If you’re in a fantasy league and struggling to find suitable players on the waiver wire, consider the following list of six players who are trending up in the fantasy rankings and have favorable positions on their teams’ depth charts. These players could provide a boost to your roster, whether you need a permanent addition or just a temporary injury replacement. But remember, nothing is certain in the world of fantasy sports, and even the most promising players can be replaced at any moment. So stay on top of the latest news and make sure to adjust your strategy accordingly.
Week 8 Fantasy Basketball Deep Waiver Wire Adds
Jose Alvarado, PG – New Orleans Pelicans (21% rostered)
Jose Alvarado just scorched the Nuggets for 38 points with 8 threes off the bench. He’s probably not going to average 38 for the rest of the season, but high-scoring waiver wire options are pretty rare, so pick him up wherever possible. Presumably, the 38 got him enough goodwill from the team to get an extended opportunity in the next few games.
Joe Harris, SG/SF – Brooklyn Nets (24% rostered)
Joe Harris has gone on a mini-heater with Ben Simmons out of the lineup. In 4 games, he’s averaged 15.2 points, 3.5 threes, 5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals with good percentages in 33.5 minutes. While Ben Simmons will return soon enough, Harris’ 3-and-D skills would still be much needed in the Nets’ lineup. If he can keep up the shooting, he might be the most valuable fantasy player out of the second-tier players on the Nets.
Andrew Nembhard, PG/SG – Indiana Pacers (22% rostered)
With Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell out of the Pacers’ lineup, Nembhard was given the keys to the team and did not disappoint. In the last two games, he’s averaged 14.5 points, 9 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2 threes. Nembhard’s value would skyrocket if Haliburton, who has been ruled out of Monday’s game, will need to take an extended break. He might also end up having deep-league value with Haliburton on the roster. If your team has the space, Nembhard is certainly worth a gamble.
Jordan McLaughlin, PG – Minnesota Timberwolves (0% rostered)
McLaughlin played 24 minutes in his return from a calf injury. Fantasy-wise the 24 minutes were a solid all-around effort with 8 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 1 three. Going forward, though, his role could extend to the first guard off the bench with the extra minutes available due to Karl-Anthony Towns’ injury. Certainly, the 352nd most-owned fantasy player on Fantrax has some potential.
Jalen McDaniels, SF – Charlotte Hornets (28% rostered)
With a ton of available shots on the Hornets due to the injuries to LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward, Jalen McDaniels is one of the players taking advantage of the situation having scored over 20 points in two of the last three games. Ball and Hayward do not have a publicly announced timeline for their returns so this might go on for a while.
Naz Reid, C – Minnesota Timberwolves (7% rostered)
Hey, if you need some blocks, pick up Naz Reid. He’ll have blocks in bunches with Karl-Anthony Towns out injured. Remember – blocks are a high variance category so a random guy off the deep waivers can have an outsized influence. Reid had 4 and 5 blocks in the last two games.