15 Must Add Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Targets - Week 6
Add these players to win
Jaylon Tyson – Cleveland Cavaliers
The first player we need to talk about is Jaylon Tyson. Your man has been cooking with hot bacon grease. Over the last nine games, he has scored in double figures in seven of them. That kind of consistency, tied to minutes and opportunity, is exactly what we are looking for on the wire. A big part of this run is due to injuries in Cleveland. When players like Max Strus return, Tyson’s role and production might dip a bit, but that does not erase his short-term appeal.
He is only rostered in about 10.7 percent of ESPN leagues, so he is widely available. Tyson contributes across the board with steals, blocks, and assists, averaging around 1.1 steals per game and close to a block. The scoring is the real headline, but this is not an empty scorer. He has legit streaming value now and could hold some standalone value as the season rolls on.
Derik Queen – New Orleans Pelicans
Derik Queen of the New Orleans Pelicans should not be on any waiver wire in competitive leagues. He is only rostered in roughly 40 percent of ESPN leagues, which is wild. This is a prime dynasty stash and also a win-now target. The eye test fully supports the box score. Queen has flashed advanced feel with behind-the-back passes in transition, vision, and patience.
Even with Zion Williamson getting back into the lineup, Queen still has a path to value. He scores, he rebounds, he passes, and he grades out extremely well in advanced metrics that account for winning impact. The Pelicans are not pushing for a title this season. That kind of context means they will keep finding minutes for him. He is playable in points leagues, category formats, lock-in formats, and high-score setups. This is not a guy you stream then drop. If you let him go, someone else will grab him and you probably will not get another chance.
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Peyton Watson – Denver Nuggets
Peyton Watson is exactly the kind of player who can quietly win you a week. He is only rostered in about 10 percent of ESPN leagues. He is a beast on defense, piling up steals and blocks. He averages roughly three combined stocks per 36 minutes, which is huge for defensive categories. Watson can also score and rebound well enough that he does not feel like a single-category flier.
With Aaron Gordon banged up in Denver, Watson’s role has grown. That makes him a high-priority short-term add for anyone who needs defensive stats plus some filler points and boards. He fits head-to-head and roto builds and is a perfect category streaming piece.
Anthony Black – Orlando Magic
Anthony Black of the Orlando Magic is only rostered in about 12.6 percent of ESPN leagues. That is too low considering what he does when his minutes spike. With Paolo Banchero dealing with minor bumps and the Magic juggling lineups, Black has enjoyed an expanded role at times.
While Banchero has been limited, Black has averaged roughly 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game in the highlighted stretch. That is serious production. He could stand to tighten things up defensively, but he still brings strong counting stats for streaming. Not necessarily a rest-of-season hold in shallow leagues, but a very strong short-term add.
Keldon Johnson – San Antonio Spurs
Keldon Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs has transition value with Victor Wembanyama sidelined. With Wembanyama out, there is suddenly more room for scorers and rebounders in San Antonio.
Johnson does not give you elite assists or defensive stats, but he will deliver points and boards. For category leagues, that bucket of production matters. In points leagues, he is a useful plug-and-play when you need volume. He is better as a streamer than a set-and-forget hold right now, but he should be at the top of your list when you see the Spurs schedule opening up.
Kyle Filipowski – Utah Jazz
Kyle Filipowski is making the most of increased opportunity with the Utah Jazz. With Walker Kessler out, Filipowski has gained more minutes in the frontcourt. On the season, he is averaging around 20 minutes per game, and in the last week that has ticked up to about 21.7 minutes.
He brings scoring, rebounding, and a little bit of everything on defense. Over the last seven days, he has chipped in about 9.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and close to one steal and one block per game. That is prime streaming production. If you need a big who can fill multiple categories and is locked into a real role, Filipowski should be on your radar.
Jordan Goodwin – Phoenix Suns
Jordan Goodwin is the latest Phoenix Suns player to pop as a streaming option. Phoenix has become a waiver wire gold mine whenever injuries open up rotation holes. Goodwin is only rostered in about 4.1 percent of ESPN leagues and is clearly more of a short-term add than a long-term hold.
He can score a little, rebound well for a guard, and collect steals. When minutes are there, he delivers usable lines. This is someone you add for a week or two while he is hot and the Suns are shorthanded. Once the roster gets healthier, you can move off him without hesitation.
Jaden Ivey – Detroit Pistons
Jaden Ivey of the Detroit Pistons is working his way back from injury. Dannis Jenkins has been playing extremely well, which complicates the guard rotation, but we already know what Ivey can do when he is given consistent minutes. His first game back was modest, a 15-minute outing with 10 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal, but that is to be expected.
The expectation should be a slow ramp-up into the low twenties in minutes, then possibly up to 25 per game if he carves out a consistent role alongside or behind Jenkins and Cade Cunningham. He is only rostered in about 22 percent of ESPN leagues. If your team is above .500 and you can afford a stash, Ivey is exactly the kind of upside hold to grab now before the role settles.
Collin Gillespie – Phoenix Suns
Collin Gillespie has become a polarizing waiver wire name this season. He recently hit a game winner and keeps popping up in box scores for Phoenix. At around 26 percent rostered in ESPN, he is widely available and being added and dropped constantly.
Gillespie is an excellent playmaker. In category leagues, he is an assist specialist with some scoring juice. In points leagues, the assist weight still makes him valuable, and he can give you enough points to avoid feeling like a one-stat streamer. Once the Suns get fully healthy, his numbers might come down. Do not be afraid to cut him if his minutes dip, but as long as he is getting run, he is a strong short-term play.
Sandro Mamukelashvili – Toronto Raptors
Mamukelashvili is the definition of an add-and-drop big. He will not be a long-term hold in most formats, but he can grab rebounds, score in double figures when the minutes are there, and occasionally supply a block or a three.
When you need a short-term big man streamer for boards and maybe a little scoring, he fits the bill. Just do not expect him to stay on your roster for months.
Julian Champagnie – San Antonio Spurs
Julian Champagnie has been a favorite deep-league stash and now becomes a priority streamer with Victor Wembanyama out. He has always had a fantasy friendly game: points, threes, and some rebounds from the wing.
If you need pure scoring and perimeter production in the short term, Champagnie makes a lot of sense. He is not a must-hold once the Spurs are healthy, but for this week and maybe the next few, you ride the heater and hop off when the minutes shrink.
Zach Edey – Memphis Grizzlies
Zach Edey is a red-alert add. Only around 38.3 percent rostered, and many managers have not adjusted quickly enough after his injury return. Edey will give you blocks, boards, and efficient scoring around the rim.
The minutes might be a little unpredictable in the early stretch while he ramps back up, but as the season progresses, his role should stabilize. Block upside like this does not sit on the wire for long. If you see him available, stop what you are doing and grab him.
Jay Huff – Indiana Pacers
Jay Huff brings blocks at an elite rate and can score and rebound enough to matter. On November 19 against Charlotte, he put up 20 points, and over the last seven days he has averaged about 20.3 minutes and 10 points.
Most importantly, he is averaging around 2.7 blocks per game in that span. That is league-swinging production for fantasy teams chasing defensive stats. Huff works in roto, category, and points formats any time you need a short-term defensive anchor.
Cameron Johnson – Denver Nuggets
Cameron Johnson is a classic points and threes streamer. He has been disappointing compared to draft-day expectations and is now showing up on waiver wires.
He is rostered in just over 28 percent of ESPN leagues. You know what you get: scoring and triples when his shot is falling, inconsistency when it is not. He is not a long-term lock in standard leagues anymore, but as a streaming option who was drafted in many leagues, he still has value if you need a scoring burst.
Kyle Kuzma – Milwaukee Bucks
Kuzma has always been a volatile fantasy piece. There was a run in Washington where he was a high-usage scorer, but he has also hurt teams with inefficiency and inconsistency.
From a pure waiver wire standpoint, though, Kuzma’s recent line is hard to ignore: about 26 minutes per game, 13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1 steal over the last week. He also went off against Charlotte with 29 points, 10 boards, 5 assists, 4 steals, and a block. That kind of ceiling makes him a strong add if he is somehow available in your league. You do not have to love the player long term, but in the short term the opportunity and usage are too good to pass up.
These 15 names can reshape your week and possibly your season. Stream aggressively, understand each player’s role and team context, and do not be afraid to move on quickly when injuries clear or minutes dry up. That is how you stay ahead of your league and keep your roster sharp all year.
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Robbin Marx
NBA Fantasy Analyst
Experience: NBC Sports - Rotoworld, HashTag Basketball, Bleav Network