Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Week 21 Streaming Targets

We are well and truly at the pointy end of the season, meaning those still active in their leagues are likely hunting for not only production but also availability. Rightfully referred to as the 'silly season', this is when we are considering players who, if we are being honest, may have been unknown to us only a month ago. If you are lucky enough to have made it through to the postseason, your season could very well come down to quantity over quality. Whether it's targeting an offensive threat capable of delivering points and threes or a defensive-minded player who can help boost your blocks and steals, narrowing your focus can prove vital as you battle for seedings. Let's dive into six players who are currently rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues.

Tari Eason, Houston Rockets (48% rostered)

Although Eason has been a popular fantasy asset all season, an injury to Amen Thompson has resulted in Eason stepping into a slightly larger role. Having scored double-digits in eight of the past nine games, Eason has flashed some nice offensive upside, a bonus for anyone lucky enough to have him on their roster. Across that span, he is averaging 14.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 three-pointers and 2.6 combined steals and blocks, good enough for top-70 value in standard formats. While Thompson will return at some point, Eason should be able to maintain value for the rest of the season thanks to his defensive capabilities. He has been a top-70 player all season despite playing only 24.8 minutes per game, giving him a relatively safe floor moving forward.

Brandon Williams, Dallas Mavericks (21% rostered)

Despite a recent hamstring injury, Williams has now played a sizeable role for the Mavericks in four of the past five games. During that time, he has put up healthy averages of 19.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 three-pointers in 30.0 minutes per game. Dallas is struggling for backcourt depth right now, meaning as long as he can stay healthy, Williams should be looking at starter-level minutes. Although his schedule is far from the best, he could be a sneaky play for those with aspirations beyond the next seven days. 

Adem Bona, Philadelphia 76ers (12% rostered)

Although he is yet to fully break out, we have seen enough from Bona over the past three games to know that he should be playing more minutes for a 76ers team with absolutely nothing to lose. Over that span, he is averaging 13.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.7 combined steals and blocks in just 26 minutes per game. While Guerschon Yabusele has been a handy addition for Philadelphia this season, his skill set is quite limited. Andre Drummond has been dealing with both injuries and illness, making him a sporadic road-block for Bona. However, if and when common sense prevails, Bona should be handed a starter-level role. He has played at least 23 minutes in three straight games, providing him with a very intriguing fantasy floor moving forward.

Kevin Huerter, Chicago Bulls (12% rostered)

Since arriving in Chicago, Huerter has been able to carve out a relatively consistent role, albeit as a result of injuries to other players. Ayo Dosunmu is done for the season, while Lonzo Ball continues to be ruled out prematurely due to a wrist injury. Josh Giddey is currently sidelined with an ankle concern, opening up a sizeable role for Huerter. In five games over the past two weeks, Huerter has averaged 14.0 points, 4.4 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.6 three-pointers in 30.0 minutes per contest. His ceiling remains somewhat limited but as long as he is featuring prominently on a nightly basis, there is enough meat on the bone to make him a must-start player.

Justin Champagnie, Washington Wizards (5% rostered)

The Wizards have their eyes firmly on next season and we should begin to see some weird and wacky rotation decisions over the next few weeks. Bilal Coulibaly was ruled out for the season Thursday, a decision that should see Champagnie move into the starting lineup, at least for the foreseeable future. During Thursday's win over the Pistons, Champagnie turned in his best performance in quite some time, tallying 17 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three triples in 32.7 minutes. Much like he did earlier in the season, Champagnie should be able to provide solid enough contributions on both ends of the floor. Assuming he plays the majority of games, he should be rostered across most formats.

Kai Jones, Dallas Mavericks (4% rostered)

Of all the names on this list, Jones is by far the most speculative. Following his breakout performance against the Kings in which he recorded 21 points, eight rebounds and one block in 34 minutes, he was added across a number of leagues. However, a quad injury resulted in him missing the following five games, subsequently landing him back on the waiver wire. Having been upgraded to questionable for Friday, Jones should be back on the radar given nothing has changed when it comes to the lack of frontcourt depth in Dallas. Despite being an unproven commodity, those positioned to be able to take some risk should consider Jones a viable standard league target.

Drop Candidates:

Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks (99% rostered)

Paul George, Philadelphia 76ers (96% rostered)

De'Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs (89% rostered)

Khris Middleton, Washington Wizards (67% rostered)