In a perfect world, managers would use their NBA fantasy draft to build a team that stays intact the entire season. Of course, that's not feasible, meaning fantasy basketball managers will need to stay active on the waiver wire to add to their team, both to increase the talent with rising fantasy stars or to tip the scales in certain categories late in a given week or in the season.
Just like your fantasy basketball rankings before the draft, there's plenty of strategy that goes into picking up players off the waiver wire. Just because a player wasn't drafted doesn't mean he can't make significant contributions to your team. You won't want to wait if the opportunity presents itself to nab someone who can make an impact.
Different Types of Players on the Waiver Wire
Waiver wire gems are an annual occurrence in fantasy basketball. There could be a number of reasons why a player fell off the NBA fantasy draft cheat sheet of each manager. It may be roster size, injuries or past performance, but there are always a handful of available players each season who break through and become legitimate fantasy starters.
The other types of players on waiver wires are single-game contributors. This is especially important in weekly leagues, where finding players who contribute in niche categories and/or have multiple games toward the end of a week can help tip a category or two in your favor. Maybe there's a change to certain NBA starting lineups in the short term that make these players more valuable. Stats like steals, blocks, rebounds and 3-pointers commonly can be found on the waiver wire and can turn a loss into a win in an instant.
How to Find Underrated Fantasy Basketball Players on the Waiver Wire
It's important for fantasy basketball managers to check in daily on both player news and NBA projections. There are times when red-hot players will stick out and be the obvious choice to pluck off the waiver wire, but other times you may need to dig into starting lineup/rotation changes or whether a player is looking at increased minutes. These short-term wins pay off in the long run.
It's also good for players to have an understanding of which teams play on what days. The best waiver wire pick-ups can sometimes be those with great schedules, either playing easy opponents or playing on days when there are just a few NBA games. RotoWire's schedule grid will give you a look at every team's schedule and who they're playing the following week. Getting in an extra game or two can make a big difference over time. Getting updates on the NBA injury report can also help managers pluck a player off the wire who may be returning shortly.
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Strategies for Long-Term Success
It's important for fantasy basketball managers to know what their rules are on pick-ups. Some leagues have maximum pickups for the year or the week, while others have transactional costs. If you do have limits, you'll want to make sure you're not over-adding on the waiver wire early in the season, and then left unable to add to your team late in the season when it matters most.
If you have unlimited additions, don't be afraid to take a risk on a player. It's a long season, so even a bad performance by a player you thought might break out isn't going to hurt you much. The upside is finding a player in the first few weeks who turns out to be for real, meaning you've added a top-50 or top-75 player for "free." Be aggressive on the wire, especially early in the year. You can also check out sleeper analysis in the fantasy basketball draft kit and pounce on any potential sleepers who went undrafted.
There are always gems on the waiver wire each year. They pop out of nowhere for a handful of reasons, but fantasy basketball managers don't need to be concerned with how they got there; they just need to be the ones to add them to their team. Understand your league settings and then get aggressive. You can target specific categories if you need them or certain players stepping into larger roles if you need long-term help. Managers who subscribe to RotoWire will always get the latest analysis on the best waiver wire targets to potentially add all season long.
