Welcome to Rotoballer's Week 22 deeper league waiver wire pickups for your fantasy basketball teams.
With many NBA teams deploying a youth-development tactics, and some hot flashes hitting some veterans as well, there are a few decent pick-ups left on the waiver wire, even in the deepest of leagues. Depending on what you need, how important your fantasy team's schedule is and how well a player fits into it, and of course how deep your league is, different free agents appeal differently to you.
But if you're looking to make a change in your deep league team here are a few suggestions.
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Deep League Waiver Wire Add
Skal Labissiere, PF/C, SAC (26% Owned in Yahoo! leagues)
When the Kings traded away their star player DeMarcus Cousins, and didn't bring any frontcourt help back in return, most people assumed that Willie Cauley-Stein would be the primary beneficiary. And while that's not far from the truth, Skal Labissiere made sure that Willie wasn't the sole beneficiary of that deal.
He's been pretty good ever since the trade, but has really hit his stride in the last six with averages of 14.7 PTS with 0.2 3PM on 59.7 FG% and 76.5 FT%, 7.8 REB 1.8, AST, 0.7 STL, 0.8 BLK and 1.5 TO in 25 minutes a game. That has him pretty near the top-50 mark for that period and from a guy who was on most waiver wires just a month ago. And he is still not owned in three quarters of Yahoo leagues.
He is one of the rare players still out there who can help you out almost everywhere without hurting you much in any particular category. Furthermore, the Kings are miles away from a playoff spot, so their primary focus will probably remain on giving their young talent additional playing time. Sacramento plays one more game this week, on Sunday, March 26 and have four more games next week, two of which come on five- and six-game nights. So if schedule is important to you, there's another incentive to add Skal.
And if you need an insight into what a 20-year-old former Kentucky student in the NBA is capable of, just take a look at Devin Booker's 70-point masterpiece from last night. Owww, and by the way, Labissiere was also drafted by the Phoenix Suns. Coincidence?
Super Deep League Waiver Wire Add
Bobby Portis, PF/C, CHI (12% Owned in Yahoo! leagues)
Bobby Portis is a first round pick from the 2015 draft. He is just 22-years-old and is still a work in progress for the Chicago Bulls. Taj Gibson was traded away at the deadline partly because the Bulls wanted to make a little more room for him and Nikola Mirotic to develop.
Now Bobby has been a bit underwhelming for the Bulls fans, who were hoping for immediate impact from the sophomore, but he has shown us that he is capable of great things and great fantasy lines. He's been doing it more regularly recently with averages of 15.0 PTS with 0.8 3PM on 63.4 FG% and 55.6 FT%, 6.8 REB, 0.8 AST, no steals, 0.5 BLK and 0.5 TO in 24 minutes a game in his last four. He leads the Bulls in rebounding in that period, and is averaging more than twice as many rebounds as their starting center Robin Lopez.
If you like what Portis brings to the table, he is worth a look in a deep league. But don't run to the wire just yet. Chicago plays on Sunday, March 26, but then doesn't play again until Thursday, March 30. They do have three games in four days from then to April 2, and two of those come on five-game nights, but you might be better off using that roster space to stream in the first half of next week. If you need some rebounds and don't mind him playing just once in the next five days, give Portis a look.
Insanely Deep League Waiver Wire Add
Marco Belinelli, SG/SF, CHA (7% Owned in Yahoo! leagues)
Marco Belinelli is actually turning 31 today. Happy birthday Marco! But that's not the reason we're talking about him, it's just a lucky coincidence. The Italian veteran was in a reserve role with the Hornets for most of the season, and in such a role, hasn't been able to generate too much fantasy value. But in their last two, Belinelli got hot, and his coach Steve Clifford wasn't going to extinguish the fire.
Marco got the nod and in those two games averaged 21.0 points with 3.0 three-pointers on 57.1% from the field, 50.0% from beyond the arc, 92.3% from the charity stripe, 3.0 boards, 1.5 dimes, 0.5 steals, no blocks and 0.5 turnovers in 27 minutes a game. Marco can go on such hot streaks as he has done throughout his career. And only he knows for how long he will stay ablaze.
If you're in a deep league and need some help in the threes department, you should definitely take Belinelli into consideration. Charlotte plays once more this week, and have four games scheduled for the next week so his schedule can work to your favor as well.
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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.