Jeff Green has taken advantage of increased opportunities
As we near the end of week four, it’s time for another weekly waiver wire “best of” if you will. The idea is to find the best player, at each position, that is owned in less than 50 percent of leagues. However, if you find yourself in a rather competitive league (where the majority of owners must be unemployed with how often they raid the wire), any player that’s had the spotlight on him for a while is probably already taken. Therefore, we will try to focus on the players with the lowest ownership rates, who still hold enough value (current or potential) to place them in contention for the top waiver wire pickup at their position. But fear not, that obvious stud shall not be denied his place in the sun just to make space for some vacuous shot in the dark. So, with that being said, let’s get to it.
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Ownership totals are in ESPN leagues as of November 17
Cory Joseph – PG – Toronto Raptors – 10 percent
Last week, rookie T.J. McConell (still worth a look and available in 67.2 percent of leagues) was the point guard pick, and this week it’s Cory Joseph. Currently in his fifth season, Joseph played his first four as a San Antonio Spur, floating between the D-Leauge and the NBA until the end of his second season, when he was called on to fill in for an injured Tony Parker. For the next two years, Joseph played the backup point guard position in San Antonio, and in July was signed by the Raptors to take on that same role.
The time Joseph spent playing under Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and backing up veteran Tony Parker was extremely valuable, as it’s helped him become the reliable player he’s starting to show this season. Joseph is taking smart shots, handling the ball well and has done enough overall to solidify his role as the second unit’s point guard. Over the past eight games, Joseph has averaged 27.4 minutes, 12.25 points, 3.6 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 0.75 steals and shot a pretty useful 62.3 percent from the field. There is one minor caveat, however, and that is that Terrence Ross has been out for the past five games with an injured left thumb, so his return could see Joseph’s scoring diminish a bit. But, without a timetable for Ross’ return, and considering he wasn’t that impressive to start the season anyway, Joseph is still worth a grab in most leagues. It looks as if he will continue to average at least 25 minutes a game for the foreseeable future, which is enough to grant Joseph low-end value in 10-team leagues, but with great potential stored away for any games Lowry might miss in the future.
Will Barton – SG – Denver Nuggets – 40.2 percent
Will Barton is seeming like one of those waiver wire studs mentioned earlier. Currently owned in 40 percent of leagues, that number is rising constantly and will soon place him in the majority owned category where he is likely to stay for a while. Until then, however, Barton is worth mentioning here and is worth an add in most leagues. Over the past seven games, he is averaging 30.5 minutes, 17 points, 6.5 rebounds, two assists, 2.5 three-pointers, 1.3 steals, 0.8 blocks and shooting 55.3 percent from the field. Add to that the recent news that Wilson Chandler will be out for the rest of the season after undergoing hip surgery, and Barton seems more likely to produce long-term. And then there’s Barton’s own take on how things are going, “I feel like this is just the tip of the iceberg of what I can really do.”
Jeremy Lamb – SG – Charlotte – 23 percent
For the many of you no longer able to pickup Barton, Jeremy Lamb is probably still available at the shooting guard spot. Statistically, he’s like a poor man’s Barton, as over the past seven games, Lamb is averaging 26.8 minutes, 13.5 points, six rebounds, two assists, 1.3 three-pointers, 0.5 steals and shooting 53.7 percent from the field. He can provide mid-level scoring and higher-level rebounding for a shooting guard while throwing in some valuable threes and a great shooting percentage. He might put up a dud here and there, but Lamb has the potential and is currently worth either a pickup in deep leagues or a spot play option in standard sized leagues.
Jeff Green – SF – Memphis Grizzlies – 19.4 percent
Through his first 10 games this season, Green had reached double-digit scoring just two times and was averaging only 22.3 minutes a game. After losing four games in a row, however, things didn’t seem to be working for Memphis. So, when the Grizzlies snapped that losing streak by beating Portland, coach David Joerger must have taken notice of Green. Joerger decided to make some lineup changes the next game, including promoting Green to the starting position. Memphis has won the two games since Green became the starter, and Green has averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, two assists and one steal in 34.5 minutes while shooting 48 percent from the field. It is quite a small sample size, sure, but the difference in Green’s production before becoming the starter compared to after is like night and day. And the fact that Memphis has won both of the games Green has started doesn’t hurt either. It’s not clear if this move is temporary or longer lasting, but as long as he is in that starting lineup Green is worth considering in most formats.
Dwight Powell – PF – Dallas Mavericks – 31.3 percent
It’s been an eventful past year and a half for Powell, who was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets on December 18, 2014. One month later, Powell’s rights were traded to Cleveland, where he remained for just two months before he was shipped off again, this time to Boston. Powell didn’t last long in Boston either, as he was soon a part of the infamous Rajon Rondo trade, which had him moving on to Dallas. Now in his second year (believe it or not, still in Dallas), Powell is finally starting to see some relevant playing time, and he’s making the most of it.
So far this season, Powell is averaging 10.2 points (shooting 54% from the floor), 7.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.5 steals in only 22.2 minutes. That’s pretty good production for a second-year player averaging less than 25 minutes per game, and he’s got plenty of improvement left in him. On top of that, Powell has recently received praise for his hard work from coach Rick Carlisle and Dirk Nowitzki. It doesn’t appear that Powell is going anywhere anytime soon and will likely continue to see relevant playing time that could very well increase as the season continues. He’s a nice source of rebounds, isn’t too bad with points or blocks either, and will probably only help you with your team’s shooting percentage. Powell is currently a low-end play in standard leagues, with great potential to do more, pretty much what you’re looking for in a waiver wire pickup.
Steven Adams – C – Oklahoma City Thunder – 9.3 percent
Last week it was the small forward position that seemed a bit thin, and this week it’s looking rough for anyone needing a true big man. If, however, you just need help in a few categories, Adams could be your man. So far this season, the seven-foot tall Adams is averaging 6.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.8 blocks, 0.4 steals, and shooting 60.4 percent from the field. It wouldn’t be surprising to see his rebounds improve, but what’s most eye-catching is the 1.8 blocks per game, placing him just outside the NBA’s top-10 in blocks, at No. 11. As we all know, blocks are hard to come by, so regardless of how much long-term value he might have, he’s definitely worth a spot play if you’re in need. But, if it is more of a long-term kind of value you’re looking for, Adams seems to have locked down the starting job, so there shouldn’t be much of a dip in production any time soon. He might be more of an add/drop player in 10-team leagues, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but Adams could be worth a grab and keep in deeper leagues, especially if you don’t mind having close to two blocks a game at your disposal.
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George Haw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from George, check out his archive and follow him @gh69501.
