Malik Monk (PG/SG, CHA): Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add In 12-Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 9% of leagues

ANALYSIS: For someone playing about 20 minutes nightly, it is surprising that only 9% of fantasy owners out there are rostering Malik Monk. No matter the production, Monk is a minute-eater every game the Hornets play and those have only ramped up lately: in his last five matches, Monk has averaged more than 27 minutes of playing time.

If this were only about minutes and opportunities, Monk would already rank high. If we pair the minutes with the actual production, the results can hardly get better. In his last five games, in which he has played 21+ minutes each time, Monk is averaging 16.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, and 0.8 bpg while shooting 42.4% from the floor on a more than healthy 13.2 attempts per game. His usage is back at 20% now, but it reached highs ranging from 27.6% to 36% in the last couple of weeks, something worth noting.

I always thought it was weird to see Monk playing under 15 minutes nightly, something he did from the start of January to mid-month, and time proved me right. With his current extended playing time, there is no reason to not roster Monk. Take advantage of the rest of the owners sleeping on him and pick him up before it's too late!