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No matter how deep a league you're in, there's always some value to be found floating around in the free agent pool. It's just that sometimes it takes a little longer for them to swim up to the surface. But when they do, and they take that first breath of fresh air, those talented players can really contribute to your fantasy team.
So, if you're looking to add some of that talent to your roster, you're in the right place. We will be talking about three guys who have been patiently waiting for a chance. They finally got it and used it wisely. And if their recent performances are any indication, they're not going away. Here are today's Week 19 deeper league waiver wire pickups for your fantasy basketball teams.
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Deep League Waiver Wire Add
Alan Williams, PF, PHO (29% owned in Yahoo! leagues)
With bigs like Tyson Chandler, Alex Len, Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender on the Suns' roster, Alan Williams wasn't expected to get much playing time, let alone become a 25-30 minute a game, constant double-double threat. But that's exactly what happened. First Bender got injured. Then Phoenix set aside Tyson Chandler in order to develop their young players, once it became obvious they weren't going to compete for a playoff spot this season. And now Williams outperformed Len in the previous few games and took over most of his minutes.
Alan did give us a preview of what he's capable when he posted back-to-back double-doubles, putting up a total of 27 points with 26 rebounds, four steals and five blocks in those two games back in November. Since then the only time he saw double digit minutes was the very next game on Nov. 21. Finally Williams got another chance with Len suspended and Chandler going down. He played 24 minutes on Feb. 10 against Chicago and double-doubled once again with 14 points, 11 boards and four blocks. He returned to his minor role in the next few, but has seen a significant bump in his minutes in his past four.
And that's when he dazzled the fantasy world with averages of 14.5 PTS on 57.8 FG% and 66.7 FT%, 10.8 REB, 1.5 AST, 1.3 STL, 1.8 BLK and 1.8 TO in 28 minutes a game. Insane stats for someone who was the fifth or sixth option in Phoenix' frontcourt just a month ago.
It seems that the Suns are committed to developing their young, talented players, and Alan seems to fit right into that description. The stats he's capable of producing are really helpful for owners in both deep and shallow leagues, and his fantasy friendly game can fit well with any team and any league scoring system. If he's still available in your league, stop reading this and immediately pick him up! Than come back and read up on our other two deep league options.
Super Deep League Waiver Wire Add
Nemanja Bjelica, PF, MIN (5% owned in Yahoo! leagues)
Nemanja Bjelica is my fellow Serbian and because of that fact, one of my favorite players in the NBA. He was actually my first suggestion for the Insanely Deep Leagues in my first ever article for RotoBaller back in October. That advice wasn't going too well, until a few days ago, was it? But at least I recommended Trevor Booker when he was just 10% owned in that same article, so it wasn't a complete waist of time to whomever read it.
He was a beast back in Europe, but his "lack of athleticism" compared to the highly physical players in the NBA has taken a bit of a toll on Mr. Big Shot's acclimatization to the new environment. I taught he could gain some fantasy value by challenging Gorgui Dieng for his minutes, but that hasn't happened. What did happen, however, was a bit lucky for Bjelica. Although I doubt he sees it the same way since it was a big hit for the Timberwolves.
Their starting SG Zach LaVine suffered a season ending injury. Bjelica is used to covering a variety of different positions and is a very flexible player, so the sudden availability of a tone of minutes at the two-guard spot did have some implications on his playing time too. It didn't look that way though right off the bat, with Nemanja getting more than 20 minutes in just one of the first nine games since LaVine got hurt.
But it certainly seems to be the case in Minnesota's last two Bjelica has averaged 11.5 PTS with 1.5 3PM on 32.0 FG% and 80.0 FT%, 11.5 REB, 3.5 AST, 1.5 STL, 1.0 BLK and no turnovers in 34 minutes per contest. Furthermore, not only did Bjelica double-double in both those games and get those insane defensive stats along with great rebounds and assists, but he played the second most minutes behind only Karl-Anthony Towns. Just imagine what Bjelica would be capable of if his shot starts falling. Ow, and did I mention that the Wolves won both those games?
If he keeps getting the minutes, he is definitely capable of making the difference. He is not you typical second year NBA player. He is 28 years old, he is experienced and he has a high basketball IQ so he can help his team out in tough situations and in close games, which can also get him more playing time. If you're in a deep league and you like what you get with Nemanja, you should highly consider adding him.
Insanely Deep League Waiver Wire Add
Tyler Ulis, PG, PHO (4% owned in Yahoo! leagues)
Tyler Ulis is another beneficiary of the Phoenix' young talent development program. He's only played 10 minutes per game this season. Moreover, he's only played in 41 out of the Suns' 62 games. It wasn't looking pretty for Ulis and he certainly wasn't on any fantasy radars with his season highs being 10 points, five assists and 22 minutes before February. He did have four steals on two different occasions though.
But with Brandon Knight being a victim of the same aforementioned Phoenix' mindset, Tyler getting some run wasn't inconceivable. He finally got the nod on Feb. 11 in a blowout loss to the Rockets. He played 27 minutes and scored 13 points and one three-pointer on 5-of-13 from the field and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe, assisted six times, grabbed a rebound, had a steal and just one turnover.
He played a total of 33 minutes in his next three, but then got the chance again in the Suns' last three games. He took advantage of the opportunity with averages of 10.3 PTS on 54.5 FG% and no misses in six attempts from the line, 0.3 3PM, 1.7 REB, 7.3 AST, 2.0 STL, no blocks and 1.7 TO in 20 minutes a game. Furthermore, there have been comments from his coach Earl Watson that the Suns will try out different guards around Ulis to see who fits best with him, and has talked Tyler up after their games against Charlotte and Oklahoma City.
Ulis seems to be on the right track, and is probable to keep getting minutes in the high 20s. If his assists and steals are something your deep league team could use, then the 21-year-old rookie is definitely worth a look.
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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.
