In this edition of Working the Wire, we’ll take a look at the games scheduled for week 12, 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 12

Back to Backs

Mon/Tues: MEM, NOP
Tues/Weds: IND, SAC, SAS, TOR
Weds/Thurs: BOS, DET, GSW
Thurs/Fri: 
Fri/Sat: MIL, UTA
Sat/Sun: LAC, MEM, ORL
Sun/Mon (of Week 12): CHA, DAL, MIA, MIN, ORL

A Look Back…

Guards

Malik Monk (34th ranked player) – Obviously, a strong win

Luke Kennard (174th ranked player) – I’ll take this as a pass

Max Strus (194th ranked player) – Now in the protocols, so a loss here

Kemba Walker (302nd ranked player) – Injured again, another loss

Forwards

Cam Johnson (66th ranked player) – A big win

Saddiq Bey (30th ranked player) – Another big win

Jalen McDaniels (151st ranked player) – Small win here I think

Otto Porter (90th ranked player) – A win, I guess, but barely

Centers

Omer Yurtseven (86th ranked player) – A pretty clear win

Mason Plumlee (49th ranked player) – And to round out, another win

Waiver Wire Options

Guards

Facundo Campazzo

Coming off his best game of the season, it’s fair to say Campazzo is at the peak of his value right now. For that reason, this could be considered a short-term opportunity. Monte Morris and Bones Hyland are both set to return in the next week, something that will no doubt have an impact on Campazzo’s value moving forward. That said, he brings a different set of skills to the table for the Nuggets, something that cannot be replicated too easily. Despite an element of risk, he is worth grabbing to see if he can maintain this momentum.

Eric Bledsoe

With Luke Kennard the latest player to enter the health and safety protocols, Bledsoe is going to get another week as a starter. After falling in a hole on the tails of what was a nice start to the season, Bledsoe has slowly been able to rebuild his profile. He should at least be a solid source of both assists and steals, giving him a decent floor moving forward. His scoring will come and go but as we saw on Saturday, he can certainly still get it done on the offensive end.

Aaron Wiggins

The Thunder will welcome back Josh Giddey but unfortunately, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will replace him in the protocols. This should result in another week of Wiggins as he attempts to show the coaching staff what he is made of. As we know, the Thunder are simply looking to invest in their young core. While Wiggins is not there just yet, the next few games could be crucial when it comes to his long-term prospects.

Forwards

Herb Jones

Jones has been a nice surprise for the Pelicans this season, although it has not translated to significant fantasy value. However, over the past two weeks, Jones is the 50th ranked player in standard formats thanks to an uptick in his scoring, as well as strong defensive numbers. Charting his progression as we move forward is difficult given the uncertainty surrounding the entire roster. For now, he simply needs to be picked up everywhere, at least until we get a clearer picture of where he fits long-term.

Devin Vassell

Vassell has been a source of frustration for many this season, and with good reason. Despite some obvious upside, the Spurs are yet to fully unleash him. Granted, an injury did halt his momentum, coming at a really bad time. With a couple of his teammates now in the protocols, Vassell has an opportunity to step up. There is a decent chance he was dropped in a lot of competitive leagues and so now is the time to grab him, again, and see if he can finally grab a hold of his opportunity.

Hamidou Diallo

Diallo has been balling out over the past week, clocking in as the 22nd ranked player despite shooting just 62 percent from the line. Obviously, the numbers he has been putting up are unsustainable, I think we can all agree on that. The Pistons are set to welcome back a host of players over the next few games, leaving Diallo’s role up in the air. Moving forward, there appears to be a safe enough floor, especially for those punting free throw percentages, for him to have some sustainable value.

Josh Richardson

Richardson has really just been a disappointment since leaving the Heat a few years ago. In moving to Boston, the hope was that he would be able to rediscover the form that had him as a must-roster player. Up until now, things have not worked out as we would have hoped. However, the last couple of games has seen him starting to look like the old Josh Richardson. Without getting ahead of ourselves, Richardson is worth grabbing, just in case he can turn this in some sustained production.

Dorian Finney-Smith

I’m really just throwing Finney-Smith in here because for some reason, I have seen him available in a few places. Quite simply, this should not be the case. He is the 92nd ranked player this season, upping that to top-60 over the past month. The numbers speak for themselves.

Centers

Nic Claxton

Claxton continues to present a polarizing case, although we have seen what he can do over the past week. He shifted to the bench against the Clippers on Saturday but still ended the night with a double-double and two defensive counters. It is unclear whether the shift was a matchup-based decision or if it will stick moving forward. No matter the eventual outcome, I think he has done enough to prove to the coaching staff that he needs to be on the floor for at least 20 minutes per night. More than enough for him to have some backend value, at the very worst.

Jalen Smith

Smith’s value is clearly tied to the fact that both Deandre Ayton and JaVale McGee are out at the moment, so this is just a short-term thing. He has been a very solid option over the past few games and while that is almost certainly going to come to an end, he should be able to have some limited value, even when Ayton returns.

Streaming Targets

Points

Coby White

Alec Burks

Terance Mann

Justin Holiday

Garrett Temple

3-pointers 

Coby White

Justin Holiday

Ben McLemore

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Alec Burks

Assists

Cameron Payne

Coby White

Brandon Goodwin

R.J. Hampton

Tim Frazier

Rebounds

Taj Gibson

Deni Avdija

Jaxson Hayes

Luka Garza

Damian Jones

Steals

Deni Avdija

Otto Porter

Justin Holiday

Gary Payton II

Matisse Thybulle

Blocks

Damian Jones

Matisse Thybulle

Taj Gibson

Chris Boucher

Brandon Clarke

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