Fantasy Basketball Week 15 Waiver Wire: 9 Undervalued Players

Opportunities are starting to present themselves in fantasy basketball, allowing previously unheralded players to step into larger roles. Likewise, injuries to key personnel have also made way for more proven assets to take advantage of additional minutes. As always, 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.

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Week 15 Pickups

Yahoo High Score Leagues

Brandin Podziemski, Golden State Warriors (37% rostered)

With Jimmy Butler set to miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury, Golden State is now an interesting hunting ground when it comes to potential fantasy value. Podziemski has been one of the more talked-about players in recent days and was even trending up prior to the Butler injury. The Warriors' recent loss to the Raptors was not a great indicator when attempting to project the new-look rotation, given the nature of the result. However, leading up to the loss, Podziemski had averaged 36.0 fantasy points across four appearances, despite playing only 27.0 minutes per game. There is a decent chance he can push to 30 minutes per night moving forward, making him a worthwhile target across all formats, including High-Score leagues.

Sandro Mamukelashvili, Toronto Raptors (22% rostered)

Ongoing back issues for Jakob Poeltl have resulted in Mamukelashvili playing the largest role of his career, an opportunity that he has certainly made the most of. More recently, rookie Collin Murray-Boyles suffered a thumb injury, keeping him on the sideline for the past couple of games. Mamukelashvili has scored double digits in four straight games, while also providing above-average rebound numbers. In that four-game span, he has averaged 33.75 fantasy points per game, including a 17-point performance in a loss to the Clippers. It was recently announced that Poeltl had left the team to consult with specialists, putting his immediate playing future in some doubt. There are no guarantees when it comes to Mamukelashvili's role, but for now, he should be rostered in all formats.

Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder (30% rostered)

Mitchell is in the midst of a breakout campaign, albeit during just his second season in the NBA. A hamstring injury to Jalen Williams has opened up significant playing time in Oklahoma City, with Mitchell likely to be one of the main beneficiaries. However, after a red-hot start during Wednesday's win over the Bucks, Mitchell was forced from the game with a hip injury, something managers will want to closely monitor. There is a chance this was a precautionary move, and with a favorable matchup against the Pacers next on the agenda, perhaps he returns early next week. Focusing on next week, if Mitchell appears as though he is going to play, he becomes a very intriguing fantasy target. As a player who has demonstrated upside in multiple categories, make sure he isn't still sitting on your waiver wire.

Standard 9-Category Leagues

De'Anthony Melton, Golden State Warriors (11% rostered)

Much like Podziemski, Melton is set to be one of the key beneficiaries following the season-ending injury to Jimmy Butler. Although much of his value is built on defense, he has scored double digits in seven of his previous nine games, while also adding serviceable defensive contributions. Despite the loss of Butler, Golden State is unlikely to change course, meaning Melton is going to be a key piece moving forward. He remains on a soft minutes restriction, part of his injury-management plan following a knee injury suffered last season. With that said, assuming he can push to at least 25 minutes per game, his per-minute upside should be enough to convince managers that he should be rostered.

Dylan Cardwell, Sacramento King (5% rostered)

The center rotation in Sacramento is far from set, especially with the recent return of Domantas Sabonis. While this does complicate matters for both Cardwell and Maxime Raynaud, both have continued to play meaningful minutes. While it was Raynaud who shouldered the bulk of the minutes during Sabonis' absence, Cardwell appears to have earned the trust of the coaching staff over the past week. In four appearances during that time, he has averaged 6.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.6 combined steals and blocks, good enough for top-40 value in standard leagues. He certainly comes with some risk, given the fact that he is largely unproven. However, if you need typical big man numbers, you could do worse than a player averaging 11.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 22.6 minutes per game.

Julian Champagnie, San Antonio Spurs (24% rostered)

With no return in sight for Devin Vassell, Champagnie should continue to play starter-level minutes for the foreseeable future. It's really that simple when it comes to deciding whether to roster Champagnie or not. In 17 games over the past month, he has been entrenched in the starting lineup, averaging 13.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.1 three-pointers, good enough for top-90 value. He has hit 16 three-pointers in his last three games, while also chipping in three steals during that time. While his ceiling is somewhat limited due to his lack of assists and defensive stats, he is a clear must-roster player until we get word that Vassell is returning.

Standard Points Leagues

Max Christie, Dallas Mavericks (21% rostered)

Christie continues to play some of the best basketball of his career, having scored double digits in 10 straight appearances, including three consecutive games of at least 21 points. Dallas has now won four straight games, with Christie a huge part of what has been happening on the offensive end. In five games over the past two weeks, he has averaged 31.7 fantasy points per game, putting him firmly inside the top 100 during that span. This could certainly come to a grinding halt at some point, but for now, he is worth having on most standard league rosters.

Sam Hauser, Boston Celtics (17% rostered)

Has Hauser finally figured things out? That is the question following his recent uptick in production. Seen as a possible late-round flier coming into the season, Hauser quickly fell out of favor in fantasy circles, at one point scoring single digits in 11 straight games, including three games in which he failed to score a single point. However, things have shifted over the past week. During that time, Hauser has averaged 20.0 points in 28.6 minutes per game. With the addition of his peripherals, we have a player providing 31.0 fantasy points per game, certainly good enough to be rostered, at least for the time being.

Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards (14% rostered)

Washington continues to share the load when it comes to its backcourt, although Carrington appears to have secured a starting spot, having assumed that role in four straight games. During that span, he has averaged almost 28 fantasy points per game, putting him on the fringe of standard points leagues. His upside remains uncertain, especially after what was a terrible start to the season. With that said, Washington has a clear vision now and is likely to want Carrington on the floor, just to evaluate where he fits long-term, playing alongside Trae Young. As long as he can remain healthy, he makes for a relatively safe backend asset.