Fantasy Basketball 2022: Hidden Gems to Pick Up for NBA Week 21

As fantasy managers in public leagues prepare for the playoffs, they can scrape the bottom of the waiver wire for hidden gems who can propel them to a fantasy basketball title.

Midway through March, NBA teams will either tighten up on rotations to make a late push for postseason seeding or allow inexperienced players more time on the court for development in live-action. As always, keep an eye on key contributors with injuries and fill-in replacements who will soak up their minutes down the stretch. 

Heading into Week 21, a pair of rookies should have every manager's attention. Though they play for teams outside the play-in tournament spots, both players will have a chance to make a significant impact through a four-game stretch in the first round of the fantasy playoffs. 

If you’re looking for a slight edge over your opponent in the upcoming week, take a look at three under-the-radar pickups rostered in 33 percent or fewer of Yahoo leagues as of 11 p.m. ET Sunday.

Jaxson Hayes, PF/C, New Orleans Pelicans (22 Percent Rostered)

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Late in the fourth quarter, Jaxson Hayes ran a fast break and finished with a thunderous dunk to put a bow on his shining performance against the Houston Rockets Sunday, recording 21 points, which included a pair of triples, six rebounds, two steals and a block.

Hayes’ flashiness isn’t worth extra points, but his minutes have trended in the right direction. He’s logged at least 24 minutes in three consecutive games, primarily as the starting 4 alongside center Jonas Valanciunas, which gives him some space to put up shots beyond the arc. The 6'11" big man has shot 3-of-6 from three-point territory over the past two games.

With New Orleans Pelicans' lead scorer Brandon Ingram (strained hamstring) on the sideline and set for an injury re-evaluation this week, managers should add Hayes as their third or fourth center. The versatile youngster can provide decent contributions to the points, rebounds and defensive categories with around 25 minutes on the floor. On top of that, he’s 11-of-13 from the charity stripe over the last two games. 

The Pelicans have a three-game slate in Week 21, but Hayes has intriguing upside with his production on the defensive end and ability to shoot the three-pointer.

Corey Kispert, SG/SF, Washington Wizards (5 Percent Rostered)

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At this point in the season, managers should take fliers on young players on teams near the bottom of the standings. Coaching staffs likely attempt to tap into underdeveloped potential before the offseason. Corey Kispert, a rookie out of Gonzaga, has found his rhythm and could finish the 2021-22 campaign on a strong note. 

Even though the Wizards (29-37) trail the Atlanta Hawks (32-34) by three games for a play-in tournament spot in the Eastern Conference, Kispert should log a ton of minutes down the stretch. He's started in 13 consecutive outings and just logged a career-high 21 points against the Los Angeles Lakers (March 11) on the front end of consecutive double-digit scoring performances.

Washington acquired Kristaps Porzingis on February 10, but he's only suited up for three games with the club and played fewer than 27 minutes in each of those contests because of a bone bruise in his right knee, which leaves a scoring void in the Wizards' starting lineup. Kispert can stretch the floor with his shooting range. He's knocked down at least three triples in four consecutive games.

With or without Porzingis on the floor, Kispert can contribute with points, three-pointers and some rebounds, but with the former's shaky durability, bet on the latter to take advantage of opportunities as the starting swingman who's starting to heat up.

Trendon Watford, SF, Portland Trail Blazers (28 Percent Rostered)

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In the shadow of Josh Hart's 44-point performance, Trendon Watford had a strong outing in his second start of the season Saturday against the Washington Wizards. The rookie forward shot 11-of-16 from the field and knocked down all five of his free-throw attempts for a career-high 27 points to go along with six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Since the Portland Trail Blazers acquired Hart on February 8, he's averaged 17.8 points per game. Though he's seen an uptick in scoring, don't expect him to scorch opponents in every outing with a 40-plus-point outburst. In two weeks, the team will re-evaluate promising fourth-year guard Anfernee Simons, who's out with mild patellar tendinopathy, so someone has to pick up the scoring slack.

Watford should remain in the starting lineup for Week 21 and perhaps beyond because of his recent production. He's racked up 22-plus points in back-to-back games. The LSU product has averaged 4.7 free-throw attempts per contest over the last two weeks with a .893 conversion rate.  

With a sprinkling of rebounds, assists and steals on his stat sheet over the past two weeks, Watford could help managers across the board in addition to the points category. Only rostered in 26 percent of Yahoo leagues, pick him up with four Blazers games coming up in Week 21.

NBA statistics are provided by Basketball Reference.