NBA Waiver Wire: Four-Game Fantasy Basketball Sleepers (1/12 – 1/18)

This weekly column is geared toward anyone playing in a head-to-head format, and especially those of you in weekly lineup leagues. It is a great idea to keep up with which players are scheduled to play four games during the upcoming week (1/12 – 1/18), as fantasy basketball managers can use this information to gain an advantage in games played over an opponent. Simply put, the more games played, the more potential there is for production.

Based on their respective four-game schedules, the following four players should be viewed as “sleepers” for next week. Advising fantasy owners to play the likes of LeBron James or Anthony Davis is a waste of time and effort; hopefully it is common knowledge that studs of that nature should be in lineups regardless of how many games they are slated to play.

Position Eligibility & Ownership Rate Based On Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Leagues.

Top Four-Game Sleepers (1/12 - 1/18)

Robert Covington (PHI, SF/PF) - 56% Owned

The Philadelphia 76ers are a terrible team. Everybody knows they are still in tank mode to try and get a high draft pick, but they still have to put five guys on the court. They have no depth, but there are a couple of talented players on this roster. It is about time that more people started paying attention to Covington.

What is there not to like about this guy? He does everything. Over the last month he has been a top 30 player, posting averages of 15.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 2.8 treys per game in that span.

One of Covington’s major assets is his ability to hit three-pointers in bunches from the forward position. A closer look reveals that more than half of his field goal attempts this season come from beyond the arc. He is shooting 42.3 percent from downtown, so he should continue to be an elite player in that category.

Covington has had two games with five or more steals this month. He has been tremendous and it is a crime that he is not owned in more leagues. Fire him up this week, as he gets matchups with Atlanta, at Toronto, New Orleans, and at Detroit. He consistently logs huge minutes on a nightly basis, so there is no reason to believe he is going to slow down. Covington is definitely in the running for waiver pickup of the year.

James Johnson (TOR, SF/PF) - 11% Owned

Johnson is an interesting case. Throughout his NBA career, he has been very solid when given playing time. Yet, somehow he has found it hard to keep a roster spot at times, let alone get on the court consistently.

Again this year, Johnson is getting to play as a result of an injury, in this case to DeMar DeRozan. Once more, he is showing what he can do. He is a decent scorer, but his primary value comes in the defensive categories.

Johnson has been a top 100 player this season, despite the fact that he is averaging just over 20 minutes a game. Imagine what he could do with a starting gig. Well, you do not have to, because the Raptors put him in the starting lineup on Saturday. Johnson responded with 15 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals. That will do.

There is some risk involved with Johnson. DeRozan is nearing a return, and someone will get bumped back to bench. In spite of his strong play, Johnson is no lock to keep his starting job. However, there is a chance that Johnson does stick with the starters, and Terrence Ross is the odd man out.

Either way, Johnson will be worth using next week if you need help in the defensive categories. The Raptors will do battle with Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and New Orleans. All four games are at home. If you have the roster space, Johnson may be worth holding onto until we see how the situation plays out upon DeRozan’s return.

Jarrett Jack (BKN, PG/SG) - 51% Owned

Usually, the Jack's value is dependent upon the health of Deron Williams. However, when Williams came back from injury last month the Nets opted to keep Jack in the starting lineup, with Williams coming off the bench. The return of Williams did not seem to bother Jack, as he continued his strong play.

Now, Williams has a broken rib and is out indefinitely. This is a terrible blow for Williams owners, but it solidifies the value of Jack. There is no one else in Brooklyn to compete for minutes at the point guard position, so Jack will continue to see big minutes.

He has been hot of late too, with two double-doubles in his last four games. Next week Jack will face Houston, Memphis, at Washington, and Washington again. It is a tough draw for Jack, but he will still put up numbers. He should be owned everywhere right now, at least until Williams gets back. There is a chance that Williams gets traded as well, giving Jack some stash appeal.

Nene Hilario (WAS, PF/C) - 51% Owned

Nene is a frustrating player to own. He is a constant injury risk. It is only a matter of time before he breaks again and misses a significant amount of playing time. However, when healthy he is capable of filling up the stat sheet, so we should take advantage while we can.

Over his last four games, Nene is averaging 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks on 60.5 percent shooting. Many are worried about his timeshare with Kris Humphries, but they should not be. Nene is still seeing minutes in the upper 20s, which is plenty enough for him to do some damage. The Wizards are smart to keep his minutes down just a tad, in an effort to keep him on the court.

Next week the Wizards go up against San Antonio, at Chicago, Brooklyn, and at Brooklyn again. These are two sets of back-to-backs, but the Wizards do not typically rest him in those like some other teams do, so he should be good to go. As long as he is playing for Washington, he should be playing for you.