Last Updated on December 4, 2025 5:03 pm by Mike Passador | Published: December 4, 2025

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time to hit the waiver wire and see what’s out there. We have seen a few guys go from speculative add to must-start stud already, and the pickings are getting a little slimmer as those obvious wins are off the board. Rest assured there are still some players on the wire who will be able to join that club in the weeks and months ahead.

As usual, the article will be broken down as follows:

• Double-Check Zone: Players who should be on a 12-team roster, but whose roster percentages suggest you need to make sure they’re not on your wire.
• Standard Leagues: Players worth an add in standard leagues with a potential path to value over a decent stretch of time (or the season).
• Streamers, Maybe More: Players on a hot streak or a path to short-term value with a smaller chance of long-term upside if certain things break their way.
• Watch-List: Players who may not quite be surefire adds yet, but those who should be monitored in case they trend up.
• Deep Leagues: Lower-rostered players who should be available in 14-team or 16-team leagues and beyond.

We’re into the season for real now, which means some managers are making panic moves and dropping guys with legitimate season-long appeal for the flavor of the week. It also means that we’re getting a glimpse into the thought process for a lot of teams, with new rotations emerging and injury news creating massive opportunities for players to break out.

Double-Check Zone

Most of these players will be rostered in competitive leagues, but we get just enough questions about them to warrant another call-out. These are your priority adds and if anyone on this list is still available, thank your lucky stars. We’re not going to get too deep into the weeds here since most readers won’t have the chance to add any of these guys, but you never know.

Keegan Murray (51%)
Key Note(s): 38.6 mpg with elite defensive production and some long-term promise

Murray has been excellent since making his season debut and the Kings are giving him a ton of minutes. Since his season debut, Murray has at least one steal and one block in every game and is one of the only guys on the Kings roster who looks like he might be a contributor the next time the team is good. He has a track record of easy top-100 production (conservatively) and there’s no reason for him to be on waivers in nearly half of all Yahoo leagues.

Jay Huff (27%)
Key Notes: Has grabbed starting center spot and has elite stat set

The Pacers finally decided to give Huff a shot at the starting center role and he has grabbed the bull by the horns. The minutes are stabilizing at a good level — though they could still go higher — and Huff has the dream stat set of 3-pointers and blocks by the handful. To top it off, he’s actually playing well in real life. Huff is a top-60 guy in the last two weeks.

Kevin Porter Jr. (49%)
Key Note(s): Back from injury and already playing a ton

Porter returned from his torn meniscus and went straight into the starting lineup, slotting in next to Ryan Rollins. The Bucks avoided a dumb either-or situation and are just giving fantasy GMs two viable guard options. If Porter was dropped in your league after his injury and the rise of Rollins, go scoop him up at once.

Zach Edey (51%)
Key Note(s): Edey is posting top-25 value and dragging the Grizzlies back into the fight

Edey has leveled up his game so far. He’s a walking double-double and he’s not getting cheap ones, averaging 15.8 points, 13.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks over his last five contests — and that includes a game where Edey left after six minutes because of a migraine. Edey is also managing to do this without a real point guard running the pick-and-roll. He’s a legit force in the interior and should be rostered in all leagues.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker (48%)
Key Note(s): Really? Still?

Alexander-Walker has been a must-start since he dropped into the starting five, which was several weeks ago. The guys above him on this list, you can almost understand why they might be on waivers. But not NAW.

Ryan Rollins (57%)
Key Note(s): Still starting alongside Kevin Porter Jr., still providing excellent play

Rollins is another player who is long gone in competitive leagues, but he’s still available widely enough that we have to mention him here. Maybe someone dropped him once Kevin Porter Jr. returned with a big line, but the two guards can share the backcourt and both produce 12-team value.

Grayson Allen (37%)
Key Note(s): Injuries have slowed him down but Allen deserves some patience

Allen has been fading from the consciousness a little bit of late because he hasn’t been in the lineup. He missed seven straight games with a quad contusion and then one for illness after a one-game return. If that has gotten him dropped in your leagues, go add him. Allen should be safe as long as Jalen Green (hamstring) is out so if you can hold him through this wave of injury troubles, you’ll end up with a nice value once he gets going again.

Reed Sheppard (43%)
Key Note(s): Strong 3-pointers and steals, and the rest of his game is coming around

Sheppard is averaging 13.2 points and 3.2 assists per game this year. That’s not what managers were hoping for out of the guy projected to be Houston’s starting PG. And yet, Sheppard is just outside the top-50 on the season thanks to a .477 mark from the field with 2.6 triples, 1.7 steals and 0.6 blocks per contest. The scoring and assists are almost the cherry on top of the sundae here. Yes, it’s annoying that Sheppard isn’t a full-time starter, but he is doing way more than enough to have a spot in all fantasy leagues.

Jaden McDaniels (45%)
Key Note(s): Triple-one with cash counters, a middle-round value last season, and we’re here?

McDaniels is another player where there’s just no reason for him not to be more widely rostered. The results speak for themselves.

Kon Knueppel (51%)
Key Note(s): Has been Charlotte’s best player this year

Knueppel was a speculative add during some early injury troubles but he has emerged as Charlotte’s best player to this point in the season. He’s become way more than a 3-point threat too, and Knueppel looks like a real building block while rumors start to circulate around LaMelo Ball. He’s a top-90 value who is locked into big minutes, so go add him if you’ve been dragging your feet to this point.

Donte DiVincenzo (43%)
Key Note(s): Perpetually underrated, but this is a bit much

DiVincenzo has a firm grasp of the starting PG job and been a top-75 value on the year. His scoring can bounce around night-to-night but DiVincenzo is clearly a must-start player and there’s no way he should’ve even been on waivers to start the season in any competitive league.

Toumani Camara (43%)
Key Note(s): Sluggish start but shooting is improving, and track record is strong

Camara has failed to live up to last season’s production so far, posting just top-145 value in 9-cat scoring. His volume is up but his efficiency is down, and the volume hasn’t increased by enough to make that a worthwhile trade. Camara’s steals have also decreased by 0.5 a game. That said, he has held onto his starting spot and remains a high-minute player because of his elite defense and it’s only a matter of time before that translates to the box score. He is heating up with top-85 value in the last couple of weeks, hitting .479 from the field with 3.3 3-pointers per game — his steals and FT% are actually down from their season average in that time, so there’s more room for improvement. The setup and stat set are too good to leave Camara on the wire in 12-team leagues.

Standard Leagues

These players are either approaching 12-team value or have already seized it but every fantasy league may not have caught on to that yet. They may not be guaranteed to hold ROS value but they are worth a look nonetheless as it may be a possibility, or there may at least be some medium-to-long-term appeal. And some, primarily those at the top of this list, are about to hit the jets and need to be picked up before they’re gone forever.

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