The answer is no. A big, fat, resounding no. We are never going to get a break across the NBA. Injuries aren’t going to slow down. As the season progresses, more issues will arise that send you running to the waiver wire. The good news though, is that as the season progresses, options on the waiver wire will emerge. Let’s take a look at some options on the fantasy basketball waiver wire for you to take a look at in the upcoming week.
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire
Miles McBride, G New York Knicks
There was a stretch where targeting Landry Shamet was a valuable waiver wire play. OG Anunoby was out, and Shamet took advantage of his increased playing time by knocking down three-pointers. The problem, though, is that it didn’t last long.
Shamet subsequently injured his shoulder and will likely be sidelined for the next month. While Miles McBride already had a substantial role off the bench and he’s taken an even larger step forward as of late.
Entering Sunday, McBride was one point shy of five straight games with double-digit scoring. Over that stretch, the guard averaged 16.6 points per game with 3.8 three-pointers. When it comes to fantasy production, it’s more about offense and shooting from downtown with McBride. The good news, though, is that he’s doing pretty well at it as of late. On Sunday, that continued as McBride scored 14 points while knocking down four more three-pointers.
For the next few weeks, McBride can provide some real value off the fantasy basketball waiver wire.
Julian Champagnie, F, San Antonio Spurs
It’s all about opportunity. As we look at Julian Champagnie, we’re once again following that trend. In this case, it’s Stephen Castle who’s out and also without a definitive return date.
Champagnie has done great things as of late while taking on a larger role. On the season, the forward is averaging 11.3 points and 5.4 rebounds over 28 minutes per game. Now that Castle is sidelined, it’s not like Champagnie is coming in cold, which helps from a fantasy perspective.
In his last four games, we’ve seen Champagnie at his peak. The forward is averaging 16.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while knocking down three shots per game from downtown. He’s also a solid free-throw shooter, but if he’s going to continue playing 30-plus minutes a game, the value will be there. To this point, there’s nothing to suggest Champagnie won’t continue the production given the playing time.
Jabari Smith, F, Houston Rockets
In the midst of a little hot streak, Jabari Smith has caught our attention as of late. However, it’s been a strong season overall for the forward. The addition of Kevin Durant hasn’t seemed to hinder Smith, and while the improvements are slight, it’s shaping up to be the best season of his career.
On the season, Smith is averaging 15.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. While it always differs across platforms, there are some where Smith is rostered in less than half the leagues. That shouldn’t be the case.
Smith is picking up the pace with blocked shots and steals while averaging 2.3 three-pointers per game. He shoots a solid 78.9% from the free-throw line and has legitimate fantasy value.
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