Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Consider Stewart, Richards and Bagley in Week 15

Congratulations! We did it! Mission Accomplished! After far too many weeks, Grayson Allen's roster rate (69%) is finally high enough – barely – that he doesn't qualify for this column. Our long national nightmare is finally over.

The downside of Allen's ascent is that it leaves the top of the waiver pool a little sparse. The "other recommendations" section is still fairly strong, but there are no must-have headliners. Nonetheless, there are still plenty of ways to improve your roster, especially if you're in need of a big man.

Schedule-wise, Week 15 is loaded with 56 games. It's just shy of being the busiest week of the season. The schedule is also unbalanced, with 12 games on Monday and just five and four on Tuesday and Thursday. It evens out a bit over the weekend, wrapping up with slates of 10, six, and nine games. Managers can get a head start on streaming by targeting teams with Tuesday and Thursday games with their Monday acquisitions – the Knicks, Celtics, Jazz, 76ers and Lakers all start the week with Monday-Tuesday-Thursday 3-in-4s.

As always, the players in this article must be rostered in less than two-thirds of CBS leagues. Players are listed in the order that I recommend adding them, assuming they are equally good fits for your team.

Adds for all leagues

Isaiah Stewart, Pistons (55% rostered)

Attentive readers may have noticed that Stewart is typically excluded from this column, often not even getting an "other recommendations" nod. But he's been on a tear lately, and he demands our attention. He's up to 15-7-2 with 3.0 stocks over his last five games. Interestingly, his minutes (30.8 vs. 30.7) and his FG% (46.4% vs. 47.0%) almost perfectly match his season averages. So, what changed? The Marvin Bagley trade would be a tidy explanation, but, alas, it doesn't work. Bagley was already out of the Pistons' rotation before the trade, and the acquired players didn't join the rotation until after Stewart's play had improved. Unfortunately, the answer might be Cade Cunningham's (knee) injury. Cunningham has missed this stretch, and Stewart's offensive improvement is mostly the result of three extra shots per game, two of which coming from behind the arc. But that still doesn't explain the improved rebounding or defense. We don't know for sure when Cunningham will come back, nor am I certain that his absence is the key factor here. That means Stewart should be added immediately and held through at least the first couple games of Cunningham's return.

Nick Richards, Hornets (33% rostered)

Another week, another tepid endorsement of Richards. Mark Williams (back) is still out, and Richards has been reliable (and bland) through his absence. Since entering the starting lineup, Richards is averaging 10-9-1 with 1.3 blocks. Much less upside than Marvin Bagley, the next name on this list, but also a much more stable floor.

Marvin Bagley III, Wizards (63% rostered)

Bagley was a trendy pickup last weekend after posting back-to-back 20-point double-doubles while Daniel Gafford was sidelined. While Bagley was included in this column last week, I was careful to caution that Gafford's return would sap most of his value. That's been proven mostly accurate so far. Bagley is averaging 16-11-1 in 22.0 minutes off the bench in Washington, with a solitary steal accounting for his lone defensive contribution across those two games.

While the minutes and defense are obvious concerns, there's reason to believe Bagley could stick in lineups for a bit. The points and rebounds have been great. Another factor in his favor is the Wizards' depth chart. Before last week, they only had two players taller than 6-foot-9. They chose to address the need for a third center by signing G-Leaguer Trey Jemison to a 10-day contract. Adding a third center was inevitable, so it helps Bagley that the player chosen is not a real competitor for minutes. Bagley is probably rosterable at least until Washington adds a better big man.

Sam Merrill, Cavaliers (16% rostered)

Merrill is averaging 4.0 made threes per game in 2024. Only Steph Curry is averaging more than that this season. Merrill is also providing some help elsewhere – he's up to 14-4-3 in January – but the threes are the reason he's on the Fantasy radar. Importantly, this isn't due to some absurdly hot shooting streak. His 42.6% from deep during this stretch is actually down slightly from where he started the season. What has changed is the Cavaliers' gameplan. Merrill is up to 9.4 attempts per game this month, which would rank as the third-most in the NBA this season. A figure that extreme can only be the result of a deliberate coaching choice. The Cavs are 8-2 through this period, so whatever changes they've made appear to be working. It's not hyperbole to say that Merrill could lead the NBA in threes from here on out.

Precious Achiuwa, Knicks (10% rostered)

Calling me an "Achiuwa skeptic" overstates my confidence in the new New York big. However, I'm also highly skeptical any time a team tells me an Achilles injury is a minor day-to-day setback. That capital "A" on the injury report sends a shiver down my spine. So I'm three steps beyond panicked about Isaiah Hartenstein (Achilles) missing two and a half games. Achiuwa isn't starting with Hartenstein out, but his minutes have jumped dramatically. Through three games in an expanded role, Achiuwa has been little more than a rebounds specialist, but more points and defense are likely to follow. I have no interest in Achiuwa while Hartenstein is healthy, but I'm nervous that Hartenstein might be out for a while.

Other recommendations: Alec Burks, Pistons (38% rostered); Brandin Podziemski, Warriors (52% rostered); Jabari Walker, Trail Blazers (44% rostered); Kevin Huerter, Kings (53% rostered); Dillon Brooks, Rockets (45% rostered); Trey Murphy, Pelicans (50% rostered); Al Horford, Celtics (47% rostered); Alex Caruso, Bulls (42% rostered); Naz Reid, Timberwolves (56% rostered)

Deep league special

Scotty Pippin Jr., Grizzlies (2% rostered)

Hopefully Sam Merrill, mentioned above, is still available for you. If not, it's a bit bleak for deep leaguers right now. Do I really believe that Pippen is going to maintain 15-6-6 averages while playing 24.0 minutes per game going forward? Absolutely not. But that is what he did on Wednesday, and the Grizzlies are missing an entire playoff-caliber starting lineup* right now, so there's some opportunity here. If you're looking to make a move, I'd rather the mystery box of Pippen to the known leaky rowboat that is most of the other options available.

*Seriously, Memphis is currently without Ja Morant (shoulder), Desmond Bane (ankle), Jake LaRavia (ankle), Brandon Clarke (Achilles), and Steven Adams (knee). That could easily be the starting lineup for a play-in team. It's impossible to say enough about how unlucky the Grizzlies have been health-wise this season.

Other recommendations: John Konchar, Grizzlies (5% rostered)