Hope everyone is having Happy Holidays! It is a time of joy, as some celebrate a birthday, while others are still high from winning fantasy football championships. There is gift giving and spending time with family. It is also the winding down time of year, with reflection and visions of improvement for the next. There is also gloom for some, though. For every winner in fantasy football leagues, there are multiple losers.
On a more serious note, there are some that do not have a family to spend with or have issues that prohibit them from experiencing joy. Help out your fellow man, and there is assistance available for those of you that need it.
With that said, whether you are winning or losing your fantasy basketball league right now, there is still time to rise or fall in the standings. If you’re winning, remain vigilant and stay ahead of the competition. If you are languishing, there is still hope. Scour the waiver wire and look for any edge that may be out there. Hopefully, this waiver wire column can help in that endeavor.
As always, I utilize the Yahoo database and highlight those players that are owned in less than 50% of leagues.
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Ivica Zubac (C – LAL) – 31% owned
Zubac or Zupac, as Mike Gallagher of Rotoworld calls him, has been amazing over the past three games. He’s averaged 31.9 minutes, 17.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks, which has been good to be the #12 player in fantasy. Two of those games were going up against Marc Gasol and Anthony Davis. Now, JaVale McGee has missed those games, but Tyson Chandler was available for two of them.
Zubac is still only 21 years old, but he’s improved a lot, especially on the defensive end. Not the most fleet of foot, he still struggles some in pick-and-roll action, but his awareness and help defense have been noticeably better. He’s always had the post game and feathery touch on offense, but what happens when McGee returns?
There’s also the LeBron James injury, as we have no ideas how Coach Walton will manage his rotations and offense. With that said, the likely scenario is that Zubac wilts back to third on the depth chart, but there’s also a slim chance that he’s carved out a significant role with his recent play. The risk/reward is worth it.
Garrett Temple (SG/SF – MEM) – 22% owned
Over the past three games, Temple has been the #20 player in fantasy, as he’s averaged 35.6 minutes, 13.7 points, 2.7 three-pointers, four rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks. Now, he’s shooting 65% from the field, so that efficiency is not going to continue. In addition, he’s more like a 0.4 blocks per game player. Temple is not going to win a week for you, but he could be useful if you need three-pointers, steals, and some rebounds. He’s a low usage player and he plays on a team that plays at a slow pace, but he gets over 32 minutes of run a game. Top 100 player is the likely range for Temple, but he does have the ability to access ceiling from time to time.
Thomas Bryant (C – WAS) – 23% owned
Two games ago, Bryant went ballistic against the Suns in a triple-overtime game: 31 points, 13 rebounds, and two assists on 14-for-14 shooting. It was an outlier game for sure, but it does show the kind of ceiling that he possesses. I’ve always liked Bryant since his Lakers days, as he’s always active and plays extremely hard. He also shoots well from the free throw line and will contribute a three-pointer from time to time.
The issues are that he doesn’t contribute much in the defensive categories or assists, and the minutes are all over the place. If you need rebounds and three-pointers from the center position, or if you have space for a speculative pickup in the hope that Coach Brooks commits more to Bryant, then he’s your guy.
Justise Winslow (SF/PF – MIA) – 46% owned
Goran Dragic underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and will miss at least two months. In his place, Winslow will likely start and take over point guard responsibilities. He’s coming off a game in which he scored 22 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out four assists, and tallied four steals in 30 minutes of run. The shooting efficiency will be inconsistent, but the overall ceiling of his game is high. During a three-game span a few weeks ago, Winslow averaged 23 points, seven rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.3 steals on 56% shooting from the field and 52% from downtown.
Rodions Kurucs (SF/PF – BKN) – 20% owned
I’ve been impressed with the 20-year-old Kurucs. He’s a lanky 6’9″ and 210 pounds, but he has a quick release on his jumper, with range from beyond the arc. In addition, he has the handles to drive to the rack. What I most like about his game is that he doesn’t just sit in the corner and wait idly for the ball. He’s constantly moving. With that said, he’s still young, raw, and makes mistakes, but it looks like he’s endearing himself to Coach Atkinson.
Most of his playing time was due to Allen Crabbe being out, but Atkinson has said that Kurucs will continue getting run even when Crabbe returns. What exactly that means is anyone’s guess, but over the past three games, he’s been a top-50 player: 16 points, 1.3 three-pointers, 5.7 rebounds, 0.7 steals, and one block in 30.2 minutes of run per game.
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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.
