NBA rosters are still reeling from the Covid-19 outbreak that preceded the Christmas Day slate. There's plenty of value on the waiver wire with so many players getting moved into health and safety protocols, and they can make a difference in Week 11. Sorting through which players can make an immediate impact can be challenging, but we have a handful we're keeping an eye on ahead of Tuesday's slate.
Here are five Week 11 waiver-wire targets worth pursuing.
Cam Reddish, G/F, ATL (53% rostered)
Reddish was underwhelming in the Atlanta Hawks' Christmas Day game against the New York Knicks, but his team is even more shorthanded now. John Collins and Jalen Johnson entered health and safety protocols on Sunday. Trae Young and Kevin Huerter won't be cleared for Monday's game against the Chicago Bulls, so Reddish could act as his team's first option on offense. He's averaged 16.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per contest over his last five outings.
Dorian Finney-Smith, F, DAL (47% rostered)
Finney-Smith sat out for the Dallas Mavericks' Christmas Day game with a non-Covid related illness and is off the injury report. He averaged 15.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in the five games that preceded Christmas. He can have a significant role moving forward because his team lacks wing depth, but Luka Doncic's status will affect his upside.
Max Strus, G, MIA (37% rostered)
On Sunday, Jimmy Butler returned to the Miami Heat's rotation after an eight-game absence, but Strus still logged more than 33 minutes for a fifth consecutive contest. The sharpshooter has averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.8 made threes over his last five games. Miami still prefers to bring Tyler Herro off the bench, so Strus should have a stable role for Week 11.
Jaden McDaniels, F, MIN (26% rostered)
The Minnesota Timberwolves entire starting lineup is in health and safety protocol. While Naz Reid looked like an elite pickup ahead of Monday, he was placed in health and safety protocols on Sunday. McDaniels has thrived as a defensive specialist in his second NBA season but flirted with a triple-double in his last outing. He notched 16 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in his first appearance of the season without Karl-Anthony Towns. While he might not be able to replicate that performance, his ceiling should climb significantly in a high-volume week.
Honorable mention
Omer Yurtseven, C, MIA (24% rostered)
Bam Adebayo (thumb) is weeks away from a return to the hardwood, and Dewayne Dedmon (knee) will miss at least another week of action. That means Yurtseven has a chance to be a significant contributor after posting 16 points and 15 rebounds in his first career start. P.J. Tucker is supposedly trending in the right direction, but Miami needs bigs to deploy. Yurtseven will carry a heavy load, while Udonis Haslem is one of the Heat's few options.
