Fantasy Basketball 2021: Pickups and NBA Waiver-Wire Adds After Jan. 13

When the Washington Wizards return to the hardwood, they will need to find some way to replace Thomas Bryant's frontcourt production.

Robin Lopez and Moritz Wagner are the two best options to replace the center, who suffered a torn ACL last week.

From a fantasy basketball perspective, they are the two best waiver-wire additions from the Washington roster. Davis Bertans should chip in some production as his minutes restriction goes away, but he is rostered in almost three-quarters of Yahoo leagues. 

While there is still some uncertainty surrounding which one of the two big men will take control of the starting role in Washington, a few under-the-radar players have taken advantage of their opportunities in the last week. 

Cleveland's Cedi Osman and Oklahoma City's George Hill have been consistent enough in their roles recently to consider adding either player before the end of the week. 

Lopez and Wagner will be grouped together in fantasy conversations for the next week or two as Washington figures out its frontcourt playing time. 

In Monday's win over the Phoenix Suns, Lopez started and recorded a double-double in 25 minutes. Wagner came off the bench to add nine points and six rebounds. He also chipped in a three-point shot. 

Two days prior, Lopez and Wagner both chipped in 13 points off the bench after Bryant was injured. 

With no clear difference between the two right now, both players could be decent frontcourt pickups as fantasy backups to premier paint players. 

Although Washington will not be on the court again until Sunday, it is still worth adding Lopez or Wagner because of the upcoming stretch that awaits the Wizards. 

Washington is scheduled to play Cleveland at home on Sunday and Monday before facing the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania reported Friday's Wizards-Pistons game will be postponed. 

If you can pick up one of the two big men before they make a greater impact on the Washington offense, it could pay off, especially if you are in need of a backup big man. 

Osman has turned in some decent nights in the scoring column during his increase in minutes over the last two weeks. 

On Tuesday, the Cleveland forward put up 17 points off a 7-for-15 shooting percentage in a defeat to the Utah Jazz.

Even though the Cavaliers have not played well as a team lately, Osman has been consistent enough to be considered as a streaming fantasy option.

During Cleveland's 1-5 run in the last six games, the 25-year-old produced four double-digit scoring performances. He dished out seven assists in three consecutive games at the start of the stretch. 

Osman could be a nice addition to any fantasy squad in the coming week since Cleveland is scheduled to play five games in a seven-day span. If anything, he should be a solid volume option to utilize at the back end of this week and the start of next week due to the Cavs' busy slate.

Hill has done enough in the last week to warrant an addition as a secondary guard in some lineups. 

The 34-year-old is on a run of three straight double-digit performances and has over 10 points in four of his last five appearances. 

Hill has provided the Thunder with a veteran presence in the backcourt alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is expected to be top scorer on most nights in the OKC offense. 

Hill's fantasy value comes down to his ability to add rebounds and assists to point totals in the low teens. On Tuesday, he had five rebounds and five assists to go along with 12 points versus the San Antonio Spurs.

The veteran could be in a perfect spot to chip in fantasy points on Friday, when the Thunder take on the Chicago Bulls. 

Upcoming matchups with the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets are not as favorable, but as Hill proved on Wednesday versus the Los Angeles Lakers, he can still contribute decent numbers against some of the better NBA teams. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference