When you find yourself in a league where the usual suspects just aren’t found on the waiver wire, here’s a list of players just for you – six players who are trending up on the fantasy rankings as well as their teams’ depth charts. Some might be permanent, some only injury replacements but, hey, nothing is truly permanent – after all the death of the universe is hypothesized to be only a short 10100 years away.
Week 4 Fantasy Basketball Deep Waiver Wire Adds
Larry Nance Jr., PF/C – New Orleans Pelicans (32% rostered)
Nance is essentially splitting the center minutes with Jonas Valanciunas in New Orleans. Depending on the match-up, Nance could be in line for 14 or 34 minutes in a game. Over the last 3 games, Nance is averaging 13 points, 6.7 rebounds, and, most impressively, 2.3 steals in 29 minutes. He’s never going to light the box score on fire but if inoffensively solid is what your team needs, he might be your man.
Cameron Thomas, SG/SF – Brooklyn Nets (26% rostered)
With you-know-who suspended for who-knows-how-long, the Nets have an abundance of minutes, touches, and shots available. Cameron Thomas seems to have put on a strong claim on those. Having averaged 108 seconds in the previous 8 games, Thomas is averaging over 30 minutes in the last two games. In those 30 minutes, he’s averaged 19-4-5 with a steal and 1.5 threes. Against the Hornets, Thomas attempted 11 free throws and made 10 of them. Personally, I wouldn’t expect Kyrie to be back any time soon and someone will have to get the minutes. If not Thomas, Yuta Watanabe, Seth Curry, and Patty Mills are all options.
Malik Monk, SG/SF – Sacramento Kings (15% rostered)
Monk has scored in double figures in four of his last six games with a juicy 2.5 threes and 5.2 assists to boot. Points and assists are rarely available on the waiver wire so Monk could be a nice addition to a fantasy roster. Monk is unlikely to eat into Kevin Huerter’s and Harrison Barnes’ minutes on the wing in Sacramento so the upside is quite limited.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, PF/C – Oklahoma City Thunder (9% rostered)
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl has quietly been a strong source of big-man threes and steals. In his last 3 games, Robinson-Earl has averaged 11 points, 5 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.3 threes. With Aleksej Pokusevski expected to miss time, Robinson-Earl has a chance for extended minutes and a bigger role going forward.
Christian Koloko, C – Toronto Raptors (6% rostered)
The second-round draft pick in this year’s draft, Koloko, has now started five games in a row. In the last of those five, against the Bulls, Koloko filled the stat sheet with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 blocks in 31 minutes. With Pascal Siakam out for a while too, Koloko could get an extended run and, who knows, become a fantasy-relevant part of the Raptors’ rotation. A pick-up is certainly worth the risk considering how easy it is for one player to completely turn around the fortunes of blocks in a category league.
Kyle Anderson, SF/PF – Minnesota Timberwolves (6% rostered)
Anderson got the start against the Rockets with Rudy Gobert placed into the health & safety protocols. In 30 minutes, Anderson logged a very nice fantasy stat line: 16 points, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 threes. As long as Gobert remains out, Anderson is worth picking up in nearly any league. After that, he can return to the waiver wire.