Gary Trent Jr. (SG, POR): Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add In 14-Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 14% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Portland Trail Blazers guard Gary Trent Jr. has been confined to a small bench role most of the season and limited to a deep-league, three-point specialist by making 1.5 threes per game on 40.4 percent shooting. However, over his last 13 games, Trent has taken off and elevated his game and fantasy contributions to new heights and is making him a worthy candidate for a waiver wire pickup in Week 18. The Trail Blazers are fighting for their playoff lives, and Head Coach Terry Stotts is giving the 2018 second-round pick more minutes, and the shooting guard is taking advantage of his opportunity.

From Oct. 23 to Jan. 17, Trent averaged 13.4 minutes per game, but on Jan. 18, Stotts played Trent over 30 minutes for the first time all season, and that has marked a turning point. Over his last 13 games, from Jan. 18 to Feb. 12, he averaged 27.9 minutes and contributed 13.0 points while shooting 49.6 percent from the floor, along with 1.2 steals and 2.6 made threes on 43.6 percent shooting from behind the arc. It gets even better when the sophomore guard gets 30-plus minutes on the court as he averages 19.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 3.8 deep balls on 46.3 shooting from behind the three-point line.

Anfernee Simons stands in Trent's way of getting to that 30-minute mark most nights when the Trail Blazers are at full strength, but now Damian Lillard has picked up a groin injury that the team says could cost him a week or two. Trent is a sneaky pickup if you need some points, three-pointers, and steals in 14-team leagues or deeper. He has been a top-25 shooting guard over the past two weeks, and that is more than useful as the season heads into the final stretch before the playoffs in head-to-head leagues.