Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups: Best Free Agents This Week
The waiver wire is where fantasy championships are won. Every week, players emerge from obscurity — due to injuries, trades, or hot streaks — and become must-add assets. Here are this week's best waiver wire pickups.
Must-add (rostered in less than 50% of leagues)
Keyonte George (UTA) — PG/SG — 35% rostered
George has been on fire over the last two weeks: 19.4 PPG, 5.8 APG, 2.4 threes per game. The Jazz are giving him 34 minutes per night, and he's responding with career-best numbers. His shooting has been streaky all season, but when he's hot, he's a top-50 fantasy player. Add him now before he's gone.
Amen Thompson (HOU) — PG/SF — 42% rostered
Thompson's all-around game makes him a fantasy gem. Over the last 10 games: 14.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.8 SPG. His lack of three-point shooting hurts in category leagues, but his rebounds, assists, and steals from the guard position are rare. He's a must-add in points leagues.
Streaming options (for this week only)
What is streaming? Streaming means picking up a player for a few days to take advantage of their schedule, then dropping them for someone else. It's the best way to maximize your roster's output.
This week, target players on teams with 4 games: Cavaliers, Thunder, Timberwolves, and Knicks all play 4 games. Players on these teams give you an extra game of production compared to teams with 3 games.
Good streaming options: Isaac Okoro (CLE), Kenrich Williams (OKC), Naz Reid (MIN), and Mitchell Robinson (NYK). None of these players are fantasy stars, but an extra game of production can be the difference between winning and losing your matchup.
Players to drop
If you need roster space, consider dropping players who have cooled off or lost their role: Jordan Poole (WAS) has been terrible since January. Kyle Kuzma (WAS) is dealing with a nagging injury. And any player on a tanking team who's seeing reduced minutes as the team prioritizes development.
Injury stashes
If you have an IR spot available, stash players who are expected to return soon. A returning starter can be the equivalent of a trade deadline acquisition — you get a top-50 player for free, just by being patient.