NBA Waiver Wire: Top Adds For Week 16

Hard as it is to believe, we're already on the cusp of the All-Star break in what has seemed like a very fast-paced season. As is the case every year, there are plenty of walking (and sitting) wounded by this point in the season, which has opened up some opportunities for reserves, as well as extra responsibility for other starters on those clubs.

Two prominent examples are Luka Doncic (ankle) and Josh Richardson (hamstring), and the domino effect of those absences will be reflected in this week's recommendations. 

Additionally, we should soon have another wave of candidates with new locales and/or roles due to the looming trade deadline, and one such transaction has already helped lead to another one of this week's suggestions.

As always, the players in this article are rostered in less than two-thirds of CBS leagues.

Shake Milton, PHI (5% owned)

Josh Richardson is slated to still miss another couple of weeks at minimum due to his hamstring injury, which should keep Milton firmly ensconced in the starting two-guard role. He's earned the right to hold on to the job for the moment by averaging 14.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 58.1 percent -- including 44.4 percent from three-point range -- during his first four starts in Richardson's stead. Furkan Korkmaz and Matisse Thybullle, both of whom have had their moments this season, loom behind him, so Milton will need to keep up the production to avoid a demotion. If he proves worthy, he clearly is capable of offering contributions across multiple categories, as his starting stint has already proven. 

Seth Curry, DAL (11% owned)

Luka Doncic may not return until after the All-Star break, which already sets Curry up with a potential bump in responsibility. While Curry is expected to miss Monday's game, he owns a solid 21.1 percent usage rage when his teammate is off the floor this season, but he'd already been flashing some impressive, efficient play prior to Doncic's absence. Curry is averaging 13.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists since the calendar flipped to 2020, shooting an outstanding 51.7 percent (9.4 attempts per game), including 45.8 percent from three-point range, over that 16-game span. He's put up double-digit shot attempts in each of the first two games Doncic has missed, and although Curry himself exited Saturday's game against the Hawks with some knee tightness, it's not expected to be a serious issue. As his stat line confirms, the overwhelming majority of his production will come in offensive categories, but he certainly fits the bill if you need a boost in those areas.

Duncan Robinson, MIA (39% owned)

Robinson has unsurprisingly had his share of ups and downs as a rookie, but he's currently on an extended upswing that makes him worthy of consideration in all formats. Robinson just saw a streak of nine consecutive double-digit scoring efforts snapped by one point versus the Magic's stingy defense Saturday night, but he's averaged 13.0 points (on 42.2% 3PT), 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists across 31.3 minutes over his last 12 games. Robinson is locked into the starting small forward role on a fast-paced Heat team, and his aggression (7.7 three-point attempts per contest) gives him some nice upside in a role that's often affording him well over 30 minutes per contest of late. 

Garrett Temple, BKN (12% owned)

Temple is a heady veteran that can offer some serviceable contributions across multiple categories and currently slots into a starting two-guard role which sees him averaging a career-high 28.7 minutes. Temple is averaging 10.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists across 26.7 minutes over his last six games, a span during which he's scored in double digits on five occasions and pulled down at least five rebounds three times. His numbers won't blow anyone away, but Temple is capable of the occasional scoring spike and he's a decent rebounder for his position. On top of all of that, with Kyrie Irving expected to miss multiple games this week, Temple should be set for an increased role.

Nerlens Noel, OKC (31% owned)

When Noel can avoid the injury bug, he can serve as an above-average Fantasy big man, with the ability to check off multiple boxes in category formats. Most recently, the big man has averaged 11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 steals in 22.9 minutes over his last seven games. That sample does include three starts in place of an injured Steven Adams, but Noel has proven he can be productive in a backup role, as well. Noel is averaging his most minutes since the 2016-17 season, and he's shooting a career-best 68.5 percent from the floor.

Marquese Chriss, GSW (18% owned)

Chriss has moved into the starting center role in Golden State with the trade of Willie Cauley-Stein to Dallas, and even though Kevon Looney returned Saturday from an extended absence and played 12 minutes, Chriss still saw 25 minutes in a win over Cleveland. That falls right in line with what the young big had been averaging in his first three starts since Cauley-Stein's departure -- a sign he may continue to keep a firm grasp on his current role despite Looney's return.

Chriss had already been playing well prior to Cauley-Stein's departure, as he has five double-digit scoring efforts in his last six contests, a stint during which he's averaging 12.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steal across 23.2 minutes per game. 

ALSO CONSIDER: Kevin Porter Jr., CLE (15% owned); Damion Lee, GSW (39% owned); Isaiah Thomas (39% owned); Delon Wright, DAL (21% owned); Dorian Finney-Smith (23% owned))