Deep Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Adds (Week 21)

I know my editors hate how late I am with my articles, so I will keep this intro brief. (I blame my puppy for trying to shut my laptop every time he hears me type but...) Once again, we are getting to the end of the season and fantasy basketball is at it's peak. By peak, I mean the variance is at it's highest, and the people putting in the work and paying close attention will have the upper-hand. With talk of no-name athletes getting minutes and having upside, you need to make sure you invest your time and waiver picks on the right players, it's too late to make mistakes and get away with it.

Jae Crowder, Aron Baynes, Kelly Olynyk, Jerami Grant, and Dario Saric are just a few of the players that have been fairly consistent all year, but also have fail to find a secure home off the waiver wire. For these last two months, they all will find usage and production, and all five of these players can contribute in multiple categories and have shown consistency at some point all season. For the crucial, upcoming month, if there is someone that is not pulling their weight, or is just not producing enough to translate to wins, substituting one of those five players could increase your upside across the board, and possible steal you one or two categories when the matchups matter most.

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 20

Shaquille Harrison, PG/SG – Chicago Bulls

Ownership: 9%

4.8 PPG /  1.8 RPG /  .468 FG% /  .8 SPG  

It might be unfair to say it has been a rough season for Shaquille Harrison, simply because, specifically, he is playing well despite the Bulls, as a whole, being utterly terrible. Even if his overall numbers have not been eye-catching, that is probably the reason he is only at 9% ownership right now. He is posting top-20 production over this past week, all of that value anchored by his incredible number of steals. While his upside seems unhindered now that Chicago seems dedicated to giving Harrison minutes, nearly all his value lies within his defense. He will get minutes because of his ability to defend and create chances, but scoring is an entirely different story. If Harrison is going to get near three steals a game, I'd roster him alone just to make sure I win the steals category in these waning weeks.

Cam Reddish, PG/SG/SF – Atlanta Hawks

Ownership: 29%

10.3 PPG /  3.6 RPG /  .380 FG% /  1.1 SPG  

There hasn't been much consistency to Cam Reddish's game all season, but lately he has turned his inefficiency into overall production. He has been dealing with injuries and is currently dealing with some leg cramps, but he should be able to get back into his normal form for this upcoming week. The Hawks don't play any top-tier defenses until facing the Thunder on the 18th, but there is no way I will miss the opportunity to play Reddish against the Hornets, Knicks, Cavaliers, and Pelicans before that. As mentioned before, Reddish relies on scoring, but in the games where he has struggled in that department, he focuses elsewhere without having that shooters hesitation so many young players struggling to shoot go through. For what it's worth, the upcoming matchups dictate his upside more than Reddish himself. If he gets the minutes, it'll be harder for him not to produce.

Naz Reid, C – Minnesota Timberwolves

Ownership 39%

 8.9 PPG /  .404 FG% /  4.1 RPG / 0.8 BPG

This isn't much news, but to anyone that might still be doubting the abilities of Naz Reid better think again. He established himself when Karl-Anthony Towns was injured, and now he is making it known that he is the center on this team. Since he has been getting over 20 minutes a game, he has not disappointed, and along with his defense, he brings more spacing to the offense, hitting at least one triple a game. This last week, and for most of March already, Reid is playing his best basketball, even double-doubling two games in a row, a career-best. The frontcourts he faces in the upcoming week are not terrible, but they give up points and have been known to struggle against rebounders. His ownership is 39% and it should be higher considering his nightly upside.

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