As NBA action wraps up its eighth week of play, many teams have begun to stabilize back to reality after some intriguing games. The Jazz have fallen down to No. 9 in the Western Conference, while the Wizards are out of the playoff picture at No. 12 out east. Conversely, the Pelicans have skyrocketed to the top position in the west, while the Bucks and Celtics continue to duke it out over who is the true beast of the east. In any case, every team has some storylines that have been worth following as the NBA season pushes towards Christmas and the new calendar year. At SportsEthos, we hope you are doing more than just watching box scores because watching games live or in extended film beyond highlights can really paint an accurate picture about what trends are real and which ones are a part of the “game script” recently. 

Some food for thought here. A shortlist of players who have somewhat recently returned from long-term injuries looks like Jimmy Butler, Chris Paul, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Khris Middleton. Meanwhile the likes of Desmond Bane, Robert Williams III, Brandon Ingram, John Collins, LaMelo Ball and Jakob Poeltl are still leaving massive holes on real-life rosters that fantasy managers have been able to capitalize on. As managers monitor the status of the league’s best players, there still remain a ton of role players available to help out your fantasy team. Be sure to not miss out on an elite streaming option that lasts even just one week.

In this edition of Working the Wire, I will revisit the last week’s takes to see if there was a win or a loss for each player, while also introducing a few new names rostered less than 50% to look at after Week 8 due to new intel. Remember to take this list and use it how you need it. If an obvious surging player is already scooped up in your competitive league, then our hope is to help you find the next gem ahead of time. If managers are ignoring the more obvious value on the wire, then fire away without spilling the beans on these potential studs while waivers reset for many come Monday morning.

(Positions and rostered percentages are from Yahoo leagues.)

Win or Loss?

Lonnie Walker IV, SG/SF, Lakers (48% rostered last week)

Last week stats: 13.5 PTS, 2.3 REB, 1.0 AST, 0.3 STL, 0.3 BLK, 2.3 3PM, .447 FG, 1.00 FT, 1.0 TO

Win. Walker remains a solid waiver wire add for points and 3-pointers, even as the Lakers have made strides towards being fully healthy. Walker remains in the starting lineup, either as the primary shooting guard or small forward to get some buckets alongside the Lakers superstars. He is a hold for now as a low-end specialist who does not hurt you efficiency-wise.

Markelle Fultz, PG/SG, Magic (45% rostered last week)

Last week stats: 12.0 PTS, 3.3 REB, 3.7 AST, 0.7 STL, 0 BLK, 1.7 3PM, .452 FG, .750 FT, 2.7 TO

Win. Fultz continues to start for the Magic, relegating Cole Anthony to a backup guard despite some uneven scoring totals from both players. Fultz is solid with the counting stats and has the keys to the offense alongside super-sized guard Franz Wagner. Touches get shared plenty with Paolo Banchero, but the assist totals should go up as the team executes more cleanly.

Kevin Love, PF/C, Cavs (44% rostered last week)

Last week stats: 5.0 PTS, 4.5 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1.0 3PM, .333 FG, 0 FT, 2.0 TO

Loss. Love got hurt against the Lakers on Tuesday, and had to miss the next two games. He was slated to have a nice return to the floor after an 11-point, 11-rebound game on December 2nd. However, Love continues to be unreliable more with his health than his actual ability on the floor. Drop for now unless you are a first-place team with multiple IR slots.

Tim Hardaway Jr., SG/SF, Mavs (42% rostered last week)

Last week stats: 16.5 PTS, 2.8 REB, 1.0 AST, 1.3 STL, 0 BLK, 3.8 3PM, .435 FG, .647 FT, 1.3 TO

Win. The free-throw shooting is a bad mark, but the scoring and huge volume of triples have been a revelation for Hardaway over the last couple weeks. He has slowed a bit with the hot shooting, but he has been too solid to give up on already. THJ is up to 64% rostered in Yahoo leagues, so he likely already is not a grab in your league. Hold tight to see how this week goes.

Onyeka Okongwu, C, Hawks (40% rostered last week)

Last week stats: 8.3 PTS, 7.0 REB, 0.3 AST, 0.3 STL, 0.3 BLK, 0 3PM, .600 FG, .700 FT, 1.7 TO

Small win. Look, his stats are not pretty but it is hard to find a near double-double threat on the waiver wire who comes off of the bench. As a starter, it is likely Okongwu has more minutes to grab a steal or a block like he commonly does in bigger minutes. For now, he is a great stash candidate as John Collins (left ankle) is still on the trade block for the Hawks.

Justise Winslow, SF/PF, Blazers (34% rostered last week)

Last week stats:

Loss. The return of Damian Lillard has dropped his minutes to 23 minutes or less over his last three. On Saturday, Winslow only played 14 minutes and did not have enough time on the floor to be productive. The moral of the story is that he gains the most from Lillard missing games, running the point forward show when that happens. Drop for now, though.

Kyle Anderson, SF/PF, Wolves (33% rostered last week)

Last week stats: 12.0 PTS, 6.0 REB, 6.0 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.3 BLK, .600 FG, .857 FT, 0 3PM, 2.3 TO

Big win. Anderson had a monstrous 15-7-12 game with three defensive stats on Friday, while following it up with a 14-7-6 game on Saturday. He is an all-around performer who is reaping the rewards in a big way after Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) will be out heading into 2023. Anderson will not be quite this good ROS, but at the end of rosters he is absolutely solid.

Walker Kessler, PF/C, Jazz (25% rostered last week)

Last week stats: 8.7 PTS, 9.0 REB, 0.3 AST, 0.3 STL, 2.7 BLK, 0 3PM, .750 FG, .667 FT, 0.7 TO

Big win. The 9.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocks are incredible for someone who did not play more than 24 minutes as either a starter or bench player. His role will surely continue to shift up and down the rotation, but at this point his production is becoming unlocked in 20-plus minute runs. This is a strong hold with upside if he ever becomes a permanent starter for Utah.

Immanuel Quickly, PG/SG, Knicks (20% rostered last week)

Last week stats: 10.3 PTS, 3.3 REB, 3.0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1.3 3PM, .444 FG, 1.00 FT, 2.0 TO

Tiny win. The counting stats and triples off of the bench were solid, but the lack of defense completely saps any real value that Quickley could have. Unless the coaches out in New York give him the keys to be the outright backup point guard behind Jalen Brunson, the unfortunate truth is that Quickley likely does not have enough volume to stay on teams.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, PF/C, Thunder (10% rostered last week)

Last week stats:7.7 PTS, 6.0 REB, 0.7 AST, 0 STL, 0.3 BLK, 1.0 3PM, .455 FG, 0 FT, 1.3 TO

Loss. Robinson-Earl was never going to be a fantasy force, but he was not able to get much run on Saturday against the Cavs. This ruined a streak of 25-plus minutes over his last five games, somewhat ruining his rebounding ability in only 16 minutes instead. In 14-team leagues or deeper, this may still be worth the flier; however, 12-team managers can drop for now.

Post-Week 8 Targets

Lonnie Walker, SG/SF, Lakers (49% rostered)

Though the Lakers mixed up their starting lineup recently, it is Walker who remained with the first unit all week. He does not contribute much at all in the assists or steals columns, but his scoring on the season has been so solid. On the season, he has put up 16.0 points and has knocked down 2.0 triples each game on decent percentages. Another benefit here is his touches go up a good amount when LeBron James or Anthony Davis have to sit out due to injury. The upside is not the absolute highest here, but there are far worse players being rostered right now.

Walker Kessler, PF/C, Jazz (46% rostered)

This is a formal last call to grab Kessler before he is off of a majority of waiver wires. The talented rookie big man had a juicy game on Wednesday that saw him haul in 12 boards with five blocks alongside 10 points (5-of-6 FG). In the next two games, Kessler has been a near-double-double threat while shooting with an efficiency that would put him amongst league leaders if he qualified in attempts. Despite battling with Jarred Vanderbilt for the starting big man spot, it is clear that the Jazz need both of them to be productive if they are to compete in general.

Moritz Wagner, PF/C, Magic (46% rostered)

The main player to benefit from Wendell Carter Jr. (right foot strain) missing time, Wagner has nearly put up a double-double over the last week with 16.7 points and 9.7 boards. The German big man has also had 1.7 combined defensive stats with 0.7 triples, balancing his stat set in a very large way. As long as Carter Jr. is sitting out, Wagner is a must-start option due to his diverse skill set that keeps him on the floor more than Mo Bamba. When WCJ returns, it may be worth holding the older Wagner brother at least one game to see the rotation outcome.

Markelle Fultz, PG/SG, Magic (44% rostered)

The starting point guard heading into Week 9, Fultz remains a solid back-end option at the end of rosters needing some decent counting stats. Some nights, he may not attempt all that many shots, but he is constantly involved with running the offense for this young roster. On the defensive end, he normally averages 1.1 steals per game over the course of his up-and-down career. Stabilization with the steals and a small uptick in his free-throw shooting towards his last two seasons would do him some real good for his 9-cat fantasy hoops outlook.

Marcus Morris Sr., PF/C, Clippers (44% rostered)

Serving as the starting power forward for the Clippers, Morris continues to be a solid player who can score while grabbing rebounds and knocking down plenty of triples. Over the past week he has hit 2.7 3-pointers while scoring 14.0 points per game, despite Kawhi Leonard and Paul George returning to the lineup recently. There have been plenty of trade rumors involving Morris, but he remains a solid option for fantasy managers who need that scoring with low-end peripheral stats. Similar to Walker, he is better than a lot of players already rostered.

Caleb Martin , SF/PF, Heat (42% rostered)

A bit of an iron man starter for the constantly banged-up Heat, Martin has found his scoring touch over the last couple games even as Jimmy Butler has remained healthy recently. He has been a steals specialist, nabbing 1.2 per game on the season while shooting an impressive 42.0% from downtown. There is never going to a high scoring ceiling here for Martin, but his peripheral stats have kept him at or above the 12-team cut line all season. The Heat need players who can stay on the floor through the injury bug and different rest days, and Martin is that guy.

Andrew Nembhard, PG/SG, Pacers (41% rostered)

Starting alongside Tyrese Haliburton and playing big minutes, Nembhard has been racking up assists over the last two weeks while knocking down a few triples each night. The rookie guard has played at least 29 minutes in each of his last six games as the understudy to Haliburton. The stat set for Nembhard is not as poppy but it certainly is serviceable with 12.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.4 steals over the past week. Haliburton was out for a couple games, so keep that in mind moving forward despite the potential upside.

Onyeka Okongwu, C, Hawks (38% rostered)

The best big man stash candidate on this list behind Kessler, there is more than just streaming upside here while John Collins (left ankle sprain) is on the injury report and in trade rumors. Okongwu continues to flash a ton of upside when he receives more than 20 minutes to play in a game, but that is a rarity on most nights. If you are struggling in the standings, there is less reason to hold on here for the potential blocks and rebounds especially. However, if the Hawks send Collins out the door or if Capela goes down, there is a lot to gain for Okongwu.

Kyle Anderson, SF/PF, Wolves (36% rostered)

At this point, Anderson is looking so solid that his all-around play somewhat takes away from talented defensive wing Jaden McDaniels. Anderson is not a spectacular option for any single category, but his smooth style of play continues to get the job done on the offensive end. Defensively, his length allows him to usually collect a block and a steal while swinging around the court as someone who is a vital piece of a team’s help defense. Until Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) fully returns and limits Anderson’s playing time, hold on tightly here.

Grayson Allen, SG/SF, Bucks (22% rostered)

More of a 14-team roster lock than in standard leagues, Allen has remained a starter alongside Jrue Holiday in the Bucks backcourt. His defensive versatility as a taller player than Jevon Carter allows the latter to play more as a 94-foot pest for backup guards. As Allen is a solid shooter, his 1.5 triples over the last week and 2.3 3-pointers over the last 14 days are a testament to what he can bring as a low-level fantasy add. If he is knocking down his shots and nabbing about a steal per game, he is worth having on your team in deeper formats.