Category: Basketball

Despite the season still being relatively young, we are deep enough into things for managers to have an idea of where they sit in comparison to other teams. Taking a look at your depth and whether there are any expendable pieces, could open up opportunities for you to narrow your focus. 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

Collin Gillespie, Phoenix Suns (31% rostered)

Thrust into a sizeable role this season, Gillespie has taken advantage of the fact that Jalen Green has been mostly absent due to an ongoing hamstring injury. He had been coming off the bench prior to Wednesday's game, during which he made his first start of the season, tallying 48 fantasy points. He has scored double-digit points in seven straight games, amassing at least 30 fantasy points in six of those seven appearances. Whether he continues to start or is moved back to the bench, Gillespie has been a big part of what Phoenix has been able to do and should be rostered in all formats, including High Score Leagues.

Noah Clowney, Brooklyn Nets (24% rostered)

Another player who is playing the best basketball of his career, Clowney finally appears to have carved out a consistent role in Brooklyn. He has played at least 30 minutes in five of the past seven games, tallying double-digit points in all seven. He has averaged 37.3 fantasy points per game over the past three games, providing the Nets with a secondary scoring option behind Michael Porter Jr. If his defensive contributions can stick, we could be looking at a player who has rest-of-season value.

Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs (19% rostered)

Johnson continues to step up in the absence of Victor Wembanyama, having scored in double digits in five straight appearances, while also adding 42 total rebounds. Although he is still coming off the bench, he has closed a number of games recently. He has at least 28 fantasy points in four of those five games, and while his value likely has a shelf life, he is certainly worth adding until Wembanyama is back in the fold.

Standard 9-Category Leagues

Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs (23% rostered)

Harper returned to action Wednesday, back in the lineup after suffering a calf strain earlier in the season. While his playing time was clearly limited in his return, we saw enough from Harper to begin his rookie campaign to know that he is going to have fantasy value at some point. While De'Aaron Fox has also returned to the lineup in recent times, Stephon Castle has replaced him on the sideline after succumbing to a hip injury. There is obviously an element of risk associated with Harper, given the very small sample size we have. However, if you can absorb some risk, he makes sense as an add, just to see if he can push back to 26 minutes per game.

Daniel Gafford, Dallas Mavericks (22% rostered)

It's been far from smooth sailing for Gafford this season, with an ankle injury costing him five games to begin the campaign. However, he has since missed just one game, starting in 12 of his 13 games. He has logged at least 25 minutes in seven straight and should be able to maintain his recent momentum after it was announced that Dereck Lively would miss 7-10 days due to a foot issue. Anthony Davis appears to be edging closer to a return, but as we know, he would prefer to play at the forward spot, alongside Gafford. A top-60 player over the past two weeks, averaging 10.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.0 blocks, Gafford simply needs to be rostered everywhere right now.

Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets (25% rostered)

It's been a roller coaster ride for Watson this season, playing a much larger role than anticipated following injuries to both Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun. In six games over the past two weeks, Watson has been a top-60 player, averaging 16.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 three-pointers and 2.0 combined steals and blocks in 34.0 minutes per game. Gordon and Braun are likely to be sidelined for at least a month, meaning the starting spot is Watson's to lose. Although the scoring could fluctuate, his defensive floor and ability to rebound at a high rate make him a clear must-roster player.

Standard Points Leagues

Anthony Black, Orlando Magic (21% rostered)

Black has seemingly been able to add an element of consistency to his game, scoring double digits in six straight games. In fact, in seven appearances over the past two weeks, he has averaged 15.6 points, 3.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 three-pointers in 28.4 minutes per game. The imminent return of Paolo Banchero is obviously going to have an impact, although there will likely be some sort of ramp-up period. However, Black was flirting with value even before Banchero went down, making him a viable, yet slightly risky pickup, even in points formats. 

Brandon Williams, Dallas Mavericks (14% rostered)

Williams has been playing through what appears to be a minor back issue, potentially limiting his overall production. With that said, he has still been able to contribute on both ends of the floor and appears to have the starting point guard role locked down. The return of Anthony Davis could actually help Williams, with Davis drawing a lot of attention on the offensive end. This could, in turn, see Williams' assist numbers go up, while his shot selection could improve. The back issue is something we need to monitor, but until we hear otherwise, he makes for a viable points league target.

Vince Williams Jr., Memphis Grizzlies (24% rostered)

Memphis continues to deal with multiple injuries to its backcourt, affording Williams an unexpected opportunity to start at the point guard position. His scoring has been wildly inconsistent and figures to be less of a priority for him moving forward. However, in five games since assuming the starting role, Williams has averaged 6.5 rebounds, 10.8 assists and 1.4 steals. His ceiling is somewhat capped due to his lack of scoring upside, but he remains an elite source of assists and out-of-position rebounds, making him a sneaky asset, at least until Ja Morant returns to the lineup.

The Bucks are listing Giannis Antetokounmpo as questionable for Friday’s NBA Cup meeting with the Knicks. 

Antetokounmpo has missed Milwaukee's last four games due to an abductor strain. 

He was also questionable heading into Wednesday's meeting with the Heat, but ended up remaining sidelined. 

It's looking like he may come down to a game-time decision again, but if the All-Star were to miss another game, it would be a nice boost for New York as they look to secure their third consecutive win. 

The Bucks, on the other hand, now sit at 8-11 on the season and have dropped six straight.  

Wednesday’s Knicks win guaranteed that they control their own destiny heading into Friday’s group play finale.

They will advance to the quarterfinals with a win Friday, but will have to do so as a Wild Card with a loss. 

Antetokounmpo had 37 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in a win over the Knicks earlier this season.