Patrick Beverley isn’t just a strong defensive player
As we head into Week 8, it’s hard to believe that we’re approaching the half-way point in many fantasy basketball regular seasons, but here we are. Fantasy football leagues are nearing their end, so for those of you focusing solely on the hardcourt, your competition may soon improve. As other owners, previously preoccupied with their pigskin playoffs, shift more of their focus to the round ball game, the waiver wire may no longer be as inviting. So, with that in mind, let’s see if we can’t help you stay ahead of the game. Continue reading for our top-5 waiver wire players to target as we close in on the holidays.
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Ownership percentages are for ESPN leagues as of December 15.
Patrick Beverley (PG – HOU) 25.4%
Getting a late start to the season due to a knee injury, Patrick Beverley is now 12 games deep and starting to show some consistency. Over his last four games, the Houston point guard is averaging 9.8 points, seven rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.5 three-pointers in 30.5 minutes. His efficiency leaves something to be desired (40.3 percent from the floor and 39 percent from three over his last nine games), but Beverley has never been known for having much of a shooter’s touch in the NBA. If you can handle the missed shots, he’s worth adding in all leagues, for anyone capable of providing stable production across five categories is a must own, especially in category leagues. If he can keep up his current production, Beverley will be of value to owners in both points and category based scoring leagues with an emphasis on the latter.
Deron Williams (PG – DAL) 45.9%
Logging 30 or more minutes in each of his past nine games, Deron Williams is getting all of the work his aging body can handle at the moment. In that time he’s averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 three-pointers per game. Like Beverley, Williams’ field goal percentage isn’t pretty (37.9 percent in December), but unlike the Rocket’s point guard, Williams doesn’t let that stop him from trying. Williams typically averages 10-15 shot attempts per game, so despite his low success rate, the cumulative effect of his persistence is enough to help out owners in most leagues looking for points or threes. Add to that the impressive assist numbers, and it’s hard to imagine that he’ll remain available in most leagues for much longer. The fact that J.J. Barea (calf) has been out may have something to do with Williams’ current success. However, both players did manage to see at least 29 minutes in each of the first five games of this season, so Barea’s return won’t guarantee a Williams decline. Either way, he should be picked up now and ridden until things change for the worse.
Gary Harris (SG – DEN) 14.9%
When first starting this week’s article early Thursday evening, we had Evan Turner listed as a guy to consider adding, primarily for owners in need of scoring. Turner’s never been a favorite of mine due to his streaky nature, but given the current state of the waiver wire across all leagues, he seemed to be a better option than most. However, that was before Gary Harris returned to action later that night. In his first game back since missing 16 matchups due to a foot injury, Harris scored 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor (3-of-4 3PT and 1-of-1 FT) to go along with four rebounds, six assists, one block, two steals, no turnovers and three 3-pointers in 32 minutes against Portland. He couldn’t have played better, and any owners who were hesitant to pick him up before that can now feel confident in pulling the trigger. Now that the Nuggets are back to full health, players like Jamal Murray, Jameer Nelson and possibly even Will Barton will begin to fade (each to a different extent), so for owners currently rostering any of those guys, Harris should be an obvious player to pick up. For everyone else, Harris is still worth adding and should be owned in most, if not all, leagues, regardless of format and size. He’s not going to dominate every time out like he did against the Blazers, but he will provide enough upside to go along with a steady floor to make him worth holding onto for the foreseeable future. Since joining the league in 2014, Harris is averaging 8.7 points (43.6% FG, 31.9% 3PT, 79.3% FT), 2.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, one steal, one 3-pointer and one turnover in 24.1 minutes per game, but those stats are a bit skewed due to a lackluster rookie campaign. Owners should expect the third-year shooting guard to put up similar numbers to his last season (12 points, close to 50 percent shooting from the field, 3.3 rebounds, three assists and 1.2 threes in 24.2 minutes per game) and also be aware of a possible bump to his overall value. That is if he can hold down close to 30 minutes per game moving forward.
Now in his second year in the NBA, Kelly Oubre has shown some promise as of late and could be in the process of carving out some decent playing time moving forward. Over his last seven games, Oubre has averaged 24.4 minutes, including a whopping 40 minutes while replacing an injured Markieff Morris (foot) in Washington’s win over the Hornets on Wednesday. He’s averaging 9.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals and one 3-pointer in the month of December, which is good enough for deep-league consideration, but shallower leagues should still monitor his situation. When Morris does return, it won’t necessarily spell the end of his backup’s fantasy relevance. Some analysts have suggested that Morris should move to the bench and help improve the Wizards’ second-team when he returns, but even if Oubre does get bumped back to the bench, there’s an ever increasing chance that extra minutes will be waiting for him regardless of where he ends up. He’s currently a borderline stash candidate in 10-12 team leagues, though it’s probably safe to take the wait and see approach as the chances of someone else picking him up over the next few days are remote.
Tyson Chandler (C- PHO) 48.6%
Tyson Chandler has grabbed an average of 12.3 rebounds per game in December. Over that same period (his last seven games), he’s also averaging 8.1 points while shooting an impressive 61.1 percent from the floor (81.3% from the line). Chandler’s put together a relatively consistent 16 season career, and while his scoring and blocked shots have dropped off a little over the past couple of years, he’s still able to provide useful help in most fantasy leagues. His most recent contest, Thursday against San Antonio, saw the big man cool off a bit as he only managed four points and eight rebounds, but the Spurs are currently the second toughest defense versus centers in the NBA, so there’s no need to overreact. If you are in need of rebounding and Chandler is still available, pick him up now. His offensive production will continue to have its major ups and downs, but any player off the wire who can reliably record about 10 rebounds per game while boasting an upside in the low to mid-20s, is a player worth owning. He’s a must-add in all category leagues (even with an average of 2.1 turnovers per game this month) and should continue to be an active spot play/backup in standard-sized points leagues.
George Haw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from George, check out his archive and follow him @georgeWarfieldH.
