Hello! Welcome back. Last week saw another trade and a lot more injuries, and, as a result, we've got ourselves another loaded waiver wire.
There are weeks where Herbert Jones (top-90 overall!), Goga Bitazde (2.2 stocks since becoming a starter!) and Alec Burks (18.4 points over his last 12 games!) would be the top three featured guys in this column. This week, they lead the "other recommendations" section. When the waiver wire is this deep, make sure you're not holding onto players longer than you need to.
Unfortunately for us, there is not a ton of obvious Fantasy impact from last week's Pacers-Raptors trade. It's inevitable that several players' values will change, but that change is likely to be small for most players involved. We'll keep an eye on how things unfold over the coming days, but for now, there is no one I'd recommend either adding or dropping following this deal.
Schedule-wise, Week 14 is notable for its balance. Friday is the busiest day with a modest 10 games, and every other day has between five and eight. Most of the league plays three times, so there is extra value for the 12 teams with a fourth game. The Mavericks' schedule is particularly notable: They come into the week on extra rest after their Warriors matchups got postponed, and then they'll get four games in six nights, three of which are at home.
As always, the players in this article must be rostered in less than two-thirds of CBS leagues. Players are listed in the order that I recommend adding them, assuming they are equally good fits for your team.
Adds for all leagues
Gregory Jackson, Grizzlies (35% rostered)
Gregory – listed as GG Jackson on some host platforms – has exploded onto the Fantasy scene following another wave of injuries. With Ja Morant (shoulder) out for the season, Marcus Smart (finger) out for at least another month, and now Desmond Bane (ankle) out for at least six weeks, the Grizz are both literally and figuratively hurting. The need, well, everything. Enter Jackson.
The 19-year-old rookie is the youngest player in the NBA. Though he was drafted in the mid-second round and is still on a two-way contract, that's not a reflection of his talent. He was the sixth-best senior in his high school class according to multiple prospect rankings but struggled in his one season at South Carolina and fell in the draft in large part due to concerns about his maturity. Few doubted that he had the talent to be an NBA star if everything went right, and now he suddenly finds himself with the opportunity of a lifetime. In the first two games after Bane's injury, Jackson put up a shocking 22-6-1 with 2 blocks, one steal, and 3.5 3s while playing 28 minutes per game. His follow-up Thursday was a dud, but the upside here is too high to ignore. He's an immediate, all-leagues must-add.
Grayson Allen, Suns (63% rostered)
Guys. Guys. Guys. What are we doing? Opening up the document for today's article, I was so excited. I thought, "Surely, finally, now that Allen exploded for NINE 3-POINTERS IN A SINGLE GAME Tuesday, there's no way he still qualifies for this article." I was mentally crafting possible opens for this piece congratulating everyone for, at long last, getting past the 67% margin. But [disappointed dad voice, looking through your eyes into your soul to make sure you know I mean it], alas, you failed me. I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed.
Alright, let's do this one more time. Allen, fresh off back-to-back 20-plus point games during which he drained a combined 13 3s, is currently a top-60 Fantasy player in all league settings. The shallowest leagues usually start at least 90 players, so Allen is not just rosterable, but an automatic nightly starter in any semi-common format. You've heard of a 50-40-90 shooting split? Allen is almost at 50-50-90. Not a single player is better than him in both 3s and field goal percentage. Not only is he the most overall efficient volume three-point shooter, but he's helping more than you'd expect on defense, getting close to a steal and a block per game. All five Suns starters have finally logged five consecutive healthy games, and Allen's workload has barely budged – in fact, he's averaging slightly more minutes, FG attempts, and 3-point attempts.
Xavier Tillman, Grizzlies (50% rostered)
Remember that part above where I said the Grizzlies need everything? Tillman is one of the few remaining healthy Grizzlies, and he's taken over as the starting center. He's averaging 12-7-4 while playing 32.2 minutes and shooting efficiently across the last five games. Even better, he's putting up massive defensive numbers, with 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks through that stretch. Best of all, he's got a great chance to hold onto this role for the rest of the season – the injuries to Memphis' bigs are all season-enders.
Nick Richards, Hornets (32% rostered)
Need a slightly-better-than-replacement prototypical Fantasy big man? Richards is your guy. Nothing new to say that I didn't cover last week or the week before. He's averaging 9-9-1 with 1.3 blocks since taking over as a starter for the injured Mark Williams (back).
Marvin Bagley, Wizards (18% rostered)
Bagley had one of the best games of his season Thursday, starting in place of Daniel Gafford (concussion) in his Wizards debut. As the only real center available, Bagley played 39 minutes and racked up 20 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and two steals. If you think he's likely to put up box scores like that frequently, then you treat him as this week's highest priority pickup. My expectation, however, is that Bagley backs up Gafford when both are healthy, and that Washington finds a third center at some point soon. Bagley could easily match his numbers from last season – 12-6-1 with 1.2 stocks, occasional 3s, and efficient shooting – but I'd caution against expecting much more than that. As long as the Wizards only have two NBA-caliber centers, Bagley will probably be rosterable and will be a great fill-in whenever Gafford sits. But Bagley is in his sixth season and the Pistons just gave up assets to get rid of him. He's not going to be a difference-maker down the stretch.
Other recommendations: Herbert Jones, Pelicans (52% rostered); Goga Bitadze, Magic (39% rostered); Alec Burks, Pistons (25% rostered); Donte DiVincenzo, Knicks (60% rostered); Mason Plumlee, Clippers (13% rostered); Luke Kennard, Grizzlies (28% rostered); Dillon Brooks, Rockets (44% rostered); Duncan Robinson, Heat (52% rostered); Bruce Brown, Raptors (63% rostered); Naz Reid, Timberwolves (55% rostered); Alex Caruso, Bulls (35% rostered); Tre Jones, Spurs (64% rostered); Jordan Hawkins, Pelicans (17% rostered); Larry Nance, Pelicans (11% rostered); Daniel Theis, Clippers (3% rostered)
Watch list
Onyeka Okongwu, Hawks (55% rostered)
In the current construction of the Hawks, Okongwu doesn't get enough minutes to be worth rostering. Despite their current roster rates, there is absolutely no situation in which a team should roster Okongwu if Nick Richards is available. But trade season is upon us, and Clint Capela is once again a favorite target of the rumor mill. If Capela gets moved, Okongwu would immediately become a priority pickup.
Bilal Coulibaly, Wizards (36% rostered)
Unless you are punting points, Coulibaly is not addable for most managers right now, but he's someone I'm keeping an eye on as we approach the trade deadline and subsequent silly season. The rookie lottery pick is highly inconsistent but has maintained a large role in the rotation all season. The intriguing part here is his defense, averaging 1.2 steals and one block per 36 minutes, and those numbers get even better if we focus on his recent games. He's up to 28.4 minutes over his last seven games. His rebounding, assist, and 3-point rates are already on the border of rosterability for a small forward, all he needs is more minutes and more shot attempts to be worth adding. If the Wizards trade away some wings, especially Deni Avdija or Kyle Kuzma, Coulibaly would become a priority pickup.
Deep league special
Jacob Gilyard (6% rostered) and David Roddy (7% rostered), Grizzlies
Remember that part above where I said the Grizzlies need everything? With all of their injuries – I didn't even mention Jake LaRavia (ankle) above – Gilyard is getting a bunch of minutes at point guard while Roddy roams the frontcourt. Neither has put up fantastic stats, but each are getting good minutes and have their Fantasy pros. Gilyard is getting a bunch of assists, while also helping a bit in 3s and steals. Roddy's stats are that of a typical Fantasy small forward, combining solid points and rebounds with some assists and 3s capped off by minimal defense. In a vacuum, Roddy is the superior pickup, but assists can be so scarce in deep leagues that some teams will reasonably prefer Gilyard anyway.
Other recommendations:
Cam Whitmore, Rockets (20% rostered); Nicolas Batum, 76ers (8% rostered)
