Obi Toppin (SF/PF, NYK): Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 8% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Is it finally happening? Are the New York Knicks finally going to do it? After a year and a half, is Coach Thibs willing to play Obi Toppin once for all? We gotta give that thought a little bit of pause given that Julius Randle has been out/suspended for a few games, but the truth is that little opening has been taken by storm by reigning Slam Dunk Champ Obi Toppin while looking phenomenal now that he got to play more than 15 minutes a day.

Toppin, a top-10 draft pick a couple of years ago, had the bad luck of getting to a team that saw an improbable development happening to the guy manning Obi's forward spot. That's Randle, whose game has cratered this season. Not even that has made Thibs change his stubborn ways though until he couldn't do anything else with Randle out this past week. And that's why Toppin has played 24, 40, and 27 minutes in the past two games putting up gaudy averages compared to his early-season numbers.

Toppin's line in the past week reads 13-6-2-1 (four games) and he's averaged 26 MPG in that little span. If you are not aware, all the NYK is fighting for at this point is a good draft position and getting as many ping pong balls as possible. There is no reason not to play Toppin and keep running with Randle. So here's hoping Toppin stays on the floor and we get a viable fantasy forward for the next/last two weeks of play. Still around 10 games to go, so while Toppin won't win you the league he can still be a nice addition for those needy while managing in deeper leagues. Fantastic scoring with extraordinary shooting percentages of late (63%+ this week while scoring 1+ 3PM per game) and solid rebounding/stealing.

More Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups

RotoBaller Writing and Media Team Nominated For 13 FSWA Awards in 2024

It's awards season for the fantasy sports industry, and RotoBaller is honored to be recognized by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) with various award nominations from our writing and media team in 2024. The RotoBaller brand continues to shine among the many talented companies and analysts throughout the fantasy sports industry for their editorial […]

RotoBaller 2 weeks ago

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 15 (2024-25): February 3 - February 9

If you're like me, you woke up to one of the biggest trades in recent NBA history (Luka for AD) and are still trying to make sense of it. It will likely be the biggest trade of the week, but it won't be the only deal made this week as Thursday's NBA trade deadline looms. […]

Dan Palyo 3 weeks ago

League Winners: Second-Half Trade Targets and Stashes - 2025 Fantasy Basketball

Things have not gone as planned for fantasy basketball managers who drafted players like Joel Embiid or Jimmy Butler. But there's plenty of basketball left to be played and it's time to reassess how we view players going forward. If you want to win that fantasy basketball league championship, worry less about where your players […]

Dan Palyo 4 weeks ago

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14 (2024-25): January 27 - February 2

We flip the calendar to February this week and edge closer to both the All-Star break and the NBA trade deadline. Some of the moves you can make in the next few weeks could greatly impact your team's ability to compete for a fantasy championship in March or April! Most leagues have a weekly moves […]

Dan Palyo 4 weeks ago

League Winners: Players To Stash For the Stretch Run - 2024 Fantasy Basketball

The All-Star Break is upon us and while it's nice to have some time off from setting lineups, making DFS lineups, and placing bets. It's also a nice time to look ahead and what moves you can make to put your team in the best position possible to win a fantasy basketball title. Remember, the […]

Dan Palyo 1 year ago