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Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: It's time to load up for Week 21!

Dan Titus
Fantasy analyst
·8 min read

The fantasy basketball playoffs are here, and, like every Monday, I'll break down several players who are less than 50% rostered in Yahoo fantasy basketball leagues. For additional tips on navigating Week 21, check out my playoff cheat sheet and schedule analysis.

Here are the games played by each team in Week 21.

Fantasy Schedule:

Four games: Bucks, Celtics, Grizzlies, Heat, Kings, Lakers, Magic, Nuggets, Pistons, Raptors, Rockets, Spurs, Suns, Timberwolves and Warriors

Three games: 76ers, Bulls, Cavs, Clippers, Hawks, Mavericks, Nets, Pacers, Pelicans, Thunder, Trail Blazers and Wizards

Two games: Hornets, Jazz and Knicks

[Free bracket contests for both tourneys | Printable Men's | Women's]

Okay, now that you know which teams to target for streaming, let's get to the pickups.

Priority Adds

Xavier Tillman - PF/C, Memphis Grizzlies (42% rostered)

Steven Adams (knee) and Brandon Clarke (Achilles) are out for the regular season, and Tillman is the next man up to hold down the frontcourt with Jaren Jackson Jr. Tillman started eight of the last nine games for Memphis after the All-Star break, putting up a near double-double with 11.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks on 56.4% shooting from the field.

He's ranked 76th in 9-cat leagues over the past two weeks, and the Grizzlies have a beautiful playoff schedule, playing four games across weeks 21-23. Tillman is a lock for 30 minutes a night, and while he'll struggle from the line, he's still worth the price of admission for his low-end double-double potential and defensive stats.

Jalen Duren - PF/C, Detroit Pistons (46% rostered)

Marvin Bagley III (ankle) got hurt (again), and even though James Wiseman is playing well, there's plenty of room for the rookie to eat, too. Duren missed six games from late February to early March, but he's played 20 minutes in each of the previous two games. In those games, he's averaging 12 points with 10 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.

The Pistons' injury report is getting longer by the game, and the power forward and center minutes are primarily going to Wiseman and Duren. He's a player who can rack up a lot of rebounds in limited minutes, but he starts Week 21 with a back-to-back against the Pacers and Wizards. He faces the Nuggets and Heat (tough matchups) to close the week, but at minimum, the rebounds and blocks make him a worthwhile addition this week.

Donte DiVincenzo - PG/SG, Memphis Grizzlies (39% rostered)

I wrote about how important DiVincenzo will be for the Warriors with Andrew Wiggins (personal) still away from the team. Despite a couple of subpar outings in Week 20, I'm not pivoting off my stance that he's worth streaming for the next two weeks. He ended his scoring slump in Saturday night's OT win over the Bucks, netting 20 points (7-16 FG, 6-12 3PT) with 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block across 37 minutes. His six threes tied a career-high, too. He's becoming the unexpected glue guy down the stretch for the Dubs, and Steve Kerr made it clear how crucial he's been for Golden State, calling DiVincenzo "a godsend."

DiVincenzo's been averaging 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 threes and 2 stocks per game in March, so even if his shot isn't falling, he's tallying stats for other categories. The Warriors play four times in Week 21, and he'll be worth streaming against fantasy-friendly teams like the Hawks and Grizzlies later in the week.

Austin Reaves - SG/SF, Los Angeles Lakers (39% rostered)

If you need someone to elevate your efficiency and scoring in H2H formats, Reaves is your guy. He's one of the most efficient shooters in the league — and that's not hyperbole. Typically, the true-shooting percentage statistic is dominated by bigs, but if you look at the list, Reaves is the only guard behind Steph Curry. His 51/39/87 shooting splits are no joke based on his volume. In his last five games, he's been getting to the line almost five times per game and attempting at least nine shots.

He won't do much for rebounding, but he's had at least four assists in five of his last seven games. The Lakers have a big week ahead, and Reaves will continue to play a significant role in their quest for the playoffs.

Mid-Tier Adds

Jalen Suggs - PG/SG, Orlando Magic (28% rostered)

Suggs has been putting the clamps on opponents for the past five games, swiping 2.2 steals per game while averaging over 13 points with 4 rebounds and 3 assists across 30 minutes per night. He's also found his shot, shooting 49% from the field and 44% from three-point range.

The Magic play four games, and with their playoff hopes over, I expect him to keep his role in the rotation going forward. He'll be an asset for anyone needing stocks (he tied a career-high with three blocks in an OT win over the Heat on Saturday) and threes and won't hurt your shooting splits the way he's playing at the moment.

Isaiah Livers - SG/SF - Detroit Pistons (10% rostered)

As stated, the Pistons' injury report is longer than a CVS receipt, leaving Livers as a decent streaming option to open up Week 21. He's a must-start against the Pacers on Monday (he played them Saturday and gave them 18 points with 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 6 stocks), and they play the Wizards on Tuesday.

Being in tank mode has its perks for some, and Livers is poised to have a strong week with minimal competition for minutes (he's averaging 36 over his last four contests). He should help fantasy managers with steals, points and threes.

Malik Monk - PG/SG, Sacramento Kings (32% rostered)

The Kings play three games in four nights, and Monk is currently on a heater, averaging 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5 assists with 4 triples in each of his past two games. He was the 57th-ranked player in 9-cat formats in Week 20, and the Kings are reeling off Ws too, going 8-2 over the past 10 games.

Monk is providing a massive spark to the second unit, and he is more aggressive on the road, averaging nearly 3 more points per game and attempting 3 more shots as well. Three of the Kings' four games are on the road this week, and they'll need Monk's scoring and playmaking as much as fantasy managers will.

Josh Okogie - SG/SF, Phoenix Suns (26% rostered)

I know I just praised Monk's recent play, but uhh, Okogie caught a body on Sunday night:

He played well with Kevin Durant out of the lineup before, and while Terrence Ross will also get more looks, I like Okogie's minutes and defense more. Don't get me wrong, when Ross is on, he's on, but he's streaky AF, and I at least have some data on how Okogie fits sans KD on the Suns: In seven games since the trade deadline when KD was sidelined, Okogie averaged 15.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 34 minutes per game.

If you need threes, Ross is a good target, but Okogie is the starter and the better fantasy option right now.

Short-term adds

Talen Horton-Tucker - SG/SF, Utah Jazz (40% rostered)

Use him for Monday, and drop him if you don't have room to hold until Saturday. He's averaging almost 20 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists with 4 turnovers per game over his last five games. But he caught fire in his previous outing, nearly notching his first triple-double with 37 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists.

Collin Sexton is still in street clothes, so THT and Kris Dunn will be solid streamers for Monday versus Miami.

Andrew Nembhard - PG/SG, Indiana Pacers (15% rostered)

I can't tell whether the Pacers are actively tanking because they've won three of their last four games while their star players are sitting out. Nembhard is a must-roster on Monday, with Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell out against the Pistons.

He posted 19 points with 8 assists and only 2 turnovers in their last matchup, and he'll be shouldering the load once again. The Pacers don't play again until Thursday so you may have to drop him. However, if you have the bandwidth to hold, I'd wait until Wednesday for more clarity on Haliburton's status.

Isaiah Jackson - PF/C, Indiana Pacers (29% rostered)

If you're debating between Jackson and Jalen Smith (it's a tough one), I typically opt for the starter in these circumstances. Even though Smith has been in the rotation more than Jackson this season, Jackson is the one the Pacers are turning to with Myles Turner dealing with a back injury. He didn't disappoint against the Pistons on Saturday, posting a 19-and-11 double-double with 2 steals and 2 blocks.

Turner is day-to-day, but Jackson is worth trotting out again on Monday. Like Nembhard and Haliburton's situation, if you can afford to wait until Wednesday to get the latest injury news, do it. If not, it's totally understandable to drop Jackson after tonight.

Others to consider by categories

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