Fantasy Basketball Week 6 Waiver Wire: Top Sleepers & Streamers

Week 6 already? What has been a sprint probably feels like a marathon for a number of managers already struck down by the injury bug and dealing with constantly changing NBA starting lineups. As always, the waiver wire is the place to be, providing managers with bargain players who could be about to ascend in the fantasy basketball rankings.

Identifying players who are benefiting from expanded roles–whether it's an offensive threat delivering points and threes or a defensive-minded player boosting your blocks and steals–is vital as you navigate the season.

Let's dive into nine key NBA sleepers whose current stats suggest they are poised for significant value and are currently rostered in fewer than 40% of Yahoo leagues.

Yahoo High Score Leagues

Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans (28% rostered)

For whatever reason, Queen is still available in far too many leagues despite his recent play. Coming off a career-best performance against the Nuggets, it appears as though interim head coach James Borrego has decided on who his starting center is going to be. Even with the return of Zion Williamson, Queen was able to flash his upside on both ends of the floor. He is averaging 40.2 fantasy points over the past five games, logging at least 25 minutes in all five appearances. As a rookie, there are certain to be some ups and downs. However, assuming his role continues to develop, he simply has to be rostered in all formats moving forward.

Dennis Schroder, Sacramento Kings (37% rostered)

Despite moving to the bench, Schroder has put together three strong performances over the past week, tallying scores of 20, 32, 41 and 35 fantasy points. Domantas Sabonis landed on the NBA injury report and has been ruled out for up to a month due to a partially torn meniscus, meaning the Kings could be forced to go small a little more often. There are certainly no guarantees when it comes to the rotation in Sacramento, although what is clear is that Schroder is the team's best true point guard. The Kings have four games on the table this week, two of which are against Utah and Memphis, teams that could be viewed as favorable matchups.

Vince Williams Jr., Memphis Grizzlies (18% rostered)

Memphis is very thin at the point guard position right now, with Williams assuming the role of starter in Tuesday's loss to the Spurs. He has finished with 45 and 41 fantasy points in each of his past two games and should continue to log heavy minutes for the foreseeable future. While he isn't a true point guard, he has compiled 37 assists in his past five appearances, enough to earn him the starting spot. The Grizzlies also have four games coming up, with favorable matchups against the Pelicans and the Kings.

Standard 9-Category Leagues

Neemias Queta, Boston Celtics (36% rostered)

While there was some conjecture coming into the season regarding the starting center spot in Boston, Queta has put any doubt to bed with his production on both ends of the floor. Although his scoring could be considered low-volume, his peripheral NBA stats have been better than expected. Through 15 games, he has averaged 9.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.2 combined steals and blocks in just 24.5 minutes per game. In two games over the past week, his playing time has pushed to 28.2 minutes per game, perhaps an indication that his stock could rise a little more. Despite the limited ceiling, he is a clear must-roster player across all formats, including category leagues.

Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings (35% rostered)

Obviously, we have a very small sample size when it comes to Murray's production this season. After making his season debut Thursday, Murray has possibly the best opportunity of his career, given the current situation in Sacramento. With Sabonis on the sideline for at least the next four weeks and the rest of the roster struggling to fit together, Murray's outlook just became very interesting. Typically underutilized on a roster that simply doesn't work, perhaps he will be saddled with more responsibility. He obviously comes with an element of risk, but as a player who should start and play upwards of 30 minutes per game, he warrants a roster spot, at least for the time being.

Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets (9% rostered)

Christian Braun is going to miss a substantial amount of time, and it appears as though Watson could be the main beneficiary. He has started in three straight games, the most recent of which was a career-best night. In Wednesday's win over the Pelicans, he went off for a career-high 32 points, adding 12 rebounds and five three-pointers. He has played at least 34 minutes in all three appearances, tallying eight combined steals and blocks. He obviously won't score 32 points every night, but his defensive upside and likely role make him a must-roster player right now.

Standard Points Leagues

Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic (18% rostered)

An injury to Paolo Banchero has provided da Silva with an unexpected opportunity, which he has taken full advantage of. In his past four appearances, da Silva has averaged 16.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 33.0 minutes per game, good enough for 31.1 fantasy points per contest. While we don't have an enormous sample size from which to work, da Silva's recent exploits are intriguing, if nothing else. Although his immediate schedule isn't too favorable, this could be a situation where da Silva has value for up to a month.

Moussa Diabate, Charlotte Hornets (25% rostered)

Despite being behind Ryan Kalkbrenner on the Hornets' NBA depth chart, Diabate has basically been splitting minutes at the center spot. In four games over the past week, he has averaged 27.7 minutes per contest, putting up 11.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks, equating to a total of almost 125 fantasy points. It doesn't appear as though Diabate is going to supplant Kalkbrenner, although it also doesn't appear as though his current role will change. While this does limit his upside, it makes what he has done thus far somewhat sustainable.

Kyle Kuzma, Milwaukee Bucks (24% rostered)

With Giannis Antetokounmpo likely to miss at least the next week with a groin injury, Kuzma's importance to the Bucks just shifted up a couple of notches. His production has been wildly inconsistent thus far this season, resulting in him being dropped in a number of spots. Although his value likely has a shelf life, now would be a great time to see what he can offer. The Bucks play four times next week, including home games against the Trail Blazers and the Nets. He isn't the safest pickup, but there was a world where Kuzma used to be a must-roster player. Perhaps he can rediscover some of that form?