Thanks for reading our fantasy basketball waiver wire report for Week 12! 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 12.
Note: Free-Agent Acquisition Budget dollar bid prices for NBA Week 12 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 Monday, January 3.
2021 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 12: Top Pickups
Malik Monk, PG/SG, Los Angeles Lakers (44% Rostered)
Malik Monk has been on FIRE since his return from the COVID List.
Over the past five games, he’s averaging 33.4 minutes, 20.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks, 0.6 steals, and 2.8 threes while shooting 57% from the field and 42% from deep. He has hit all 16 free throw attempts in this span and has been the missing piece the Lakers offense has needed.
Monk won’t play this well all season, but he is seeing more shot attempts in the absence of Anthony Davis. Additionally, the Lakers’ transition to a smaller lineup — with LeBron James at center — is working wonders for their spacing and allowing Monk plenty of room to shoot.
He is a worthwhile addition for any fantasy roster at the moment.
- Malik Monk Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 10-15%
NBA DFS Play of the Day
Looking for a new NBA DFS site? PrizePicks offers contests for a wide variety of sports in what are essentially two contest formats and two modes of gameplay for daily fantasy basketball. Get a first deposit bonus of up to $100 using our promo code .
Read Juan Carlos Blanco’s PrizePicks review for more insight and get your welcome bonus below while you’re looking at our NBA gameday odds and DFS plays.
Coby White, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls (42% Rostered)
Coby White is looking more and more like the player Chicago intended to draft three years ago. While he is still a flawed player (particularly defensively), his off-ball abilities are exceptional, and having someone like DeMar DeRozan to play off of is working wonders.
White’s shooting percentage on the year remains mediocre (41%) but 4.9 of his 9.1 FGA per game come from three-point range. Since his return from the COVID List, he is shooting 45% from the field and 44% from beyond the arc.
White is also averaging 15.9 points and 3.0 three-pointers per game in this span, with a good chunk of assists and steals. Assuming he continues to have a steady recovery from an offseason shoulder surgery, he could retain fantasy value even when Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso return.
- Coby White Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 10-12%
Coby White has been red-hot since returning to the rotation on December 19, averaging 15.9 points and shooting 43.8% from three-point range over his last seven appearances. (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
2021 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 12: Best Players To Stash
Obi Toppin, SF/PF, New York Knicks (15% Rostered)
Obi Toppin has entered the starting lineup for the past two games due to Julius Randle‘s COVID-related absence. While his numbers have been underwhelming, they are serviceable for fantasy.
Two-game averages don’t mean much and aren’t worth posting but he can likely provide scoring, rebounds, stocks, and a great FG% if he ever does take over the starting role.
Unfortunately, the only avenue for this is a Randle trade. Three months ago this would be laughed at, however, given the Knicks’ poor play and Randle’s style, it could be in consideration given that he is a free agent this offseason.
New York has a logical successor in Toppin who deserves an extended look, and he could earn it if he performs better during Randle’s absence.
- Obi Toppin Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 2-5%
Jaxson Hayes, C, New Orleans Pelicans (19% Rostered)
Jaxson Hayes is in an odd spot. He had a tumultuous offseason in which he was injured during an arrest, then during the preseason, he suffered a leg injury that wasn’t too severe but may have affected him early on in the season.
Hayes has been mostly awful this season and was benched for a month between mid-November and mid-December. However, with Jonas Valanciunas in COVID protocols and a lack of team depth in general, Hayes has played recently — and he’s done well.
Hayes has split minutes at C with Willy Hernangomez and played some of the best basketball of his NBA career these past three games. He’s hit double-digit points in two with at least 6 rebounds in each, a 64% FG and 100% from the stripe on 13 attempts.
He’s worth the roster spot in case Valanciunas is dealt ahead of the trade deadline next month.
- Jaxson Hayes Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 2-5%
2021 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 12: One-Week Streamer Plays
Brandon Clarke, SF/PF, Memphis Grizzlies (16% Rostered)
With Kyle Anderson and Xavier Tillman in COVID protocols and the Grizzlies playing five games this week, Brandon Clarke is a great streaming option for anyone in need of a big who can provide rebounds, points, stocks, and a plus FG% while not really hurting you anywhere.
- Brandon Clarke Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 1-5%
Dwight Powell, PF/C, Dallas Mavericks (5% Rostered)
Kristaps Porzingis just entered COVID protocols and is likely out for this four-game week, making Dwight Powell a fine stream. Powell has to compete with Maxi Kleber who just returned from his extended absence, but given Powell’s stretch of play this past week, he should be the better option in Dallas.
- Dwight Powell Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 1-5%
