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EspañolFantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Micah Potter coming on strong for Indiana
The NBA season is winding down, but the fantasy basketball season is heating up. Injuries and blatant tank jobs have opened up new opportunities, and fantasy managers can find plenty of unsung heroes on the waiver wire.
As a reminder, this article will only feature players rostered in 25% or less of Yahoo! leagues for the rest of the season. The waiver wire in competitive leagues is cut-throat, and managers looking for an end-of-season edge will need to dive deep.
Here are the top fantasy basketball waiver wire adds for Week 19.
→ Watch the NBA on Peacock on Monday night, as the Clippers take on the Warriors in the Bay Area. The action gets underway at 10 p.m. ET!
Raphielle JohnsonPriority Adds
1. Micah Potter
2. Nique Clifford
3. Will Riley
4. Leonard Miller
5. Danny Wolf
6. Guerschon Yabusele
7. Julian Champagnie
8. Olivier-Maxence Prosper
9. Elijah Harkless
10. Taylor Hendricks
11. Al Horford
12. Javon Small
Nique Clifford, Sacramento Kings (18 percent rostered)
The rookie’s three-game scoring slump is far behind him as he’s posted double-digit points in four straight. In that span, Clifford has averaged 16.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 3.3 steals and 1.5 triples across 34.5 minutes. He’s got a tremendous runway for the rest of the season as Sacramento careens toward the lottery.
Julian Champagnie, San Antonio Spurs (18 percent rostered)
Champagnie’s scoring is hit-or-miss, but he’s been steadily impactful as a defender and continues to start for San Antonio. Across his last four outings, Champagnie has averaged 14 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.3 blocks and 3.8 triples.
Micah Potter, Indiana Pacers (13 percent rostered)
Potter has split time with Jay Huff in the frontcourt, but he’s made quite an impact as of late. Across his last three games (all off the bench), he’s averaged 20 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks and 3.3 triples. Potter has been electric as an outside shooter and defender, and that versatility has been tremendous for fantasy managers. The return of Pascal Siakam could put a damper on Potter’s current heater, but the Pacers have little incentive to rush Spicy P back into action.
Have yourself a half, Micah Potter
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) February 25, 2026
He has 17 points late in Q2. pic.twitter.com/ElPgGYyqNr
Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Memphis Grizzlies (12 percent rostered)
Prosper has started five straight for the Grizzlies, turning his increased opportunity into 12.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.6 blocked shots and 1.0 triples across 23.4 minutes. His playing time isn’t ample, but that’s been the case for most Memphis players as of late. O-Max is doing enough to warrant a roster spot in most fantasy leagues.
Will Riley, Washington Wizards (10 percent rostered)
The Wizards will continue to prioritize minutes for their young players down the stretch and the rookie will be a prime beneficiary. Across his last four games, Riley has averaged 15.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 triples across 32.5 minutes.
️ yeah rook! pic.twitter.com/ATT5hmUG97
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) February 22, 2026
Javon Small, Memphis Grizzlies (10 percent rostered)
The WVU product has seen increased playing time as of late, and he’s found his groove as Year 1 comes to a close. Small has averaged 13.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks and 2.2 triples across 25.5 minutes over his last six outings. Memphis’ backcourt is ravaged by injuries, and Small should take on meaningful minutes moving forward.
Al Horford, Golden State Warriors (8 percent rostered)
The veteran continues to deliver, logging solid performances in a shorthanded Warriors frontcourt. Across his last three, the 39-year-old has averaged 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.7 blocked shots and 3.3 triples across 25.3 minutes.
Taylor Hendricks, Memphis Grizzlies (8 percent rostered)
Hendricks is enjoying a productive start to his Grizzlies tenure after getting traded from Utah at the deadline. Over his last four games, Hendricks has averaged 14 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocked shots and 2.0 triples across 25.3 minutes. Memphis’ frontcourt is somehow more shorthanded than Golden State’s, and Hendricks should stay heavily involved for the rest of the 2025-26 campaign.
SUNDAY'S FINAL SCORES
— NBA (@NBA) March 2, 2026
Taylor Hendricks knocks down a career-high 5 threes as the @memgrizz win on the road!
Jaylen Wells: 18 PTS, 2 STL
Olivier-Maxence Prosper: 17 PTS
Scotty Pippen Jr.: 16 PTS, 5 AST
Rayan Rupert: 16 PTS, 6 REB https://t.co/q4Hupv1VnNpic.twitter.com/s7KUu4NMD1
Guerschon Yabusele, Chicago Bulls (7 percent rostered)
With Jalen Smith hobbled by a nagging calf injury, Yabusele has enjoyed a productive run in the starting lineup, averaging 10.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.0 triples across 25 minutes over his last five games. The big man is taking full advantage of his new opportunities, and fantasy managers can readily find him on the waiver wire.
Danny Wolf, Brooklyn Nets (4 percent rostered)
Brooklyn has done a great job getting its rookies involved in Year 1, and Wolf has posted solid numbers over the last week. Across his last three games, he’s averaged 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.3 triples across 24 minutes. He had the best game of his career on Sunday, going off for 23/9/5/2 with three triples in 27 minutes against Cleveland. He’ll look to carry that momentum forward.
Danny Wolf in the first half:
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 1, 2026
12 PTS
3 AST
3 3PM pic.twitter.com/ENSDYrh5j1
Elijah Harkless, Utah Jazz (1 percent rostered)
Harkless has logged four straight games since being recalled from the G League, and he’s seen substantial minutes in each of his last two outings. In that two-game span, Harkless has averaged 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.5 steals, 0.5 blocked shots and 1.0 triples across 24.5 minutes. The two-way player has more than enough games left for the 2025-26 campaign, so fantasy managers should expect him to be available moving forward.
Leonard Miller, Chicago Bulls (0 percent rostered)
Miller has come on strong over his last two games with averages of 13 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.5 steals, 2.0 blocked shots and 1.5 triples across 25 minutes. Jalen Smith and Patrick Williams are dealing with injuries, and it’s no secret that Chicago’s frontcourt rotation is razor thin. Miller is a sneaky add, especially if Guerschon Yabusele is already rostered.
Leonard Miller with the reverse jam to enter crunch time!@leonardmi11er | @CHSN_pic.twitter.com/T3UeHS1d7X
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 27, 2026
Other options:Moses Moody (23%), Herbert Jones (23%), Peyton Watson (23%), Jordan Miller (4%), Jaylin Williams (4%), Tristan da Silva (3%), Daeqwon Plowden (1%)
2026 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft: AL-only Rotisserie salary cap (auction) results, along with recap
Leagues don't get much deeper than this
Why did Chad Baker-Mazara leave USC basketball? What to know of Trojans' star's exit
Chad Baker-Mazara's collegiate career appears to have come to an unceremonious end on Sunday, March 1.
Southern California announced that the sixth-year and graduate transfer is no longer with the program, following his decision to not re-enter Saturday's 82-67 loss against Nebraska.
Baker-Mazara's exit from the team comes at an interesting time for the Trojans. The team had been on the first four out in USA TODAY Sports' latest bracketology, but have lost five games in a row.
Here's what you need to know about why Baker-Mazara left USC:
Why did Chad Baker-Mazara leave USC?
In his first year with USC ―and his sixth collegiate season ―Baker-Mazara led the Trojans with 18.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. All of his averages were career highs, as he started 22 of 26 games he appeared in for USC.
However, against Nebraska after scoring 14-first half points, Baker-Mazara exited the game three minutes into the second half after falling hard on the baseline while trying to chase down Nebraska's Pryce Sandfort. He went to the locker room and never re-entered the game.
"He said he couldn’t go," head coach Eric Musselman told reporters after the game.
According to a report from the Los Angeles Times' Ryan Kartje, "it wasn’t any one incident, but an accumulation of issues that led to Baker-Mazara’s departure."
Does Chad Baker-Mazara have any eligibility left?
After playing six collegiate seasons, Baker-Mazara is out of eligibility, effectively ending his college career.
How old is Chad Baker-Mazara?
Baker-Mazara was born on Jan. 27, 2000. That made him 26 years old during the 2025-26 college basketball season.
Chad Baker-Mazara stats
Here's a look at Baker-Mazara's stats in his six collegiate basketball seasons:
- 2020-21 (Duquesne): 9.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game on 43.8% shooting, 41.7% 3-point shooting in 24.4 minutes per game (15 games, 13 starts)
- 2021-22 (San Diego State): 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.5 blocks per game on 42% shooting, 39.3% 3-point shooting in 12.8 minutes per game (31 games, 0 starts)
- 2022-23 (Northwest Florida State): Did not play
- 2023-24 (Auburn): 10 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks per game on 45.2% shooting, 41.8% 3-point shooting in 21.7 minutes per game (35 games, 9 starts)
- 2024-25 (Auburn): 12.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.6 blocks per game on 44.8% shooting, 38.1% 3-point shooting in 25.6 minutes per game (38 games, 34 starts)
- 2025-26 (USC): 18.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game on 44.4% shooting, 38.1% 3-point shooting in 29.6 minutes per game (26 games, 22 starts)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why did Chad Baker-Mazara depart USC basketball?
Where to watch the Orioles in the World Baseball Classic 2026
This year’s edition of the World Baseball Classic gets under way on what is, to us, Wednesday night with games kicking off in Tokyo. Most teams will be playing exhibitions against a major league club on Tuesday or Wednesday with their pool play beginning on Friday. The Orioles players who are on these rosters will not be back in camp until their team has been eliminated from the tournament.
Here’s the players from the Orioles organization who are on WBC rosters and the schedules for their teams:
USA
- Gunnar Henderson
The star Orioles shortstop is the lone American representative this time around. He might be playing third base rather than shortstop, with Royals infielder Bobby Witt Jr. expected to get a lot of reps at short.
Schedule and opponents
Pool play in Houston, Texas
- March 3: Exhibition vs. Giants, 3pm, ESPN
- March 6: vs. Brazil (road team), 8pm, Fox
- March 7: vs. Great Britain (home team), 8pm, Fox
- March 9: vs. Mexico (home team), 8pm, Fox
- March 10: vs. Italy (home team), 9pm, FS1
Canada
- Tyler O’Neill
- Micah Ashman
The Canadian outfielder O’Neill continued his Opening Day home run streak in his home country last year. He’s looked good so far this spring. Don’t get hurt while playing for Team Canada! Ashman, a reliever, was acquired from the Tigers for Charlie Morton last July.
Schedule and opponents
Pool play in San Juan, PR
- March 3: Exhibition vs. Blue Jays, 1:07, MLB Network
- March 7: vs. Colombia (home team), 11am, FS2
- March 8: vs. Panama (home team), 7pm, FS2
- March 10: vs. Puerto Rico (road team), 7pm, FS2
- March 11: vs. Cuba (road team), 3pm, FS2
Great Britain
- Ryan Long
It’s a running joke on Camden Chat that Long is a distant cousin of our writer Stacey. Long, 26, was a 17th round pick in 2021 who has mostly topped out at the Double-A level.
Schedule and opponents
Pool play in Houston, Texas
- March 6: vs. Mexico (home team), 1pm, FS1
- March 7: vs. USA (road team), 8pm, Fox
- March 8: vs. Italy (road team), 1pm, tubi
- March 9: vs. Brazil (home team), 1pm, tubi
Israel
- Dean Kremer
There are a number of MLB-experienced players on the Israel roster and one of them is Kremer, who might even be the best pitcher this team has.
Schedule and opponents
Pool play in Miami, Florida
- March 7: vs. Venezuela (road team), 7pm, FS2
- March 8: vs. Nicaragua (home team), 7pm, tubi
- March 9: vs. Dominican Republic (home team), 12pm, FS1
- March 10: vs. Netherlands (road team), 7pm, Fox Sports
Panama
- Enrique Bradfield Jr.
We know he’s good on defense and we know he’s fast on the bases. Can he threaten enough power to be a decent major league regular? Mostly we’ll find out at Triple-A this year, though if he gets to face some MLB-caliber pitching in the WBC, that won’t be bad for him either.
Schedule and opponents
Pool play in San Juan, PR
- March 6: vs. Cuba (home team), 11am, FS2
- March 7: vs. Puerto Rico (road team), 6pm, FS1
- March 8: vs. Canada (road team), 7pm, FS2
- March 9: vs. Colombia (home team), 12pm, FS2
Puerto Rico
- Jose Espada
- Rico Garcia
- Luis Vázquez
All three of these players appeared for the Orioles last season, although none had a major role. Garcia has a spot penciled in that’s his in the bullpen. Espada could make it as well. Vázquez has an opportunity to take a utility spot given that both Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg are starting the season on the injured list.
Schedule and opponents
Pool play in San Juan, PR
- March 6: vs. Colombia (road team), 6pm, FS1
- March 7: vs. Panama (home team), 6pm, FS1
- March 9: vs. Cuba (road team), 7pm, FS1
- March 10: vs. Canada (home team), 7pm, tubi
Reserve players
The following players are on the Designated Pitcher Pool for their teams, meaning they are not on the active initial roster but could be added between rounds:
- Australia: Kailen Hamson
- Dominican Republic: Yaramil Hiraldo
- Mexico: Nestor German
2026 Fantasy Baseball Breakouts: Who's ready to make a splash at C, 1B, 2B, SS and 3B?
Drafting a team of safe, boring players is a great way to finish in third place. While those with a high floor have their place in a fantasy baseball draft, managers need to chase high ceilings at some point in the selection process if they want to build a truly special roster. The infielders listed below have a good chance to take a major step forward this year and are excellent targets in any draft.
[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season]
Please note that I omitted rookies, as any production from first-year players would constitute some degree of a breakout season.
Shea Langeliers, C, Athletics
Coming off a pair of productive seasons, Langeliers is a step away from a Cal Raleigh-esque campaign. The slugger was dominant in the second half of 2025, when he used improvements in fly ball rate and pull rate to hit .328 with 19 homers and 45 RBI in 57 games. He boosted his year-over-year batting average by more than 50 points, thanks to a vastly improved 19.7% strikeout rate. Langeliers barrels up the ball often, is part of a rapidly improving lineup and calls home to a hitter-friendly venue. He could produce 35-40 homers and 100 RBI.
Luke Keaschall, 2B, Minnesota Twins
Managers in categories leagues should be excited to draft Keaschall at his ADP (123.6), as he will be among the steals leaders this year. The 23-year-old has an exceptional ability to get his bat on the ball and maintains a strong line drive rate, which will ensure a high batting average. He also knows how to use his plate patience to reach base, as he posted elite walk rates in the minors and logged an impressive 9.2% mark as a rookie. Keaschall doesn’t hit the ball hard, but that is the case with several speedsters, and his 86.2 mph average exit velocity is similar to the mark Brice Turang posted when he stole 50 bases in 2024. The rebuilding Twins will let Keaschall run aggressively from a premium lineup spot, which will result in 40 steals and 85 runs.
Colson Montgomery, 3B/SS, Chicago White Sox
In some cases, breakout seasons are merely a repeat of skills shown in smaller sample sizes, but this time stretched over a full campaign. That will be the case with Montgomery this season, after he homered 21 times in 71 games as a rookie. Although he won’t stay on that 45-homer pace, the 24-year-old will use his penchant for pulled fly balls to go deep 35 times, and even in a weak White Sox lineup, he can drive in 85 runs. It’s also worth noting that although Montgomery could stand to lower his strikeout rate, he achieved his .239 average with a .263 BABIP, which means that his batted-ball luck could improve in Year 2.
Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies
Several small changes could lead to a breakout season for Tovar, who has already had some solid campaigns and is still just 24 years old. The youngster will never be confused with Juan Soto or Bryce Harper when it comes to plate discipline, but he made minor improvements to his strikeout and walk rates last year. He also posted a career-best 89.4 mph average exit velocity, and his xBA, xSLG and xwOBA were career-high marks. Finally, his line drive improved to a lofty 27.8% last year, and he dealt with an unfortunate 9.0% HR/FB rate that held his home run total down.
Beyond his skill gains, Tovar should be helped by the fact that the Rockies offense is bound to improve. The team scored just 587 runs, which was the lowest total in a 162-game season in franchise history. Even in a down year, Colorado’s lineup uses the benefits of Coors Field to score roughly 700 runs. I’m not predicting the Rockies to make major strides as a team, but their offense should be significantly more productive this year.
Otto Lopez, 2B/SS, Miami Marlins
Think that we saw the Lopez breakout season last year? Think again. Through a consolidation of skills he has already shown, Lopez could take another step forward this year. Thanks to more playing time and an improved fly-ball rate, the infielder produced a career-high 15 homers, which is a repeatable total. This year’s improvements will come in the batting average category, as last year he was hampered by a .264 BABIP, which negated an improved 13.8% strikeout rate.
With better batted-ball luck, Lopez could hit .280 while using the increase in base knocks and his 81st percentile sprint speed to post career-high marks in steals and runs scored.
Miguel Vargas, 1B/3B, Chicago White Sox
For the deep-league crowd, I offer Vargas as a late-round breakout candidate. The 26-year-old who debuted way back in 2022 finally played a full season in 2025. The results were respectable but not impressive. Still, we saw some improvements, most notably major strides with a strikeout rate that was cut to 17.6%. Vargas has always produced many fly balls (career 50.3% rate) and respectable exit velocities but has been saddled by a lowly lifetime 7.3% HR/FB rate. That mark will finally push past 10% this year, which will give Vargas 25-homer potential.