Fantasy basketball waiver-wire finds: Darius Garland stands out
A willingness to entertain competition for the last few spots on your fantasy hoops roster can prove rewarding. When curating this fluid collective of statistical contributors, it helps to consider your end-of-bench players in direct competition with the talent floating in free agency.
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The goal of this weekly series is to identify players available in at least half of ESPN leagues at each position (although we will make some exceptions for players hovering right around this threshold). Some nominations are specialists capable of helping in one or two categories, while others deliver more diverse and important statistical offerings. In the breakdowns below, I’ve ordered players at each position with the priority of acquisition in mind, rather than roster percentage in ESPN leagues.
Point Guard
Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers (Rostered in 50.7% of ESPN leagues): A stellar performance this past Saturday saw Garland become just the fourth Cavaliers player in franchise history to tally at least 20 points and 10 dimes in a game before turning 21, joining Dajuan Wagner, Kyrie Irving, and LeBron James in this unique club. Garland is averaging 19 PPG and 8.3 APG while swiping 1.7 SPG thus far, making him the top point guard to add in free agency at the moment.
Seth Curry, Philadelphia 76ers (40.2%): You’ll have to endure some quiet lines from Curry, but given how thin point guard proves on the wire at the moment, his shooting and playmaking equity for Philly supports fantasy relevance. Consider that he’s produced at least three dimes in each of the team’s first three games and will enjoy rare freedom to loft 3-pointers as the team’s resident floor-spacer.
George Hill, Oklahoma City Thunder (3.2%): There will likely be some light nights in regards to minutes and counting stats for Hill on a Thunder roster aiming to feature youth in the pursuit of lottery positioning, but there will also be rewarding outcomes such as this past Saturday’s 21 points and seven combined rebounds and assists for the veteran point guard. Serving as a steady hand for a young roster, Hill is worth considering in deeper leagues, especially given the lack of assist production on most waiver wires.
Shooting Guard
Will Barton, Denver Nuggets (25.1%): This dude does a little bit of everything on a roster that needs his complementary playmaking given the lack of a true point guard among heavy-minute regulars. Playing at least 29 minutes in the team’s first two games and with steady opportunities for shot and assist creation, Barton is a high-floor fantasy free agent.
Malik Beasley, Minnesota Timberwolves (48.7%): Forgiving a quiet outing this past Sunday night, Beasley has continued on last season’s strong finish in averaging 16.3 PPG through the team’s first three games in 2020.
Alec Burks, New York Knicks (18.4%): Found just ahead of Andre Drummond and just behind Jayson Tatum at 13th overall on the Player Rater, albeit through a miniscule sample, Burks has established himself as a pivotal source of offense for the Knicks with at least 18 points in each of the team’s three games thus far.
Small Forward
OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors (37.3%): Four “stocks” per game — fantasy vernacular for combined steals and blocks — drives elite defensive value for this versatile young forward. The shot isn’t falling just yet, but Anunoby is still posting strong rebounding and defensive numbers, with better scoring rates on the way.
Darius Bazley, Oklahoma City Thunder (13.7%): A key role on a team aiming for lottery equity in the draft helps Bazley’s case as a fantasy sleeper; he played 33 minutes with a double-double in the team’s opener over the weekend and profiles as a fun source of defensive production, as well.
Terrence Ross, Orlando Magic (20.9%): While seemingly a shooting specialist, Ross actually helps managers in multiple categories when considering his impressive scoring (23.3 PPG), shooting (3.3 3PG), and steal rates (1.3 SPG). On an Orlando roster that badly needs his shooting gravity and heat check mentality on the floor, Ross is a fine fantasy find.
Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs (8.3%): A late first-round selection last season out of Kentucky, Johnson is thriving for the Spurs thus far in a key role in slashing for 14 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and an awesome 2.7 combined blocks and steals. His minutes and touches could prove more limited once Derrick White is back from injury, but until then, Johnson is a strong play.
Power Forward
P.J. Washington, Charlotte Hornets (41.2%): An injury to Cody Zeller creates more exposure for Washington as a stretch center, adding to his already impressive fantasy profile. Building on a strong rookie season that saw him flash fun shooting and defensive rates, Washington has six combined steals and blocks across his past two outings and 20 rebounds during this two-game sample.
Chris Boucher, Toronto Raptors (18.1%): An awesome seven-block performance this past Saturday included Boucher sinking nine of his 13 shots to flex his uniquely efficient abilities on both sides of the floor. Before Boucher’s rich line this past weekend, there had been only nine performances since 1979-80 (when 3-pointers were first counted) where a player has delivered at seven blocks and at least three 3-pointers.
Center
Wendell Carter Jr., Chicago Bulls (24.6%): A sluggish start to the season might have resulted in managers cutting bait on Carter Jr. too early, as patience could pay off with a young center who will see plenty of rebounding chances and rim protection opportunities on a Chicago roster in need of interior defense. Just on Sunday, for instance, Carter Jr. produced 22 points with 13 pulls.
Thomas Bryant, Washington Wizards (49.4%): Big men have often benefited from playing in the pick and roll with Russell Westbrook, as the high-usage guard likes to set up his centers with high-percentage shots in such sets. Bryant has some ability to stretch out to the 3-point line, but a good bit of his value is going to come from efficient scoring production.
Larry Nance Jr., Cleveland Cavaliers (46.7%): A gifted passer with an atypically high assist rate for a player eligible at center, Nance Jr. has averaged five dimes through three games for the surprisingly competitive Cavs. With Kevin Love still dealing with a lingering calf injury, Nance Jr. presents real value for managers.
Aron Baynes, Toronto Raptors (22.2%): Fun 3-point volume was part of the fantasy narrative for Baynes last season in Phoenix, while the Aussie big man will also provide helpful rebounding rates for Toronto this season. Consistent intangibles like taking charges and setting strong screens will keep him on the floor for a solid team this season.