Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Week 11 Streaming Targets

The early-season shenanigans are now behind us, and our focus shifts to solidifying rosters and narrowing our categorical needs. Injuries continue to be a narrative that no one likes to see, yet one that presents players with unexpected opportunities. As always, the waiver wire is the place to be, providing managers with bargain players who could be about to ascend in the fantasy basketball rankings. And remember, never assume a player is rostered. It always pays to double-check, just in case they have been overlooked.

Identifying players who are benefiting from expanded roles–whether it's an offensive threat delivering points and threes or a defensive-minded player boosting your blocks and steals–is vital as you navigate the season.

Let's dive into nine key NBA sleepers whose current stats suggest they are poised for significant value and are currently rostered in fewer than 40% of Yahoo leagues.

Yahoo High Score Leagues

Collin Gillespie, Phoenix Suns (32% rostered)

For whatever reason, Gillespie continues to be under-rostered across all formats, including High Score leagues. He typically provides adequate production on both ends of the floor, while also playing starter-level minutes. In three games over the past week, Gillespie has averaged 41.3 fantasy points per game, on the back of 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.7 steals. While the eventual return of Jalen Green will have some sort of an impact, that time doesn't appear to be coming any time soon. If Gillespie has been dropped or is simply floating around in your league, now is the time to rectify that.

Sandro Mamukelashvili, Toronto Raptors (12% rostered)

With Jakob Poeltl continuing to deal with back issues, Mamukelashvili has been able to make the most of his opportunities thus far. Despite questionable defensive contributions, steady offensive production has seen Mamukelashvili pop up on the points league radar, scoring at least 32 fantasy points in three of his past four games. During that span, he has averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 combined steals and blocks, good enough for 28.7 fantasy points per game. While his overall ceiling is somewhat limited, he is worth picking up, at least until we get some clarity regarding Poeltl's availability.

Sam Merrill, Cleveland Cavaliers (16% rostered)

Having just returned from a multi-game absence, Merrill has already moved into the starting lineup, supplanting Jaylon Tyson. While it has been a very small sample size, it appears as though Merrill is going to play a sizeable role for the Cavaliers, at least for the foreseeable future. Over his past two games, Merrill has averaged 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals, totaling 34.5 fantasy points per game. Assuming he can hover around the 28-minute mark, Merrill makes for a low-upside, yet relatively safe option, even in High Score leagues. 

Standard 9-Category Leagues

Egor Demin, Brooklyn Nets (9% rostered)

Trusting anyone on the Brooklyn roster can be a risky decision. However, perhaps now is the time to have some faith when it comes to Demin's role going forward. He has scored at least 14 points in four straight games, averaging 16.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.5 three-pointers in 29.5 minutes per game. Common sense tells us that the Nets should be prioritizing Demin as the point guard of the future, a fact that could very well translate into immediate fantasy value. While there will almost certainly be some ups and downs, fantasy managers could get ahead of the situation by snapping him up now, then re-evaluating in the near future. 

Hugo Gonzalez, Boston Celtics (4% rostered)

Gonzalez has been somewhat of an unlikely hero of late, having carved out a sizeable role in the Boston rotation over the past three games. During that time, he has averaged 8.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks in 31.4 minutes per game, seemingly moving ahead of players like Jordan Walsh and Josh Minott. There are no guarantees when it comes to the Celtics' frontcourt rotation, although Gonzalez certainly brings it on both ends of the floor, endearing himself to the Boston faithful. This run could come to an end at any point, but for now, Gonzalez is worth picking up, just to see if his production is sustainable.

Tari Eason, Houston Rockets (29% rostered)

Since returning from a 14-game absence, it's been challenging to get a read on what Eason's role might look like moving forward. In three appearances over the past week, Eason has averaged 12.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.7 three-pointers in 20.0 minutes per game. Perhaps even more encouraging is the fact that he started during Thursday's win over the Lakers, playing at least 26 minutes for just the fourth time all season. Eason has proven that he can contribute on both ends of the floor in limited minutes, making him a viable asset across most formats. If he can consistently chalk up at least 25 minutes per game, top 70 upside could be back on the table.

Standard Points Leagues

Bruce Brown, Denver Nuggets (15% rostered)

In what is simply a case of last man standing, Brown has to at least be considered, given that Denver is currently without three regular starters. With Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Cam Johnson all sidelined, Brown's versatility is going to be crucial for the Nuggets. Although his production during Thursday's overtime win over the Timberwolves was somewhat underwhelming, he has now played at least 27 minutes in six straight games. His ability to chip in across multiple categories lends itself to most fantasy formats, including points leagues.

Tyler Kolek, New York Knicks (5% rostered)

With New York now at least open to the idea of dipping into its depth, Kolek has been able to carve out a meaningful role in recent times. He has played at least 22 minutes in four of the past five games, scoring at least 16 points in three. Although some of his value has come as a result of injuries to other players, Kolek may have done enough to remain in the rotation on a regular basis. An ankle injury Josh Hart suffered during Thursday's win over the Cavaliers could provide Kolek with yet another window of opportunity, adding to his potential fantasy value. 

Noah Clowney, Brooklyn Nets (27% rostered)

As a player who should have been rostered across most formats for at least the past month, Clowney remains available in far too many leagues. He continues to provide adequate production on both ends of the floor, averaging 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 combined steals and blocks in three games over the past week. He has been consistently logging starter-level minutes, at least when the game is moderately competitive. Nightly production has been an issue for Clowney in the past, perhaps giving managers cause for concern when attempting to evaluate his rest-of-season value. However, based on what we have seen thus far, it looks as though he could be here to stay.