Week three brought with it the news we were hoping had passed us by as a number of players were ruled out due to COVID-19 protocols. To be honest, it was a bit of wishful thinking on my part to even consider that this would not be an issue moving forward. But, here we are again. While clearly not as big of an issue as it has been over the past two seasons, it is certainly going to impact fantasy value in general and so knowing which players to target on your waiver wire becomes even more important.

In this edition of Working the Wire, we’ll take a look at the games schedule for week three, 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 4

Back to Backs

Mon/Tues: ATL
Tues/Weds: MIL, POR
Weds/Thurs: IND, MIA, TOR
Thurs/Fri:
Fri/Sat: BOS, CLE, DET, MEM, MIN, NOP
Sat/Sun: LAC
Sun/Mon (of Week 4): BKN, CHA, GSW, NYK, SAC

A Look Back…

Guards

Gary Trent Jr. (9th ranked player) – An obvious hit

Josh Hart (112th ranked player) – I’ll give this one a hit as well

Bruce Brown (149th ranked player) – Close, but probably a slight miss

Jalen Brunson (86th ranked player) – Another hit

Forwards

PJ Washington (99th ranked player) – I’m going to give this a hit, prior to the injury

Franz Wagner (83rd ranked player) – Has cooled off but still a firm hit

Chuma Okeke (139th ranked player) – Perhaps a bit early on this one, making it a miss

Joe Ingles (144th ranked player) – A hit and a miss? Viable option but really up and down

Centers

LaMarcus Aldridge (73rd ranked player) – And a hit to finish up

Waiver Wire Options

Guards

Anfernee Simons – Simons has been very solid for the Blazers and looks to have established a 24-minute role on most nights. He won’t do a lot outside of scoring and 3s but his efficiency does give him some added value. It doesn’t feel as though he is going to break out anytime soon but he is the 114th ranked player thus far, giving him 12-team appeal.

Monte Morris – Michael Porter Jr. went down with a back injury in Saturday’s game and while there is no word on the severity, there is a chance he misses at least a couple of games. Morris is locked in as the starting point guard and if MPJ is not on the floor, there will be a few more shots to go around. Morris is typically efficient from the floor and can add some assists and steals, making him a player worth picking up.

Shake Milton / Georges Niang – The Sixers are going to be without Tobias Harris for at least another week and so they need scoring on the floor. Milton would be the preferred option here and he can deliver points in a hurry. Niang has been able to carve out a nice role and while he doesn’t have as much upside as Milton, both are worth scooping up, at least for the time being.

Patrick Beverley – D’Angelo Russell is currently sidelined with an ankle sprain and until he returns, Beverley should be able to hold down the starting job. He is a proven veteran who can put up numbers across the board, especially in the rebounding category. Once Russell is back, things will change but until then, feel free to give PatBev a look.

Forwards

Aaron Gordon – Rinse and repeat her for Gordon, who is going to benefit should MPJ miss time moving forward. He currently sits outside the top-150 but should be able to vault into the top-120 if the opportunity opens up.

Lu Dort – Dort is actually well down in the rankings but typically does enough to have 12-team value, assuming efficiency is not a primary concern. Currently shooting just 34 percent from the floor, this really drags down his overall value, meaning he has been let go in a few places.

Nic Batum – Shockingly, Batum is the 73rd ranked player this season and yet he remains unrostered in quite a few leagues. He is not going to set the world on fire with his production but the minutes are assured and his across-the-board production lends itself to just about every league at this point.

Furkan Korkmaz – Korkmaz returned on Saturday and blew up for 25 points, including seven triples. He too is benefiting from the Harris absence, but unlike Milton and Niang, he is more of a direct replacement. It will not last forever but for now, grab him and hope he can stay hot from the perimeter.

Centers

Hassan Whiteside – Whiteside is generally viewed as more of a streaming option, and rightfully so. However, in just 16 minutes per game, he is the 115th ranked player and so that should probably be considered his floor moving forward. Clearly, he is not for everyone but if you need rebounds, blocks and efficiency, he could be your man.

Drew Eubanks – This one is perhaps a bit of a stretch and I do feel as though I could be marking this as a miss next week. If That Young has already been snapped up, Eubanks appears as though he is going to be the starting center until Jakob Poeltl returns. Over his last two games, Eubanks has blocked four shots, scored 15 points and grabbed nine boards. Nothing mindblowing but also could be useful.

Streaming Targets

Points

Darius Bazley

Jordan Nwora

Malik Beasley

De’Andre Hunter

Cam Reddish

Cedi Osman

3-pointers 

Cedi Osman

Joe Harris

Justin Holiday

Darius Bazley

Pat Connaughton

Jordan Nwora

Luke Kennard

Assists

Davion Mitchell

Raul Neto

Jordan McLaughlin

Killian Hayes*

Rebounds

Precious Achiuwa

Ivica Zubac

Derrick Favors

Jarred Vanderbilt

Isaiah Hartenstein

DeAndre Jordan

Steals

Gary Payton II

Royce O’Neale

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

PJ Dozier

Eric Bledsoe

Blocks

Alex Len

Derrick Jones

Dwight Powell

Isaiah Hartenstein

JaVale McGee

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