Effective fantasy basketball waiver wire strategy involves rapidly exploiting the latest NBA news regarding short-term opportunities and legitimate breakouts. This guide identifies three crucial additions to bolster your NBA lineups this week.
Ryan Nembhard is officially a must-roster NBA sleeper. His double-digit assist potential and potentially secure 30+ minutes have stabilized the Mavericks' rotation. We also highlight two valuable big men. Marvin Bagley is a prime stream for the Wizards' back-to-back due to Alex Sarr landing on the NBA injury report, while Andre Drummond must be rostered immediately. Drummond's elite per-minute production and the reality of Joel Embiid's health issues could make him a long-term hold.
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Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire
Marvin Bagley, Wizards 
Alex Sarr will miss his third consecutive game today, setting Bagley up for another start at center. As a starter, Bagley is averaging 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3.0 stocks (steals plus blocks) in 28.7 minutes. That production is more than enough to justify streaming in most formats, especially with the Wizards playing tonight and Saturday.
Sarr's return timeline appears relatively short, suggesting Bagley's starting role won't extend much beyond this weekend. However, fantasy managers in deep leagues should keep Bagley on their watchlist even after Sarr returns. He remains a productive per-minute player and appears to be Washington's preferred center option when Sarr is unavailable, making him a recurring streaming candidate throughout the season.
Recommendation: Bagley is a good stream in 12-team leagues. Add him for tonight and Saturday, then reassess based on Sarr's status. In 16-team and deeper formats, consider placing him on your watchlist to remind you he's a potential streaming option when the Wizards have a four-game week or if Sarr is out.
Visit RotoWire's NBA Daily Starting Lineups to find out starters for every game on the schedule!
Ryan Nembhard, Mavericks 
Nembhard has been one of Yahoo's top-added players for three consecutive days and is now rostered in 23% of leagues. He's coming off another strong performance in Dallas' surprise win over Miami, posting 15 points, 5 rebounds, 13 assists, and 1 steal in 35 minutes.
The sustainability question centers on efficiency. Nembhard won't keep shooting 65.1% from the field as he has across four games as a starter—that percentage is absurdly high and will regress. However, the assists appear legitimate. Nembhard is a capable playmaker who can run Dallas' offense and set up teammates consistently.
Nembhard is officially a must-roster player, probably even in some 10-team leagues. At minimum, he should replace a streaming spot on your roster given his consistent 30+ minutes and double-digit assist potential. The Mavericks' messy point guard rotation has stabilized around Nembhard for now, giving him a clear path to production.
Recommendation: Add Nembhard immediately in all 12-team leagues as a must-roster hold rather than a stream. In competitive 10-team formats, he's worth rostering over your weakest streaming spot. Just manage expectations—his scoring will decrease as shooting efficiency normalizes, but the assists and minutes should hold.
Stay up to date on who is in and who is out with RotoWire's NBA Injury Report!
Andre Drummond, 76ers 
Drummond was dropped in some leagues when his knee sprain initially seemed serious. However, he missed essentially no time and is coming off a 12-point, 10-rebound, 3-assist, 1-steal, 1-block performance in just 17 minutes.
Philadelphia plays a Thursday/Friday back-to-back and again Sunday—three games in four days. That schedule makes Drummond a must-add for streaming purposes, but he should simply be rostered in most standard leagues regardless of schedule.
There's a legitimate possibility Drummond sits out one half of the back-to-back for rest purposes, but that shouldn't prevent you from rostering him. His per-minute production when he plays is too valuable to leave on the waiver wire, even accounting for occasional rest days.
The Joel Embiid variable looms over everything, but the facts are clear: Embiid hasn't played more than three consecutive games in almost a full year. Betting on Embiid's availability is a losing proposition, while Drummond consistently produces whenever he gets minutes. Even in games where both play, Drummond typically provides value in a backup role.
Recommendation: Drummond must be rostered in all 12-team leagues and deeper. If he's somehow available in your league, add him immediately. He's an elite streaming option for this week's three-game stretch, but more importantly, he's a season-long hold given Embiid's injury history and Drummond's consistent per-minute dominance.
Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire's NBA Projections!
