Wemby is a cheat code. Seriously. If you’re checking the latest nba fantasy basketball news hoping for a miracle to save your season, you’ve probably already noticed that the San Antonio skyscraper has moved into a tier of his own. It’s January 18, 2026, and the fantasy landscape is shifting faster than a De'Aaron Fox fast break.
Speaking of Fox, he just dropped a 25-point, 12-assist double-double on the Timberwolves last night. But while the stars are doing star things, the real money is made in the margins. The trades. The "tanking" rotations. The guys nobody heard of two months ago who are suddenly playing 35 minutes a night because their team wants a better lottery pick.
Why the Trae Young Trade Changes Everything
The Washington Wizards actually did it. They traded for Trae Young. It’s one of the weirdest real-world moves in recent memory, but for fantasy? It’s a nuclear bomb. If you own Trae, you’re probably panicking because reports from insiders like Marc J. Spears suggest the Wizards might just… not play him that much. They want to develop youth. They want to keep that high draft pick.
Trae in D.C. is a "sell-high" or even a "sell-for-whatever-you-can-get" situation.
But look at the other side. Atlanta now has Dyson Daniels running the show. With Trae gone, Daniels is a stat-sheet stuffer’s dream. He isn’t going to score 30, but he’s already flirting with 2.0 steals and 6.5 rebounds per game. In most category leagues, that’s gold. If the person in your league is only looking at "Points Per Game," go trade for Daniels right now. Like, stop reading and send the offer.
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The Waiver Wire Is Weirdly Deep Right Now
Usually, by January, the waiver wire is a graveyard. Not this year.
Have you seen what Brice Sensabaugh is doing in Utah? The kid just hung 43 points on the Bulls. With Walker Kessler out for the season, the Jazz are essentially a laboratory for "let’s see what happens if we let everyone shoot." Jusuf Nurkic is somehow a top-25 fantasy asset again over the last two weeks, averaging nearly 19 points and 11 boards.
Then there’s Egor Demin in Brooklyn.
He’s the high-upside gamble everyone is talking about in the nba fantasy basketball news circles. The Nets are bad. Like, really bad. But Demin is getting double digits in scoring almost every night and chipping in 4 assists. He’s the classic "second-half breakout" that wins people championships because he’s playing for a team that has zero incentive to win games.
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Real Talk on "Sell High" Candidates
- Andrew Nembhard: He’s having a career year in Indiana with 17.4 PPG. But the Pacers only have 9 wins. They are going to start experimenting soon. If you can flip him for a more stable veteran, do it.
- Trey Murphy III: He’s been incredible, but his trade value is at an absolute ceiling.
- Jaylen Brown: He’s on a hot streak, but historically, his efficiency dips toward the late winter.
The Ja Morant Elephant in the Room
The Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly open to offers for Ja Morant. Read that again.
This is the kind of nba fantasy basketball news that keeps managers up at night. If Ja gets moved to a team like Miami, his usage might actually drop depending on the system. Meanwhile, in Memphis, a rookie wing named Cedric Coward is starting to see his minutes climb. If Ja is out the door, Coward becomes an immediate must-add in 12-team leagues.
It’s about volume. Fantasy basketball is a game of opportunity.
Strategy for the Home Stretch
You’ve got to be cold-blooded. Honestly. If you’re sitting at the bottom of the standings, you can’t afford to wait for "potential."
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Start looking at the schedules. Teams like the Bulls and Nets have some of the best streaming schedules for the coming weeks because they play on "off-nights" (Mondays, Thursdays, Sundays). Use guys like Ayo Dosunmu or T.J. McConnell to stream assists and steals. McConnell is basically a cheat code for steals if you have a streaming spot open.
Don't ignore the defensive stats. Everyone wants the guy who scores 25. But the guy who gives you 1.5 blocks and 1.8 steals while shooting 55% from the field (looking at you, Peyton Watson) is the one who actually wins the week.
Your Next Steps
- Check the Wizards Depth Chart: If Trae Young is getting "DNP - Rest" every other night, find out who is taking those shots. (Hint: It's the young guys).
- Scour for "Empty Calendar" Teams: Look for teams with 4-game weeks coming up.
- Offer a 2-for-1 Trade: Open up a roster spot so you can take a flyer on a high-upside rookie like Egor Demin or Cedric Coward.
- Monitor the Injury Reports: In 2026, the "load management" excuse has basically become a scheduled holiday. Have your backups ready.
The trade deadline is looming. The "tanking" is starting. If you aren't active on the wire today, you're playing for second place.