It's the championship week of the inaugural NBA play-in tournament is and a champion will be crowned on Saturday in Las Vegas. As the season makes its way into December and into a larger audience, teams are starting to develop defined strengths and weaknesses. There is a lot to digest, analyze, and consider on a daily basis, so let’s take a look at some NBA Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire options for Week 7. At the same time, don’t forget to take advantage of all of the other great tools and projections we have here at Fantasy Alarm for the NBA season. 

 

Obi Toppin, PF, Indiana Pacers

After a roller coaster of minutes in his five games between November 19 and November 27, Toppin has been back to an elite workload over his last two. In back to back tough games against Miami, Toppin averaged 34 minutes, 23.5 points, two rebounds, three assists, and 2.5 blocks. The rebounds are disappointing, but those will come in time. He also shot over 70% from the field and looks to be back to a go-to option for the Pacers. He is rostered in 50% of leagues or under on most sites. 

Killian Hayes, PG/SG, Detroit Pistons

As the Detroit Pistons try to find the right lineup combination that will help them win some games, Killian Hayes was moved out of the starting lineup for a four-game span, prompting a lot of fantasy managers to drop him. In those four games, he averaged 17 minutes, 33% shooting, 3.3 points and 4.0 assists per game. But in his two games since returning to the starting lineup, it's been a completely different story. Hayes averages 30.6 minutes 66% shooting, 18 points, 3.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game. He will be a hot pick-up this week for any league where he was dropped during his demotion. 

Reggie Jackson, PG, Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets have already come out and said that they will be judicious with Jamal Murray's minutes as he works his way back from a month-long injury. That has allowed Jackson to average 31.5 minutes over his last four games and put up numbers north of 16 points and five assists when he has played the starter's role. Murray played 22 minutes in his return on November 29 and then did not play at all on December 1. Expect more of this kind of load management for Murray, leaving ample opportunity for Jackson to produce whether on the bench or starting. 

Dennis Smith Jr., PG/SG, Brooklyn Nets

The news that Ben Simmons will miss multiple more weeks with an injury opens up plenty of opportunity for Dennis Smith, Jr. It is unlikely that he will get the starting nod (that will go to Spencer Dinwiddie), but he Smith should have a massive role off the bench for Brooklyn for the foreseeable future. Back from his own back injury, Smith posted a double-double in his return with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists to go along with two steals and a block in 21 minutes. With games against Atlanta, Washington, and Sacramento this week, he is a must-add. 

Payton Pritchard, PG/SG, Boston Celtics

Payton Pritchard has proved to be a valuable piece of the Celtics' depth so far. He has now played more than 20 minutes off the bench for three straight games and averages nine points, three rebounds, and three assists in that span. He will serve as the primary backup for both Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, and gets extra run when the Celtics blow out opponents. Pritchard was also huge in the fourth quarter in the game against Philadelphia on Friday, where he scored 10 points with a rebound, assist, and steal, and was +12 on the game. 

Aaron Nesmith, SF/PF, Indiana Pacers

With Tyrese Haliburton, Obi Toppin, and Buddy Hield around, not much of the scoring is going to run through Aaron Nesmith, but his value for the Pacers - and for fantasy teams - piling up the ancillary stats that go beyond just points scored. Since returning from two games he missed with a wrist problem, Nesmith has played 26 minutes per game and averaged four rebounds, 2.3 steals, and and assist per game. The 12 points per game over those three contest is nice too, but Nesmith won't normally have a large scoring load.