This article is part of our NBA Waiver Wire series.
As important as it is to have a solid draft in fantasy leagues, making the most of the waiver wire is equally important. If you grabbed Trevor Ariza off the wire early last season, your team would've been in contention for most of the year, given his out-of-the-blue type production. Who will be that sort of guy this season? Below, I'll give you a few guys at each position that you need to consider in standard leagues.
PICKUPS BY POSITION
Point Guard
Mo Williams, MIN: (short-term add); (FAAB: $12)
Although Flip Saunders went with rookie Zach LaVine as the starter over Williams on Saturday, the veteran will still likely be the more reliable and productive replacement for the injured Ricky Rubio. Saunders has said he'll likely limit Williams to at most 30 minutes, and in the first game sans Rubio, Williams played 22 minutes in the sixth-man role, adding two points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals. The lack of scoring is disappointing, but that won't remain that way, while the rest of his numbers should remain steady around that sort of level, meaning he is a guy you want to own for the next one or two months, given Rubio's projected return could be anywhere up to eight weeks away.
Zach LaVine, MIN: (short-term add); (FAAB: $15)
Flip Saunders threw somewhat of a spanner in the works by naming LaVine the starter for Saturday's game against the Heat, potentially cutting into Mo Williams' value. LaVine has the higher ceiling of the two, but he also has the lower floor, so in a shallower league, I'd be more aggressive in getting LaVine onto my team. In his first meaningful NBA minutes Saturday, LaVine scored five points, grabbed six rebounds and had four assists, with one steal in 26 minutes, and he showed that he could be a nice source of counting stats while Rubio nurses his sprained left ankle. He'll have minimal value once Rubio returns, so don't drop anyone who has sustained, season-long value to get him, but for the short-term, particularly if you own Rubio, the rookie is worth a flier.
Shooting Guard
Courtney Lee, MEM: (long-term add); (FAAB: $28)
One thing that is clear in coach Dave Joerger's rotation is that Lee is his guy at the shooting guard position. Lee has averaged 32 minutes a night in the five games he has played, compared with 14 minutes for Vince Carter, 19 for Quincy Pondexter and Jordan Adams being sent to the D-League. Not only is Lee getting minutes, but he is playing extremely efficiently in those minutes. He is averaging 15.2 points, 2.4 three-pointers, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.2 steals, and his shooting is really standing out. He has shot 55 percent from the field, including 67 percent from three-point range, and has hit 92 percent of his free throw attempts. While these numbers would all be career highs, he has been an efficient shooter over his career, hitting over 46 percent from the field and 86 percent from the line the last two seasons. There appears to be no challenge to his minutes with Tony Allen exclusively playing small forward over Tayshaun Prince, and that leaves Lee to be a valuable fantasy option.
Iman Shumpert, NYK: (long-term add); (FAAB: $13)
After struggling post-ACL surgery for the past two seasons, Shumpert looks fully healthy and back to his athletic best so far this season. The other major change for the Georgia Tech product is the new coaching staff, which appears to really like what he can bring defensively to a team that is defensively challenged, to be kind. Shumpert has started all seven games this season for new coach Derek Fisher and has scored in double-digits in the last six, averaging 13.7 points, 2.0 three-pointers, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 0.9 steals in 30 minutes with 48 percent shooting from the field. While those numbers look inflated compared to his production from last season, the new system and his improved health are reason enough to believe in the growth. Along with handling the ball as a de facto point guard, Shumpert has a key role on this team, and the minutes don't appear to be going anywhere.
Small Forward
Draymond Green, GSW: (long-term add); (FAAB: $35)
If Green is still available in your league, you should rectify that almost immediately. David Lee will be out for at least the next two weeks with his troublesome hamstring, and even when he does eventually return, there's no guarantee that Green would lose his starting job to the former All-Star. Green is a key cog in the Warriors' success this season, averaging 12.8 points, 1.6 three-pointers, 7.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 33 minutes, shooting 47 percent on 9.8 attempts from the field and 67 percent on 3.0 attempts from the free-throw stripe. Green is a player who could average over one three-pointer, block and steal per game this season, and coupled with his rebounding and scoring, that makes him a valuable fantasy option in every league.
P.J. Tucker, PHX: (long-term add); (FAAB: $10)
Tucker, now back after missing the season's first three games due to suspension, has looked like the same player that surprised us last season in Phoenix's shock run that fell just short of a playoff berth. Marcus Morris has taken his starting small forward role, but it feels like a matter of time before Tucker usurps the job from him, given he played 37 minutes in the overtime loss to the Kings and generally outplayed Morris. Tucker's fantasy value is derived from his ability to get rebounds, steals and hit three-pointers, and he's started in that vein this season. Through three games, Tucker is averaging 7.7 points, 1.7 three-pointers, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals, which is only a slight increase on his 2013-14 numbers. With the Suns screaming out for a defensive presence,Tucker will be invaluable to coach Jeff Hornacek, and it looks likely he will give fantasy owners what they got last season. If you can stomach the low points totals, the other stats should make you very happy.
Power Forward
Mirza Teletovic, BKN: (long-term add); (FAAB: $16)
Just because Teletovic is coming off the bench, doesn't mean he should be sitting on your waiver-wire in your fantasy league. Primarily, Teletovic is a three-point shooter, but that's not the only area in which he can help you. He has improved his rebounding, his block numbers, his scoring, and his efficiency. As for his three-pointers, he's hit at least two triples in every game so far, averaging 3.0 three-pointers per game. He seems like he has a solidified role in Lionel Hollins' offense, averaging 24 minutes per contest, and he's, in general, more active this season than last. Elite three-point production isn't always available on the waiver-wire, particularly when it is accompanied by nice rebounds, blocks and percentages.
Amir Johnson, TOR: (long-term add); (FAAB: $21)
With his recent ankle issue, a fair few people have dropped Johnson from their squads. That's somewhat of a short-sighted view as Johnson is the unquestioned starter over Patrick Patterson and Tyler Hansbrough in Toronto. He's only played three games this season and was troubled by the ankle in one of those, but Johnsons has still put up top-100 value, averaging 12.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks with 55 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from the line. In the two games in which he didn't need to leave early due to his ankle, he averaged 15.0 points and 7.5 rebounds. He's a guy who will likely be a valuable fantasy contributor for the duration of the season.
Center
Kelly Olynyk, BOS: (long-term add); (FAAB: $23)
Only in his second season, Olynyk is now getting the minutes his potential and production deserve. After an up and down rookie season, Olynyk has cemented himself into the starting center role for coach Brad Stevens and is looking solid in the season's early going. Although he's only averaging 27 minutes per game, those low minutes are partly because he battled foul trouble in the first four games, limiting his minutes. In the last two games, he's averaged 31 minutes per contest, and that's more like what we can expect from his this season. In the two games in which he has played over 30 minutes, Olynyk has averaged 18.0 points, 2.0 three-pointers, 12.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He has also made over 50 percent of his field goal attempts in all six of his games so far, and he didn't miss a free throw until his most recent game against Chicago. With the Celtics clearly rebuilding, Stevens will likely run Olynyk as the starter all season, and fantasy owners should reap the benefits.
Amar'e Stoudemire, NYK: (medium-term add); (FAAB: $7)
Everyone knows the story with Stoudemire and his knees, but while he is healthy, he can help your fantasy squad. Down the stretch last season, he was a must-own player and has started this season in a similar vein, not requiring big minutes to do it. Which is just as well, considering his body couldn't hold up to the rigors of 32 minutes a night. The six-time All-Star has started two of the Knicks' seven games, and he scored in double digits in five of the games, also pulling down more than 10 rebounds in two games. You don't want to blow a large wad of your budget on Stoudemire, because despite how productive he looks, you can only think that the next injury is right around the corner. For now, though, he is a guy who can contribute in standard fantasy leagues, particularly if you are lacking big man stats.
