With the book closed on three-quarters of the 2022 NBA regular season, most fantasy basketball leagues' playoffs begin either today or within the next few weeks (side note: it's always prudent to have the championship well before April — many teams rest their starters in the last couple weeks of the season).
Regardless of whether you're in the postseason now — or trying to work your way into the dance later — crunch time has arrived. Your efforts on the waiver wire today could earn you a fantasy championship down the line, so let's talk about the cream of the waiver-wire crop in standard 9-cat Yahoo leagues.
Our job, as it has been all season: to pinpoint strong potential value and help you land the guys who could legitimately help your squad go on a deep playoff run. We first highlight the must-have players who are available in 25-50 percent of leagues. Then we select the best crop of players who can be found in over 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, and explain why they could be of worth.
Let's get right to it, as you have plenty of work to do in this home stretch. Here are our must-roster players available in 25-50 percent of leagues as well as the top waiver adds amongst those available in over 50 percent of leagues. Good luck in this crucial stretch, and be sure to keep checking back in with us throughout your run at the title!
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Best Waiver Wire Pickups for Fantasy Basketball Playoffs: 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.
Gordon Hayward, F, Hornets (75 percent rostered)
Hayward has collected plenty of skeptics over the years due to his injury history and durability concerns. But let's face it — when he's healthy, he's a must-roster fantasy asset. And right now, he's healthy. He's the 16th-ranked player in 9-cat formats over the past week, and the 22nd over the past two weeks. Since the All-Star break, he has averaged 24 points, eight rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks while shooting 56.3 percent from the floor and 81.8 percent from the line. He's taking care of the basketball, having logged three turnovers just once in the eight games since Feb. 4. If he's somehow available in your league, scoop him up. Charlotte plays four games in each of the next two weeks, with one game this week coming on a significantly low-volume day for the NBA.
Another Hornet worth rostering: Mark Williams, C (64%) — The lob threat we always knew would be perfect for LaMelo Ball if Steve Clifford just gave the rookie a chance. The Duke product is a walking double-double with multiple-block upside if he regularly sees 30 minutes.
Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon, G, Celtics (74%)
White and Brogdon have been masterful for Boston this season. Both have stepped up in a major way whenever a major rotational teammate has missed time, and both remain instrumental to the big picture even when the Celtics are at full strength. Brogdon leads the NBA in three-point shooting (46.5%) and seems like the odds-on favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year. White has scored 17-plus in eight of Boston's past nine games, and had a three-game stretch prior to the All-Star break in which he dropped 32 dimes. These guys are 9-cat gems — they score, they rebound, they defend, they pass — and they do it all with efficiency both in terms of shooting and ball control.
Another Celtics player worth owning: Al Horford, F (72%) — The veteran who always comes through in the big moments for Boston also comes through for fantasy owners. He's a low-volume, high-efficiency big who contributes stocks, passes well, knocks down triples, and grabs 4-7 rebounds on the regular.
Markelle Fultz, G, Magic (72%)
Fultz will never live up to his status as a No. 1 draft pick, but he certainly seems to be establishing himself as a must-roster fantasy commodity. Just look at the point guard's past five games for the Magic:
| Date | Opp. | Points | Rebs | Assists | Steals | Blocks |
| Feb 25 | IND | 18 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Feb 23 | DET | 14 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| Feb 14 | @TOR | 19 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Feb 13 | @CHI | 18 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Feb 11 | MIA | 17 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Sure seems like a guy who could help a bunch of 9-cat squads make it to the fantasy promised land. High turnover numbers and low shooting percentages used to be reasons to stay away from Fultz, but he's taking much better care of the ball these days and suffering much more infrequent poor-shooting nights. You can trust him now, fantasy friends.
Steven Adams, C, Grizzlies (72%)
Adams has missed 13 games since Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins revealed the big man sprained his MCL on Jan. 22, but the Coach of the Year candidate recently reported that Adams has increased his on-court work. That's huge, as the Big Kiwi was one of the better rebounding and field goal guys in fantasy land when he went down. He's still an utter disaster at the free throw line, but his work on the interior (as well as his sufficient passing and halfway-decent defensive stats) make him a worthwhile stash. If you have open IL spots and he's available, pick this guy up like Adams picked up Tony Bradley last season.
Jalen Williams, G/F, Thunder (69%)
J-Dub is one of three players named Williams on OKC, but he's been far-and-away the best of the bunch. He leads all rookies in steals (and has the most steals in the NBA since the calendar turned to 2023), and his offensive abilities are plentiful. He has great vision for a 21-year-old, as well as a smooth shooting stroke that makes him a scoring threat at all three levels. He should be 100-percent rostered everywhere.
Kelly Olynyk, F/C, Jazz (66%)
Olynyk still has plenty of fantasy relevance, even when his offensive skills take a backseat to the heroics of Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson. The veteran scores when needed, dishes the rock well for a big, and has even improved his defensive counting stats through the years. I can't imagine leaving him on the wire going into the playoffs in 12-team leagues.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G/F, Nuggets (62%)
KCP is one of the top three-point shooters in the NBA and one of the best steals streamers in all of fantasy. He'll occasionally put up a scoring dud, but he almost always contributes enough peripheral stats to be of use to fantasy managers. His efficiency on all three scoring levels and low turnover numbers are icing on the KCP cake.
Mason Plumlee, C, Clippers (58%)
Now that he has figured out his free-throw issues, Plumlee seems like a 9-cat guy worth your consideration in 12-team leagues. He might be better than Ivica Zubac at this point, at least in fantasy. He's always a threat to post a double-double, and his stocks and assists push him over the top from good to very good. We've seen the Plumdog Millionaire play 26-plus minutes in two straight Clippers games, including crunch time against the Nuggets on Sunday night. He could be a league-winner if he sees 30 minutes on a regular basis and keeps knocking down off-hand free throws.
Jarred Vanderbilt, F/C, Lakers (58%)
Vando finally broke out of his shell Sunday for the first time since landing in L.A. at the trade deadline. All said, he put up 15 points, grabbed 17 boards, and swiped four steals during the Lakers' triumphant comeback win over the Mavericks. Look for more heroics from the gritty power forward down the stretch, especially if LeBron James or Anthony Davis gets hurt (like they always do).
Zach Collins, F/C, Spurs (57%)
Collins was Gregg Popovich's second-favorite center next to Jakob Poeltl before Poeltl got dealt back to Toronto, so expect the sixth-year vet's minutes range to remain in the high-20s to low-30s from here on out. He's hit that mark in four consecutive games for San Antonio, and he's coupled the bump in PT with across-the-board production including 13.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The blocks will come, too, as he's averaged 1.3 swats per 36 minutes as a pro and he collected two in the Spurs' Saturday night tilt with Utah.
Kevon Looney, C, Warriors (53%)
Looney has been the old-reliable rebounds and field-goal percentage streamer for a while, but he has also become a reliable source of modest assists and scoring. With Andrew Wiggins out due to personal reasons and Steph Curry still on the shelf, expect Looney to continue holding his own as a solid fantasy asset.
Best Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Sleepers Following All-Star Weekend: Six top pickups under 50 percent rostered
The following six players are available in over 50 percent of Yahoo leagues and make for solid additions and streamers in standard 9-cat formats.
Kyle Anderson, F, Timberwolves (49 percent rostered)
SloMo might be the least exciting player worth rostering in fantasy hoops, but numbers are numbers! And Minnesota needs every last number Anderson has provided of late. You'll regularly see the veteran forward put up lines of 12/9/5/2/1 while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 100 percent from the free-throw line. That kind of production from the wire — not highlight reel plays — is what leads to fantasy championships.
Kenyon Martin Jr., F, Rockets (48%)
KJ cracked the top 100 in 9-cat leagues in the month leading up to the All-Star break, and his usage has only increased since Houston shipped out Eric Gordon and Garrison Matthews. The young Kenyon is an adept slasher, hitting 58.9 percent of his shots over the past month while averaging 14.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 stocks. He scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds against the defending-champion Warriors last Friday, adding two assists, two blocks, and a steal. He also shot 7-of-12 from the floor and 9-of-10 from the stripe in that game. The sky's the limit for this Rocket and what he can do for your fantasy squad.
Josh Okogie, G/F, Suns (46%)
Okogie has been sizzling since Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson got shipped out of the desert for injured superstar Kevin Durant. In Phoenix's four games leading up to the All-Star break, the Nigerian averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2.3 steals. And while KD should be debuting for the Suns soon, we don't see Monty Williams suddenly dropping the athletic wingman down to 15-20 minutes while easing Durant back to action. The scoring might go down a bit for Okogie, but we see his strong rebounding and steals numbers — as well as his shooting efficiency — sticking around for the foreseeable future.
Donte DiVincenzo, G, Warriors (43%)
DiVincenzo has been awesome in his impossible quest to fill Steph Curry's shoes while the reigning Finals MVP is injured. DD has banged out four-plus triples in three of the past five games and five of the past eight. He's a strong rebounder for a slender guard, and a playmaker capable of dropping 3-5 assists per game with relative ease. But his 3-4 steal upside pushes him from stream candidate to borderline must-own.
Kevin Love, F/C, Heat (41%)
Keep an eye on Love in his new post-buyout digs — power forward was a big hole in Miami, and Erik Spoelstra needed a three-point shooter and rebounder. Love checks all those boxes, and has the veteran leadership that could help Heat Culture finally return to Heat dominance. Love posted a 13-13 double-double in his second game with the Heat, perhaps the beginning of a beautiful fantasy fit. Monitor for now, but consider adding him the moment he comes close to replicating that line.
Daniel Gafford, C, Wizards (36%).
Gafford endured a brutal stretch prior to the All-Star break, but he appears to be back on track after a 15/11/1/2/1 line at Chicago on Sunday night. Now, if he only gets 25-30 minutes in games Kristaps Porzingis sits, you probably want to stay away in 12-team leagues. But in deep leagues — or if Gaff goes back to regularly playing alongside KP — the veteran center deserves to see his ownership rise back toward 50 percent.
