With the Christmas break now over and conference play about to begin, schedules will be much more predictable for power conference teams. Fantasy leagues will trend from trying to find players who play two or three games a week to simply rostering the most productive players. This week we'll dive through the best pickups who are widely available across the country.
Fantasy College Basketball Waiver Wire: Top Adds This Week
For additional help on college basketball waiver wire recommendations, head to our college basketball player rankings to settle Player A vs. Player B dilemmas, as well as our college basketball injury report to see which backups may be in line for an expanded role.
Power Conferences
Tobe Awaka, F/C, Arizona (Fantrax Ownership: 6%)
Awaka might not be a starter, but he is the 12th leading rebounder in the country at 10.4 RPG. The senior is certainly a strong double-double threat at 9.4 PPG as well. Awaka is playing very similar minutes to the starter in Motiejus Krivas, but definitely has the experience edge which could be a factor in more close games with Big 12 play approaching. Arizona closes out the non-conference schedule with South Dakota State on Monday.
Sebastian Rancik, F/C, Colorado (1%)
Rancik has scored in double figures in seven straight games. Over that stretch he is putting up 13.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 three-pointers and 1.1 steals per contest. Rancik is an interesting player at 6-11 who Colorado moves from
With the Christmas break now over and conference play about to begin, schedules will be much more predictable for power conference teams. Fantasy leagues will trend from trying to find players who play two or three games a week to simply rostering the most productive players. This week we'll dive through the best pickups who are widely available across the country.
Fantasy College Basketball Waiver Wire: Top Adds This Week
For additional help on college basketball waiver wire recommendations, head to our college basketball player rankings to settle Player A vs. Player B dilemmas, as well as our college basketball injury report to see which backups may be in line for an expanded role.
Power Conferences
Tobe Awaka, F/C, Arizona (Fantrax Ownership: 6%)
Awaka might not be a starter, but he is the 12th leading rebounder in the country at 10.4 RPG. The senior is certainly a strong double-double threat at 9.4 PPG as well. Awaka is playing very similar minutes to the starter in Motiejus Krivas, but definitely has the experience edge which could be a factor in more close games with Big 12 play approaching. Arizona closes out the non-conference schedule with South Dakota State on Monday.
Sebastian Rancik, F/C, Colorado (1%)
Rancik has scored in double figures in seven straight games. Over that stretch he is putting up 13.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 three-pointers and 1.1 steals per contest. Rancik is an interesting player at 6-11 who Colorado moves from small forward all the way down to center at times. The sophomore is a tough cover who I think people will begin to get familiar with come Big 12 play.
Isaiah Johnson, G, Colorado (2%)
Rancik's teammate has been even better recently averaging 18.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 three-pointers over the last three games. Johnson has come off the bench in every game this season, but is Colorado's leading scorer (14.8 PPG) and still seeing 25.5 MPG. The Buffs are mixing in a lot of freshman, but Johnson has been the best of the bunch. Colorado opens Big 12 play on Saturday against Arizona State.
Chisom Okpara, F/C, Stanford (3%)
Stanford has one of the best duos in the ACC and they will get to show it starting this week against Notre Dame and Louisville. Many already know about freshman sensation Ebuka Okorie (22.8 PPG), but Okpara's rise as a senior has been impressive as well. The 6-8 forward is rolling with 17 PPG over his last four to go along with 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.3 three-pointers. Those numbers are somewhat on par from when Okpara was at Harvard and averaged 16.5 PPG.
Tyler Nickel, G/F/C, Vanderbilt (3%)
Vandy is off to an incredible 12-0 start and they are among the best offenses in all of college basketball. Coach Mark Byington's squad has a lot of fantasy relevant players and Nickel is certainly one of them. The 6-7 senior has dropped at least 26 points in two of his last three games. Nickel is one of three Vandy players averaging at least 15 PPG on the season. The Commodores will close out the non-conference schedule on Monday against New Haven and begin SEC play on Saturday against South Carolina.
Somto Cyril, F/C, Georgia (9%)
Cyril was a Top 50 recruit in the 2024 cycle, but was overshadowed by Asa Newell. This season he was expected to have a much bigger role, but has been somewhat up and down. That said, he is starting to put it all together going into SEC play. Over the last three games he is putting up 14.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 2.0 steals. Georgia will get LIU on Monday and then Auburn on Saturday this week.
Nigel James, G, Marquette (1%)
Safe to say things have not gone according to plan to start the season for Marquette who sits at 5-8 and has lost four in a row. One positive has been the play of this freshman who has hit the 20-mark in three of the last six games and is averaging 14.7 points, 4.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals over that stretch. James and Chase Ross will continue to shoulder a hefty load throughout Big East play.
Damarco Minor, G, Pittsburgh (6%)
Minor has been asked to replace a lot of the production lost from last season with Jaland Lowe moving on to Kentucky. While that is a bit of an unrealistic expectation, Minor has been stuffing the stat sheet this season averaging 10.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.9 three-pointers and 1.5 steals per game. The Oregon State transfer is also shooting a career-best 41.7 percent from behind the arc. Pitt will face Miami and Clemson this week to begin ACC play.
Other Conferences
Elijah Mahi, F/C, Santa Clara
Mahi has been incredibly strong over the last month averaging 16.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 three-pointers, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals in his last eight games. Santa Clara heads into WCC play at No. 57 on KenPom and is certainly a team to watch out for in that conference. Mahi is one of the best small forwards in the league, and given the way he's trending, First Team All-WCC can't be ruled out.
Josh Pascarelli, G, Colorado State
Pascarelli is one of the best shooters in the country and would be a great option for managers in need of three-point help. The Mairst transfer is hitting 3.4 shots from behind the arc on the season at an eye-popping 50.6-percent clip. He's been even better over the last five games, averaging 16.0 points and 4.4 three-pointers at a 66.7-percent clip. Colorado State leads the nation in effective field goal percentage and three-point percentage with Pascarelli being a big reason why.
Riley Allenspach, F/C, George Mason
Allenspach only started four games in two years at Samford, but he has started every game this season for George Mason. He's been on a roll of late with at least 21 fantasy points in six of his last eight games, a stretch in which the 6-11 center is averaging 13.4 points and 7.3 rebounds. Fellow big man Dola Adebayo is battling a foot injury and it's not clear when he will be able to return. That should only help Allenspach's value.
Jaiden Glover-Toscano, F/C, Saint Joseph's
Glover-Toscano rebounded on Sunday after he missed the prior two games with a wrist injury to the tune of 29 points, including six three-pointers. That marked his second 25+ point game in his last three. In the middle was a 14-point, nine-rebound outing against Syracuse. Glover-Toscano is a great shooter who this team will need if they want to be competitive in the A-10 this season.
