We’ve entered the final week of the NBA season before the All-Star break, and “silly season” has arrived. This week’s featured picks include prospects from two of the league’s worst teams, two players who made their debuts in the past two weeks, and the shocking… Brook Lopez and Marvin Bagley III
Here are the hottest fantasy basketball waiver wires for Week 17.
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→ Watch two NBA games On Peacock On Monday night, the Bucks will take on the Magic at 7:30 PM ET, then the Thunder will take on the Lakers at 10 PM ET.
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1. Nick Clifford
2. Isaiah Collier
3. Ty Jerome
4. Will Riley
5. Marvin Bagley III
6. Moussa Diabate
7. Carson Wallace
8. Scott Henderson
9. Brooke Lopez
10. Ji Santos
Isaiah Collier, Utah Jazz (36% played)
Keyonte George He missed three games with a left ankle sprain and returned Saturday with a right ankle injury. In the past four games with George absent or limited, Collier averaged 39.5 minutes per game, averaging 20.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 12.5 assists and 2.5 steals. He had his third straight double-double and dished out a career-high 22 assists in Tuesday’s win over the Pacers. Even if George is allowed to play before the All-Star break, Collier has independent value as the primary backup, and Utah is clearly interested in tanking after the All-Star break. Lauri Markkanen, Jusuf Nurkicand Jaren Jackson Jr. in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Magic. With “silly season” quickly approaching, expect Collier to continue to see significant playing time.
Ty Jerome, Memphis Grizzlies (34% of roster)
Jerome has appeared in four games this season, averaging only 20.3 minutes per game. The lack of playing time did not prevent him from playing great statistics. Jerome averaged 20 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.3 three-pointers per game, shooting 56.5% from the field and 86.4% from the free throw line. His workload should gradually increase over the next period, and after getting some extra recovery time and acceleration during the All-Star break, he can last more than 25 minutes.
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Moussa Diabate, Charlotte Hornets (26% of roster)
Charlotte’s starting center is Diabate, who has been outstanding over the past two weeks. In the past eight games, Diabate averaged 29.9 minutes per game, 10.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.8 blocks, shooting 67.3% from the field and 75% from the free throw line. The big man wasn’t an elite contributor to defensive numbers, but he provided strong rebounding numbers and solid efficiency.
Carson Wallace, Oklahoma City Thunder (24% of roster)
Wallace has at least a week of runway because Shai Gilgeous-Alexander After the All-Star break, the Thunder will play three more games Monday through Thursday. In the past four games, Wallace averaged 30.3 minutes per game, scoring 17 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.3 steals and 2.3 three-pointers, with a shooting percentage of 51/83/41. His prominence in the rare steal category makes him worthy of points as a category specialist, but his recent performance highlights his ability to post meaningful numbers across the board.
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Will Riley, Washington Wizards (21% of roster)
Riley is another talented prospect out of the nation’s capital who has been on a hot streak of late. In the past four games, Riley has averaged 32.3 minutes per game, scoring 20.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.0 three-pointers. He scored 20 or more points in two consecutive games and had the best performance of his career in Saturday’s loss to the Nets. On Saturday, Riley shot a mammoth three-point line of 27/3/2/3/1 in 45 minutes, and his arrow was clearly pointing upward.
Brook Lopez, Los Angeles Clippers (18% of roster)
and Ivica Zubac After being traded to Indiana, Burrow has the ability to become a viable option in standard fantasy leagues. After posting 15/9/2/1 with three kills and two 3-pointers in 36 minutes in Friday’s win over the Kings, Lopez is averaging 9.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.3 blocks and 2.1 3-pointers in nine starts this season. The scoring, rebounding and efficiency will be inconsistent, but Lopez is a reliable source of blocks and 3-pointers and should be added wherever he is.
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The All-Star Game means Yahoo Week 17 will last two weeks. Default league.
Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers (14% of roster)
Henderson made his debut in Friday’s win over the Grizzlies, coming off the bench for 21 minutes and posting 11/5/9/1 numbers. He missed Saturday’s second leg of a back-to-back with the Blazers, but has a chance to return against the 76ers on Monday. Henderson needs some break-in time, but his strong performance in such limited playing time is very encouraging.
Gui Santos, Golden State Warriors (11%)
Stephen Curry There’s still no timetable for a return, and as Golden State’s injuries continue to mount, role players will continue to see meaningful runs and take on new responsibilities. Santos is one of them, and he has been outstanding in the past six games. During this period, he averaged 14.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.2 blocks and 2.2 three-pointers in 26.8 minutes per game.
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Marvin Bagley III, Washington Wizards (7% of roster)
Bagley III came to Dallas via the Anthony Davis trade and he made an immediate impact. Daniel Gafford He averaged nearly 29 minutes per game in the last three games before Bagley III arrived, but Bagley III played just 18 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Spurs, with Bagley III getting 24 minutes. Foul issues will certainly play a factor in the playing time gap, but given Gafford’s history with injuries and foul trouble, it’s safe to say Bagley III should see enough playing time to be a viable option in standard league play. He posted 16/12/2 numbers that included a steal, four blocks and a triple, and fantasy managers should expect stronger performances in the future.
Nique Clifford, Sacramento Kings (3% of roster players)
Clifford has been outstanding in the past three games, scoring 20.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.0 saves and 3.0 three-pointers in 33 minutes. He had his best game of the season in Saturday’s loss to the Cavaliers, posting 30/4/4/2/2 in 40 minutes, including five 3-pointers. Sacramento’s backcourt is thin Dennis Schroeder and Gene Ellis Being traded, the Kings have no motivation to play Zach LaVine or Russell Westbrook This is a big moment as they head toward the 2026 draft lottery. Clifford looks poised to see more runs after the All-Star break, and he has the ability to handsomely reward fantasy managers who take him off the waiver wire.
Other options: Tarry Eason (39%), Tobias Harris (32%), Aaron Nesmith (26%), Jalen Smith (25%), GG Jackson (21%), Moses Moody (16%), Brandon Williams (7%), Tristan Vukcevic (4%), Nick Richards (2%)
