Al-Farouq Aminu is averaging a double-double over his last five games
It’s Friday, and you know what that means! Welcome back to our weekly waiver wire article, where we scour the most widely available free agents, so you don’t have to. It was tough to find much depth in the frontcourt last week, but this time around we seem to have unintentionally made up for that deficit by going heavy on big men. As always, we’ve come up with five players worth considering as new additions to your team, so read on and good luck in your journey to the championship!
Import your team for free to get waiver wire advice 
Ownership percentages are for ESPN leagues as of January 12.
Malcolm Brogdon (SF/PG – MIL) 44.6%
One of the most undervalued rookies of the 2016 NBA Draft, Malcolm Brogdon has now started seven straight games for the Bucks. In that time, he’s averaged 14.1 points (45.1% FG, 94.4% FT, 38.1% 3PT), 6.4 assists, five rebounds and one three-pointer in 33.5 minutes. Those numbers alone should merit attention, but they aren’t indicative of how high his ceiling could be. The 36th pick racked up 22 points in Sunday’s loss to Washington and most recently managed to score 17 in only 25 minutes Tuesday at San Antonio. Those two games are also the first two since Matthew Dellavedova (hamstring) returned to the court from an injury, and while he’ll likely see more time as he nears full speed, Dellavedova’s health may not necessarily be inversely proportional to Brogdon’s fantasy value. Both have been a part of the same lineup before, and the latter has shown potential worth taking the time to develop. Brogdon looks ready to be owned in most, if not all, standard leagues.
Al-Farouq Aminu (SF/PF – POR) 30.4%
After a back injury hampered his start to the season, Aminu’s just now beginning to get things going. Over his last five games, the seven-year veteran is averaging 10.8 points (46.8% FG, 83.3% FT, 31.3% 3PT), 10.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.8 steals and one three-pointer in 33.2 minutes. Any player averaging a double-double who isn’t shooting the ball at a historically inefficient rate or turning the ball over every few possessions is worth owning in all standard leagues, and Aminu is doing just that. A double-digit average in any of the three big categories is an attractive sight to see in fantasy basketball, so one should expect, assuming things stay the same, the Blazers’ power forward to see his ownership rate climb steadily over the next week few weeks. This week’s waiver wire seems to be making up for the lack of frontcourt depth last week, so Aminu may not be your best option at the four spot, but either way, he should at least make for a healthy option to consider in mid-sized leagues.
Montrezl Harrell (PF – HOU) 44.3%
In the 13 games since Clint Capela was sidelined due to a leg injury, Harrell has stepped up and successfully filled the void at center, averaging 14.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 blocks and 0.5 turnovers in 26.7 minutes. Over that period, he’s recorded double-digit points eight times and set a new career high with 29 against the Rockets. He doesn’t rebound quite as well as Capela but is more proficient offensively and is doing more than enough to remain ahead of Nene Hilario on the depth chart. Capela does seem poised to return to action within the next couple of weeks, which will likely hurt Harrell’s value, but if the backup can continue to produce as he is now, that certainty will soon become anything but. As long as Houston’s starting center is out, Harrell remains a valid option in standard leagues and has the potential to maintain fantasy relevance even after Capela’s return. Any impetuous owners should have no problem picking him up but will want to take some deep breaths and allow him some added room for error before reacquainting Harrell with free agency.
Markieff Morris (PF – WSH) 48.6%
He’s averaged roughly the same usage rate throughout the season, but as the weeks have passed, Markieff Morris has steadily improved his efficiency on the court. As a result, the Washington power forward is finally returning value in standard sized category leagues. His worth in points-based leagues, while modest, has rarely been an issue, but Morris’ struggles to make more than 40-45 percent of his shots to start the season limited his effectiveness in smaller eight and nine-category formats. While he did struggle with his shot Wednesday at Washington, over his last 10 games (including that contest), Morris has made 49.2 percent of his field goal attempts – a near 10 percent improvement compared to his season leading up to that point – to average 14.5 points along with 6.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 threes in 30.3 minutes. He’s worth a low-end start in 10-team leagues and should be a reliable long-term asset for owners with more opponents.
Robert Covington (PF/SF) 30.1%
I can’t say I’m a huge fan of Robert Covington when it comes to fantasy, but over his last five games, the Philadelphia stretch-four has accomplished enough to force my hand, so here he is. Before the Sixers’ December 30 win in Denver, Covington was shooting a putrid 34.6 percent from the field – an unacceptable rate, even by his own, less than appealing standards – but in the five games since then, he’s seen that number improve to a serviceable 40 percent. That uptick in efficiency has not only improved his scoring output by four points per game, but it’s also allowed him more minutes, which, in turn, has lead to more rebounds, assists, steals and three-pointers. He’s still a bit of a liability for owners needing to improve their team’s field goal percentage, but for everyone else, Covington is worth adding across the board – that is, as long as he can keep up his current pace.
George Haw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from George, check out his archive and follow him @georgeWarfieldH.
