsville
William Byron3 days ago

Tentatively In Championship 4 Pending Ruling On Manufacturer Orders
MMA3 days ago

Ariane Lipski Submitted At UFC Edmonton
Jasmine Jasudavicius3 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado3 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Edges Out Split Decision At UFC Edmonton
Amir Albazi3 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno3 days ago

Dominates At UFC Edmonton
Daniel Suarez4 days ago

Will Start 20th At Martinsville
Zane Smith4 days ago

Might Be An Underrated Value Play For Martinsville
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Is A Top DFS Recommendation For Martinsville Lineups
Joey Logano4 days ago

Will Be One To Watch At Martinsville
Brad Keselowski4 days ago

Should DFS Players Rely On Brad Keselowski For Martinsville Lineups?
Carson Hocevar4 days ago

Is A Great DFS Option For All Martinsville DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Is Ty Gibbs Worth Rostering At Martinsville This Week For DFS?
Austin Cindric4 days ago

Could Have A Top-20 Performance At Martinsville
William Byron4 days ago

Might Be Usable Only In DFS Tournaments At Martinsville
Chris Buescher4 days ago

Should DFS Players Roster Chris Buescher At Martinsville?
Alex Bowman4 days ago

Expect A Solid Top-10 Performance From Alex Bowman At Martinsville
Rose Namajunas5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Erin Blanchfield5 days ago

Returns At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault5 days ago

Dustin Stoltzfus Set To Face Marc-Andre Barriault At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Edmonton
Trevin Giles6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mike Malott6 days ago

Opens Up UFC Edmonton Main Card