Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wired, Week 22: Santi Aldama shining in Memphis
We’re inching closer to the end of the regular season, which makes streaming weirder than usual. There is plenty of value to be found from players that are simply filling a void while the player in front of them is sidelined, whether that is because they are trying to get healthy for the playoffs or help their team’s lottery odds. The games played each day are also crucial, since there are 12 games on Friday, three games on Saturday and 10 games on Sunday. Streaming may not be as vital on Friday and Sunday, but scraping every ounce of value you can off the wire on Saturday can be the difference between winning and losing your matchup. I have included a few players that play on Saturday, but in reality, anyone you can add from those six teams (ATL, BOS, NOR, MIL, MEM, ORL) could swing the matchup in your waiver.
Pickups in order of priority:
Dalano Banton
Santi Aldama
Marvin Bagley
Bruno Fernando
Jonathan Isaac
Malik Beasley
Reggie Jackson
Toumani Camara
Scotty Pippen Jr.
Gradey Dick
Tired: LaMelo Ball (88%)
It’s official now: LaMelo will not return this season. If you were holding out hope for some reason, it is safe to drop him. Because of his injury issues over the past two seasons, managers should be able to get him at a discount in drafts next season.
Wired: Jonathan Isaac (16%) ⚡️
There are only three games being played on Saturday, which makes players from those six teams more valuable than usual. Isaac has provided second round value over the past week with averages of 14.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 1.3 blocks and 2.0 triples while shooting 70.8% from the floor. He doesn’t play massive minutes, but he can make a huge impact.
Tired: Cody Martin (2%)
Like LaMelo, Martin was also ruled out for the season on Thursday. He wasn’t rostered in many leagues, but he did have a solid stretch of production before he went down a few weeks ago. Martin played in a grand total of 35 games over the last two seasons.
Wired: Santi Aldama (49%), Scotty Pippen Jr. (5%) ⚡️
Memphis hasn’t been a source of reliable fantasy production this season due to their ever changing rotation. However, Aldama has been a top-30 player in 9-cat leagues over the past two weeks with averages of 13.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.3 blocks and 2.8 triples per game. Pippen Jr. has only played in their last three games, but he has averaged 15.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.3 triples. Both players should continue to provide excellent value moving forward, though Pippen is on a two-way deal, so he could be a late inactive at times as they try and preserve his available NBA games. They also have the added bonus of playing on Saturday.
Tired: Seth Curry (2%)
Curry was the third Charlotte player that was ruled out for the remainder of the season on Thursday. Ironically, they still haven’t officially ruled out Mark Williams, who hasn’t played since early December. It has been an absolute mess of a season for injury reporting from the Hornets once again. Curry isn’t a widely rostered player, but this officially marks the end of his season.
Wired: Gradey Dick (10%) ⚡️
Toronto continues to deal with injury after injury, which has opened the door for guys like Gradey to take on extra minutes. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley are close to a return, but until they’re back, Dick should be one of their primary sources of offense. He doesn’t contribute much outside of points and 3-pointers, but the rookie's minutes should be safe.
Tired: Deandre Ayton (94%)
This is the third straight season that Portland has pulled the plug on their season with just a few weeks left, so managers shouldn’t be surprised if Ayton remains out for the rest of the year. He has missed the team’s last four games with an elbow issue, and he should take his time recovering as they look to improve their lottery odds.
Wired: Bruno Fernando (15%) ⚡️
Onyeka Okongwu is still out, and there is no clear return date in sight. Insert Fernando, who has been a top-125 player since Okongwu went down again. He is averaging 12.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.0 block while shooting 78.6% from the floor. Atlanta plays on Saturday, and there are only three total games being played, which makes Fernando even more valuable.
Tired: Anfernee Simons (86%)
Simons will miss a fourth straight game on Friday with a knee injury, and with nothing to play for, it wouldn’t be surprising if they gave him the rest of the season to recover. He falls under the same Portland umbrella that Ayton does, which likely means that he is too good to play the final few weeks.
Wired: Dalano Banton (42%) ⚡️
Banton has been a pleasant surprise in the month of March, and he should continue to be a strong option for the rest of the season. He has been a top-100 player in 9-cat leagues over the past two weeks, but he has been even better over their last two games, with averages of 29.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.0 block and 3.5 triples per game. Even though he’s coming off the bench, Banton should be the most reliable fantasy option in Portland moving forward.
Tired: Jerami Grant (82%)
Among the three Portland players that have been sidelined, I am most confident that we won’t see Jerami Grant again this season. He has missed the team’s last nine games and has only played twice in their last 14 games. He was out for the final few weeks of last season, and managers should expect something similar this season.
Wired: Toumani Camara (5%) ⚡️
Camara has played a large role during his rookie season despite being drafted in the second round. However, he is currently in arguably his best stretch of the season. Over his last four games, he is averaging 14.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.8 blocks and 1.8 triples, which has resulted in top-75 value during that stretch. Portland has been starting five rookies, and that should continue for the foreseeable future.
Tired: Julius Randle (86%), OG Anunoby (84%)
Randle continues to get closer and closer to a return, but he hadn’t been cleared for full contact as of Monday. He may still return before the regular season ends, but there isn’t any indication of when that will be, which makes him a difficult player to keep rostered. Much like Randle, New York hasn’t been clear on when Anunoby will return to the lineup. They’ve been playing really well recently even without Anunoby and Randle, so there isn’t any reason to rush him back, especially if they’d be risking him injuring his elbow once again.
Wired: Malik Beasley (46%) ⚡️
If you’re looking for some immediate help, Beasley can provide some value. His role as a starter is safe, and Milwaukee plays on Saturday, which is a light day. Beasley can really only be counted on for points and 3-pointers, but due to the lack of games, his value skyrockets. He had 20 points on six 3-pointers on Thursday after having 21 points and five triples on Tuesday.
Tired: Tyus Jones (78%)
Jones will miss an eighth straight game on Friday with a back issue, and there hasn’t been much clarity surrounding his potential return. Washington has nothing to play for, so they don’t have any reason to play him, especially with Jordan Poole playing well as the starting point guard.
Wired: Reggie Jackson (9%) ⚡️
Jamal Murray (ankle) has missed the team’s last three games, and Jackson is averaging 16.3 points, 5.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 triples per game. Jackson should be a solid option until Murray returns, so keep an eye on the injury report.
Tired: Richaun Holmes (24%)
Holmes has played really well over the last few weeks, but he injured his toe on Wednesday, which resulted in him exiting that game early. He will miss Friday’s game, and he may stay sidelined longer than just one more game.
Wired: Marvin Bagley (34%) ⚡️
With Holmes sidelined, Bagley should return to the starting unit. After a lengthy absence, Bagley has averaged 14.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 triple in 19.5 minutes per game in their last three games. He will move back into a starting role if Holmes is out, which will give him a huge value boost.
