Knock on wood, but it seems like this NBA season has finally hit its stride. After a rocky start with injuries and certain stars trying to find their place on new teams, things are beginning to feel familiar once again – including the waiver wire. It may not be easy to predict when specific players will heat up or how long they’ll stay hot once they do, but it is getting easier to predict who will and will not be available on the wire from week to week. Of course, there are plenty of new faces, whether they be rookies who’ve yet to blossom or veterans having peaked some time ago, but it probably won’t be long until they too become waiver wire regulars. In the end, regardless of who you pick up, all that really matters is how they can help your team, so let’s end the intro nonsense and get to why you’re really here!
Ownership percentages are for ESPN leagues as of November 1.
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Jonathon Simmons (SG – ORL) 30.3%
Since leaving San Antonio to join the Magic, Simmons has seen his playing time increase by more than 40 percent. Now logging just under 26 minutes per game, Simmons is making the most of his new opportunities in the Sunshine State by putting up 16.7 points (53.3% FG, 77.8%FT, 50% 3pt), 3.4 rebounds, two assists and 1.3 three-pointers on the season. With the added court-time, Simmons has definite potential to become a reliable fantasy option in all formats as he’s been able to improve upon nearly every category while also improving his efficiency. That isn’t easy to do, so it should come as no surprise to hear Orlando’s head coach, Frank Vogel, sing his praises recently. While he may still come off the bench, as long as Simmons is seeing 25-plus minutes per game, he’s worth owning as a strong fantasy bench player with upside as a low-end starter in 10-team leagues.
Jeremy Lamb (SG – CHA) 41.5%
Thanks to Nicolas Batum’s preseason injury (torn ligament in left elbow), Jeremy Lamb has seen a sizeable increase in his playing time and has now recorded at least 28 minutes in all seven games this season. He’s scored at least 15 points in each of those games, including back-to-back 20-point efforts against Houston and Orlando, and his not too bad field goal percentage of 45.3 percent on the season jumps up to 54 percent over his last four games. Batum “expects to be playing in two to three weeks” (Charlotte Observer), and fellow guard Malik Monk seems to be on the rise, so Lamb may only be a short-term grab, but that shouldn’t stop you from riding the hot hand. He should be owned in all 10-team or larger points-based leagues. As for category leagues, Lamb can still be utilized but just to a lesser extent as he’s going to specialize mainly in the points scored and three-pointers made categories (though his 5.3 rebounds per game aren’t bad either).
Jamal Murray (PG/SG – DEN) 37.1%
After a forgettable start to his season, Jamal Murray has quickly turned things around averaging 17 points, 2.5 rebounds, three assists and one 3-pointer over his last four games. He’s scored 20 or more points and made at least 50 percent of his field goals in each of his last two contests, which is a drastic improvement from the 28.8 percent clip he held through his first four games of the year. It’s apparent he’s gained some confidence with his shot and should provide solid value to owners in need of points and threes, but it’s tough to know how long that will last. Playing in every game last year, Murray barely shot 40 percent from the field, so while the hope is that the sophomore guard can continue to gain confidence as the season progresses, we could be looking at a highly volatile fantasy player. He’s not a must-add in standard leagues, but if you’re in need of guard depth, Murray is currently a nice option. But if you do pick him up, try to be patient and not drop him too quickly after a bad performance. That’s going to happen here and there when dealing with a younger player (especially young shooters). What you’re really hoping for is for those duds to progressively occur less often throughout the year.
Tyreke Evans (SF/SG – MEM) 35.1%
Tyreke Evans is back everybody! Well, at least for the moment he is. Now in Memphis, Evans is thriving as the Grizzlies sixth man and may be in the process of locking down some additional long-term playing time. After starting the year by scoring in double digits in seven of his first eight games (never playing more than 25 minutes), Evans decided to kick things up a bit and drop 32 points on Orlando in Memphis’ most recent contest. In what was one of his best offensive performances in years, Evans made 13 of his 20 attempts from the field (including 4-of-6 from three) while also recording three rebounds, four assists, and two steals. He did turn the ball over five times, but given his production in other categories, it’s safe to say he more than made up for the shaky ball handling.
Before we get too carried away, though, it’s important to point out that Evans saw additional playing time (34 total minutes) against the Magic because of Mike Conley sitting out to rest his Achilles. In fact, Evans handled point guard duties for extended periods of time during that game which allowed him to take shots or cut to the basket more often. And let’s not kid ourselves here, Tyreke Evans has always had a relatively high ceiling but it’s his inconsistent nature combined with his love of injuries that’s kept him from being a reliable fantasy stud. Right now, Evans should be owned in all leagues and if he’s still available in yours, he probably won’t be for much longer. As long as he’s healthy and scoring he’s worth a roster spot, just remember how difficult that can be for him at times and plan accordingly.
George Haw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from George, check out his archive and follow him @georgeWarfieldH.
