Last Updated on January 13, 2026 11:28 am by Mike Passador | Published: January 13, 2026

We are officially in the “dog days” of the NBA calendar. We’ve reached the halfway point of the marathon, and while the shine of the early season has faded, the stakes have never been higher. With the trade deadline looming and reality setting in for struggling franchises, the waiver wire is no longer just about filling holes, it’s about anticipating the shifts.

From injury-ravaged rosters like Dallas to the back-to-back grind, the margins for error are thin. Today’s Cheat Sheet breaks down the must-add targets, the tactical streamers for a heavy schedule week and the vital injury updates you need to stay ahead of the curve.

Top Pickups

This is the “general must-add” section regardless of the slate. If these players are being overlooked and remain chilling on the waiver wire, consider adding them to your squad.

Jay Huff (19%)

Sometimes fantasy basketball hands you a very clean signal and Jay Huff just sent one with high-definition clarity. The line jumps off the page — 20 points, four triples, defensive stats sprinkled in — but the real headline is the 28 minutes in a tight win over Boston. That’s not garbage time, that’s trust. Huff’s stat set is exactly the kind that plays in fantasy, spacing the floor, blocks and not hurting you anywhere when the shots fall.

The equation with Huff isn’t complicated and that’s part of the appeal. If the role holds, the value holds. Health and his ability to survive longer stretches remain the only real speed bumps, but Indiana isn’t pretending to be anything other than a team looking forward and Huff looks like their center for the rest of the ride. When a non-contending team hands a fantasy-friendly big real minutes, the move is usually simple. If he’s still on your waiver wire, you add and figure out the rest later.

Malik Monk (16%)

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