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February 27, 2022, 6:18 amIn this edition of Working the Wire, we’ll take a look at the games scheduled for week 19, 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 19
Team MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN Total ATL @bos CHI @was 3 BKN TOR @tor MIA @bos 4 BOS ATL MEM BKN 3 CHA @mil @cle SAS 3 CHI @mia @ATL MIL 3 CLE MIN CHA @phi TOR 4 DAL @lal GSW SAC 3 DEN OKC HOU NOP 3 DET @was @tor IND 3 GSW @min @dal @lal 3 HOU LAC UTA @den MEM 4 IND @orl @orl @det @was 4 LAC @hou LAL NYK 3 LAL DAL @lac GSW 3 MEM SAS @bos ORL @hou 4 MIA CHI @mil @bkn PHI 4 MIL CHA MIA @chi PHX 4 MIN @cle GSW @okc POR 4 NOP SAC UTA @den 3 NYK @phi @phx @lac 3 OKC SAC @den MIN UTA 4 ORL IND IND @TOR @mem 4 PHI NYK CLE @mia 3 PHX POR NYK @mil 3 POR @phx @min 2 SAC @okc @nop @sas @dal 4 SAS @mem SAC @cha 3 TOR @BKN BKN DET ORL @cle 5 UTA @hou @nop @okc 3 WAS DET Atl IND 3 Total 7 6 8 7 9 6 8 Back to Backs
Mon/Tue: MIN
Tue/Wed: HOU
Wed/Thu: MIA, SAC
Thu/Fri: DET
Fri/Sat: MIN, PHI
Sat/Sun: MEM
Sun/Mon (of Week 20): HOU, NYK, UTAA Look Back…
Guards
Devin Vassell (126th ranked player) – A solid win and looks to be a ROS asset
Justise Winslow (58th ranked player) – Another nice win and could have sustained value, barring another injury
Cam Thomas (109th ranked player) – A win here but really just a points and 3s guy
Reggie Bullock (82nd ranked player) – I’ll call this a win but the injury hurts
Forwards
Aleksej Pokusevski (163rd ranked player) – Technically a loss but still looking like a possible add
Thad Young (230th ranked player) – We’ll go with a loss but his role is slowly increasing
Danilo Gallinari (142nd ranked player) – Probably a borderline win but can be dropped when Collins returns
Deni Avdija (66th ranked player) – Pretty clear win and the Wizards are leaning into him a bit more
Centers
Brandon Clarke (25th ranked player) – A big win and if only he could get more minutes
Daniel Gafford (309th ranked player) – Gamble didn’t pay off here. I’m losing faith in things
Waiver Wire Options
Guards
Raul Neto
It’s hard to know exactly what the Wizards are going to do with their point guard rotation but for now, it appears Neto is at least going to be the starter. Prior to the past game, he had been the preferred option in terms of playing time, and thus he had been a solid add. Despite the fact Ish Smith saw more time in the last game, I still think Neto has the inside running as the preferred fantasy option.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Unlike the point guard position, Caldwell-Pope has his hands firmly on the starting shooting guard role as it stands right now. His production can be inconsistent but his floor is generally safe enough if you are simply looking for 3s and steals. His minutes appear safe and so he makes for a solid, yet unsexy pickup in most competitive leagues.
Donte DiVincenzo
DiVincenzo continues to come off the bench for his new team but has been able to carve out a nice role for himself. He is just outside the top-50 over the past week, thanks primarily to his 2.3 steals per game. He won’t typically bring volumous scoring numbers to the table but if it’s steals and assists you are after, feel free to give him a look.
Brandon Goodwin
With both Darius Garland and Rajon Rondo on the sideline, Goodwin is going to get a good look at the starting point guard role. We have seen him flirt with 12-team value in the past, albeit inconsistently. He comes with an element of risk but given the opportunity, he is certainly worth grabbing in most spots right now.
Cameron Payne
I’m going to throw Payne in here despite the fact he is currently out with a wrist injury. When he does make his return, he could very well find himself in the starting lineup with Chris Paul done for at least the next six weeks. Even if he isn’t starting, he is clearly the Suns’ best option at point guard, other than Devin Booker, and so he should be logging at least 28 minutes per night once he gets his legs back under him.
Forwards
Carmelo Anthony
With Anthony Davis going down with yet another injury, Anthony seems likely to move into a more prominent role once again. The last time Davis was down, Anthony was able to put up top-100 numbers, something that seems sustainable until Davis is back. Now as we know, Anthony is certainly not the player he once was but he can still score the ball as well as just about anyone on this Lakers team, making him a decent flier for anyone seeking points and 3s.
Terance Mann
Projecting the Clippers’ rotation is pretty much impossible at this point. However, Mann has appeared to have found some of the form that we saw during the playoffs last season, making him a worthwhile 12-team consideration. Of course, this could all fall off a cliff in a hurry given the fact some poor production could mean result in a reduced role. If you have an open roster spot, go and snap him up and just see what happens when they return to the floor later this week.
Darius Bazley
Bazley has been up and down all season, much as we had projected. However, over the past week, he has been a top-60 player, putting up decent production across the board. While this is unlikely sustainable, we do know that he can rack up the rebounds while contributing on the defensive end of the floor. His scoring is generally the category that fluctuates, severely impacting your field goal percentage at times. If you can absorb the hit there, he makes sense as a 12-team addition.
Cameron Johnson
Chris Paul has basically been ruled out for the remainder of the regular season, meaning Johnson is going to see close to 30 minutes per night moving forward. The eventual return of Cameron Payne is going to muddy the waters a little but given what we have seen from Johnson thus far this season, he should be a relatively safe addition in most competitive formats.
Centers
Maxi Kleber
With Kristaps Porzingis now out of the picture, Kleber has been able to increase his value, putting up top-55 value over the past week. As we have seen throughout his career, his offensive production can leave a lot to be desired. However, his value stems from his ability to blocks shots and hit 3s, something he has been doing on a regular basis. While his ceiling is nothing spectacular, his floor is safe enough to warrant a roster spot moving forward.
Isaiah Jackson
This one certainly comes with some risk, given the fact we don’t even know when he will return to the court. We have seen what he can do when afforded meaningful playing time, something that has happened only a handful of times thus far this season. It’s fair to say he has been incredibly unlucky when it comes to injuries and so perhaps his fortunes are about the change for the better. If you have a free roster spot, grab Jackson and see if he can get back on the court post-All-Star break.
Streaming Targets
Points
Tre Mann
Doug McDermott
Luke Kennard
Jordan Nwora
Corey Kispert
3-pointers
Luke Kennard
Justin Holiday
Doug McDermott
Corey Kispert
Jordan Nwora
Assists
Dennis Schroder
Tyus Jones
Ish Smith
Lance Stephenson
Facundo Campazzo
Rebounds
Otto Porter
Isaiah Hartenstein
JaVale McGee
Jae Crowder
Isaiah Roby
Steals
Matisse Thybulle
Royce O’Neale
Jae Crowder
Gary Harris
Bruce Brown
Blocks
Hassan Whiteside
Isaiah Hartenstein
Naz Reid
JaVale McGee
Isaiah Roby
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Some things might be off on the schedule chart. For ex. Atlanta plays March 1,3,4, but on the chart they are showing up as only playing 2 games this week. Same with Orlando, I see them playing Feb. 28, Mar. 2,4,5. I didn’t check every team. Am i missing something?
Thanks for pointing that out. I just went through and made some adjustments and it should be accurate now.