RADIO
The deeper a fantasy basketball league, the harder it is to hit a winner with your last few picks. It is also harder to find decent help from the waiver wire if your late-round picks don't do you justice. If you picked up a few stinkers, don't lose hope just yet. I will try to help you pick up a winner.
Here are my deeper league fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups for your fantasy basketball teams. These NBA players should be available in most leagues and they might just help you out, whether it's a few weeks rental or a long-term fix to a problem your team is having.
If a guy on your team is frustrating you with his weak performances, give some of them a go. They might just be worth it.
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Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Targets for Week 20
Immanuel Quickley (PG/SG, NYK) - 18% rostered
It can truly be said that this season has been a heavily disappointing one all things considered for the Knicks. IQ, who had a magnificent rookie year last time out, has pretty much struggled all year long going through the sophomore slump and hitting a season-long wall. Now, after a quite rough stretch through the first couple of thirds of the season, he's kinda getting it right. The shooting is up, and so are the minutes with the season over for New York.
From the start of the season to Feb. 14 IQ was shooting below 35% from the field scoring just 1.5 3PM per game on 8+ FGA a pop. All of those numbers have gone all the way up from that day on, with Quickley attempting a much healthier 10 FGA hitting them at a fantastic 52% from the floor while hitting 2.5 three-point shots per game in those last six matches, three to close February and three in March through Sunday. IQ is coming off the pine daily, has reasonable usage rates, and is now a virtual lock to finish all and every game at 10+ points to go with 5+ boards and 2+ dimes. The steals have been phenomenal too with one in each of the past four games and one in five of the past six too.
Donte DiVincenzo (PG/SG, SAC) - 14% rostered
DDV has missed ample time this season playing only 26 games through the full campaign. Those matches happened donning both Milwaukee's and now Sacramento's threads, as he got moved west in a deadline deal. DiVincenzo arrived in Sacto to cover for Haliburton's exit coming off the pine, and so far so good for him with most of DDV's production arriving in the past four games through Sunday.
Donte has played an average of 25 MPG for the Kings in his short nine-game sample there, but those have gone up to 22-25-30-34 in the past four, with a season-high figure coming last Saturday. DDV is a nice scorer even on low FGA figures, but the truth is that he shots the three and hit long-range shots with gusto (1+ in four games straight, 2.5 3PM on average in that span). The turnovers are high as hell, though, but he kinda makes up for that with fantastic rebounds and dimes, and more than anything bulky scarce steals (1.6 SPG since arriving in Sacto).
Bones Hyland (PG/SG, DEN) - 6% rostered
Can't expect a lot from a late-first draftee, but Hyland isn't upsetting either Denver's FO or fantasy GMs out there, so it makes sense to have him rostered instead of fading him in more than 94% of leagues! Of course, Hyland is playing just 18 MPG over the full season even with MPJ and Murray out, but that's called going through the growing pains and developing slowly but properly... while balling for a postseason team. Now, for our interests, Bones has been a fantastic scorer in the past month scoring 10+ PPG in the past month of play while adding other contributions mostly in the classic cats.
Bones was shooting a very horrific 33% from the start of the season to Feb. 6, but in the past month of play, he's raised the bar to a much more palatable 41% from the field. The shots are coming in very low amounts (just above 7 FGA per game in the past four weeks and 11 games played) but at least they're falling at a higher rate. Bones is scoring 2.1+ 3PM per game and has hit at least one three-point shot in all 10 last games in which he played more than one minute (he left Feb. 27 match against Portland). In fact, Hyland only has 13 games with no triples to his name, and in eight of those, he didn't even play 15 minutes.
Caleb Martin (SG/SF, MIA) - 5% rostered
Victor Oladipo should be back on the floor soon enough to debut before the season is over, and when Kyle Lowry returns (personal) that will also cut Martin's impact even more. The good thing, though, is that Caleb Martin has a very defined and producing role in this Heat rotation based on 1) shooting limited amounts of shots, 2) grabbing a few boards, 3) showcasing tremendous stealing prowess, and 4) hitting threes with gusto.
Of course, all of that sounds too good to be true for a five-percent man in Yahoo leagues, but that rostership is logical considering Martin just plays around 25 MPG (six games after the break) with below-average usage rates not even at 15%. But the shooting percentages are absolutely crazy at 58% in the past six games while Martin has been able to score an average of 11 PPG in that span, and 8 three-point shots in the past four games (1-2-3-2 for an average of 2 3PM per game). The steals are great, but he's not that great at any other cat outside of free throw and shooting percentages and those thefts.
Austin Reaves (SG, LAL) - 1% rostered
Pre-ASB Reaves: 21 MPG, no starts. Post-ASB Reaves: 26 MPG, five-of-five starts. Wild scenes, brothers. The Lakers pretty much stink and there is still no clear answer to the postseason questions the Lakers will need to clarify in around a month. Solutions are needed, wherever they come from, and the latest development has involved the rookie playing both heavy minutes and starting games since the break. Such is the status of this team...
This is obviously the fliest of fliers to take. Reaves, even playing tons of minutes and starting games, is not a go-to option on this squad (12% usage rate) and is not even attempting 6 FGA a game. Reaves has had similar shooting games in the past two matches against the Clippers and the Warriors scoring buckets at a 42.9% clip and finishing with 9 and 10 points in those two (including 2 and 3 3PM respectively). Reaves has provided unexpected-but-good steals and blocks recently, with five thefts and six swats in the past six games combined. Again, nothing to crazily chase not even in the deepest of leagues, but still worth considering if you're too desperate.
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