Deep Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Adds (Week 16)

The Portland Trail Blazers have had an interesting season to say the least. Not only have they been carried by Damian Lillard for the past month or so, but if it weren't for players like C.J. McCollum, Carmelo Anthony, Rodney Hood, and a few others stepping up at just the right time, this explosion from Lillard might not have ever happened. Recently, it's been all Lillard in Portland. There are few players posting better stats and with his 48 points per game average over the past two two weeks, there isn't any sign of him slowing down just yet. He will, just not yet.

This is Lillard's comfort zone. He plays better when the team needs him and although this would start to take a toll on any player, we still haven't even reached the All-Star break and Lillard is still streaking upwards. He will experience a cooling off period at some point, but this isn't some generic rotational player, this is Damian Lillard and this could just be his year.

Make sure to stay updated on injuries and return times, but as far as I'm concerned, these next three players will see the biggest benefit. As a reminder, for standard (10-12 team) league adds, we use a general rule of thumb of an ownership rate of under 50% on Yahoo. All position eligibility based on Yahoo leagues. If you have any questions find me in the NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter.

Free Agent Waiver Adds for Week 16

Shake Milton, PG/SG  – Philadelphia 76ers

Ownership: 6%

6.6 PPG /  2.2 RPG /  .446 FG% /  1.3 APG  

Even with Matisse Thybulle stealing all his thunder, Shake Milton is carving out his own chunk of the 76ers rotational minutes and he is not letting them go to waste. After not playing in more than five consecutive games, he has played in the 76ers last five games, scoring double-digits in the last three, posting no less than four points and four rebounds per game. A low bar is being set, but with no ownership and no real downside, Milton is a perfect replacement for someone who might be dealing with Kyrie Irving, a player who seems to be missing more and more games as we get closer to playoffs. It also doesn't hurt Milton has received at least 20 minutes a game over this five-game span, nearing closer to 25-30 on most of those nights.

Danuel House Jr., SG/SF  – Houston Rockets

Ownership: 33%

10.3 PPG /  4.3 RPG /  .420 FG% /  1.2 APG  

There simply isn't much upside to this pick and that's just who Danuel House Jr. is. Nothing against him as a player, he just fills a role for a team that doesn't really require the offense. James Harden and Russell Westbrook have no problem being the only two players taking shots for the Rockets. Sometimes it's a good strategy because they are hitting, other times they struggle and House get's to clean up in terms of production. Since both Harden and Westbrook have found their struggles at interchanging times, specifically Harden's poor shooting over the past week, House has actually been able to find decent production within his role. It won't last and there isn't a ton of consistency to go along with it, but for the time-being, House is seeing close to a 20% usage rate in his most recent games and that should continue until the much needed All-Star break.

Dewayne Dedmon, PF/C– Sacramento Kings

Ownership 35%

 5.2 PPG /  .411 FG% /  4.7 RPG / 0.6 BPG

At this point I feel like I can just rotate a Kings frontcourt player and throw him in at this part of the article. Excuse the broken record part of this analysis, but until Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley return later this month, there is going to be a gap in the Kings frontcourt. After playing in the past seven of eight contests, starting in five of those seven games, he missed last outing against the Lakers and that is a cause for concern. If Dewayne Dedmon plays, he is always useful in terms of fantasy.

He plays defense and contributes defensive stats, not to mention he plays that role of a traditional center with how he is able to rebound over more athletic players and score on tough defenses. If Dedmon plays, he's worth the roster spot, but that seems skeptical lately, especially seeing how he went from playing 30 minutes and double-doubling against the Clippers to not even playing against the Lakers.

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