College Basketball Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week

We've reached the finish line! It's the last week of the regular season, and thus, the last week to mine the wire to bring home a championship. I'm proud to say my ACC/SEC dynasty team has made it to this finale, quite possibly with the worst lineup I've ever seen! I'd welcome P.J. Hall's return to action this week to try and secure a second title in the last four seasons.

We've got a few names that could help in this final week, as well as a few names you may still be able to add with a focus on next season.

Power Conferences

Puff Johnson, F, North Carolina

Johnson got his first extended action of the year over the weekend when Leaky Black went down with a knee injury, and shined with 16 points and five boards in 29 minutes. I'm assuming Black doesn't play Monday against Syracuse, and we know UNC uses a very restricted rotation, which sets Johnson up nicely for another opportunity. Black presumably has a much better shot at returning over the weekend at Duke, so Johnson could be more of a DFS option, or better suited for daily lineup leagues. He's also someone to target for the future, as the Heels figure to have ample roster attrition in the offseason.

David Jones, F, DePaul

Jones was humming along prior to missing essentially three games due to an ankle injury, having scored in double digits in four straight, posting a double-double and a triple-double in the process. He returned over the weekend with a monster 24 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals in 36 minutes. The Blue Demons seem to have a new injury nightly, so as long as Jones isn't amongst them, he's poised for a big final week.

Kameron Jones, G, Marquette

Jones most certainly looks like a stash for dynasty managers ahead of next season. He scored 19 and 18 points in his two most recent games as a reserve and was rewarded with his first start since December 21 (seventh overall) Saturday against Butler. He disappointed with only five points and a board, and one would assume a return to the bench is in order. Still, Jones has shown capable of scoring at this level and is a 42.2 percent 3-point shooter. He'll need to grow peripherally to be a fantasy star, but there's things to like in the freshman's game.

Roman Silva, F, Oregon State

Bad teams can still produce fantasy assets, and that's where we are with Silva. He's pulled down at least seven boards in four straight, blocking at least one shot in that stretch as well. Scoring is up and down, but having played an average of 29.0 minutes across this current hot streak against just 15.3 in his previous three, it seems he'll have ample opportunities to contribute points as well.

Emmitt Matthews, F, Washington

Matthews missed one contest with a concussion but was back out on the court over the weekend, posting a usable 15 points and eight rebounds. That's in line with the 15.0 points and 4.7 rebounds he'd averaged in his previous three outings. In Pac-12 heavy formats, this is likely more about moving Matthews from your bench to the lineup, but in deep player pools where you can't afford to be patient, Matthews can likely be (re)added where dropped.

TyTy Washington/Sahvir Wheeler, G, Kentucky

Just a casual reminder these two returned to action after missing two games, seeing 35 and 29 minutes respectively, while temporary replacements Jacob Toppin and Davion Mintz got 12 and 19, respectively. Washington and Wheeler can safely be added wherever previously dropped.

Jonas Aidoo, C, Tennessee

Aidoo was brought along slowly by the Vols, and still isn't being trusted with huge minutes, so this is another stash option with the future in mind. We've seen flashes in three games prior to the weekend against Auburn, where Aidoo averaged 4.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks, and it's important to also remember Aidoo was a raw, but rapidly rising, high school recruit a season ago. We're not getting the next coming of Walker Kessler here, but I believe the talent is there for Aidoo to be a nightly double-double threat while providing category-carrying blocks in the future.

Tier 2

Many tier two leagues are likely wrapped up, as most begin their conference tournaments this week. 

Jahlil White, F, Temple

Temple is another team that's been hampered by constant injuries. It's created opportunity for White, who's finally showing some consistency. After scoring in double-digits just twice in his first 10 starts of the year, White has now done so in five straight games, averaging 12.2 points and 6.8 boards in that stretch. He posted a season-best 12 rebounds and three steals Sunday against Tulane, adding two assists as well. 

DaRon Holmes, F, Dayton

Holmes has played his way into fantasy relevance regardless of format but is likely long gone in A10-heavy leagues. He's coming off of his fourth double-double of the year over the weekend, when he put up 18 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks against La Salle. The Flyers don't play with much pace (342nd in tempo, per KenPom), but should get a minor boost this week at Richmond. Either way, Holmes has emerged as the team's best contributor in his first season.

Warren Washington, F/C, Nevada

Washington is back after an eight-game absence due to a finger injury. That's a lengthier absence than many other players returning to action, likely making him more available on wires than others. He had a double-double against UNLV and scored 11 points in only 22 minutes against Wyoming. Possibly having center eligibility, Washington can provide a late-season boost.