Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: GG Jackson takes flight for short-handed Grizzlies

By the time next week’s column is published, we’ll be into the first week of March, and fantasy playoffs will be underway for many managers. The roster threshold to appear in this column has been 50% all season, but now that we’ve reached the final month of the season, quality adds will be far harder to find.

Starting this week, the threshold for this column will shift to 25% so that competitive teams can add useful options to propel them to their league title.

Maxime Raynaud, Jalen Smith and Jarace Walker should be mentioned. They’re all rostered in more than a quarter of Yahoo! leagues, but if they’re still on your waiver wire, they should be added immediately.

→ Check out an NBA doubleheader on Peacock on Monday night! The Spurs and the Pistons will tip off at 7 p.m. ET before the Rockets visit the Jazz at 9:30 p.m. ET!

Here are the top fantasy basketball waiver wire adds for Week 18.

Priority Adds

1. GG Jackson
2. Nolan Traoré
3. Gui Santos
4. Day’Ron Sharpe
5. Marvin Bagley III
6. Olivier-Maxence Prosper
7. Julian Strawther
8. Brook Lopez
9. Kris Dunn
10. Jose Alvarado
11. Precious Achiuwa
12. Oso Ighodaro

GG Jackson, Memphis Grizzlies (25 percent rostered)

Jackson has posted strong numbers over the last two weeks, and with little competition for frontcourt touches down the stretch, he’s in line for plenty of opportunities. Jackson has averaged 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.0 blocks and 2.0 triples across his last seven games (six starts). He’s scored 20+ in three straight, and he posted a monstrous 28/9/2/1/1/1 line at Miami on Saturday.

Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets (22 percent rostered)

Sharpe shifted back to the bench in his last game out, but it’s tough to expect Nic Claxton to remain healthy and starting for the rest of the campaign. Sharpe has standalone value as a backup, but in six starts, he’s averaged 11.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocked shots.

Nolan Traoré, Brooklyn Nets (18 percent rostered)

Traoré has started 11 straight, and he appears to have locked in a starting gig for the rest of the 2025-26 campaign. Over his last seven outings, Traoré has posted strong averages of 15.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.3 blocked shots and 1.4 triples. Available in more than 80% of fantasy leagues, he’s worth a look as a reliable source of assists and steals with some scoring baked in as an added bonus.

Brook Lopez, Los Angeles Clippers (18 percent rostered)

BroLo has turned back the clock over his last eight games, posting 10.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.5 swats and 1.3 triples across 29.9 minutes. The big man has a clear runway to start and push for 30 minutes a night for the final stretch of the season as the Clippers push for a playoff appearance.

Gui Santos, Golden State Warriors (18 percent rostered)

It’s absurd that Santos is so widely available on the waiver wire considering how consistent he’s been for the shorthanded Warriors. Across his last 10 games, Santos has averaged 14.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.7 blocks and 2.0 triples across 28.1 minutes.

Marvin Bagley III, Dallas Mavericks (17 percent rostered)

Bagley III is Dallas’ backup center, but he’s carved out a quality role off the bench with averages of 11.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks across 23.6 minutes in five games with the Mavs. Daniel Gafford is bound to miss time down the stretch of this lost season, so expect Bagley III to get opportunities as a starting center sooner rather than later.

Precious Achiuwa, Sacramento Kings (13 percent rostered)

Injuries to Domantas Sabonis and Dylan Cardwell have freed up additional playing time for Achiuwa, who has started four straight contests. In that span, he’s averaged 10.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.0 blocked shots across 22.8 minutes. Achiuwa hasn’t been excellent in most categories, but he’s been elite as a steals specialist.

Kris Dunn, Los Angeles Clippers (10 percent rostered)

Dunn has started 51 of 57 appearances for the Clippers this season, and he’s seen his assist numbers tick up since James Harden was traded to Cleveland. Across his last nine games, Dunn has averaged 7.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.8 triples.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Memphis Grizzlies (6 percent rostered)

O-Max has enjoyed a revival in Memphis, and he’s averaged 16.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.4 triples across 26.4 minutes over his last five outings. In that span, he’s scored 20+ twice, and he posted a well-rounded line as a starter on Saturday, going for 9/3/4/4 and a triple.

Jose Alvarado, New York Knicks (5 percent rostered)

Alvarado has made an immediate impact for his new team with averages of 10.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.2 steals and 2.2 triples across 21.3 minutes over his last six games. Alvarado is exceptional in the scarce steals category, making him a worthy add for managers in need of that stat.

Julian Strawther, Denver Nuggets (4 percent rostered)

Injuries have plagued Denver all season, and with Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson sidelined, Strawther has played well as the “next man up” in the Nuggets’ rotation. Across his last six games as a starter, he’s averaged 15.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.3 triples across 26.5 minutes.

Oso Ighodaro, Phoenix Suns (1 percent rostered)

Ighodaro is better as a deep-league add while backing up Mark Williams, but he could become viable in standard leagues if Williams is forced to miss time. Over his last five games, Ighodaro has averaged just 21 minutes while posting 8.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocked shots and shooting 75% from the floor.

Other options:Dylan Harper (19%), Jaylen Wells (17%), Isaiah Joe (16%), Nique Clifford (13%), Khris Middleton (9%), Tristan Vukčević (9%), Guerschon Yabusele (5%)