We’re back for another edition of the Waiver Wired column, but we’re still in Week 7. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the schedule for next week, which was not finalized until Emirates NBA Cup group play concluded on Tuesday, Yahoo combined the two weeks to make “one” for fantasy purposes. This week’s list is headlined by three players rostered in over 50% of Yahoo leagues, and their percentages should be higher, given how they’ve performed.
Priority Adds
1. Malik Monk
2. Payton Pritchard
3. Ayo Dosunmu
4. Nick Richards
5. Yves Missi
6. De’Andre Hunter
7. Santi Aldama
8. Royce O’Neale
9. Malik Beasley
10. Cason Wallace
Malik Monk (59%), Sacramento Kings
While Monk’s move into the starting lineup has been a positive for his fantasy potential, he played starters’ minutes in the two games before the change. Over his last five games, Monk is averaging 23.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 4.8 3-pointers, shooting 51.9% from the field and 91.7% from the foul line. And in the three games Sacramento has played since DeMar DeRozan returned from his back injury, Monk has scored 17 points or more in each.
Santi Aldama (56%), Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies had some bad news on Thursday, as Taylor Jenkins revealed during his pregame press conference that Zach Edey will need more time to recover from his sprained ankle. We may not see the rookie in game action until shortly before Christmas, which boosts Aldama’s already-solid fantasy value. Over his last nine games, he’s averaged 15.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.1 3-pointers, with 62.6/61.3/44.4 shooting splits. The free-throw percentage isn’t good, but there’s little margin for error when a player averages 1.0 attempts per game.
Payton Pritchard (53%), Boston Celtics
Pritchard is rostered in more than half of all Yahoo leagues, and that still isn’t enough, especially with Boston’s schedule for the remainder of Week 7. They’ve got a Friday/Saturday back-to-back against the Bucks and Grizzlies (we all understand that some of their key cogs will get a rest day), followed by games against the Pistons (Thursday) and Wizards (Sunday) during the second half of the extended week. Will Pritchard remain a top-50 player for the rest of the season? Probably not, but that assumption shouldn’t be held against him now.
Nick Richards (48%), Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets welcomed back Richards and Mark Williams this week, with the latter seeing his first game action in nearly a full year. For that reason, Charlotte has been extremely conservative with Williams’ minutes, playing 20 minutes total in losses to the 76ers and Knicks. Richards played 30 and 24 minutes in those games (the latter was a blowout), tallying 22 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one blocked shot against the 76ers. Will Richards consistently hit double digits in free throw attempts as he did against Philadelphia? Probably not. But the minutes are there, so he’s worth rostering until Williams is no longer restricted regarding playing time.
De’Andre Hunter (37%), Atlanta Hawks
While Pritchard may be the betting favorite for Sixth Man of the Year, what Hunter has done in Atlanta since returning to action should not be overlooked. In his last nine games, all off the bench, he’s averaged 18.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 2.4 3-pointers in 27.8 minutes, shooting 49.1% from the field and 94.1% from the foul line. Hunter’s current role has been good for him and the Hawks, and fantasy managers should also look to benefit.
Yves Missi (34%), New Orleans Pelicans
While some managers may be a bit hesitant about adding Missi as the Pelicans get healthier, he’s playing a position where there’s a clear need for what he brings to the table. The rookie has corralled 12 rebounds or more in three of his last four outings while scoring at least nine points in seven straight. Missi averaged 14.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks during this run, shooting 57.4% from the field.
Ayo Dosunmu (31%), Chicago Bulls
While Dosunmu recording his first career triple-double in Thursday’s win over the Spurs certainly grabbed attention, he’s played well since moving into the starting lineup to fill the void left by Patrick Williams. In seven starts, Dosunmu has averaged 16.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.6 3-pointers in 32.2 minutes, shooting 60.5% from the field and 73.7% from the foul line. That production has been good for top 40 per-game value in 9-cat formats, according to Basketball Monster.
Malik Beasley (31%), Detroit Pistons
Beasley’s place within the Pistons’ rotation hinges on Cade Cunningham’s availability; when Cade is available, Malik will come off the bench. However, he’s been a top 100 player over the last two weeks (four starts in seven appearances), averaging 16.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.4 3-pointers in just over 27 minutes per game. While Tim Hardaway Jr. has been a fixture in the starting lineup, Beasley has provided superior production both recently and for the season.
Royce O’Neale (18%), Phoenix Suns
The Suns did not have Kevin Durant (ankle) for Thursday’s loss in New Orleans, and he’ll miss a few more games before being re-evaluated next week. O’Neale received the starting nod against the Pelicans and put up 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and five 3-pointers in 28 minutes. He’s in the midst of the most productive offensive season of his NBA career (10.0 ppg) and is well worth the risk while Durant sits. Managers in deeper leagues can also consider Grayson Allen (13%), who put up 13 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists on Thursday in 30 minutes off the bench.
Taurean Prince (9%), Milwaukee Bucks
While Khris Middleton’s expected season debut (he’s probable for Friday) may put some fantasy managers off regarding Prince, it’s improbable the Bucks ask Middleton to play starters’ minutes immediately. So, there may still be some value in rostering Prince for a bit longer. Over the last week, he’s averaged 11.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 3.0 3-pointers in 24.4 minutes. The playing time may not be “great” for a starter, but Prince should be fine to have rostered for the rest of Week 7.
Cason Wallace (9%), Oklahoma City Thunder
Picking between Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe has not been easy; all three have played solid rotation minutes for one of the league’s best teams. However, there’s been a clear separation recently regarding fantasy value. A top 100 player for the season, Wallace has provided 6th-round value over the last two weeks. During this period, he’s averaged 8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.5 blocks, and 1.2 3-pointers in 27.5 minutes per game. Wiggins and Joe have done more in the points category, but Wallace’s defense and assist production have been superior.
Sam Hauser (5%), Boston Celtics
While his teammate Payton Pritchard possesses solid rest-of-season fantasy value, Hauser’s inclusion concerns the upcoming schedule. Al Horford has not played both ends of a back-to-back since March 21-22, 2022, and Kristaps Porzingis made his season debut on November 25. At a minimum, you can guarantee Horford will not play against either Milwaukee (Friday) or Memphis (Saturday), which boosts Hauser’s short-term value. Also, as noted above, the league gave Boston matchups with the Pistons and Wizards for the second half of Week 7 since they did not advance out of the Emirates NBA Cup group stage. Fire away, Sam.
