Fantasy basketball waiver-wire finds: Kyle Kuzma, Josh Jackson among key pickups
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.
The goal of this weekly series is to identify players available in roughly half of ESPN leagues at each position (although I will make some exceptions). 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.
Derrick White, San Antonio Spurs (Rostered in 25.1% of ESPN leagues): Fresh from a season-high scoring performance in a win over the Hornets this past weekend, White is a gifted combo guard on the ascent for San Antonio.
T.J. McConnell, Indiana Pacers (27.3%): One of the league’s most productive backup point guards and the rare backup capable of leading his team in assists on a regular basis, it also helps those in roto formats that McConnell paces the entire league in steal percentage.
Tomas Satoransky, Washington Wizards (7.8%): Season highs in minutes and points in a recent loss to the Clippers revealed just how productive “Sato” can prove when he’s featured in Chicago’s offense.
Gary Trent Jr., Portland Trail Blazers (43.8%): A proven shooting force now flourishing in a starting role with Portland due to an injury to CJ McCollum, Trent is among the best 3-point specialists to roster at the moment.
Hamidou Diallo, Oklahoma City Thunder (42.2%): A subpar scoring outing on Valentine’s Day is a good example of Diallo’s fantasy value, as the versatile wing still tallied 13 rebounds and three dimes. Earning a steady role on a young Oklahoma City roster has proved beneficial for Diallo’s fantasy stock.
Kendrick Nunn, Miami Heat (38.9%): A proven scoring and playmaking force whenever he’s afforded enough minutes, Nunn has become a helpful fantasy option with Goran Dragic and Avery Bradley ailing of late.
Dwayne Bacon, Orlando Magic (3.3%): Shifted into a prominent role due to a wave of injuries to the Orlando backcourt, Bacon has been cooking with solid scoring rates in recent outings.
Josh Jackson, Detroit Pistons (30.7%): An awesome story of redemption and revival, Jackson has become a key positive for the Pistons this season. With Derrick Rose in New York, Jackson now serves as the team’s resident scoring force off the bench and also brings some fun defensive rates to the floor.
Terrence Ross, Orlando Magic (34.5%): Somewhat of a last man standing for Orlando on the perimeter, Ross could enjoy an awesome finish to the season given the rash of injuries to the Magic rotation. If Evan Fournier is dealt before the deadline, Ross could assume an even larger scoring load to conclude the campaign.
Danilo Gallinari, Atlanta Hawks (33.5%): Another member of a team with serious injury woes, Gallinari is finally healthy and should consume a rewarding batch of minutes and shots for the Hawks in the weeks ahead.
Dillon Brooks, Memphis Grizzlies (43.1%): A shooter who also brings a strong steal rate to the court, Brooks has averaged 1.5 SPG this past week and 19.1 PPG on solid percentages.
Luguentz Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder (12.1%): Recovering from a recent statistical swoon, Dort is back to delivering solid scoring to go with his trademarked perimeter defense.
Darius Bazley, Oklahoma City Thunder (25.7%): The rare steady hand for a Thunder rotation that has otherwise been hit hard by injuries and absences, Bazley has been particularly productive on the glass recently.
Carmelo Anthony, Portland Trail Blazers (41.2%): Melo is back to being a bucket. The Blazers badly needed extra scoring punch in recent outings with injuries to two key starters and Anthony has capably filled the demand.
Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers (35.7%): If you lost De’Andre Hunter or are dealing with an injury to Anthony Davis, Kuzma could make for a solid interim addition. A legit source of scoring and rebounding with Davis sidelined, Kuzma profiles as a strong pickup for the week ahead.
Nemanja Bjelica, Sacramento Kings (4.2%): Back in the rotation due to an injury to Marvin Bagley III and also likely due to being showcased for potential trade suitors, Bjelica can provide fun shooting and creation numbers if only for a few games.
Nerlens Noel, New York Knicks (15.5%): An awesome blend of defensive production awaits fantasy mangers who acquire Noel in the wake of Mitchell Robinson‘s significant injury. Noel, after all, averages 3.8 blocks and 1.8 steals per 36 minutes with Robinson off the floor this season.
Cody Zeller, Charlotte Hornets (31.9%): He won’t wow you in any single category, but as the lone trusted true center in the Charlotte rotation, Zeller delivers a high floor via efficient scoring and steady rebounding.
DeAndre Jordan, Brooklyn Nets (40.7%): With a dearth of size on Brooklyn’s roster, Jordan should continue to play heavy minutes at center for the Nets. This role leads to uniquely efficient scoring and strong rebounding and block rates for the veteran pivot.
Kelly Olynyk, Miami Heat (26.2%): Given his high 3-point frequency, Miami relies on Olynyk to help space the floor. He can help fantasy rosters when you consider the sum of his production includes 1.5 combined steals and blocks per game to go with respectable shooting and scoring results.
Alex Len, Washington Wizards (4.3%): The playing time isn’t so great, as Len is averaging just 21 MPG during the last week with Washington, but a strong block rate and solid scoring opportunities has led to 10.7 PPG and 1.7 BPG during this sample. For those in deeper leagues, Len’s block production could prove helpful given how shallow center can prove.