This article is part of our NBA Waiver Wire series.
After an extremely light week the last time met, the NBA has turned the schedule up to 11 this week, with all but six teams playing four games, and even those remaining teams getting three each. That means you are likely to have more start/sit questions this week and not as many waiver-wire guys will be as useful in a weekly streaming setting, as your existing players have a 80 percent chance of playing the maximum games already. That doesn't mean you can take a break from the waiver-wire, though. Your focus should be more on quality of players rather than quantity of games, and I'm here to try and give you my thoughts on some viable targets.
For reference, the teams playing just three games are the Grizzlies, Magic, Clippers, Jazz, Nets, and Kings.
Point Guard
Mo Williams, MIN: (short-term add); (FAAB: $4)
Granted, Williams won't have another 52 point night again this season, or likely ever, but while Ricky Rubio remains out, he has a place on a roster in pretty much every fantasy league. Even when you take out the 52 point explosion, Williams has still been extremely valuable, averaging 7.2 assists and 1.0 steal in his past five games. When Rubio returns, his value drops dramatically, so don't blow a significant portion of your budget on him, but his 51 percent ownership remains too low.
Mario Chalmers, MIA: (long-term add); (FAAB: $4)
With Dwyane Wade currently sidelined, Mario Chalmers should, in theory, see more
After an extremely light week the last time met, the NBA has turned the schedule up to 11 this week, with all but six teams playing four games, and even those remaining teams getting three each. That means you are likely to have more start/sit questions this week and not as many waiver-wire guys will be as useful in a weekly streaming setting, as your existing players have a 80 percent chance of playing the maximum games already. That doesn't mean you can take a break from the waiver-wire, though. Your focus should be more on quality of players rather than quantity of games, and I'm here to try and give you my thoughts on some viable targets.
For reference, the teams playing just three games are the Grizzlies, Magic, Clippers, Jazz, Nets, and Kings.
Point Guard
Mo Williams, MIN: (short-term add); (FAAB: $4)
Granted, Williams won't have another 52 point night again this season, or likely ever, but while Ricky Rubio remains out, he has a place on a roster in pretty much every fantasy league. Even when you take out the 52 point explosion, Williams has still been extremely valuable, averaging 7.2 assists and 1.0 steal in his past five games. When Rubio returns, his value drops dramatically, so don't blow a significant portion of your budget on him, but his 51 percent ownership remains too low.
Mario Chalmers, MIA: (long-term add); (FAAB: $4)
With Dwyane Wade currently sidelined, Mario Chalmers should, in theory, see more of the ball and contribute some juicy fantasy stats. That hasn't been true in the last two games, with Chalmers averaging only 7.0 points, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals, but a lot of his poor-looking stat line can be attributed to the fact that he has shot 5-for-18 in these matchups. Chalmers makes for a nice add for this week and moving forward, as even with Wade in the lineup, Chalmers can still help with assists, steals and three-pointers in deeper leagues.
Others to consider: If George Hill was dropped in your league, you should look to add him to your roster, with his return from a groin injury likely to occur sometime this week. A similar scenario applies to Tony Wroten, and with Marcus Smart's minutes appearing more consistent, he is a nice long-term play to give value when it matters most, the fantasy playoffs, for head-to-head players.
Shooting Guard
K.J. McDaniels, PHI: (long-term add); (FAAB: $1)
Even with Hollis Thompson recovered from his illness, McDaniels has remained the starting shooting guard in Philadelphia, starting nine of his last 10 games. While his output hasn't been mind-blowing, there is value in adding the rookie. McDaniels has now totalled six blocks in his last three games, along with getting a steal in four straight contests. Prior to his last two performances, McDaniels had also hit at least one three-pointer in four straight. He won't give you a boost in scoring, but his defensive stats and natural rookie progression make McDaniels someone to look at for the remainder of the season.
Eric Gordon, NOP: (long-term, flier); (FAAB: $3)
I wrote about Gordon last week, and thankfully, he didn't let me down, averaging 16.3 points, 2.3 three-pointers, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steal over the last week. Gordon is beginning to recapture some of his form from seasons past. His numbers are inflated by Jrue Holiday's and, to a lesser degree, Anthony Davis' absence, but irrespective of that, Gordon is a prudent option to take a flier on.
Others to consider:Gerald Green and Wesley Johnson have marginal value, depending on your team needs, but you must always factor in the capacity for fantasy no-shows. J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters are also guys who should be able to find a home on a roster in most 12-team fantasy leagues, showing signs of life for their new teams.
Small Forward
DeMarre Carroll, ATL: (all leagues); (FAAB: $11)
So, I see that Carroll is still hovering on many waiver-wires out there. I'm just going to assume for the most part that it isn't any league that you are in. Sure, Carroll bombed against the Bulls, scoring just four points with four rebounds on Saturday, but taking that in isolation is not a wise move. His two previous games, Carroll had averaged 17.5 points, 3.0 three-pointers, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.0 steal. He remains a must-own option. Here is a list of players that currently rank lower than Carroll in eight category leagues - Marcin Gortat, Tyson Chandler, David West, Joakim Noah, Derrick Rose. Just make sure Carroll isn't available in your league.
Khris Middleton, MIL (long-term add); (FAAB: $7)
I know it's the Bucks, and Jason Kidd has been a notorious rotational tweaker, but Middleton has actually been very consistent, not playing under 22 minutes since Christmas. A demon on the defensive side of the ball, Middleton has averaged 2.6 steals in his last eight games, as well as 1.5 three-pointers. Middleton is also getting boards, averaging 6.0 rebounds in his last three and has scored in double-digits in five consecutive games. That he is owned in less than 40 percent of leagues is a travesty. Pick him up now, and ride the production while it lasts.
Others to consider:Matt Barnes has turned his season around after a horrendous start to the 2014-15 campaign, averaging 14.0 points, 2.7 three-pointers and 4.8 rebounds in his last six games. With the Clippers still not upgrading their wing situation, Barnes appears locked into solid minutes of the foreseeable future.
Power Forward
Marreese Speights, GSW: (short-term add); (FAAB: $2)
Speights has had a season that before had only occurred in his dreams, averaging 12.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in just 19 minutes a game so far. Back to the bench with Andrew Bogut healthy, Speights doesn't take a big hit with the move, and has scored in double-digits in nine of his last 11 games. It's a low-end move, but if you're looking to replace an end of the bench guy with three games, Speights is someone to consider.
Robert Covington, PHI: (long-term add); (FAAB: $15)
The Robert Covington experience is not a limited-time attraction, folks. This is a mainstay of the season, like Cats on Broadway, it's no flash in the pan. His field goal percentage is disgusting (28 percent in his last three games), but the fact he is averaging 1.3 three-pointers, 1.3 steals and 1.0 block in that same stretch should show you exactly what Covington brings. Throw in 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists and a 91 percent free throw percentage and the numbers that Covington has amassed in the last week continue to prove that he is drastically under owned in fantasy leagues across the world.
Others to consider: Last week, I recommended adding Amir Johnson and I still do. He's locked in as the starter, and although he will have off nights, should be someone who can make valuable contributions.
Center
Hassan Whiteside, MIA: (lall leagues); (FAAB: $14)
While Whiteside is probably not going to continually post double-doubles with five blocks as he's done recently, he'll be a guy who can contribute to most fantasy teams throughout the remainder of the season, provided the Heat don't add another center via a trade. Recently installed as the starting center, Whiteside is averaging an phenomenal 12.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocks on 69 percent shooting from the field in the last two weeks. His major downside was considered to be his free throw shooting, but he's hit 78 percent of those in the last two weeks as well, making him one of the hottest waiver-wire adds. All of that production has come in just 23 minutes a night, as fouls can get him in trouble, like we saw against the Kings on Friday.
Alex Len, PHO: (long-term add); (FAAB: $10)
The arrival of Brandan Wright didn't impact Len's minutes as many thought, with Len actually seeing an uptick in minutes in two of the three games since Wright's arrival. The big second year center has grabbed double-digit rebounds in four straight games and has averaged 2.8 blocks in his past six games. After Phoenix spent a top five draft choice on him in 2013 and the recent minimising of Miles Plumlee's role, Len seems locked in to decent minutes and useable production for the rest of the season.
Others to consider: Despite struggling the last two games and playing under 20 minutes, Jusuf Nurkic is still someone who should be looked at in all leagues after the Timofey Mozgov trade. Kelly Olynyk is also seeing his numbers rise, despite a continued bench role and should have long-term value in 12-team leagues.
