Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Nique Clifford primed for “silly season” success

We’ve reached the final week of the NBA season before the All-Star break, and “silly season” has already arrived. This week’s recommended pickups include rookies from two of the Association’s worst teams, two players who made their season debuts within the last two weeks and shockingly … Brook Lopez and Marvin Bagley III.

Here are the top fantasy basketball waiver wire adds for Week 17.

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Priority Adds

1. Nique Clifford
2. Isaiah Collier
3. Ty Jerome
4. Will Riley
5. Marvin Bagley III
6. Moussa Diabaté
7. Cason Wallace
8. Scoot Henderson
9. Brook Lopez
10. Gui Santos

Isaiah Collier, Utah Jazz (36 percent rostered)

Keyonte George missed three games due to a left ankle sprain before returning on Saturday and injuring his right ankle. Over the last four games with George out or limited, Collier has averaged 20.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 12.5 assists and 2.5 steals across 39.5 minutes. He’s posted three straight double-doubles, and he handed out a career-high 22 assists in Tuesday’s win over the Pacers. Even if George is cleared to take the court before the All-Star break, Collier has standalone value as a premier backup, and Utah is clearly interested in tanking after sitting all of Lauri Markkanen, Jusuf Nurkic, and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Magic. Expect Collier to continue seeing big minutes as “silly season” fast approaches.

Ty Jerome, Memphis Grizzlies (34 percent rostered)

Jerome has appeared in four games this season, and he’s averaged just 20.3 minutes. A lack of big minutes hasn’t stopped him from delivering big numbers, as Jerome is averaging 20 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.3 triples while shooting a highly efficient 56.5% from the floor and 86.4% from the charity stripe. His workload should gradually increase down the stretch, and he could push for 25+ minutes after getting some additional time to recover and ramp up over the All-Star break.

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Moussa Diabaté, Charlotte Hornets (26 percent rostered)

Charlotte’s starting center gig is Diabaté’s to lose, and he’s been excellent over the last two weeks. Across his last eight appearances, Diabaté has averaged 10.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.8 blocked shots over 29.9 minutes while shooting 67.3% from the field and 75% from the charity stripe. The big man isn’t an elite contributor of defensive stats, but he’s offered strong rebound numbers and solid efficiency.

Cason Wallace, Oklahoma City Thunder (24 percent rostered)

Wallace has at least a week of runway, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be out through the All-Star break, and the Thunder play three more games between Monday and Thursday. Across his last four outings, Wallace has averaged 17 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.3 steals and 2.3 triples over 30.3 minutes while shooting 51/83/41 splits. His elite contributions in the scarce steals category make him worth an add as a category specialist, but his recent production highlights his ability to post meaningful numbers across the board.

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Will Riley, Washington Wizards (21 percent rostered)

Riley is yet another talented rookie in the nation’s capital, and he’s been on a scorching heater as of late. Across his last four games, Riley has averaged 20.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.0 triples across 32.3 minutes. He’s scored 20+ points in back-to-back games and delivered the best performance of his career in Saturday’s loss to the Nets. Riley turned in a humongous 27/3/2/3/1 line with four triples across 45 minutes on Saturday, and his arrow is clearly pointing up.

Brook Lopez, Los Angeles Clippers (18 percent rostered)

With Ivica Zubac traded to Indiana, BroLo has the runway to be a viable option in standard fantasy leagues. He posted a 15/9/2/1 line with three swats and two triples across 36 minutes in Friday’s win over the Kings, and Lopez has averaged 9.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.3 blocks and 2.1 triples across nine starts this season. Scoring, rebounding and efficiency will be inconsistent, but Lopez is a reliable source of blocked shots and triples and should be added wherever he’s available.

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The All-Star break means that Week 17 will span two weeks in Yahoo! default leagues.

Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers (14 percent rostered)

Henderson made his season debut in Friday’s win over the Grizzlies, posting an 11/5/9/1 line across 21 minutes off the bench. He sat out Saturday’s rematch on the second leg of the Blazers’ back-to-back set, but he’s got a chance to be back in action on Monday against the 76ers. Henderson will need some ramp-up time, but his strong production with such limited playing time is highly encouraging.

Gui Santos, Golden State Warriors (11 percent rostered)

Stephen Curry is still without a timeline for return, and with injuries mounting in Golden State, role players will continue to see meaningful run and take on new responsibilities. One of those players is Santos, who has been productive across his last six outings. In that span, he’s averaged 14.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.2 blocks and 2.2 triples across 26.8 minutes.

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Marvin Bagley III, Washington Wizards (7 percent rostered)

Bagley III came to Dallas by way of the Anthony Davis trade, and he made an immediate impact. Daniel Gafford logged nearly 29 minutes per game across his last three before Bagley III arrived, but the former saw only 18 minutes Saturday’s loss to the Spurs, with Bagley III garnering 24. Foul trouble certainly played a role in the minutes disparity, but given Gafford’s history of injuries and foul trouble, it’s safe to say Bagley III should see enough playing time down the stretch to be a viable option in standard leagues. He posted a loaded 16/12/2 line with a steal, four blocks and a triple, and fantasy managers should expect more strong performances moving forward.

Nique Clifford, Sacramento Kings (3 percent rostered)

Clifford has been electric across his last three games, going for 20.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.0 swats and 3.0 triples across 33 minutes. He had his best game of the season in Saturday’s loss to the Cavaliers, delivering a monstrous 30/4/4/2/2 line with five triples across 40 minutes. Sacramento’s backcourt lineup is thin after Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis were traded, and the Kings have no incentive to play Zach LaVine or Russell Westbrook big minutes while they careen toward the 2026 Draft Lottery. Clifford looks poised to see increased run after the All-Star break, and he has the skills to handsomely reward fantasy managers who add him off the waiver wire.

Other options: Tari Eason (39%), Tobias Harris (32%), Aaron Nesmith (26%), Jalen Smith (25%), GG Jackson (21%), Moses Moody (16%), Brandon Williams (7%), Tristan Vukcevic (4%), Nick Richards (2%)