Week 8 of the fantasy basketball season could bring some real intrigue — especially if you’ve had your eye on some under-the-radar guys that are starting to get meaningful run. On the Dallas Mavericks front, undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard has suddenly become a viable fantasy asset. In a win against the Heat on Wednesday, he delivered 15 points and 13 assists — a signal that he’s steadily carving out a role as a dependable floor-general. Meanwhile in Cleveland, second-year wing Jaylon Tyson has seen his minutes and production climb; over the last seven games, he’s averaging roughly 14.7 points, 6.6 boards and 2.3 threes on about 56 % shooting — enough to raise his fantasy floor and make him worth a look in deeper leagues. We also can’t forget about the big man mixing in minutes for the Utah Jazz: Kyle Filipowski, after earning Summer League MVP honors, now enters Week 8 with upside as Utah leans on younger frontcourt options following roster turnover. If minutes continue trending his way, Filipowski could be a sneaky rebound-and-block source worth scooping up before the deep sleepers catch on. Let’s check out these three up-and-comers and more for this week’s waiver wire pickups.
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Basketball Category League Waiver Wire Pickups
Points
Jaylon Tyson (SF – CLE) | 43% Rostered
The Cleveland Cavaliers are dealing with several injuries to key players right now, and Jaylon Tyson is making the most of every moment. Who could’ve predicted his breakout 27-point double-double against the Pacers on Monday? Given his improved efficiency (shooting over 50% from the field and nearly 50% from deep as a starter this season) and expanding role (11 starts so far), Tyson offers legitimate value for fantasy managers.
If Tyson is still available in your league, give him a nice boost in the points category and see how long his expanded role can last. At worst, Tyson is one of the better “handcuff” players in fantasy basketball, depending on one or two players being out of Cleveland’s starting lineup to see 25+ minutes per night.
Assists
Ryan Nembhard (PG – DAL) | 48% Rostered
Despite his two-way playing status, Ryan Nembhard is looking like a legit fantasy add as of late – especially for a lift in the assists category. Since being inserted into the starting lineup for the Dallas Mavericks, Nembhard has flashed real playmaking upside: across his four starts, he’s averaged roughly 17.0 points and 7.5 assists per game. You rarely see these stats from rookie point guards in the NBA.
If the Mavericks keep handing him meaningful minutes, Nembhard looks like a waiver-wire gem for managers chasing assists, efficiency, and upside — he just needs a standard NBA contract.
Rebounds
Steven Adams (C – HOU) | 17% Rostered
Steven Adams was featured in our week 1 article, and he’s still not rostered in nearly enough leagues. Although Adams typically plays less than 20 minutes per game, he’s one of the rare exceptions in fantasy that don’t need a lot of time to get going. In fact, Adams’ last two games off the bench included a double-double against Utah and a near double-double with 11 points and 8 rebounds against Sacramento on Wednesday.
While Adams is also not playing in back-to-back games lately due to an ankle injury, any night he’s coming off the bench could be a good night for your rebound totals to win your fantasy matchup. If Adams is healthy, he’s worth an add late in the week when you need him most.
Blocks
Luke Kornet (C – SAS) | 17% Rostered
Luke Kornet missed last night’s game with ankle soreness, but as long as Victor Wembanyama remains out for the Spurs, Kornet should probably be rostered. Kornet has started in 9 games with Wembanyama sidelined, earning 14 blocks and 3 steals over his last 6.
As long as Kornet is healthy, fantasy managers can likely count on the block machine to keep on rolling. Just keep an eye on San Antonio’s injury report and remember that Kornet’s fantasy value relies heavily on the health of the Spurs’ star center.
Steals
Kyle Anderson (SF – UTH) | 1% Rostered
Kyle Filipowski isn’t the only Utah Jazz player on fantasy radars this week. Anderson is quietly becoming a valuable asset in category leagues, with strong across-the-board production in his last 3 games: 9 points, 4 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks in just 21.7 minutes per game.
While we are focused on the steals aspect of the stat line above, you can clearly see that Anderson doesn’t need very many minutes to produce for the Jazz. However, it is worth noting that Anderson has played in just seven games this season and has dealt with a back injury at times. It’s worth monitoring Anderson’s status from game to game and seeing if he remains a part of the rotation when healthy.
Three-Pointers Made
AJ Green (SG – MIL) | 27% Rostered
With Giannis’ recent calf injury and looming trade rumors stirring for the Greek Freak, AJ Green has quietly become a high-upside fantasy streamer — thanks to his hot streak from deep and expanding opportunity. In his latest stretch, Green has knocked down at least four threes in five straight games and eight of the last 10 overall, averaging roughly 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 4.2 made threes in about 32 minutes per night — all while shooting over 50% from the floor and more than 52% from deep.
With Milwaukee likely leaning more on perimeter shooters while Giannis sits, Green’s role — and his box-score value — should remain elevated. Although Green left last night’s game with a shoulder injury, the team is just calling it a contusion for now, and it shouldn’t be a long-term issue. If you need a 3-point boost or want a flier with upside in category leagues, he’s one of the more intriguing waiver or streaming targets out there.
Field Goal Percentage
Kyle Filipowski (C – UTH) | 39% Rostered
Now, we get to the main event. While most fantasy managers were anticipating adding Filipowski around March when the Jazz typically begin to tank and hand all rotation minutes over to their young players, starting center Jusuf Nurkic is dealing with a rib injury, and Filipowski is taking advantage. In the starting unit against Brooklyn on Thursday, the second-year center notched 15 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals on 6 of 8 shooting in 31 minutes.
Although this is just one game against one of the worst defenses in the NBA, Filipowski has shown on many other occasions that he can perform with the starting unit consistently. The Jazz may flip to a bigger role for Kyle “Flip” Filipowski sooner rather than later, and you want to be the fantasy manager holding the young center when they do finally make that decision.
Free-Throw Percentage
Harrison Barnes (PF – SAS) | 27% Rostered
Harrison Barnes remains a quietly useful option for fantasy managers who want reliability at the free-throw line. And while he might not be the flashiest name on the waiver wire, his ability to hit free throws consistently gives him a safe floor — a valuable asset in close category-matchup weeks.
If you’re looking to stabilize your free-throw percentage without sacrificing some scoring and three-point upside, Barnes is the kind of veteran you can plug in as a low-drama, steady contributor, especially given the Spurs’ current injury issues.
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