In this edition of Working the Wire, we’ll take a look at the games scheduled for week 17, 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 17

Back to Backs

Mon/Tue: NYK, PHX
Tue/Wed: LAL, MIN, POR, SAC
Wed/Thu: GSW, TOR
Thu/Fri: DET
Fri/Sat: CHA, CHI, CLE, DEN, OKC, ORL, PHI, SAS
Sat/Sun: 
Sun/Mon (of Week 18): 

A Look Back…

Guards

Luke Kennard (251st ranked player) – A loss here but still a soft hold

Patty Mills (103rd ranked player) – A nice win

Austin Rivers (221st ranked player) – A loss, and can I say I’m glad about that?

Gabe Vincent (116th ranked player) – A win but now a drop with Lowry back

Forwards

Lu Dort (33rd ranked player) – A clear win

Dorian Finney-Smith (204th ranked player) – Probably a loss but still a backend guy 

Carmelo Anthony (100th ranked player) – A win but can be dropped due to his injury

Reggie Bullock (25th ranked player) – Very nice win here

Centers

Otto Porter – Injury ruined his week

Maxi Kleber (48th ranked player) – A solid hold until Porzingis is back

Waiver Wire Options

Guards

Monte Morris

This is not the first time Morris has appeared on this list and rest assured, it won’t be the last. His role is secure, that much is clear. His production, on the other hand, tends to fluctuate from week to week. He is inside the top-50 over the past week, his scoring having seen a nice increase. Now is a nice time to go and pick him up again, in the hopes he can maintain this production for at least another few games.

Javonte Green

The 34th ranked player over the past seven days, Green has been flying under the radar in a lot of leagues. While he won’t help you in any one category, he doesn’t have a lot of holes in his game. He can chip in across the board and in his current role, which can be invaluable across all fantasy formats. His floor feels like a 28 minute per night role, more than enough for him to be added in just about every league.

Davion Mitchell

De’Aaron Fox missed another game on Saturday, resulting in another start for Mitchell. He has been impressive over the past week, putting up top-90 numbers. While he doesn’t contribute across the board like Green, Mitchell can provide a nice boost in assists and points, when playing starters minutes. With the trade deadline looming, Mitchell warrants a hold, even if Fox returns to the court this week. The Kings are not a pretty team to watch right now and so it feels inevitable they will be looking to make some moves come Thursday.

Malik Monk

Monk has been a revelation for the Lakers, establishing himself as their best perimeter scorer. Having finally landed in a favorable situation, he has been able to make some huge steps forward this season, especially when it comes to his consistency. He won’t provide upside outside of scoring and 3s but as we have seen from players like Duncan Robinson and Buddy Hield in past seasons, that can be more than enough to warrant rostering in 12-team formats.

Forwards

Blake Griffin

Well, here we are. With the Nets flailing badly and severely lacking in their frontcourt depth, Griffin has been able to turn back the clock over the past week, delivering top-70 value. There is clearly some risk associated with grabbing Griffin, not the least of which is his own health. As it sits right now, he is worth a flier for anyone seeking some low-volume production across a handful of categories.

Chuma Okeke

Another stash candidate here, especially after putting up a dud on Saturday. The Magic feel as though they are ready to move on from at least a couple of guys, namely Gary Harris and Terence Ross. If the path clears for Okeke, he could be in line for a 30 minute per night role the rest of the way. Remembering back to last season, he was somewhat of a difference-maker down the stretch, thanks to his ability to contribute on both ends of the floor.

Jaxson Hayes

Hayes has been playing some of the best basketball of his career over the past week, coinciding with a shift into the starting lineup. However, it has not come at the center position but as their power forward. The return of Josh Hart could put a pin in his current momentum but the Pels could also be looking to make a move or two come Thursday. For right now, it’s simply a matter of grabbing Hayes and asking questions later.

Larry Nance Jr.

Nance is yet to return from a lengthy layoff, making this one a tad controversial. Prior to going down with his injury, Nance had been able to establish himself as the starting power forward in Portland. Since then his main competition for minutes, Robert Covington, has been shipped off to Los Angeles. This clears the way for Nance to play all the minutes he can handle when he does make it back to the court. Of course, the Blazers may not yet be done when it comes to making trades and so anyone taking a flier on Nance will want to monitor the situation closely.

Centers

Alperen Sengun

Having preached Sengun’s upside all season long, it appears the Rockets are finally ready to embrace the chaos. He has played 25 minutes and 29 minutes across each of his last two games, many of which have been alongside Christian Wood. Both players have vocalized their desire to play together and it seems the coaching staff agrees. While he could still be considered a stash, he has been doing more than enough to warrant a roster spot over the past two games.

Isaiah Hartenstein

We might as well finish this list off with another stash candidate. Hartenstein has been able to flirt with 12-team value despite a wildly inconsistent role this season. Common sense would see the Clippers turning to Hartenstein as the backup, ahead of Serge Ibaka who they should really be looking to move. This one might be better suited for those managers who are sitting nicely in their standings and can therefore afford to take a bit of a risk.

Streaming Targets

Points

Doug McDermott

Tre Mann

Frank Jackson

Kevin Huerter

Taurean Prince

3-pointers 

Doug McDermott

Tre Mann

Frank Jackson

Taurean Prince

Brandon Goodwin

Assists

Trent Forrest

Gabe Vincent

Grayson Allen

Kenrich Williams

Josh Christopher

Rebounds

Kevon Looney

Hassan Whiteside

Taurean Prince

Brandon Clarke

P.J. Tucker

Steals

Taurean Prince

Gary Payton II

Trent Forrest

Nerlens Noel

Jose Alvarado

Blocks

Hassan Whiteside

Serge Ibaka

Darius Bazley

Moe Harkless

Kevon Looney

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