By Adam King, RotoWire.com
It all comes down to this. The final week of the NBA season. If your fantasy basketball league is still active, projecting any sort of production is almost impossible. Outside of a small pocket of teams, most are now in a position to rest players, be it for one or multiple games. Keeping that in mind, let’s try to find a few sure things to help you win your title.
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As we move through what is commonly viewed as silly season, the waiver wire is the place to be, providing managers with bargain players who could be about to ascend in the NBA fantasy 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
Ousmane Dieng, Milwaukee Bucks (16% rostered)
Despite some questions regarding his long-term role, Dieng has been playing the best basketball of his young career over the past week. In four appearances during that time, he has averaged 40.7 fantasy points per game, including a career-best 66 fantasy points in Wednesday’s loss to the Rockets. Dieng has flashed some upside on both ends of the floor, as he tries to earn himself a sizeable role, be it in Milwaukee or for another team. The Bucks have seemingly given up on this season, which should allow Dieng to play a sizeable role the rest of the way. While we shouldn’t expect the world, Dieng has shown enough to be rostered in just about every format, including Yahoo High Score leagues.
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Brice Sensabaugh, Utah Jazz (33% rostered)
After a disappointing start to the season, Sensabaugh has found his rhythm in recent times. He has scored at least 32 fantasy points in six straight games, averaging over 40 fantasy points per game during that time. Although his overall value is built largely on points, he has flashed some playmaking upside, recording at least four assists in three of the past four contests. Although there is a small amount of risk associated with his role, it appears as though Sensabaugh is going to see out the season, playing a sizeable role on a team focused on building for what could be an eventful 2026-27 season.
Kobe Brown, Indiana Pacers (2% rostered)
An injury to Jarace Walker has seemingly opened up an unexpected opportunity for Brown, who has now logged at least 30 minutes in three straight games. During that span, he has averaged 35.0 fantasy points per game, providing solid numbers across the board. Indiana finds itself in a precarious position, with losses very important moving forward. If this ultimately means that a number of players are shut down over the course of the coming week, Brown could find himself in a favorable position. Despite some uncertainty, Brown is someone to consider picking up, especially given he has center eligibility, a position that can be tricky to fill at times.
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Standard 9-Category Leagues
Will Riley, Washington Wizards (20% rostered)
Washington has arguably the most unpredictable rotation in the league right now, meaning that streaming — let alone adding — players is tough. With that said, Riley appears to have settled into a consistent role, playing at least 28 minutes in 11 of the past 13 games. Perhaps even more important is the fact that he has not missed a game in almost three months, providing managers with a small sense of assuredness. Despite being ranked outside the top 150 over the past two weeks, Riley has averaged 16.0 points and 1.6 3-pointers in eight games during that time. If you need points and 3s from a player who could very well see upwards of 30 minutes per contest down the stretch, Riley might be your man.
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Jamal Shead, Toronto Raptors (6% rostered)
With Immanuel Quickley continuing to miss time due to a foot issue, Shead has managed to put himself firmly on the standard-league radar, albeit for one purpose only. Over his past six appearances, Shead has averaged 9.2 assists and 1.8 steals, putting him firmly in the specialist category. While the eventual return of Quickley will likely take the shine off Shead, he is certainly doing more than enough to be rostered right now.
John Konchar, Utah Jazz (4% rostered)
Although Konchar is also viewed by many as a defensive specialist, his ability to chip in across the board cannot be overlooked. A perfect example of this is that despite the fact that he has only averaged 6.6 points in 13 appearances over the past month, he has still managed to put up borderline top-80 value. During that span, Konchar has also averaged 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks, shooting 51.7% from the floor. He has also played at least 29 minutes in four of the past five games, perhaps an indication that he could have a somewhat consistent role moving forward.
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Standard Points Leagues
Collin Sexton, Chicago Bulls (28% rostered)
While it might not make a lot of sense, Sexton continues to play a meaningful role for his new team, having logged at least 26 minutes in five of the past six games. He has tallied at least 32 fantasy points in all five games, providing the Bulls with a seemingly reliable scoring threat, be it as a starter or off the bench. As long as Sexton continues to play close to starter-level minutes, he should be a serviceable contributor across most fantasy formats, including points leagues.
Brandon Williams, Dallas Mavericks (9% rostered)
Despite Jason Kidd’s refusal to start him, Williams has been arguably one of the most consistent producers for the Mavericks. While his numbers don’t jump off the page, consistency can be an important factor at this time of the year. Williams has scored at least 24 fantasy points in 15 of his past 16 games, a number that we can expect to hold for the remainder of the season. If you are simply looking for a player that you can plug into your lineup, knowing exactly what you are going to get, Williams could be a sneaky option.
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In what has been a breakout season, Larsson continues to fly under the radar. Injuries to other players have allowed Larsson to play more minutes than expected, during which he has proven himself to be a viable role player in the NBA. He has scored at least 26 fantasy points in six of the past seven games, and much like Williams, provides fantasy managers with a reliable asset. Given what we have seen thus far, Larsson seems likely to maintain a solid role, even if and when the team is fully healthy. Again, if you are looking for a safe plug-and-play option, look no further than Larsson.
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