In this edition of Working the Wire, we’ll take a look at the games scheduled for week 21, 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 21

Back to Backs

Mon/Tue: 
Tue/Wed: PHX
Wed/Thu: 
Thu/Fri: 
Fri/Sat: CLE, DAL, LAL, WAS
Sat/Sun: 
Sun/Mon (of Week 22): BOS, IND, NOP, OKC, PHI, POR, TOR, UTA

A Look Back…

Guards

Malachi Flynn – No contest here as he was injured all week

Gabe Vincent (307th ranked player) – With Lowry returning to start the week, we’ll go with a loss

Immanuel Quickley (58th ranked player) – Clear win, with his role solidifying…. hopefully

Malik Monk (34th ranked player) – Another clear win here

Forwards

Isaiah Roby (124th ranked player) – Some missed games hurt, but still a win

Jae Crowder (158th ranked player) – Doing more than enough to be rostered, a soft win

Aleksej Pokusevski (151st ranked player) – Up and down but I’m going with a soft win as well

Jalen Smith (78th ranked player) – Has been solid enough, a nice win

Centers

DeMarcus Cousins (323rd ranked player) – Can be streamed at a pinch, but this is a loss

Drew Eubanks (181st ranked player) – Borderline but finished the week strongly

Waiver Wire Options

Guards

Alex Caruso

Chances are Caruso has already been snapped up in most leagues and after Saturday’s performance, that rate is likely to increase. We saw earlier in the season just how important he is to the Bulls, thus ensuring his role is going to be consistent moving forward. Until Lonzo Ball returns to the court, Caruso is going to be charged with a larger role on the offensive end, only increasing his overall value. His bread is buttered by his ability to rack up steals, something he does at an elite level. Anything else he brings you is just icing on the cake.

Austin Reaves

Reaves has been able to carve out a nice role for himself on a Lakers team that is crying out for a reliable scorer not named LeBron James. He has been a top-90 player over the past week, logging in excess of 30 minutes per night. There are no guarantees here given how raw he is in terms of NBA basketball but he certainly makes for an educated flier, especially with the team struggling the way it is.

Alec Burks

Derrick Rose is still working on getting back on the floor, something that could, realistically, take another few weeks. Burks has established himself as the starting point guard and whether we agree with that decision or not matters very little. He is almost certainly going to impact your percentages in a negative way but outside of that, he typically does enough to warrant being a must-roster player.

Devonte Graham

C.J. McCollum is currently in the health and safety protocols and until such time as he is cleared to return, Graham appears a lock to play meaningful minutes. As we saw to open the season, playing time does not necessarily translate into fantasy production when it comes to Graham. That said, he can be a solid source of points and assists, both of which can be crucial as many GMs work their way through the silly season.

Forwards

Trendon Watford

The 29th ranked player over the past week, Watford has established himself as a future piece for the Blazers. The team is full leaning into their youth at this point, meaning Watford’s role should stick ROS. He has now played at least 29 minutes in five straight games, probably a fair reflection of what is to come. There will obviously be a few bumps in the road but at this point, it’s all about taking chances.

Marvin Bagley III

With Isaiah Stewart sidelined for at least another few games, the Pistons have decided to unleash Bagley as the starting center. So far, he has made a good fist of it, putting up top-80 numbers over the past week. now, his overall game does have a few glaring holes in it but if he is going to see at least 30 minutes a night, his ability to score and grab rebounds alone makes him worthy of a 12-team roster spot.

Kevin Huerter

Huerter has been quietly putting together a nice stretch of games, logging in as the 64th ranked player over the past seven days. His role is a little bit up in the air and often, his playing time is dependent on the fortunes of others. As we have seen in the past, this could all end as quickly as it began and so he does come with an element of risk. However, if you simply need some points and 3s, he is absolutely worth considering.

Jonathan Kuminga

The return of Draymond Green is going to cut into Kuminga’s playing time and so proceed with caution. In 26 minutes per night, the rookie has been a top-90 player over the past week, flashing his ability to score the basketball, while being solid on the boards. If you are to dip your toe in the water here, just be prepared to cut bait if his role diminishes entirely once Green is back to full speed.

Centers

Goga Bitadze

There is little clarity when it comes to Bitadze and it feels as though that is going to be the case ROS. In just 20 minutes per night over the past week, he has been a borderline third-round talent, highlighting his per-minute upside. If you are simply searching for an efficient scorer who can both rebound and block the ball, Bitadze is certainly worth a look in competitive formats.

Dwight Powell

Since the departure of Kristaps Porzingis, it has been Dwight Powell who has taken the ball and run with it, literally. He sits just outside the top-50 over the past week, although, that number is buoyed by the fact he had arguably the best game of his career against the Rockets. That being said, he has established himself as the starting center and is an efficient scorer who crashes the boards, while occasionally chipping in some defensive numbers. Not a ton of upside but certainly a solid backend center in moderately shallow formats.

Streaming Targets

Points

Trey Murphy

Bruce Brown

Grayson Allen

Aaron Wiggins

Danilo Gallinari

3-pointers 

Corey Kispert

Luke Kennard

Grayson Allen

Malik Beasley

Patty Mills

Assists

Ish Smith

Markelle Fultz

Mason Plumlee

Bruce Brown

Coby White

Rebounds

Naz Reid

Daniel Gafford

Mason Plumlee

Chimezie Metu

Willy Hernangomez

Steals

Garrison Mathews

Bruce Brown

Grayson Allen

Aaron Wiggins

Markelle Fultz

Blocks

Mason Plumlee

Jaden McDaniels

Brandon Clarke

Isaiah Hartenstein

Naz Reid

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