Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Will Miles McBride Step Up In Jalen Brunson's Absence?

The fantasy basketball playoffs are underway in many leagues, so it's important to optimize every roster spot. It might be difficult to cut some injured star players, but getting production now is key to keeping your hopes of winning a championship alive. As we look towards the upcoming week and beyond, here are some players to consider adding who are still available in the majority of leagues.

Malik Beasley, Detroit Pistons (59% available)

Beasley continues to be a reliable source for points and three-pointers. Over the last 15 games, he has averaged 16.1 points and 4.1 three-pointers per game. That's right in line with his season averages of 16.3 points and 3.9 three-pointers per game. The Pistons are fighting for playoff positioning, so there is no fear of them resting their veterans as we approach the month of April.

The Pistons will play four games next week, which works in Beasley's favor for fantasy purposes. Two of their four games will come against the Pelicans, who have the worst defensive rating in the league. Those who need points and three-pointers shouldn't hesitate to add Beasley if they still can.

Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers  (66% available)

We've seen Henderson provide increased production down the stretch before. Last season, he averaged 18.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.3 three-pointers over his last 14 games. While he has averaged just 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.6 three-pointers this season, he has averaged 15.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 three-pointers over his last 12 games.

After losing five straight games, the Trail Blazers are long shots to earn a spot in the Play-In Tournament. As they continue to fall further back in the standings, their veterans could see more rest days or at the very least, not play such heavy minutes. Not only is Henderson worth adding for the Trail Blazers' upcoming four-game week, but he could be someone worth rostering for the duration of the season.

Isaiah Collier, Utah Jazz  (69% available)

The Jazz continue to shuffle their starters and key veterans in and out of the lineup down the stretch. One player who hasn't seen his role waver is Collier, who has started each of their last 24 games. During that span, he averaged 11.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.0 steals over 30 minutes per game. While he hasn't provided much from behind the arc, he has improved his efficiency, shooting 45.9% from the field over those 24 games.

The Jazz have the second-worst record in the NBA. They have one fewer win than the Hornets and one more win than the Wizards. Expect them to do everything that they can to help improve their lottery odds down the stretch. That means we could continue to see the likes of Lauri Markkanen, John Collins and Collin Sexton miss time. The good news for fantasy managers is, it doesn't look like we need to worry about Collier's playing time down the stretch. The Jazz play four games this upcoming week, but Collier is worth rostering for much longer than that.

Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers  (71% available)

It has been just over a month since Deandre Ayton went down with a calf injury. There haven't been any positive updates regarding his status, so as the Trail Blazers continue to fall further back in the standings, it seems less likely that Ayton will play again this season. Ayton has appeared in just 40 games this season after being limited to 55 games last season.

Clingan has started each of the last 13 games without Ayton. He's averaging only 18 minutes per game for his rookie season, but he averaged 24 minutes during that 13-game stretch as a starter. That's still not a ton of minutes, with some of the reason being that he tends to find himself in foul trouble. Still, he averaged 8.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.9 blocks per game during that span. Those who need rebounds and blocks might be hard-pressed to find a better option than Clingan on the waiver wire.

Miles McBride, New York Knicks  (73% available)

The Knicks play their starters heavy minutes. Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns are all logging at least 35 minutes per game. That doesn't leave a ton of opportunities for the bench players, including McBride. He has logged 24 minutes per game, leaving him with averages of 9.2 points, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.7 three-pointers.

The Knicks are currently playing without Brunson, who has missed the last three games with an ankle injury. McBride started and played at least 32 minutes in all three of those games. That helped him average 13.0 points, 6.0 assists, 2.3 steals and 3.0 three-pointers. Brunson is likely to miss at least all of next week, making McBride a prime add with the Knicks set to play four games. Three of those games will come against underwhelming defensive teams in the Spurs, Hornets and Wizards.

Tre Jones, Chicago Bulls  (82% available)

The Bulls have started to distance themselves from the Raptors, Nets and 76ers in their quest to claim a spot in the Play-In Tournament. Not only that, but it's not out of the question that they could work their way up to the ninth or eighth seed. Despite their record being 10 games under .500, they still have plenty to play for down the stretch.

The Bulls had a ton of depth at guard, but that has been thinned out by injuries. Ayo Dosunmu (shoulder) is out for the season, Lonzo Ball (wrist) has missed six straight games and now Josh Giddey is dealing with an ankle injury that forced him to sit out Thursday's matchup with the Nets. Jones has started five straight games because of the team's injuries, averaging 14.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game during that span. The Bulls will play four games next week, making Jones worth a look in many formats.