Actually not a lot to report in terms of significant news to come out of week five. However, week six brings with it an interesting schedule, due to the fact Thanksgiving delivers us a slate of zero games. Streaming is going to be tough this week, with a lot of high-volume days, meaning GMs will be wanting to target Tuesday and Sunday. Every other day of the week has at least eight games which could very well mean your roster is full, reducing the need for streaming.

In this edition of Working the Wire, we’ll take a look at the games scheduled for week six, including those teams that have a back-to-back set. Before looking ahead, let’s quickly take a look at last week’s waiver wire pickups and whether we struck gold or came up empty. We will then run down the list of players you could consider picking up for longer than a couple of games, although do remember that not every player is going to suit your needs. Finally, we take a look at a list of current streaming options, based on categorical need.

Games Schedule – Week 6

Back to Backs

Mon/Tues: 
Tues/Weds: DET, LAL, MIA, POR
Weds/Thurs:
Thurs/Fri:
Fri/Sat: ATL, CHA, CHI, MIN, NOP, NYK, ORL, PHX, UTA, WAS
Sat/Sun: 
Sun/Mon (of Week 4): IND, LAC

A Look Back…

Guards

Killian Hayes (185th ranked player) – I’ll take a pass here because of injury

Terrence Ross (123rd ranked player) – Unsexy, but I’ll take a win

R.J. Hampton (195th ranked player) – Not ideal but ended the week strongly, maybe a pass?

Herbert Jones (169th ranked player) – Unless you just wanted steals, a loss here

Forwards

Darius Bazley (225th ranked player) – Clearly a loss

Jae Crowder (257th ranked player) – Another loss

Nassir Little (170th ranked player) – I’m going with a win because I think he will continue to get better

Pat Connaughton (115th ranked player) – Another boring win

Centers

Frank Kaminsky (273rd ranked player) – Yuck

Daniel Theis (254th ranked player) – Yuck again

Waiver Wire Options

Guards

Jalen Suggs – Suggs is yet to fully break out but has looked a lot more comfortable since returning from injury. It feels like things should continue to get better as the season progresses, meaning his best is ahead of him. He is not there just yet in terms of being a must-add player, however, if you want to get ahead of the curve and can afford some ups and downs, he is worth a look.

Monte Morris – Morris has played well over the past two weeks, assuming a larger role on the offensive end without Michael Porter Jr. He is coming off an average game and so he may have been dropped in a few spots. If you need a typically efficient guard who can chip in some steals and assists, look no further.

Kevin Huerter – With De’Andre Hunter set to miss extended time, Huerter has stepped into the starting five. He is just outside the top-100 over the past week and makes for a pretty solid pickup in most formats. He doesn’t have a ton of upside but he is a great fit alongside Trae Young and this role is something he has assumed previously.

Cody Martin – The Hornets are one of the most entertaining teams to watch this season, and while certain names are garnering plenty of attention, Martin has been flying under the radar. He is a top-100 player over the past seven days and ranks just outside the top-100 for the season. If you need a player who has a seemingly consistent role and can deliver a steady stream of steals, Martin fits the bill.

Forwards

Evan Fournier – Fournier started the season with a bang but has since gone downhill fast. Having been dropped in a number of leagues, he could very well be floating around, just waiting for another chance. Saturday brought with it Fournier’s best game in a while, meaning it could be time to snap him up while the going is good.

Talen Horton-Tucker – The return of LeBron James meant Horton-Tucker took a sizeable hit to his production. Of course, this was something we all saw coming, although the drop-off was quite substantial. Shortsighted GMs may have been quick to react and subsequently dropped him. If that is the case in your league, I believe he is worth picking up, just to see how things settle after a handful of games together.

Jarred Vanderbilt – The power forward spot has long been a talking point when it comes to the Wolves’ rotations. Based on what we have seen over the past week, Vanderbilt appears to have distanced himself slightly from the rest of the pack. He can rack up defensive stats and typically grabs more than a handful of boards. It could be short-lived but for now, he looks to be a viable 12-team asset.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl – The Thunder continue to change up their starting rotation but it is somewhat clear that they are keen to see what Robinson-Earl can bring to the table. He is coming off one of his better games on Saturday and although the path to minutes is far from certain, he is absolutely worth consideration.

Centers

Chimezie Metu – Metu is running as the starting power forward for the Kings and has played at least 20 minutes in six straight games. It is unclear whether he will stick in the opening five moving forward which does muddy the waters a little. He is probably more of a 14-team option but those in 12-team leagues could just add him to see what happens.

Isaiah Hartenstein – Hartenstein has been a worthwhile streaming option all season but his play over the past week has him as a fringe top-60 player. His per-minute upside is fantastic and so while he’s playing 20 minutes per night, he needs to be added in deeper formats. GMs in standard leagues could also consider throwing him on the end of their bench, just to see where this goes. However, do keep in mind that Serge Ibaka should return on Sunday, which could put a pin in Hartenstein’s upside.

Streaming Targets

Points

Kevin Love

Patty Mills

Frank Jackson

Eric Gordon

Alec Burks

Kelly Oubre Jr.

3-pointers 

Patty Mills

Frank Jackson

Eric Gordon

Alec Burks

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Grayson Allen

Assists

Joe Ingles

Tyus Jones

Davion Mitchell

Derrick Rose

Shake Milton

T.J. McConnell

Rebounds

Ed Davis*

Chris Boucher

Dwight Powell

Deni Avdija

JaVale McGee

Hassan Whiteside

Steals

Alec Burks

Isaac Okoro

T.J. McConnell

Frank Jackson

Jae Crowder

Gary Payton II

Blocks

Chris Boucher

JaVale McGee

Hassan Whiteside

Goga Bitadze

Charles Bassey

Ed Davis*

Is Adam on the money with his Waiver Wire piece? Let him know in our Fantasy Basketball Forums or over on our members-only Discord channel

For anything fantasy basketball-related, Adam has you covered. Follow him on Twitter @adamking91 or hit us up @SportsEthos or @ethosfantasyBK