Thanks for reading our fantasy basketball waiver wire report for Week 5! Every week, we’ll help you decide which fantasy basketball waiver pickups to make that could benefit your fantasy basketball teams now, later in the season, or just for the upcoming Week 5.
Note: Free-Agent Acquisition Budget dollar bid prices for NBA Week 5 are based on a season-long budget of $100. Adjust your percentage and scale accordingly for your league’s unique FAAB allotment and your remaining FAAB dollars.
(Roster % is based on Yahoo! Fantasy leagues information as of Friday, November 12.)
2021 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 5: Top Pickups
Darius Bazley, SF/PF, Oklahoma City Thunder (36% Rostered)
Bazley has picked up where he left off (multiple times) last year. If you played Fantasy Basketball in 2020-2021, you remember how frustrating Darius Bazley was down the stretch. He would go on an absolute tear, then disappear for a game or two due to tanking purposes, but was described as some health issue or another.
Well, this early in the season, nobody is tanking yet unless your name rhymes with the “Smellicans". OKC has good reason to keep its talented young players on the floor to help them grow and Bazley is one of them. His FG and FT percentages may be abysmal, but he racks up points, rebounds, stocks, and even makes a few threes.
Bazley hasn’t played fewer than 24 minutes since October 27 and in this two-week span is averaging 13.2 points, 7.2 boards, 1.2 steals, 0.7 blocks, and is shooting a competent 45% from the field.
- Darius Bazley Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 10-12%
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Shake Milton, PG/SG, Philadelphia 76ers (42% Rostered)
Shake Milton was mentioned as a player to stash recently and has been on a tear since. Most of this may be fueled by the COVID protocol absences of Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid, but after starting slow with an ankle injury, he’s caught on of late. While the starting PG role is pretty much locked up by the fireball Tyrese Maxey, Milton can still provide his all-around value.
Since his first start on November 4, Milton is averaging 14.2 points, 4.4 boards, 3.8 assists, 0.8 threes, and 0.8 steals with good shooting percentages. He isn’t going to win you any one category, but he’s the perfect glue guy on a fantasy roster to get you a bit of everything while not hurting you anywhere.
- Shake Milton Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 5-7%
76ers guard Shake Milton has been a solid all-around contributor for Philadelphia over the past week. (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
2021 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 5: Best Players To Stash
Coby White, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls (15% Rostered)
Coby White has reportedly fully healed from his left (non-shooting) shoulder injury that forced him into offseason surgery. White, Chicago’s first-round pick in 2019, is kind of a forgotten man despite his pedigree and top-10 draft capital. Yes, he has struggled as a real-life player early in his career, but the fantasy potential is there for someone with his scoring prowess.
White could benefit greatly from a diminished role as an off-ball scorer taking spot-up shots and finishing near the rim when set up by the various, new, talented distributors in Chicago. Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan have done wonders for this once stagnant offense and should work cohesively with White as well.
Expect fewer assists and turnovers from White in fantasy with a potentially better FG% and similar scoring numbers.
- Coby White Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 1-5%
Marvin Bagley III, PF/C, Sacramento Kings (8% Rostered)
This is quite a curious issue in Sacramento. Marvin Bagley III is reportedly healthy and game-ready, but has not played once all season. There was a moment not long ago where Bagley was called to check-in, but refused to enter. This, of course, went viral and has everyone scratching their heads as to why the Kings have not bit the bullet and traded him away as things clearly haven’t worked out.
Bagley is a talented player stuck in an awful situation. Whether he will ever have the upside he flashed in high school and college is unlikely, but he can play on an NBA floor in the right spot and carve out a role with his high-level finishing ability and rebounding. Yes, Bagley is a limited player, but he’s not a bust just yet.
If you can afford to stash him in hopes of a trade, it could pay off in a major way for fantasy.
- Marvin Bagley III Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 1-5%
2021 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 5: One-Week Streamer Plays
Derrick Jones Jr., SF/PF, Chicago Bulls (4% Rostered)
With Nikola Vucevic (COVID protocols) out for the next two weeks, the Bulls are desperately thin in the front-court. Their backup center Tony Bradley is not awful, but is useless when opposing teams opt for small-ball lineups. Derrick Jones Jr. is a wing, but possesses the shot-blocking ability of a big thanks to his absurd athleticism.
DJJ won’t fill in directly for Vucevic, but should see an expanded role for the next stretch of games to assist defensively. With four games in Week 5, he should be rostered, especially if you need blocks.
- Derrick Jones Jr. Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 1-2%
P.J. Dozier, PG/SG, Denver Nuggets (2% Rostered)
Dozier has not been spectacular since Michael Porter Jr. (back) was ruled out for the foreseeable future, but he is getting minutes! Denver is extremely thin and relies on Will Barton as its second option.
Dozier proved last year that he is capable of doing a little bit of everything as a combo-guard. His shot hasn’t fallen yet, but with at least 20 minutes per game coming to him consistently (22.9 mpg in his last three games), he has time to change that.
Dozier and the Nuggets play four games in Week 5, which could bode well for a spike performance or two thanks to his increased role and volume of shot attempts per game.
- P.J. Dozier Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 0-1%
