Thanks for reading our fantasy basketball waiver wire report for Week 18! Every week, we’ll help you decide which fantasy basketball waiver pickups to make that could benefit your fantasy basketball teams for the upcoming Week 18 or for later in the season.
Note: Free-Agent Acquisition Budget dollar bid prices for NBA Week 18 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 Tuesday, February 15.
2022 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 18: Top Pickups
Oshae Brissett, SF/PF, Indiana Pacers (50% Rostered)
With Domantas Sabonis out of town and Myles Turner (foot) in street clothes, Oshae Brissett remains one of the Pacers’ few frontcourt options. Backup center Isaiah Jackson is dealing with a nagging ankle issue, and Goga Bitadze can’t get out of his own way.
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Over his last three games, Brissett is averaging 34.7 minutes, 18.3 points, 10 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 threes, 1.3 blocks, and 0.7 steals while shooting 46% from the field and 74% from the stripe.
He’s not going to keep these numbers up as the Pacers get healthy, but the minutes should remain plentiful and he will continue producing solid fantasy stats.
- Oshae Brissett Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 10-15%
Brandon Clarke, SF/PF, Memphis Grizzlies (41% Rostered)
Brandon Clarke looks like rookie year Brandon Clarke again, if not better. He was a breakout candidate of mine in the preseason, but that never came to fruition. Nevertheless, Clarke is a consistent, all-around fantasy producer who is playing significant minutes on one of the league’s best teams.
Clarke returned from injury on December 26 and started playing regular minutes again a few days later. From then on, Clarke is averaging 22.4 minutes, 13 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 0.7 steals while shooting 67% from the field and 70% from the free-throw line.
He turns the ball over less than once per game and doesn’t shoot enough free throwss to actually hurt much. Add him while you can.
- Brandon Clarke Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 10-12%
2022 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 18: Best Players To Stash
Jalen Smith, PF/C, Indiana Pacers (24% Rostered)
Jalen Smith was traded just before the deadline from Phoenix to Indiana and now has an opportunity to play regular rotation minutes on a bad team. He was drafted No. 10 overall last season but did not meet the Suns’ expectations on the court, resulting in 5.8 minutes per game last season and just 13.2 this year.
However, Smith has played at least 20 minutes in each of the last two games with the Pacers and put up double-digit points in both games and 12 rebounds in one of them. He is an interesting stash in case Isaiah Jackson’s ankle injury lingers.
- Jalen Smith Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 3-5%
Thomas Bryant, C, Washington Wizards (17% Rostered)
Thomas Bryant tore his ACL early last season and recently returned to action for the Wizards. While his performance thus far pales in comparison to what he’s done since 2018, Bryant is just 24 and slowly picking things up.
Over the course of his first 10 appearances, Bryant played 15.5 minutes per game. During the past four, he’s up to nearly 21 minutes each night.
Washington recently traded away backup big Montrezl Harrell, which opens things up for Bryant. He will likely not play more than 24 or so per game, but that is enough to be fantasy relevant given that his career average in Washington prior to injury was 22.8.
Bryant can provide points, rebounds, threes, FG% and blocks while not hurting FT.
- Thomas Bryant Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 1-5%
2022 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 18: One-Week Streamer Play
Cam Thomas, SG, Brooklyn Nets (33% Rostered)
The Nets play three of their next four games in New York (two at home, one vs Knicks) which means Kyrie Irving will be unable to participate. Cam Thomas should remain a viable streaming option in this span despite Brooklyn’s acquisition of Seth Curry.
Since February 4, Thomas is averaging 21.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.8 threes, and 1 steal while shooting 50% from the field and 82% from FT on 4.7 attempts per game. He should be rostered everywhere for this extended week.
- Cam Thomas Waiver Wire FAAB Bid: 5-10%
