RADIO
Welcome back! The trade deadline is almost here, which is going to shake things up, so have some patience this week when making waiver moves. I'll try to do an additional post-deadline piece this week to help make sense of whatever happens there.
Another big piece of news this week: LeBron James has a high ankle sprain and is out indefinitely.
Our staff at RotoBaller has great insight and daily columns on how to improve your squad and tips to make your team successful, so be sure to check them out! Now, let's get prepared for Week 13. All players in this article are rostered at around 50 percent or less.
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9-Category Leagues Waiver Wire
Columns are written based on H2H 9-category standard size leagues:
Dwight Howard, C - Philadelphia 76ers
46% rostered - Joel Embiid is still out with a knee injury and while Howard is coming off the bench behind Tony Bradley, he's making the most of the minutes he is getting. Over the past three games, Howard is averaging 11.3 points per game on 51.9 percent shooting, as well as 13.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Yes, when Embiid comes back, Howard's going to see a drop in his usage, but Embiid should still be out a couple of weeks still, opening up more minutes for Howard.
Saddiq Bey, SF - Detroit Pistons
40% rostered - The rookie has really blossomed as of late in Detroit, averaging 16 points per game on 40.8 percent shooting over the past six games. He's making 2.8 threes per contest over that span and shooting 95.5 percent from the free-throw line. Bey's also adding 5.2 rebounds and one steal per contest over that span. Barring some weird deadline moves that cloud the wing situation in Detroit, Bey is going to keep seeing 30-plus minutes per game going forward. He should be rostered in most leagues.
Jordan Poole, PG/SG - Golden State Warriors
35% rostered - GET JORDAN POOLE ON YOUR ROSTER.
Poole now has three 20-point games in a row, draining at least three three-pointers in each of those games. The former Michigan Wolverine has moved into the starting unit the past two games and is averaging 8.7 attempts from long range in the past three. Even when Stephen Curry (tailbone) returns, Poole is proving he needs minutes, and a Curry/Poole backcourt might actually help Poole, as more defensive attention would be shifted off of him.
Danny Green, SG/SF - Philadelphia 76ers
35% rostered - With the Sixers dealing with injuries, Green is getting a chance to look like the Danny Green of old. Over the last four games, he's had three great shooting nights (and one really bad one), shooting 42.9 percent or better from three in those contests. Green has also played 30-plus minutes in the last two games, and his shot volume from deep has continued to increase. Green's a great source of threes and steals off the waiver wire.
Moses Brown, C - Oklahoma City Thunder
33% rostered - Brown's a tricky player, as he had 20 points and 16 rebounds earlier this week, but then was moved back to the bench the next game and had five points and four boards. But the Thunder's depth up front behind Al Horford is questionable, making Brown a candidate to continue seeing 20-plus minutes per game going forward. If that's the case, he has upside in terms of rebounds and blocks.
Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF - Los Angeles Lakers
19% rostered - With LeBron James out indefinitely, someone is going to see an increase in minutes in Los Angeles. And while the impending trade deadline is going to complicate things if the Lakers make a move, for now I think THT is the guy to target as a fantasy riser. He has double-digit points in three of the last four games. His shot volume is up. He's grabbing a nice number of rebounds per game, and his passing ability will be counted on more with LeBron out. Horton-Tucker did sub in right after LeBron exited for good on Saturday, and he saw a lot of fourth-quarter minutes.
Aleksej Pokusevski, SF - Oklahoma City Thunder
16% rostered - Before he left for the G League bubble, Poku was having a historically bad rookie year. But since returning, he's getting a lot more playing time and while the shooting numbers are still disappointing, the volume makes him worth a look in deeper leagues. Over the last five games, he's averaging 11 shot attempts per game, with 9.8 points and 7.8 rebounds, as well as 2.4 assists. His 30.9 percent mark from the floor is bad, but if you're punting on field goal percentage, Poku brings enough things to the court to help you out, even if you're going to have to deal with some frustrating nights at times.
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