Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Adds for the Stretch Run

Hello! Welcome Back! This is one of my favorite annual columns – the post-All-Star break zoom out.

There have only been 10 games since last week's article, which means most of the names would be the same if we stuck to the normal format. So, instead, we're changing it up a bit.

Today we're zooming out and looking at the next six weeks as a whole. Who can help for the entire stretch run? Who might be primed for a championship-defining breakout? No short-term injury replacements or unsustainable hot streaks this week – just guys who might still be on your roster as it hoists that championship trophy.

If you want a more traditionally focused article, check out last week's piece.

As always, the players in this article must be rostered in less than two-thirds of CBS leagues. Players are listed in the order that I recommend adding them, assuming they are equally good fits for your team.

Adds for all leagues

Caris LeVert, Hawks (53% rostered)

LeVert maintains the top spot this week because LeVert is a rest-of-season pickup. The reason his value surged is because his situation changed at the trade deadline, and coach Quin Snyder is using him more than we "experts" anticipated. After a one-game adjustment period, LeVert has taken over a massive role as a big-minutes sixth man. Over the last three games, he's averaging 17-7-3 while playing 31.7 minutes per game off the bench. He's attempted between 11-13 shots in each of those, another indication of a consistent role that the Hawks envision for him going forward.

Keon Johnson, Nets (40% rostered)

Johnson was a popular drop candidate during the All-Star break, as his last two games before it were disappointing. But the 22-year-old former first-round pick has emerged as a reliable starter for the Nets, and I think he's going to be an all-leagues must-start throughout the remainder of the Fantasy season. In the three weeks before the break, he averaged 5.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.7 threes while playing 29.6 minutes per game. He had been averaging 17.6 points during that stretch, though poor shooting during those last two games brought it down to a still-respectable-but-less-impressive 15.2 over the entire 10-game span. An eventual Cam Thomas (hamstring) return would definitely hurt, but there's also the possibility that effect gets cancelled out by the Nets resting veterans down the stretch – they are currently tied for sixth in the "Wave The White Flag For Flagg" campaign.

Quentin Grimes, 76ers (40% rostered)

This is a bet against the health and stability of the 76ers. Frankly, that's a pretty reasonable bet to make. Joel Embiid (life) has played just 18 games this season, and Paul George is out there doing a poor man's Tobias Harris impression. The 76ers' upcoming draft pick is protected 1-6, but gets sent to Oklahoma City if they fall to seventh. They are currently tied for sixth in the tankathon. With rumors swirling that Embiid will need surgery this offseason, why not pack it in early to try to save the pick and get Embiid some extra recovery time? On the other hand, they are only 1.5 games back from the last Play-In spot and Embiid is currently playing – it's pretty easy to imagine even a diminished Embiid-George pairing (not to mention Tyrese Maxey) cruising through to a playoff berth in the East.

If the 76ers are serious about chasing the playoffs, Grimes will probably struggle to get enough minutes and usage to impact Fantasy. But if Philadelphia starts chasing that draft pick instead, Grimes could have a lot more games like he did right before the break. That night, with Embiid and Maxey out, Grimes played 36 minutes and stuffed the box score with an incredible 30-9-4 accompanied by four threes, two steals, and a block.

Matas Buzelis, Bulls (49% rostered)

I hammered Buzelis hard in both of the last two weeks, so, I'll be brief: the Bulls have promoted the rookie into the starting lineup in the aftermath of the Zach LaVine-for-an-edible-arrangement trade. He's already a solid source of blocks, and his points, rebounds, and threes all show signs of improvement. Despite the promotion, he's still averaging just 25.6 minutes per game as a starter, so there remains plenty of upside as he earns more minutes.

Carlton Carrington, Wizards (55% rostered)

Marcus Smart was acquired at the trade deadline and is set to make his Wizards debut a few hours after this article gets published. It's possible Smart takes on a big enough role – in terms of minutes and usage – that Carrington's breakout campaign gets undermined. But the Wizards are tanking and Smart is long past his prime, so hopefully they keep the negative impact on Carrington to a minimum. In five games since the trade deadline, Carrington is up to 16-5-6 with 3.6 threes per game. He's needed 36.4 minutes per game to get there, which is likely to go down (he's not a top-10-in-the-league-in-minutes kinda guy), but he's shown he can contribute and hold up when given an opportunity.

Rui Hachimura, Lakers (68% rostered)

The Lakers swapping Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic may hurt Hachimura's usage somewhat, but he should make up for that with increased minutes. Davis' departure leaves Los Angeles bereft of big men. At 6'8", only three current Lakers are taller than him and have appeared in at least seven games for L.A. this season: Jaxson Hayes, Christian Koloko, and LeBron James. They really don't want Hachimura pretending to be a center, but he can play a lot of minutes as a power forward. Before Davis' last game as a Laker, Hachimura was averaging 31.7 minutes per game. He's up to 33.7 since. He should be a great source of points and threes with efficient shooting the rest of the way, without hurting in rebounds or steals.

Spurs Big Man TBD

Victor Wembanyama's season ended this week with the announcement of a blood clotting issue in his shoulder. No one is going to replace his top-3 Fantasy production, but whoever emerges as the Spurs' big man should still be able to provide plenty of Fantasy value. Charles Bassey (knee; 5% rostered) would be the pick here if he were healthy, but he's missed six games in a row without any real update on his status. Bismack Biyombo (0% rostered) got the start Thursday, but he's still on a 10-day contract and so his long-term future with the team is uncertain. He also played just 16 minutes. Sandro Mamukelashvili (2% rostered) looms as a potential option, but he was a DNP-CD Thursday, so he's probably ignorable. If the Spurs decide to tank, then they may start resting veterans. However, if they try to stay in the Play-In race (they are three games out), then Harrison Barnes (37% rostered) would likely be a strong contributor. At the moment, I'd prioritize Barnes and Bassey.

Jabari Smith, Rockets (59% rostered)

Smith is returning from a six-week injury absence Friday. Before getting hurt, he was having arguably the worst season of his career. On top of that, the Terror Twins – Amen Thompson and Tari Eason – have emerged as much more important pieces since Smith got hurt. He's returning to a clicking Rockets' squad at near-perfect health that's closer to the Western Conference's No. 2 seed than to its Play-In Tournament. His bad season could easily continue or even get worse. On the other hand, the 21-year-old former No. 3 draft pick remains supremely talented, a clean fit for coach Ime Udoka's offensive and defensive schemes, and someone with a relatively Fantasy-friendly skill-set. It'll probably take a few games before we have a clear sense of what Smith's role in a post-Thompson-supernova rotation will be. But it's worth remembering that Smith was a top-100 player when he averaged 31.9 minutes per game last season.

Nick Smith Jr., Hornets (35% rostered)

I've hit on Smith a bunch in recent weeks, but he fits the bill for this column as a potential long-term play. Talent-wise, he's probably no better than a replacement-level NBA player. But the Hornets – a talent-starved team to begin with – are decimated by injuries, creating a massive opportunity for Smith. If LaMelo Ball ends up getting shut down early, as has happened each of the last two seasons, that would only further increase the amount of minutes and usage available for Smith.

Guys I wanted to write about, but are too widely rostered to qualify: Isaiah Collier, Jazz (78% rostered); Ausar Thompson, Pistons (76% rostered); Donovan Clingan, Trail Blazers (77% rostered);

Other recommendations: Donte DiVincenzo, Timberwolves (52% rostered); Brandin Podziemski, Warriors (58% rostered); Kyshawn George, Wizards (27% rostered); Kyle Filipowski, Jazz (12% rostered);

Guys for whom it's probably not going to happen, but I wanted to mention on the small chance everything breaks right for them: Brice Sensabaugh, Jazz (5% rostered); Anthony Black, Magic (17% rostered); Markelle Fultz, Kings (4% rostered); Karlo Matkovic, Pelicans (11% rostered)