Last season, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (53% rostered, Yahoo) was someone to target on nights when his team was shorthanded. This season, he’s emerged as a reliable player, regardless of the state of Joe Mazzulla’s rotation, and he is one of the early favorites for Sixth Man of the Year. Boston went into Wednesday’s game against the Pistons down two starters, as Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum did not play. Pritchard may not have moved into the starting lineup, but it was clear that his role would expand.
He played well in Boston’s win over the Pistons, shooting 7-of-15 from the field and finishing with 19 points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal, and five 3-pointers in 34 minutes. The four turnovers weren’t great, but this hasn’t been a common occurrence for Pritchard this season (1.1 turnovers per game). He’s providing top-50 per-game value in 9-cat formats and should be rostered in more than 53% of Yahoo leagues.
Another Celtics waiver wire pickup who played well on Wednesday was Sam Hauser (5%). He started against the Pistons, logging 31 minutes and tallying 20 points, three rebounds, one steal, and five 3-pointers. While Pritchard can provide better all-around value, Hauser is a solid streamer for those who need points and 3-pointers when Boston is down rotation contributors. The schedule sets up well for both during the remainder of Week 7.
There’s a Friday/Saturday back-to-back against Milwaukee and Memphis, and the two opponents Boston will play due to not qualifying for the quarterfinals of the Emirates NBA Cup: Detroit (Thursday, December 12) and Washington (Sunday, December 15). Due to their production and the upcoming schedule, now would be a great time to add Pritchard or Hauser. Let’s look at a few more of Wednesday’s top pickups.
Jared McCain (50%), Philadelphia 76ers
With Paul George sitting out the second game of Philadelphia’s back-to-back, McCain returned to the starting lineup against the Magic. In 39 minutes, he produced a line of 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting, seven rebounds, three assists, and three 3-pointers. While McCain doesn’t provide significant fantasy value outside of points and 3-pointers, the current state of Philadelphia’s roster makes him well worth the risk.
De’Andre Hunter (37%), Atlanta Hawks
Pritchard isn’t the only player in this column who should be mentioned among the best-performing sixth men in the NBA this season. Hunter’s having a career year scoring-wise, averaging 18.5 points per game on 48.6% shooting from the field, 42.2% from three, and 89.6% from the foul line. Jalen Johnson was the star of Wednesday’s win in Milwaukee, but Hunter also played well. In 28 minutes, he accounted for 20 points, five rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two 3-pointers. According to Basketball Monster, Hunter is ranked just outside the top 75 in 9-cat per-game value.
Malik Beasley (32%), Detroit Pistons
Beasley remained in a reserve role for Wednesday’s game in Boston, but that didn’t prevent him from having an excellent night. In 33 minutes, he tallied 23 points, four rebounds, one assist, two steals, and six 3-pointers, shooting 8-of-16 from the field. Beasley has been more productive than starter Tim Hardaway Jr. thus far; will there come a point when those two change roles, with the former joining the starting five? Even if the answer is “no,” the upcoming schedule is likely the best reason not to add Beasley, as Detroit only has two games remaining for the rest of Week 7.
Moritz Wagner (29%), Orlando Magic
Goga Bitadze was back in the Magic rotation after sitting out Tuesday’s loss to the Knicks with a sprained ankle. While he continues to start alongside Wendell Carter Jr., the older Wagner brother has played well off the bench. A 10th-round player over the last two weeks, Moe finished Wednesday’s win over Philadelphia with 10 points, six rebounds, one assist, two steals, and two blocked shots in 21 minutes. Over his last four games, Wagner is averaging 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks while reaching double figures in points three times.
Jonathan Isaac (14%), Orlando Magic
Unfortunately, Isaac’s night in Philadelphia ended prematurely due to a leg cramp. However, what he did before the injury caught the eye. In 15 minutes, Isaac tallied 14 points, four rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and two 3-pointers, shooting 6-of-8 from the field. This was the second game this season in which he recorded at least two steals and two blocks, the first being a November 23 win over Detroit. If Isaac can get to a point where he plays 22-25 minutes per night (at one point last month, he played 20 or more in seven of eight appearances), he can return to being a legitimate fantasy asset.
Amir Coffey (4%), Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers did not have Norman Powell for Wednesday’s game against the Timberwolves because it was their second game in as many nights. Coffey filled the void in the starting lineup and was one of the few bright spots in their blowout loss, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one 3-pointer in 28 minutes. The Clippers don’t play again until Sunday, which will be enough time for Powell (who sat for injury management reasons) to return. But the Clippers will be without Terance Mann (fractured finger) for at least three weeks, which frees up minutes for Coffey. Keep an eye on him in that matchup with the Rockets on Sunday.
