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Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 9

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 9
Nick Young

Nick Young has been on fire of late

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all you fantasy basketballers out there! As we near Week 9, it’s once again time to take a look at who’s available on the waiver wire. This week we’ve got a few returning talents combined with some new faces to make for an intriguing group of potentially potent pickups. So, read on for this week’s suggestions and good luck!

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Ownership percentages are for ESPN leagues as of December 22.

Patrick Beverley (PG – HOU) 42.1%

The point guard position is a little thin at the moment, so it’s hard to understand how Beverley is still available in nearly 60 percent of leagues. The Houston ball handler has filled the stat sheet lately, averaging 10.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.9 threes in 32.9 minutes over his last nine games. That means that Beverley has covered five different categories for owners over that period, and he hasnt’ shown any signs of slowing down. Because his value is rooted in a more wholistic approach to the game, owners in category formats will find Beverley more appealing, but if he can keep up his current pace, even those in points leagues should find him hard to resist. With the way that his ownership rates have been trending lately, you shouldn’t expect him to be available for much longer, so go ahead and pull the trigger now, before it’s too late.

Gary Harris (SG – DEN) 35.9%

Now in his third year as a pro and with one full season of experience as a starter behind him, Gary Harris makes for a possible breakout candidate in 2016. His slow start to the season was likely a result of injuries that kept him off the court for most of November, but in his four games since returning to action, Harris has averaged 15.3 points (59% FG, 63.6% FT and 61.5% 3PT), 2.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.5 steals, two three-pointers and one turnover in 28.5 minutes. That kind of production warrants ownership in most points-based leagues, but if he can stay healthy and maintain a usage rate of 30 or more minutes per game, the Nuggets’ shooting guard will quickly become a popular addition to fantasy rosters in all leagues big or small. His latest performance, against the Clippers this past Tuesday might have been one we’d all like to forget (just three points on 1-of-6 from the field), but owners should chalk it up to an unfortunate game flow and expect Harris to bounce back soon.

Will Barton (SG/SF – DEN) 45.8%

Will Barton shouldn’t be forgotten just because Gary Harris has returned, though based on his 22-point performance Tuesday against the Clippers, that’s probably stating the obvious. In fact, the return of Harris has yet to put a dent in Barton’s fantasy value as Denver’s backup shooting guard is averaging 16.3 points along with four rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals and two three-pointers in 27.8 minutes since being bumped to the bench. Out of the two, Harris is still the better option as long as he holds onto starter’s minutes, but Barton isn’t far behind, having proven in the past to be more than capable of fantasy relevance coming off the bench. Like any shooter, he can be rather streaky, but Barton holds enough upside as the leading offensive threat of Denver’s second unit to justify picking him up for the long haul.

Nick Young (SG/SF – LAL) 32.7%

If you need more threes, Nick Young is currently your man. Since returning from a calf injury, Young has been on a tear and over his last three games has totaled 76 points, including 18 threes, while shooting better than 54 percent from the field and 51 percent from beyond the arc. As a career 37 percent shooter from deep, there’s no way he can continue this fiery pace for long, so you might as well try to join in on the fun before it comes to an end. Of course, that’s not to say that Young’s relevance depends on him putting up career numbers, but owners in shallower leagues should temper their expectations for any long-term value. Young should no doubt be owned in all category and all deep leagues for as long as his hot streak lasts.

Jon Leuer (PF – DET) 27.6%

Leuer is having a career year in Detroit as a result of seeing more playing time than he’s averaged in any of his past six seasons in the NBA. Currently, he’s averaging 11.2 points (51.2% FG, 88.9% FT) , 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.9 turnovers in 26.7 minutes. Those numbers aren’t exactly eye-popping, but it’s important to note that he’s steadily improved all year and has put up his most impressive numbers over the past few weeks (six of his seven best scoring performances this season have come this month). Across his last three games, Leuer has averaged 17 points, six rebounds, 2.3 assists and one turnover in 27.3 minutes and could see his usage continue to rise. Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy stated, after their Wednesday loss to Memphis, that Leuer would have gotten the start had he not been involved in a car accident earlier in the day. So, while coming off the bench in that game didn’t seem to slow him down one bit (18 points, six rebounds, one block and one three-pointer in 30 minutes), it’s reasonable to assume that he will get the nod Friday against Golden State. Leuer is trending in the right direction and should be added in all deeper leagues, regardless of your scoring format. He may not be a must add in shallower leagues, but with the upside of a place in the Pistons’ starting rotation, it’s hard to rationalize leaving him on the wire for much longer.

George Haw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from George, check out his archive and follow him @georgeWarfieldH.

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