College Basketball Waiver Wire: Playoff Push

We're down to the final two weeks of the regular season, which means its playoff time for season-long college basketball managers in head to head formats, and hopefully still some time for rotisserie folks to make a late push with some category-specific adds.

Power Conferences

 Malik Williams, F/C, Louisville

Talent has never been a question for Williams, but opportunity has been, as he typically split minutes evenly with Steven Enoch. That changed last week following a three-game losing streak. Enoch played a combined 16 minutes in wins over Syracuse and North Carolina, while Williams earned his first starts of the year, played 54 total minutes and put up a combined 31 points and 22 rebounds. We now know this is due at least in part to an Enoch leg injury, but that doesn't mean Williams will see his workload decreased immediately. A lack of blocks is less than ideal, but Williams is a priority add where center eligible.

 Tomas Woldetensae, G, Virginia

Woldetensae carries more value where 3-pointers are a separate category, as he lacks peripheral upside. But he's settled into a nice shooting groove late in the year, connecting on 20 long balls over the last five outings (on 43 attempts). That volume is speaks to his value to the Cavaliers, and his current success rate is making him a viable fantasy option.

 Sasha Stefanovic, G, Purdue

Stefanovic profiles almost identically to Woldetensae above; he's a 3-point shooter with limited appeal elsewhere. He's hit 6-of-9 over the last two games, and while the volume isn't as high as Woldetensae's, Stefanovic returned to the starting lineup over the weekend, playing 32 minutes against Michigan, and looks capable of providing a late-season, short-term boost in three-pointers for rotisserie players.

 Myreon Jones, G, Penn State

Jones is our weekly reminder to not assume ownership. He's missed five games due to illness, but was participating in warmups Saturday. He's worth a bench stash if an impatient owner previously dropped him, as a return Wednesday against Rutgers seems probable.

 Jaire Grayer, G, TCU

The Horned Frogs rotation hasn't been the focal point of fantasy managers for most of the year, as they rank 362nd in points per game. But Grayer has seen a big increase in minutes over the last three games, averaging 34.0 minutes, 11 more than his season total. He's responded with 11.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals. That may not win your league, even in Big 12 circles, but that's enough of an increase to where we should take notice.

 Miles McBride, G, West Virginia

Trust Bob Huggins and his rotations at your own mercy, but McBride started both of the Mountaineers games last week, reaching 30 minutes in each contest, the first time he's seen that amount of run all season. He responded with 8.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals. That all-around production may not help a ton, but it certainly won't hurt either.

 Henry Baddley, G, Butler

Baddley was featured here about a month ago, and this write up reads nearly identically. He has next to no standalone appeal, but both Kamar Baldwin and Aaron Thompson went down due to injuries over the weekend. If they are forced to miss time, Baddley will be forced into a significant role. The schedule further complicates things, as the Bulldogs don't play again until Saturday. That time off obviously gives Thompson and Baldwin more recovery time, and Thompson isn't a fantasy star either. But Baldwin owners absolutely need to handcuff here at a minimum.

 Spencer Jones, G, Stanford

An unintended theme for this column has come full circle by including Jones here, and that's late-season chasing of three-pointers. Jones is the Cardinal's sniper, shooting 43.4 percent from long range. He's buried three or more in three of four and is averaging 2.7 made threes on 6.8 attempts over his last 12 outings. Upcoming games against Utah and Colorado, who both rank in the bottom half of the country in 3-point defensive efficiency per KenPom, shouldn't scare anyone off. 

 Isaiah Joe, G, Arkansas

This probably comes from the Captain Obvious department, but if your waivers run weekly, Joe is likely still available. He played 37 minutes in his first game since February 1, scoring 21 points while adding three rebounds and three assists, knocking down five three-pointers in the process. With no minutes restriction, he's a must-add.

 Jeremiah Tilmon, C, Missouri

Tilmon is reportedly healthy but was held out Saturday to allow for more practice time and conditioning. As such, a minutes limit seems likely when he finally makes a return to action. But Tilmon remains long on talent, and with center eligibility, he's someone who could make an impact next week rather than this week, when many will be in their league championships. As such, he's an intriguing stash for SEC heavy formats.

Tier 2 Formats

 DeJon Jarreau, G, Houston

Jarreau drew the start in place of an injured Quentin Grimes, and provided nine points, nine boards and three assists in 30 minutes. While it's Caleb Mills who has seen the offensive uptick in Grimes' absence, he's still not starting or providing peripheral numbers. So long as Grimes is sidelined, Jarreau looks like the correct all-around pivot, as his low scoring against Memphis came while missing 11 of his 14 shots. He piled up a 31.6 percent usage rate.

 Tony Johnson Jr., G, UCF

Johnson's performances last week came out of nowhere. He put up a whopping 21 points, nine rebounds, six assists and six steals against Cincinnati, then earned his first career start against Tulane, responding with 15 points, three rebounds, four assists and a steal. The start came with Dazon Ingram sidelined by illness, but Johnson's play says he should see far more than the 11.8 minutes he's averaged. Maybe he's a better DFS dart throw for tournaments than a waiver add, but those hugh numbers could tilt championship matchups if they continue.

 Deandre Williams, F, Evansville

Williams' long-anticipated return occurred last week, and while the results weren't superb, he did see an uptick in minutes over the weekend over his first game back in action. Williams was a statistical roller coaster before being sidelined by a back injury for 12 games, but when right, offers immense upside that can't often be found this late in the year.

 Malcolm Porter, G, Portland

Porter is back in action after missing six games for undisclosed reasons. He was inserted into the starting lineup in his second game back, and while he had only three points, it was the result of 1-of-10 shooting. His minutes should only increase moving forward, and having taken 19 shots in 41 minutes, there's some scoring upside in that usage with increased run.