As I’ve mentioned countless times over the years, injuries are the biggest factor that creates movement on the waiver wire. All of the players below, minus one, are on this list due to an injury to themselves or a teammate that has opened up additional opportunity. If you play in competitive leagues, staying one step ahead of the trends is a crucial part of fantasy success. Whether it be a buy-low target or dropping a player before they hurt your team too much, the goal here is to try and stay ahead of the trends as much as possible.
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Players to Buy
I debated putting Richaun Holmes in this section but his playing time is too erratic to recommend in standard leagues. He’s one of those per36 gems, so if you’re feeling lucky, give him a shot in deeper formats. Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya?
Another that just misses the cut is Nikola Mirotic. He’s gotten off to a hot start since he returned from injury (16.3 points, 3.0 3-pointers per game), but like most players on this Bulls team, he tends to be pretty inconsistent. Plus, I don’t fully trust any member of this Chicago frontcourt to provide consistent production. There’s just too many bodies and Fred Hoiberg seems content mixing and matching his rotations on any given night.
Jayson Tatum (SF/PF – BOS)
It’s still very early, but I’d say the Celtics have won the Markelle Fultz/Jayson Tatum (plus a first-round pick) swap for now. Granted, Fultz has been injured, but Tatum has been thriving with the increased role and showing that he is mature beyond his years. Tatum has steadily been getting better and better with each passing month. He’s been a top-50 fantasy overall and top-30 over the past couple weeks as his offense continues to progress.
Tatum is one of those players that might not wow you in any one area, but he provides strong stats across the board and doesn’t hurt you in any category. However, take a guess who leads the NBA in three-point percentage right now? I’ll save you the time. It’s Tatum at an even 50%. His season averages of 13.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 0.8 blocks, 1.6 three-pointers, 50.2% shooting, and 82.6% from the line just seem to keep creeping up.
This kid is already good and keeps proving that he’s going to keep improving. We could be looking at a top-25 player at season’s end. Try to get yourself a piece of this pie. It’s going to take a decent amount to get him, but it’s worth it.
John Collins (PF/C – ATL)
If you’re one of the countless owners that lost one or two (or more) big men over the last few weeks, help is on the way. Breakout rookie, John Collins, is probable to return and should slot right back into the Hawks starting lineup. Don’t you dare make me a liar Mike Budenholzer!
In his last six games before the injury, Collins was averaging 13.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks on a ridiculous 76% from the floor. Another important note is that his minutes were trending up when he got hurt. In those aforementioned six games, he received 28 minutes per game.
As long as his minutes stay in the upper 20’s, Collins is going to have significant value the rest of the way for his contributions in points, rebounds, FG%, and defensive stats. If he was dropped by an impatient owner in your league scoop him up. If not, he’s a strong buy-low candidate as his stock is firmly trending up.
Caris LeVert (SG/SF – BKN)
It seems taboo to recommend any Brooklyn players, but here we are again. Following in the footsteps of his backcourt compadre Spencer Dinwiddie, LeVert has been producing at a top-60 level over the last two weeks. In that time, he’s averaged 14.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 three-pointers on 45.9% from the field and 87.0% from the line.
The assists have been trending up ever since he started getting some run as the backup point guard when Dinwiddie needs a breather. Due to his all-around strong contributions and consistent playing time, LeVert needs to be owned in all league and has the ability to be a top-100 asset the rest of the way.
Tyler Johnson (PG/SG – MIA)
Ever since his scoreless game on November 28th, Johnson has scored in double-digits in six straight contests, averaging 16.3 points and 2.8 three-pointers per game. His free throw shooting has become a fantasy asset and he’s really improved his overall shooting as the season has progressed. With his minutes holding steady in the high 20’s, those numbers I mentioned above are certainly attainable moving forward with some rebounds, assists, and defensive stats sprinkled in for good measure. If you need a guard that can knock down the three ball, give Johnson a look.
Players to Sell
Kenneth Faried (PF/C – DEN)
The coaching decisions of Mike Malone baffle me. While Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap have been out, Kenneth Faried has been Denver’s most consistent and productive big man, and Malone randomly decides to not play him last night? In the wise words of ESPN 8 announcer Pepper Brooks in the movie Dodgeball, “That’s a bold strategy Cotton, let’s see if it pays off for him.” Denver did handle Detroit rather easily, but the move is still quite curious. With Malone’s unexpectedness and the return of Jokic drawing closer, it sounds like Faried’s time as a fantasy commodity is coming to a close.
Nicolas Batum (SG/SF – CHA)
First off, I like Nicolas Batum as a fantasy player quite a bit. However, he just hasn’t looked quite right since returning from his elbow injury. Over the weekend Batum mentioned that he’s always in pain and “not even close to 100 percent.” His performance lately backs that statement up. Over the last two weeks, Batum has averaged only 10 PPG on 36.7% shooting.
He already missed Sunday’s game and is doubtful to play tonight. This sounds like another lengthy absence for Batum. I wouldn’t go as far as dropping him, but it might be time to see if you can get anything of value for him in trade.
Marcus Morris (SF/PF – BOS)
A knee injury is going to keep Marcus Morris out for the foreseeable future. He was flirting with top-100 value overall on the season but had really been struggling of late, averaging just 10.5 points on 37.5% shooting. Morris has never been one to put up solid defensive stats over the years, so his fantasy value has always been tied to his offensive contributions. With those dropping and now the probable extended absence, he can safely be dropped in standard leagues.
Eric Cross is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Eric, check out his archive and follow him @EricCross04.
