RADIO
To this point, Jonathan Isaac has been the most improved player in the league and it's not really in question. He is contributing in every way, not to mention dominating the defensive categories early in the season. This should continue and his role should not be hard to sustain with how the Magic offense is working. By that I mean the Magic have zero offense and are forced to run through the hot hand, Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier, and now Jonathan Isaac.
This shouldn't change moving forward either. Markelle Fultz has been playing well and will take some usage here and there, but his ability to find his teammates with ease has actually helped nearly everyone's stats. Orlando cannot afford to bench the players who are able to score, so for the next few weeks expect to see a ton minutes being played between Isaac, Vucevic, and Fultz.
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.
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Free Agent Waiver Adds for Week 3
Anfernee Simons, G – Portland Trail Blazers
Ownership: 15%
11.9 PPG / 1,8 3PTM / .500 FG% / 1.1 SPG
He has not been contributing across the board, but thats just isn't Anfernee Simons style of play. He does the things that need to be done, but since he usually plays alongside Damian Lillard or C.J. McCollum, he is still the backup facilitator. He has developed a quick trigger and ability to hit consecutive shots which is a major step in the right direction, just understand you are investing in points.
I don't see him slowing down or losing production and it should start to shift towards other offensive stats as teams start to recognize his scoring ability. For the time being, he is a shooter and will continue to be one of the better shooters on the Trail Blazers, all while securing a role as the top bench option early in the season.
Royce O'Neale, PF – Washington Wizards
Ownership 2%
6.4 PPG / 4.7 RPG / 1.9 APG / .561 FG%
This is the definition of what we call a flier pick. Royce O'Neale has been promising as far as playing quality basketball is concerned, but for fantasy there is much more to be desired. His last outing was clearly the best of the season and while that won't be terribly common, his minutes indicate that he is going to remain a big part of the Jazz rotation in the immediate future.
Tonight he faces the Warriors and while he won't be the highest scorer, he has the ability to fill the stat sheet against a weaker opponent. His ability to rebound and play consistent on-ball defense is not the most pleasing thing to hear for fantasy owners, but anyone needing to stream a player for points, rebounds and steals should look to O'Neale.
Robert Williams, C – Boston Celtics
Ownership 17%
5.9 PPG / 5.1 RPG / .783 FG% / 1.7 BPG
The minutes are slowly tricking in for Robert Williams to capitalize one, but the return of similar frontcourt players is going to cause a slight problem moving forward. For the next few games, Williams minutes should go up and he should have no problem producing against the likes of the Mavericks, Wizards, and Warriors. If he can keep up his defensive efforts, he is going to see even more minutes with more chances to contribute in ways you might not expect.
More Fantasy Basketball Analysis
By popular demand, RotoBaller has aggregated all of our fantasy basketball NBA waiver wire pickups into a running list of NBA waiver options, so bookmark the page and check back often for updates.
