RADIO
The injury plague has hit the NBA. A lot of star players are hurt for a shorter or longer period of time. And as much as it hurts them and their teams, and as much as us fans hate when that happens and feel for the players, it still opens up room for some bench players to show their worth. Especially in fantasy basketball.
If you have a player you're not too attached to, you should keep an eye out for some potential breakout performances from players who have been somewhat overlooked so far this season by both their coaches and fantasy owners, but should get some extra run due to recent developments.
Here are my Week 13 deeper league waiver wire pickups for your fantasy basketball teams.
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Deep League Waiver Wire Add
David Lee, PF/C, SAS (25% owned in Yahoo! leagues)
Pau Gasol got hurt. His left hand injury will keep him out 4-6 weeks. David Lee immediately stepped up. In his first game since Pau went down, Lee posted a double-double going 5 of 7 from the field for 10 points, 16 boards, 2 assists, one steal, one block and no turnovers in 33 minutes of action. That's a good line! And we all know Lee is capable of those lines, and then some.
As long as Gasol is out, Lee should be looking at an increased workload. Maybe not 33 minutes per night, but somewhere in the mid to high 20s for sure. If he is given that time on court Lee will be worth owning in deeper leagues.
Now do keep in mind that Lee is 33 and plays for Gregg Popovich so a rest day here and there isn't out of the question. Furthermore, Gasol should be back in time for fantasy playoffs which would hurt Lee's new-found value.
Having this in mind, Lee is more of a pickup for owners in need of help getting to the playoffs. So, if you're battling it out with your mates for the fantasy postseason appearance and you're looking for some rebounding, decent FG% and a well-rounded production, give Lee a look. The decision to add him might make the difference.
Super Deep League Waiver Wire Add
Caris LeVert, SG/SF, BKN (11% owned in Yahoo! leagues)
Rookie Caris LeVert is thriving in Jeremy Lin's absence. His recent string of good performances earned him more time on court in Brooklyn. And his performance against New Orleans on Jan. 20 has him as the most added player in Yahoo leagues by a long way at the moment. He torched the Pelicans with 17 points, three 3PM, five rebounds, six assists, one steal and one swat. In addition to these lovely counting stats, he didn't miss a shot going 6 of 6 from the field, 3 of 3 from beyond the arc and 2 of 2 from the charity stripe. He did turn the ball over 3 times in 25 minutes, but his owners will forgive him.
Now Lin being injured and Sean Kilpatrick being rested did help LeVert get more playing time in that game against the Pelicans. But he did earn it, didn't he? Moreover, he had a similar performance in his game before this one scoring 14 PTS with two 3PM on 75.0 FG%, three rebounds, four assists, two steals and one turnover in 23 minutes against Toronto on Jan. 17. He also shined against the champions Cavaliers on Jan. 6 with 19 PTS and two threes on 7 of 12 from the field and 3 of 3 from the line, four rebounds, five dimes and one turnover in 27 minutes. And, excluding injured Lin, other Nets were in commission for those two games. LeVert seems to be the real deal.
He does turn in duds too, of course. Every rookie does. But Brooklyn has nothing to play for this season, so they might just give LeVert more freedom and room to develop his talent. And with Lin being out for most of the season so far LeVert has earned his coach's trust. Brooklyn has a good fantasy playoff schedule too, so adding him might help your team out there as well.
Super Deep League Waiver Wire Add
Jeff Green, SG/SF, ORL (7% owned in Yahoo! leagues)
Another player that can help his fantasy owners sooner rather than later is Jeff Green. The former Boston Celtics star has put together a couple of good performances in a row and is on the radar in very deep leagues. In his last four games he is averaging 13.8 PTS with 1.0 3PM on 43.9 FG% and 88.2 FT%, 3.8 REB, 0.8 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.5 BLK and 0.8 TO in just 21 minutes per game.
His most recent performance on Jan. 20 against the Bucks was arguably his best of the season. Green went 6 of 13 from the field and hit all five of his free throws on his way to 18 points with one triple, seven boards, two assists, one steal, two blocks and no turnovers in 27 minutes. A stellar performance, especially if you count in the fact he is owned in only 7% of Yahoo! fantasy leagues.
Evan Fournier being out probably helps Green, and Evan is battling an ongoing issue with his heel that he reaggravated recently and there are no precise news on when he will be back. And Green can contribute to your fantasy team even in normal circumstances with season averages of 9.5 PTS, 39.2 FG%, 85.3 FT%, 0.9 3PM, 3.0 REB, 1.2 AST, 0.5 STL, 0.2 BLK and 1.2 TO. That is if you don't mind the low FG% and somewhat high TO and can use a SG/SF with decent points and FT% that adds a bit of everything else to the mix too.
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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.
