The 2023-24 NBA campaign is just about finito, so let’s review how our Fantasy basketball waiver wire picks did this season.

Using the wire can provide value in multiple ways. Sometimes, it offers a temporary fix to an injury issue or it’s simply a case of jumping on a player delivering short-term value. But when you pick up a player and he sticks on your team for the entire season (or even the lion’s share) and contributes throughout, that is the true definition of waiver wire gold.

Given this backdrop, we rank players higher who were identified earlier in the season, as — in theory — they had an opportunity to provide value for your team for a longer stretch and have a greater overall impact on your Fantasy season.

Unsurprisingly, we had plenty of misses among our picks and, because of the bi-weekly nature of our column, it means that some hot free agents get scooped up days before we can tout them. However, if you managed to wind up with, say, two or three of these guys on your team, chances are you enjoyed a pretty successful season.

So while you pat yourself on the back for having Tyrese Maxey in your DFS lineup on Sunday (who exploded for a career-high 52 points), without further ado, we present the 2023-24 NBA Wire Troll All-Star Team…

Dates in parentheses represent when we recommended each player.

Jalen Johnson, SF/PF, Atlanta Hawks (Week One): It’s been a tough season in Atlanta, so the Hawks haven’t exactly been a great bet on FanDuel, but man, has Johnson ever been a bright spot. The fact that he’s our top waiver wire pick of the season despite missing several games recently with an ankle woe speaks to how good he’s been. Before March, Johnson kept seeing more and more PT as the season wore on, and the bucket count rose accordingly. His breakout season saw him become a much bigger part of the Hawk attack while sinking his free throws more often than ever, making him a solid DFS option. Johnson’s length and athletic ability (see video below) allow him to match up again guards or bigs. Is he Paul Pierce Lite? Time will tell…

Grayson Allen, SG, Phoenix Suns (Week One): Another early-season find, Allen is capable of across the board production and was at his best down the stretch (15.5 PPG in March). It was a career season for the veteran as he sunk more hoops than ever, shattered his personal best FG percentage and was a tremendous source of treys (canning those at an incredible 46.6 per cent rate). The former Duke star really came into his own this season.

Donte DiVincenzo, SG, New York Knicks (Week 11): DiVincenzo was brought in as a depth player but was forced into a bigger role and really delivered, making him one of the better signings of the season. His PT has risen pretty steadily over the course of season as has his bucket count. DiVincenzo has started much more often, never seen as much PT and shattered his best scoring average despite his worst FT shooting since 2020-21. What a great surprise he proved to be.

Cam Thomas, SG, Brooklyn Nets (Week One): Man, we sure nailed our season-opening batch of picks this season. Thomas slowed down for a while after an ankle woe in mid-November, but did a great job of getting to the line to help drive a big March. He saw more action than ever this season, responding by more than doubling his career best scoring average (despite slight regression in his FT shooting). Finding a player like Thomas at the beginning of the season is exactly how leagues are won.

Ayo Dosunmu, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls (Week 15): Dosunmu was among our later-season finds (early February), but man, did he ever deliver, doing his finest work down the stretch (20.5 PPG over the final eight games of March). He set a new career high in steals while managing to increase his scoring output each month. Hometown hero Dosunmu became a nice source of treys this season while becoming a much more accurate shooter (over 40 per cent from downtown).

Santi Aldama, PF/C, Memphis Grizzlies (Week One): You’ve gotta love big men who can drain it from beyond the arc. Aldama was yet another selection from our season debut that proved to be a strong selection as his touches rose from December on. He missed some time (and remains out again currently) and didn’t shoot as well this year, but he wasn’t shy about jacking up the treys and that really drove his value. Aldama has seen an increase in PT each season, and if that trend continues in 2024-25, he’ll be a serious sleeper.

Kelly Olynyk, PF/C, Utah Jazz/Toronto Raptors (Week Nine): When we recommended Olynyk in the first half, little did we know a trade to his hometown team would spark him to even greater heights. And more recently, we’ve seen his playmaking skills on display (43 assists over a five-game stretch) as he helped facilitate the offense while Immanuel Quickley was away from the team. Olynyk’s bucket count is up since the trade as he’s averaging 19.1 points per 40 since becoming a Raptor.

Duncan Robinson, SG/SF, Miami Heat (Week Three): Another early-season find, Robinson is an inconsistent scorer, yet until April, had not put up under 10.4 PPG in any single month this season. And since that down month (January), his bucket count had been on the rise, and in seeing his most action since 2020-21 he’s managed the third best offensive campaign of his career, especially impressive after he struggled so badly last season.

RotoRob Tune of the Day

American singer Anita Ward‘s gift to the world was one of the most iconic disco tunes ever: “Ring My Bell,” the 1979 classic that reached No. 1 on the U.S. Hot 100, R&B, Dance and U.K. charts.

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