The Playlist: Week 20 fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups and lineup advice as playoffs loom

Welcome back to The Playlist: my weekly column that lets you know who to add off the waiver wire and get in your lineup for the upcoming week in fantasy basketball.

Every league is different — sometimes a 75% rostered player hits waivers, whether by mistake or because they’ve hit an intolerable slump. If they fit your build, get ’em. But for this column, we’re focusing on players under 50% rostered who are widely available and ready to help in Week 20 or in the playoffs, which begin next week for the vast majority of Yahoo leagues.

🎧 Who’s in My Rotation: All leagues

Quentin Grimes – G/FC, Philadelphia 76ers (32%)

Although the schedule advantage is nullified in High Score, I’d still add Grimes. The Sixers play five games and they’ll likely be without Tyrese Maxey (finger), VJ Edgecombe (back) and Joel Embiid (oblique) for at least the next two games and possibly more. Grimes is coming off his best game since November, scoring 26 points with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal (41 fantasy points) on Saturday.

With the Sixers having two back-to-backs this week, Grimes (and Kelly Oubre Jr.) will have a busy week ahead, seeing more usage and shot volume as their top three scorers are out of the lineup to start Week 20. He has 40-point fantasy upside if he gets starter minutes as early as Monday.

Isaiah Stewart – PF/C, Detroit Pistons (15%)

Beef Stew is a streamable late-week option with the Pistons playing three of their four games from Thursday to Sunday. I’d prefer to add him in deeper 9-cat and points leagues than High Score because his ceiling outcomes are predicated on whether Jalen Duren is active. Despite that, he’s been playing well since returning from his suspension, averaging 14-5-1 with 2 3s and a stock per game in a reserve role. I think there’s a chance Jalen Duren rests on the second leg of the Pistons’ back-to-back on Friday against the Grizzlies. If that happens, the Stewart will really pay off beyond the volume towards the end of the week.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season]

Cam Spencer – PG/SG, Memphis Grizzlies (16%)

Back again, recommending picking up Spencer in points or 9-cat formats because (surprise) the Grizzlies have a favorable Week 20 schedule. Playing four games over five nights, Monday through Friday, sounds grueling. It’s definitely not good news if you’re rostering Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr. or any other returning vet who is not playing B2Bs or working through a minutes restriction.

Fortunately, neither of those situations applies to Spencer, who’s missed just two games all season. He’s been a top 100 player in 9-cat over the past two weeks, averaging 11-3-4 on 52% shooting from the field. You can drop him after Friday’s game since Memphis doesn’t play over the weekend.

Tristan da Silva – SF/PF, Orlando Magic (13%)

If you can, try to hold or pick up da Silva mid-week. The Magic don’t play until Wednesday, but play three games in four nights from Wednesday to Saturday. I’d add him across formats because even in an off-shooting night like Sunday (5 points on 2-for-5 shooting) he’ll still chip in across other categories.

In his last seven games with the starting unit, da Silva is averaging 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 3s, and 1 steal per game with an efficient 54/52/100 shooting split. He’ll be locked into 30 minutes a night until Franz Wagner returns so that’ll easily cover Week 20.

Cam Payne – PG/SG, Philadelphia 76ers (1%)

Payne is a pure schedule play. He joined the Sixers on Feb 16 and projects to be thrust into PG duties after all of Philly’s backcourt injuries. It’s a deep cut, but I would at least pick him up in 12-14-team points and 9-cat leagues to start for Monday and Tuesday, and if he flops, cut him before Thursday’s bout against the Pistons.

Still, I think he’ll provide enough assists, steals and 3s to make up for his poor field-goal percentage. He also doesn’t turn the ball over a lot, which is nice. If you’re looking for a volume move, scooping up Payne makes sense to start your week.

Brice Sensabaugh – SG/SF, Utah Jazz (16%)

The Jazz are another team with a good schedule that fantasy managers should consider. Utah plays four games while ducking the biggest slates on Tuesday and Thursday this week. Sensabaugh is averaging 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 3s and 1 steal per game over his last 7 games, playing 24 minutes per night during that span. He hasn’t been as efficient as he was earlier in the season, but he makes a fine add for those in points leagues who are trying to run up the volume on lighter slate days.

Adem Bona – PF/C, Philadelphia 76ers (4%)

I know it’s a broken record, but the schedule advantage matters, and you need to grab any Sixer trending up due to injuries. I don’t trust Andre Drummond, so with Embiid out, Bona is the guy to roster. He started in Saturday’s loss to the Hawks and while he didn’t provide much on the counting stats front, he’s played 29 minutes in back-to-back games.

The production will meet the opportunity at some point, and he’s the energy and clean-up man for the Sixers. A rostered rate under 5% is too low given Philly’s frontcourt situation.

Ziaire Williams – SG/SF, Brooklyn Nets (3%)

It wouldn’t be silly season if we didn’t throw in yet another random NBA player. Over his last three games, Williams has been the 54th-ranked player in 9-cat, putting up 18 ppg with nearly 2 steals. You can start him on Monday as a test case since there are only five games on the schedule. I’d likely hold through their back-to-back with Detroit because there’s a strong chance that MPJ and possibly others are rested since we’re at that point in the season. I’d prefer him for points leagues, but 9-cat is certainly an option if you’ve missed out on other higher-prioritized waiver options. Noah Clowney and Nolan Traore are also decent options for points leagues.

Source link