Jaden McDaniels is playing a bigger role for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Jaden McDaniels is taking advantage of extra PT. (Brad Rempel-USA Today Sports)

Welcome back to another week of Fantasy basketball. November is getting on, so you better get on to the waiver wire now to improve your chances.

This week, Paul George‘s knee is acting up again, so he’ll miss a couple of games; Luka Doncic will miss at least a week with a sprained wrist (see below for the Fantasy opportunity this presents); and Friday’s Celtics-Wizards game should be a shootout considering how hot Boston’s offense is.

So while you wonder whether Dennis Schroder can snap his slump and perhaps even score the first point of Friday’s game (currently he’s +900 to do so as per FanDuel), let’s get to this week’s…

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Picks

Jaden McDaniels, SF, Minnesota Timberwolves (ESPN: 15.8 per cent; CBS: 34 per cent): After a sluggish start to the campaign, McDaniels has been coming on for a while, but he erupted on Thursday with season highs of 42 minutes, 22 points and seven boards — the type of performance from him the Wolves need to see more often. He’s been getting more PT this month and has really responded well. Jalen‘s brother took some time to develop into a prospect, but has the size (6’9″) to excel at the three.

Jaden Hardy, SG, Dallas Mavericks (ESPN: 0.4 per cent; CBS: 2 per cent): Two seasons ago, we were bullish about Hardy as it seemed he was in line for a minute boost and it was a great call as he did get much more PT in the second half. Unfortunately, his role was reduced last season and hasn’t grown much this season… until now. Hardy had already been getting more burn and showing something (three straight double-digit scoring efforts), but with Doncic out, there’s a chance to really make a statement. Need a streaming option? Hardy could help your team this week, even if he’s coming off the bench as usual.

Zach Collins, PF/C, San Antonio Spurs (ESPN: 2.6 per cent; CBS: 10 per cent): Collins is getting a chance to start with Victor Wembanyama (knee) out and he’s gotten the job done with three straight games of at least 12 points, solid rebounding numbers and a few blocks. We really like how Collins has managed to get more points from the free throw line this week, and while his overall role may have been reduced this season, he makes an intriguing short-term add or DFS option.

Kris Dunn, PG, Los Angeles Clippers (ESPN: 2.5 per cent; CBS: 14 per cent): Taken fifth overall in 2016, Dunn looked like a promising player earlier in his career before running into seemingly annual injury issues. However, he’s been healthy so far this season and has found himself starting the last few games, and while his scoring has been modest, he’s enjoyed some very fine assist numbers and quite a few steals. If the feisty Dunn can get anywhere near as hot from beyond the arc as he was in October, he’ll be a very fine pickup.

Brandon Clarke, PF, Memphis Grizzlies (ESPN: 0.8 per cent; CBS: 8 per cent): About a year and a half ago, we pimped Clarke because of his impressive shooting percentage. Unfortunately, back luck prohibiting him from fulfilling his end of the bargain, as he suffered a season-ending torn Achilles’ tendon shortly afterwards that cost him most of 2023-24 as well. Well, Clarke is finally fully healthy again, and with Zach Edey (ankle) out week-to-week, he’s getting enough PT to be Fantasy-relevant again, at least in deeper formats. Clarke’s production has been modest so far, but there’s definitely potential for more — especially if he gets back to shooting like he normally does. Expect an increase in buckets coming soon as he shakes off the rust.

Fast Breaks

Norman Powell (hamstring) will miss a second straight game on Friday, but perhaps the down time will stead him well as he’d been in a slump for about a week before getting hurt. His PT is up ever so slightly in November but he hasn’t been as effective as he was out of the gates. Still, back to being a full-time starter for the first time since he was in Portland, Powell is enjoying a career season so far.
Brandon Miller went off for a career-best 38 points — including eight in OT — to help Charlotte escape with a win on Thursday. He’s really starting to show why he went second overall last year, posting back-to-back games of 29 or more while seeing his touches soar this month. Miller had a solid rookie season, but is canning an extra three-pointer per game so far in 2024-25. We’re expecting massive growth here over the remainder of the season.
MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander keeps rolling along, going nearly two weeks since he last scored under 28 points in a game. He’s not getting as many blocks lately, yet is still averaging a career best 1.1. If SGA can get his shooting percentage back to last year’s levels, he’ll likely post a third straight season at 30 PPG or more. Stud.
The return of Scottie Barnes has pushed Davion Mitchell back to the bench, but it’s clear Mitchell will retain a large role. Mitchell’s offense went AWOL on Thursday, but he continues to be a good source of assists, dropping eight dimes. His PT is up this month and he’s been producing more points from the charity stripe than ever. Need assists? Mitchell can provide deeper-league help.

RotoRob Tune of the Day

English electronic band Depeche Mode formed in 1980 and are still at it today. In 2001, they released their 10th album, Exciter, and among the better deep album tracks is “Shine.”