Fantasy Basketball 2021: Hidden Gems to Pick Up for NBA Week 5

The few people who made the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder the main attraction of their Friday evening received a look at a handful of players who could contribute to fantasy basketball rosters off the waiver wire.

Sacramento recently switched up its starting five to give more playing time to 24-year-old center Chimezie Metu. Oklahoma City has two rookies in its starting five, and the one player who does not score much, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, has become a vital piece to every other part of the game.

Metu and Robinson-Earl are not the first players mentioned in the waiver-wire discussion, but they could reach the top of that list in the coming weeks if they continue to perform vital roles on their respective teams.

If you have not paid close attention the Kings, you probably are not aware of the increased role Metu has played in their rotation over the past week.

Metu played a season-high 24 minutes in Friday's two-point loss to the Thunder, in which he had 14 points, five rebounds and one block in that game.

He started to receive more playing time Monday, when he featured in 19 minutes in a loss to the Phoenix Suns. The USC product eclipsed Moe Harkless and Tristan Thompson in frontcourt minutes over the last week and he could end up as a regular contributor within the starting five.

Metu has not been hesitant with his shot lately. He attempted 21 field goals in his past two games and is 9-of-21 from the field and 6-of-15 from three-point range. The three-point stats could draw you to Metu more because he could provide some valuable depth in that category from the power forward spot.

Although we have a small sample size on Metu, he is worth the gamble off the waiver wire because of his sudden minutes increase.

Robinson-Earl is the perfect waiver-wire addition at the forward position if you need to fill up stat categories outside of points.

The Villanova product hauled in 20 rebounds in his past two games against the Kings and Brooklyn Nets.

The 2021 second-round pick is averaging 4.9 rebounds per game, and he should see that total rise in the coming weeks as he gets more time with the OKC starters.

Robinson-Earl has not become a go-to scorer, but he does not have to be with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort and Darius Bazley on the floor alongside him. His primary role is to clean up on the glass for a Thunder team that lacks size in its starting unit.

If he keeps attacking the glass well, Robinson-Earl should take advantage of some put-back opportunities or at least gain more confidence to attack the rim from the paint.

The rebounding totals are there to justify him as a deep fantasy sleeper, and if the points come soon, he could be a more recognizable name to fantasy basketball players.

Tony Bradley is the ideal short-term waiver-wire pickup for fantasy teams with frontcourt needs.

Bradley was slotted into the Chicago Bulls starting five after Nikola Vucevic landed in the NBA's health and safety protocols. He played 24 minutes in Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers, recording four points, five rebounds, one steal and a block.

The 23-year-old is expected to see more on-court action in at least the next three games while the Bulls are away from Chicago.

Bradley is not expected to put up the high totals in the paint that Vucevic does on a regular basis, but he should be Chicago's top rebounder as the only regular contributor listed over 6'8".

Once Vucevic returns, Bradley's fantasy value will disappear. But for now, he is worth the addition because of his expected minutes in the next week.