I’m down with most genres of music: hip hop, jazz, classical, metal, punk, kpop, etc. I could never get into country, though, except for one song, The Gambler by Kenny Rogers. It’s not how it sounds, but what is said.
“You’ve got to know when to hold ’em. Know when to fold ’em. Know when to walk away. And know when to run. You never count your money. When you’re sittin’ at the table. There’ll be time enough for countin’. When the dealin’s done.”
Words that are pertinent for poker and fantasy sports. During this time of the fantasy basketball season, there are players we are still holding out hope for, which prohibits us from picking the ripe fruit from the waiver wire tree. At the same time, we can’t go chasing waterfalls by picking up every hot waiver wire hero. It’s a delicate balance. We have to know when to let certain plays go and when to stay strong.
Hopefully, this article will help to illuminate players that are worth your time. I use the Yahoo database and will only highlight players that are less than 50% owned.
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Noah Vonleh (PF – NY) 22% owned
Vonleh was inserted into the starting lineup on October 26th against the Golden State Warriors. Since then, he has received 22, 28, and 32 minutes. He’s scored 7, 8, and 14 points respectively, but it’s not about the scoring for Vonleh. He’s a low usage player, as he has yet to attempt more than six shots in a game that he’s started. It’s the rebounds and ability to stuff the stat sheet. Vonleh has grabbed 10 rebounds in back-to-back games and has not left a bagel in any category. He won’t win a week for you but provides a nice floor for your team. Plus, he’s free!!! Currently, he’s the 79th overall player according to Basketball Monster.
Tony Parker (PG – CHA) 4% owned
In his last game, Parker scored 24 points and dished out 11 assists in 25 minutes against the Miami Heat. Wow. Now, that’s not something that will happen on a nightly basis, but Parker does have some value for those that need assists. If you need anything more than that, please scroll down. He probably won’t play in back-to-backs and the minutes are obviously capped because of Kemba Walker, but he’s averaging over five assists a game (with a ceiling for double-digits), and over eight shots per game (with a season-high of 15).
Ersan Ilyasova (SF/PF – MIL) 15% owned
I understand if you don’t want to participate in the Ilyasova Experience. It’s maddeningly frustrating, as he is such an inconsistent player. He will shoot 1-for-3 with three rebounds one game, then explode for 19/10 the next game on 8-for-12 shooting. Sometimes, you just have to take the bad with the good. For the season, Ilyasova is averaging close to 23 minutes per game. He will provide some steals and three-pointers, but his main contributions come in the points and rebound categories. Coach Budenholzer trusts him from his days in Atlanta, so his role is secure. The ceiling is limited, though, and the roller coaster nature of his production is too much for some to handle.
P.J. Tucker (SF/PF – HOU) 31% owned
I wrote up Tucker in last week’s column and his ownership was 25% then. I move the needle! Who am I kidding? I can’t even get my kids to do my bidding. Anyways, maybe owners are confusing P. J. with Chris? How else can you explain this? P.J. is no joke, as he’s the 39th overall player according to Basketball Monster. Fine, he’s not sexy and won’t win a week for you. I get it. Like Vonleh, though, he contributes across the board and his floor is super high. He’s averaging almost 36 minutes a game with 9.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 2.2 three-pointers per game.
Justin Holiday (SG/SF – CHI) 36% owned
Holiday was 23% owned when I wrote him up last week. See, it was me! Fine, the good play has been the reason, but I have to concoct ways to stroke my ego. I’ve never been the biggest Holiday fan because of the poor shooting efficiency and lack of contributions in the peripheral categories. With that said, he’s averaging a career-high 34.3 minutes per game, and minutes are gold for fantasy. In addition, he’s shooting 42% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. His career rates are 39% and 35% respectively. Holiday is grabbing some rebounds, dishing out some assists, and stealing a career-high 1.4 per game. I’m a stubborn mule most of the time, but always reassess when new information comes to light. I’m expecting some regression, especially in the efficiency, but he’s balling for now and is someone that should be owned…for now.
Cody Zeller (PF/C – CHA) 24% owned
Willy Hernangomez will never be free. I had hopes that he would this season, but his defense is just that bad. Enter Zeller. He’s scored in double-figures in each of the past four games and his pulling down close to six rebounds per game in 23-25 minutes. The defensive stats aren’t plentiful, but he will contribute a block and/or steal here and there. There’s an obvious cap on his ceiling because he won’t get the minutes, but he’s one of the viable big men available on the waiver wire.
Josh Okogie (SG – MIN) 10% owned
The rookie has started five out of the last six games for the Timberwolves. Now, keep in mind that Andrew Wiggins and/or Jimmy Butler have missed time, but even when both played, Okogie received 24 minutes of run and scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds, and got three steals. Okogie is not a great shooter (38% from the field and 20% from downtown), but he contributes in the defensive stats and will grab rebounds. With the Jimmy Butler drama in full effect, there’s upside if Butler is indeed traded.
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Stan Son is a featured writer at FantasyPros. To read more from Stan, check out his archive and follow him @Stan_Son.
