The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant headlining a plethora of noteworthy deals. But countless ancillary pieces have also been relocated, many of whom now have under-the-radar fantasy appeal in 9-cat leagues. And with various former teammates of newly-moved players set for imminent usage boosts, the entire landscape of fantasy hoops waiver wires has changed. Today we will highlight the widely-available 9-cat players who benefited the most from the trade deadline, and discuss why each one could help you glide through the home stretch of your season into the playoffs.
MORE NBA: Winners and losers of the 2023 Trade Deadline
With the All-Star Game now less than 10 days away, many NBA players likely look forward to a much-needed weekend of rest. Others will be taking the time to better acclimate themselves to their new squad ahead of the playoff push. Fantasy basketball managers, meanwhile, will be doing a little of both. While a brief respite from a long season of head-to-head competition can be a blessing, a sudden streak of inactivity at this stage of the campaign can ultimately prove to be a fantasy team's curse.
NBA ALL-STAR GAME: Injury replacements, starters, and more
Post-deadline waiver investments can make or break a fantasy team. This is when contending teams acquire fresh talent to help with the postseason push, and tanking teams start to ride their youngsters. All we care about is 9-cat value, which we ascertain by evaluating each free agent's current and future role as well as their short-term and long-term upside.
As always, let this column guide you to the players falling under your league's radar, like a beacon of light across a busy ocean in the dead of winter. We share the same basic goals: maximize the value of each roster spot and dominate our leagues. So, let's get to it!
Here are our must-roster players available in 25-50 percent of fantasy leagues following the NBA trade deadline, as well as our top waiver adds amongst those available in over 50 percent of leagues. Good luck this weekend and beyond!
SIGN UP TO WATCH EVERY GAME ON NBA LEAGUE PASS: U.S. and U.K. | All other countries
Best Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups this Weekend: Must-roster players available in 25-50 percent of leagues
The following players are available in 25-50 percent of Yahoo leagues and should be considered ‘must-roster’ players in standard 9-cat formats.
Walker Kessler, F/C, Jazz (75 percent rostered).
The rookie big graced this list two weeks ago, and his Yahoo ownership has somehow jumped just four percent since then. What are we doing here, people? Over the past two weeks, Kessler ranks 22nd in standard 9-cats with per-game averages of 12.4 points, 9.6 boards, one assist, one steal and 3.8 blocks. That's not just All-Rookie material — that's future All-Star material. Oh, and need we mention that his playing time and usage should only increase now that Danny Ainge traded Jazz power forward Jarred Vanderbilt? Lock Kess up if you stumble upon the legend.
Josh Hart, G/F, Knicks (75%)
The Blazers inexplicably traded Hart to the Knicks for perpetually-overrated 23-year-old journeyman Cam Reddish on Thursday. Weird! Well, Jalen Brunson seems ecstatic about his reunion with his former Villanova Wildcat teammate. These two won a national championship together, and should pick up right where they left off with their smart, polished offensive skill sets. But while Hart may never be the pure scorer Brunson has shown himself to be, he's certainly a superior rebounder and defender. The guard/forward eligibility just serves as icing on an already-sweet Hart-shaped cake.
Collin Sexton, G, Jazz (75%)
Like his teammate Kessler, Sexton stands to benefit from a recently-departed teammate. For the young guard, it was Mike Conley moving to Minnesota that likely opened up a world of opportunity. Sexton now has the keys to this young Utah offense, with plenty of scoring support around him from the likes of Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, and Kelly Olynyk. Having an interior presence like Kessie doesn't hurt a young point guard, either. Sexton already saw his minutes bump from the low-to-mid 20s to 31 right after the Conley trade, conveniently facing the Wolves and putting up 22/5/5 with four treys. The kid's gonna be good.
Mike Conley, G, Timberwolves (75%)
Conley might be just what the doctor ordered in Minnesota, where dysfunction has become the primary function since the Rudy Gobert acquisition. The veteran guard has a 4.53 assist-to-turnover ratio on the season, he's shooting 81.3 percent from the line, and he's averaging 13.3 points, 9.5 assists, 2.8 boards, and 1.3 steals over the past two weeks. With renewed purpose on a legitimate playoff contender, Conley should soar.
Mason Plumlee, C, Clippers (74%)
Plumlee continues to be horrid at the free-throw stripe, but his across-the-board contributions elsewhere will be a welcome sight for Ty Lue's Clippers. Enjoying a career year with averages of 12.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 stocks, the Plumdog Millionaire gives L.A. the secondary center behind Ivica Zubac it has been searching for since Isaiah Hartenstein left to be underutilized in Manhattan.
De'Anthony Melton, G, 76ers (71%)
We're ride-or-die Melton guys around here, and Matisse Thybulle getting dealt to Portland just reinforces the fact that Philly feels the same way. He's not great at anything, but he's good at just about everything. What more could you ask from a 9-cat role player?
Cameron Johnson, F, Nets (69%)
He certainly won't sniff the usage rates of recently-departed Nets Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but Johnson can still be very useful to fantasy managers. The former Sun's three-point shooting, three-level efficiency, and rebounding upside make him a must-roster commodity, at least until we know how things shake out with this new-look Brooklyn squad.
Jalen Williams, G/F, Thunder (57%)
I'm just going to copy-and-paste what I wrote two weeks ago, only revising his ownership level (he was 55% rostered then). "Come on, how is this guy available in 43 percent of leagues? He's a smooth three-level scorer, a good rebounder and creator, and an above-average defender who regularly fills it up in 9-cat leagues. Don't let this dude or his sweet afro stay on the waiver wire with the bums." With Darius Bazley and Mike Muscala both traded, J-Dub can shine even more for the small majority that rosters him.
Jarred Vanderbilt, F/C, Lakers (55%)
Vanderbilt strikes me as a poor-man's Rodman, a tenacious rebounder and defender who plays much larger than his frame. He's going to be a LeBron James favorite, and he'll fit very well next to Anthony Davis as long as AD accepts the fact that he's a modern-day center. Vando is IL-eligible right now, so scoop-and-stash him then grab another free agent.
Best Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Sleepers this Weekend: Five top pickups under 50 percent rostered
The following five players are available in over 50 percent of Yahoo leagues and make for solid additions and streamers in standard 9-cat formats.
Deni Avdija, F, Wizards (50 percent rostered)
Avdija has provided seventh-round value over the past two weeks, averaging 16.2 points, 7.5 boards, 1.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in that span. With Rui Hachimura out of the picture and now missing shots in Hollywood, the Israeli star can shine brightly in the nation's capital for the rest of the season.
Donte DiVincenzo, G, Warriors (49%)
Sometimes guys are pickups because of a deal their franchise did not make — in this case, the Dunk remains a hot waiver commodity because Golden State ultimately came up short in its pursuit of Raptors swingman O.G. Anunoby. Without the infusion of a borderline All-Star into the lineup of the reigning champions, DiVincenzo's offensive usage should remain high for as long as Steph Curry is sidelined. The former Bucks guard is not known for his shooting efficiency, but he certainly contributes in the categories of points, assists, threes, steals, and even rebounds. He should be owned in all 12-team leagues.
Tim Hardaway Jr., G/F, Mavericks (48%).
Like I said two weeks ago, Hardaway won't help you (or the Mavs) much on defense, but he certainly contributes as a scorer, three-point shooter, and here-and-there passer. With Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian-Finney Smith included in the package that brought Kyrie Irving to Dallas, Hardaway will be called upon to be the third scorer and should benefit from the playmaking of both Irving and MVP candidate Luka Doncic. He's playing 35-40 minutes a game and dropping multiple triples every night at this point — grab him now and deal with the occasional swings in field goal percentage.
Malik Beasley, G/F, Lakers (45%)
It's been a long and windy road for Beasley since the above photo was taken after the Nuggets drafted him many moons ago. Stops in Minneapolis and Salt Lake City proved somewhat fruitless in the grand scheme of things, but his role in Los Angeles could help him truly break out as a solid fantasy asset. He provides LBJ and Co. exactly what they need: a pure-shooting wing who can stop and pop from distance at the drop of a hat (how many cliches can we fit into one paragraph?).
Dorian Finney-Smith, F, Nets (44%)
Finney-Smith was one of the key parts of the Dallas deal that landed Kyrie Irving, and for good reason. He's one of the better three-and-D talents in the NBA, and he contributes to wins both on the floor and in fantasy matchups. He should be a starter for the foreseeable future in Brooklyn.
Kenyon Martin Jr., F, Rockets (43%)
This dude is on the verge of a total breakout, and the Rockets shipping away veteran wing Eric Gordon just reinforces the notion. Martin has an explosive first step, fantastic finishing ability, strong passing vision, and rebounding skills that make him appear much taller than his listed height of 6-7. Shooting 90 percent from the line hasn't hurt over the past week, either — he's the 19th-ranked player in Yahoo 9-cats over that span. Scoop!
Zach Collins, F/C, Spurs (38%)
Gregg Popovich finally dealt Jakob Poeltl back to the Raptors, many moons after he landed the big in the Kawhi Leonard trade. Too bad for Pop, who loves Poeltl, but at least his consolation prize is the ability to increase Collins' playing time. The former Blazer will never light it up in the stocks department, but he's a model of efficiency both from the field and from the line. He's a very boring but trustworthy 9-cat asset.
Other post-deadline waiver-wire sleepers under 50 percent rostered: Jeremy Sochan, F, Spurs (32%, IL-eligible); Tari Eason, F, Rockets (31%); Jalen McDaniels, F, 76ers (30%); Josh Green, G/F, Mavericks (29%); Eric Gordon, G/F, Clippers (23%); Malaki Branham, G/F, Spurs (15%)
