We are approaching All-Star Weekend and are onto week 9 of the NBA season! It may come as no surprise, but even more names were added to the league injury report. New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is out for the next four to six weeks due to a fractured hand. Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. is also out for at least four weeks due to a serious finger injury. Injuries happen, but they can hurt your fantasy record if not handled. This is why you must stay active on the fantasy basketball waiver wire each week to help fill any voids on your team.
Here are the top fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups for Week 9 of the NBA season. In order to be included in the weekly waiver article, players must be rostered in less than 60 percent of ESPN fantasy basketball leagues.
All stats are gathered on the morning of Feb. 14 and do not take into account Sunday night’s results.
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups
Josh Jackson, Pistons (30.7%)
A trade that went overlooked during Super Bowl Sunday was Derrick Rose being traded away to the Knicks, opening up the door for other Pistons players to produce. The main beneficiary, outside of starting point guard Delon Wright, is Josh Jackson. He’s scored double-digit points in six straight games and is averaging 18.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals across 28 minutes per contest during that stretch. He produces in nearly every category since he’s a good defender so there’s a good chance he isn’t available in many category leagues. Jackson would be a steal in points-based leagues simply for his volume and production on a team that needs some scorers.
Hamidou Diallo, Thunder (42.2%)
The Oklahoma City Thunder are missing many key players to injures and COVID-19 protocols. One player that filled a void was Hamidou Diallo. He has played at least 30 minutes in four straight games and has posted two double-doubles in that span. He’s a strong candidate for steals and blocks for a guard in 8-cat and 9-cat fantasy leagues, but could make a case for points with his recent play. Even when starting guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returns to the lineup, Diallo should still see plenty of run as a key role player for the Thunder. The OKC team is young and whoever has the hot hand will likely continue to see plenty of playing time.
Kyle Kuzma, Lakers (35.7%)
Normally averaging about 25 minutes per contest, Kyle Kuzma has carved out a consistent role in the Lakers main player rotation. Over the last seven days, he’s averaging 15.3 points and 9.7 rebounds in nearly 32 minutes per contest. This is compared to his season-average of 10.7 points and six rebounds per game. He started off inconsistent but might have found his touch a bit as he’s scored double-digit points in four straight games now. Kuzma could be a huge addition to most fantasy teams as a streaming option, at just under 36 percent ownership. Category-based leagues could be a pain to own Kuzma since he doesn’t produce in other categories outside of points and rebounds. But his recent production cant go overlooked.
Jakob Poeltl, Spurs (20.3%)
Jakob Poeltl doesn’t normally supply much in the scoring categories, but he is always a dependable defensive option, specifically blocks. Across the last seven days, Poetl is averaging 10.7 points and 9.3 rebounds along with a whopping 3.0 blocks per game. The Spurs tend to play a lot of small ball and experimental lineups but Poeltl’s defensive efficiency is hard to pass up especially in 8-cat and 9-cat leagues. He’s posted two double-doubles in the past four games as well as ten blocks. He is a pain to own in points-based leagues due to his lack of playing time and scoring attributes. However, he is worth the addition at such low ownership to help boost your blocks and rebounds categories.
Other considerations for all league-types: Doug McDermott, IND (13.9%); Jae’sean Tate, HOU (12.7%); Kenrich Williams, OKC (8.7%); Taurean Prince, CLE (8.5%); Juan Toscano-Anderson, GS (7.7%)
