Tyler Johnson (PG/SG, PHO) - Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add In 12-Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 38% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Tyler Johnson had seen his role with the Miami Heat diminish steadily since the 2016-2017 season in which he averaged 29.8 minutes a contest, and this season through 44 games with Miami (including ten starting lineup appearances) he has been putting up 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 0.9 steals in 25.5 minutes per night. While he has been putting up less volume across the board on his stat sheet as he receives less time on the floor, he has still been a consistent threat from long range by sinking 1.6 three-pointers out of 4.6 attempts per game for a solid conversion rate of 35.1%. Then, Johnson and Heat teammate Wayne Ellington were shipped to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Ryan Anderson, and suddenly Johnson seems to have a new breath of opportunity.

The 26-year old Fresno alum is now one of the elder statesmen in the Phoenix locker room, and thanks to the shocking lack of depth for the Suns in the backcourt department, Johnson has immediately been presented with the chance to shine in big minutes alongside talented young stars such as Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. He has gotten off to a modest start in the desert. Across his first two games, he has averaged 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, while going five for 21 from the field including just two conversions out of nine attempts from downtown. While the Suns may not be immediately calling on Johnson to share a bulk of the scoring or ball-handling load, they are calling on him nonetheless as he has averaged thirty minutes of playing time across his first two games with Phoenix and found himself in the starting lineup for their February 10th match-up with Sacramento. He is still figuring out where he fits in this roster, but with the new opportunity for PT sharing the court with a slew of youthful scorers, Tyler Johnson is an interesting value option approaching the 2019 All-Star weekend.