Waiver wire pickups: Look to Bub Carrington, Trayce Jackson-Davis

Working the waiver wire is pivotal to succeeding in fantasy basketball. With so many games, injuries and endless shifts in rotations throughout the marathon campaign, we’ll need to source stats from free agency to maximize our imaginary rosters.

A willingness to entertain competition for the final few spots on your fantasy hoops roster can prove rewarding. When curating this fluid collective of statistical contributors, it helps to consider your end-of-the-bench players in direct competition with the talent floating in free agency.

The goal of this weekly series is to identify players at each position widely available in free agency in ESPN leagues. Some are specialists capable of helping in one or two categories, while others deliver more diverse and important statistical offerings. In the breakdowns below, I’ve listed players at each position in order of priority, rather than roster percentage, in ESPN men’s basketball leagues.

Point guard

Carlton Carrington, SG, Washington Wizards (rostered in 6.7% of ESPN leagues): Malcolm Brogdon can’t seem to stay healthy, while the veteran guard is also a prime trade candidate. Carrington, known as Bub in most circles, has been playing more lately and producing versatile lines reminiscent of his hot start in November.

Andrew Nembhard, SG, Indiana Pacers (11.2%): The scoring results can prove pretty quiet from Nembhard, making it tougher to roster him as, well, a scoring guard. For those who need passing production, however, he’s a unique off-guard in just how high his assist percentage sits while playing next to a pure point guard.

Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers (27.3%): Inefficiency as a scoring source remains a major part of the story with Scoot, but improved passing efficiency and an awesome steal rate in recent weeks speaks to his ability to become a better fantasy option than a real contributor. A fire sale in Portland would help Henderson’s prospects.

Shooting guard

Christian Braun, Denver Nuggets (43.9%): Doing his best Derrick White impression, Braun has become an atypically productive rim protector for a guard, much like Boston’s elite defender. There isn’t nearly as strong of an offensive arsenal for Braun, but he is flashing improved passing production and respectable scoring outcomes in recent games.

Donte DiVincenzo, Minnesota Timberwolves (43.9%): No longer does DiVincenzo have the volume of minutes and shots he enjoyed in a career year with the Knicks. That said, there is still value in a player with high-floor production as a shooter, a defender, and even as a playmaker. It feels like a stretch will come when DiVincenzo becomes a significant fantasy force. Being ahead of the curve is always advised.

Quentin Grimes, Dallas Mavericks (7.3%): Early speculation had Spencer Dinwiddie as the key riser in the rotation in the wake of Luka Doncic‘s injury, but it appears the team believes Grimes can take on more work in this scenario. With some stellar scoring and shooting showings in recent contests, Grimes has gained relevance.

Small forward

Deni Avdija, PF, Portland Trail Blazers (58.3%): Empowered as a lead offensive option with Jerami Grant ailing, Avdija has been relatively awesome in recent weeks. There is enough production across several categories to survive the nights when his shot isn’t falling.

Herbert Jones, PF, New Orleans Pelicans (25.2%): Found at No. 10 among small forwards on the Player Rater over the past week, Jones’ incredible defensive rates are being complemented by an uptick in assists and overall offensive production. The Pelicans, as you might know, have not been very good — although Jones remains one of the best high-end defenders in fantasy hoops.

Power forward

Trayce Jackson-Davis, C, Golden State Warriors (47.1%): With Jonathan Kuminga dealing with an ankle injury and the team’s need for a bully on the block and the boards, Jackson-Davis has emerged as a steady double-double threat. The scoring can disappear at times, but elite rebounding results in a higher floor for a role player than you’d expect.

Center

Alexandre Sarr, PF, Washington Wizards (30.2%): We don’t hear about Sarr much given he’s on a wayward Washington team in pursuit of another lottery crown, but he’s been a really fun fantasy option for quite some time. A veteran block rate is what drives his profile, although scoring and rebounding are spiking in recent games. The second half could see Sarr become a difference-maker in all formats.

Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans (18.8%): Rebounding is Missi’s calling card, with rim protection rising as part of his identity. The team is giving Missi big minutes given how badly they get worked on the defensive boards without him. If you need these two stats, with some high-percentage buckets added in, keep Missi in mind.

Special teams

This section focuses on specialists, players who flash in a singular category and can provide specific value to those in category and roto formats. Nominations are based on which category such players are helpful in and will rotate throughout the season.

3-pointers: DiVincenzo is 15th in added value from deep over the past two weeks, per the Player Rater. Detroit’s Malik Beasley is 17th in this index and remains a specialist to watch in deep formats.

Steals: Jones and his sticky hands land him ninth in surplus value in steals over the past two weeks. Scoot ranks 11th over this stretch, with Ausar Thompson just behind in 13th. I’d rather see what the young Detroit wing can do on my fantasy roster(s).

Blocks: Only Victor Wembanyama rates higher than Missi in added value via blocks the past two weeks. Dallas’ Daniel Gafford is just behind Missi, suggesting that lately there is some value to be found in rim protection.

Rebounds: Orlando’s Goga Bitadze is 12th in rebounding value over the past two weeks. He should sustain value until at least the team’s duo of young star forwards are back. Jackson-Davis ranks 15th in rebounding value over the past 15 days.

Assists: Nembhard is 25th in value via dimes the past two weeks. Henderson is 23rd, which is actually quite high for a widely available player in an era when playmaking is often concentrated atop the rotation.