It’s officially crunch time across the NBA landscape. Real teams are gearing up for the playoff push, and fantasy managers are doing the exact same thing. If you’re reading this, chances are your squad is still alive in the standings, which also means every roster move matters a little more right now.
League schedules are also starting to play a huge role in fantasy decisions. The biggest schedule boost this week belongs to the Philadelphia 76ers, who play a massive five-game slate with back-to-backs to open and close the week. On the other end of the spectrum, the New Orleans Pelicans only play twice, which severely limits their fantasy value for the week.
Cleveland, New York, and Utah all land in a sweet spot with four games and no back-to-backs. Meanwhile, Memphis, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn open the week with a Monday–Tuesday back-to-back, while Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Sacramento close things out with the always valuable Saturday–Sunday set.
Deep League Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire
Oso Ighodaro — F, Suns
Ighodaro has been steadily carving out a larger role for the Suns, and the opportunity has only grown recently. Over the stretch leading into the Bulls matchup last week, Ighodaro was already trending upward with about 24 minutes per game across his previous eight contests. During that run, he produced 8.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and just under a block per game while shooting an impressive 70 percent from the floor. When Mark Williams was ruled out for multiple weeks with a foot injury, the path became clear for a larger workload.
Ighodaro immediately capitalized on the opportunity, logging 36 minutes in a start against Chicago and nearly posting a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds while adding four assists, a steal, and a block. He followed that up with another strong showing against New Orleans, finishing with 13 points, six rebounds, a block, and a steal before fouling out. Over the past four games, including two starts, he’s averaging more than 11 points, eight rebounds, and nearly three assists in over 30 minutes per night. The field goal percentage has been elite, hovering near 78 percent, and with consistent minutes now on the table, he has legitimate double-double upside most nights. Run to your waivers to see if he is available.
Julian Reese — F, Wizards
Julian Reese is another deep-league name beginning to surface thanks to opportunity in Washington’s thin frontcourt. The rookie has started to flash his rebounding upside in limited appearances. In Sunday’s outing, he logged 25 minutes and contributed five points, nine rebounds, three assists, a steal, and two blocks. That came shortly after his breakout performance against Utah, where he exploded for 18 points and 20 rebounds while knocking down all eight of his free throws.
While Alex Sarr has returned to the lineup, Reese’s recent play has made a strong case for continued minutes. With Tristian Vukcevic still out with a thigh injury, combined with Reese’s rebounding motor gives him a path to fantasy relevance if his role holds steady.
Tristian De Silva — F, Magic
Tristan Da Silva is another player quietly filling up the stat sheet when given the chance in Orlando. He didn’t light up the scoreboard Sunday with just five points, but the rest of the box score was impressive. In 27 minutes, he chipped in six rebounds, five assists, and a steal, showing the type of across-the-board production fantasy managers love late in the season. With Anthony Black dealing with a back issue and the Magic not playing again until midweek, Da Silva could see additional opportunity. If his minutes remain in the mid-to-high 20s, he has the skill set to contribute in multiple categories and emerge as a sneaky playoff pickup.
Sandro Mamukelashvili — F/C Raptors
Kevin Huerter — G, Pistons
Ousmane Dieng — F, Bucks
Dieng is another intriguing name trending upward after landing a larger role in Milwaukee.
The young forward delivered his best performance yet Saturday night with an 11-point, eight-rebound, nine-assist line that nearly turned into a triple-double. He has also been extremely efficient from beyond the arc since joining Milwaukee, shooting better than 56 percent from three-point range. The skill set is obvious. He’s long, versatile, and capable of contributing in multiple categories.
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