Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: How to Take Advantage of Tanking Season

It's a difficult time in fantasy basketball right now. As fantasy managers push for the playoffs, there have been numerous important injuries to deal with. Also, some of the worst teams in the leagues have increased the frequency with which they rest some of their starters. For those needing a boost off the waiver wire, here are some players to consider adding who are still available in most Yahoo leagues.

Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers (51% available)

After shooting 40.6% from the field last season, Sharpe has improved his efficiency by shooting 44.9% this season. That's despite shooting just 31.4% from behind the arc. After a stint with the Trail Blazers' second unit, Sharpe has started each of their last 11 games. He shot 46.1% from the field during that span, averaging 18.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 three-pointers along the way.

Sharpe looks primed to remain in the starting five for the Trail Blazers to close the season. Jerami Grant (knee) has missed nine of their last 11 games. If the team falls further back in the playoff hunt, there's a chance that he won't play again this season. Even if he does, it's not likely that the Trail Blazers will reduce Sharpe's minutes given how well he has played.

Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs (64% available)

Season-ending injuries to Victor Wembanyama (shoulder) and De'Aaron Fox (finger) have opened up a lot of minutes and shot attempts for the Spurs. Stephon Castle has seen a huge boost in fantasy value, but he doesn't qualify for this column anymore because he is only available in 42% of Yahoo leagues. Instead, let's turn our attention to Johnson. He is having the most efficient season of his career, shooting 54.9% from the field.

Johnson has logged 25 minutes per game for the season, but he has averaged 27 minutes over the last five games. During that span, he produced 14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 three-pointers per game. He also shot 56.6% from the field. The Spurs have four games upcoming next week, making Johnson a viable waiver wire option.

Miles McBride, New York Knicks (67% available)

The Knicks continue to march toward the playoffs with Jalen Brunson (ankle) on the sidelines. Reports have indicated that he likely won't return until the end of March or the beginning of April. That means he could be sidelined for the entirety of the Knicks' upcoming four-game week.

With Brunson sidelined, the Knicks have turned to McBride to replace him in the starting lineup. He's not a token starter, either, logging an average of 34 minutes over the last seven games. He turned his new role into averages of 12.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.6 three-pointers. The downside was that he shot just 37.1% from the field during that span. For the season, he has shot 40.7% from the field, so his struggles with efficiency are nothing new. However, those who can absorb the hit in that department or play in a points league could get significant value out of McBride.

Keon Johnson, Brooklyn Nets (73% available)

Cam Thomas (hamstring) has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. He was often the driving force behind the Nets scoring attack, averaging 24.0 points and 18.2 shot attempts per game. The Nets are seven games back in the loss column from the 10th seed, so the stretch run should lead to plenty of minutes for some of their younger players.

Johnson has started each of the last four games since Thomas went down. He averaged 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.3 three-pointers during that span. Despite averaging just 24 minutes per game this season, he is averaging 10.1 points and 1.5 three-pointers. He could play close to 30 minutes a night moving forward, making him someone to add for points and three-pointers with the Nets set to play four games next week. Three of those games will come against bad defensive teams in the Mavericks, Raptors and Wizards.

Spencer Dinwiddie, Dallas Mavericks  (73% available)

Injuries have derailed the Mavericks. They are 1-9 over their last 10 games. Their most recent loss Wednesday dropped them to 11th in the Western Conference. The Suns moved into the 10th spot, but these two teams have identical 33-37 records, so the Mavericks still have plenty left to play for.

With the Mavericks being down so many players, Dinwiddie has averaged 35 minutes over their last seven games. That helped him average 15.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.7 three-pointers during that span. The Mavericks have received some reinforcements lately with P.J. Washington, Jaden Hardy and Kai Jones all returning from injuries. However, Dinwiddie still played 42 minutes with them all available Wednesday against the Pacers. The Mavericks will play four games next week, making Dinwiddie an appealing waiver wire target.

Kevin Huerter, Chicago Bulls (80% available)

The Bulls still have plenty left to play for down the stretch. They are almost assured a spot in the Play-In Tournament, so they won't be resting starters despite their losing record. They also have seeding left to play for. They currently occupy the ninth seed and have a realistic opportunity to finish anywhere from eighth to 10th in the Eastern Conference.

Huerter started things off slowly after the Bulls acquired him from the Kings but has worked his way into a prominent role. Over his last 12 games, he has averaged 32 minutes. He turned his new role into averages of 15.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.4 three-pointers during that span. The key is, he shot 39.4% from behind the arc. While he struggled in that department earlier this season, he has shot 37.5% from behind the arc for his career. Huerter should be a valuable source for points and three-pointers down the stretch.