Now deep into Week 8, it’s hard to believe that we’re approaching the half-way point in many fantasy basketball regular seasons, but here we are. Fantasy football leagues are nearing their end, so for those of you focusing solely on the hardcourt, your competition may soon improve. As other owners, previously preoccupied with their pigskin playoffs, shift more of their focus to the round ball game, the waiver wire may no longer be as inviting.
So, with that in mind, let’s see if we can’t help you stay ahead of the game. Continue reading for our top-five waiver wire players to target as we close in on the holidays.
Ownership percentages are for ESPN leagues as of December 8.
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Milos Teodosic (SG/PG – LAC) 7.4%
With a season-ending injury to Patrick Beverley, it’s looking like Milos Teodosic could end up with the starting point guard spot for the Clippers when he returns from injury. Since he’s only played two games in the NBA, we don’t have a whole lot of game tape to go off of, but his style of play resembles that of Ricky Rubio. Teodosic, if he can have success in the big leagues, should produce a good amount of assists and steals while occasionally pairing them with useful scoring.
He won’t be the most efficient shooter and will probably go through the typical ups and downs of a rookie, but overall, Teodosic should see enough minutes when fully recovered to warrant ownership in most leagues. Despite some uncertainty in when exactly he’ll return, it’s not going to be much longer (possibly two-to-three games away), so now is the time to grab him.
Caris LeVert (PF/SG/SF – BKN) 14.9%
Over his last seven games, Caris LeVert has averaged a productive 13.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, five assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.1 threes in 28 minutes per game. The injury to D’Angelo Russell (arthroscopic knee surgery) has opened up some valuable playing time for LeVert, and he seems to be making the most of the opportunity – as was truly evidenced by his most recent game against the Thunder. In that game, the second-year pro totaled 21 points and 10 assists (both career highs) to go along with five rebounds in just over 30 minutes.
Considering Russell, who isn’t yet able to run, is still far off from returning (per NetsDaily.com), LeVert should continue to see solid playing time moving forward. If you’re looking for that kind of scoring and peripheral stats, now is the time to grab him.
Austin Rivers (SG/PG – LAC) 36.2%
With the mounting injuries in L.A., Austin Rivers has seen a sizeable uptick in his playing time. Over his last seven games, he’s averaged 19.7 points, five assists, three rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 2.6 three-pointers in 35.6 minutes. The recent return of Danilo Gallinari may slightly decrease Rivers’ exposure, but as long as he continues to play like he is, any hit to his production should be negligible.
Considering both Patrick Beverley (out for the season) and Blake Griffin (MCL sprain) are down, there are plenty of minutes to go around. As mentioned earlier, Teodosic is also slated to return sometime soon and will probably take over the starting point guard role, but even that may not do much in terms of Rivers’ fantasy value. When Teodosic does return, Rivers will likely shift to more of a shooting guard role, which might affect his assists, but, at the same time, it might also help his scoring (both points scored and three-pointers made).
So, while his role may change for owners in category leagues, his overall impact could remain relatively steady as long as he can hold off the likes of Lou Williams and maybe Wesley Johnson as well. Rivers should certainly be owned in most leagues as he’s proven more than capable of helping owners in all fantasy formats.
For those in need of a long-term option off of the wire, he has a great chance of being that guy in mid to deep points-based leagues. Either way, it’s hard to ignore what he’s doing right now, so go ahead and get him while he’s still available.
Larry Nance Jr. (PF – LAL) 28.6%
We already covered Larry Nance Jr. last week, so I won’t spend too much time restating what’s already been said, but it is worth mentioning that, while he’s still available in the majority of leagues, that might not be the case for much longer. The Lakers frontcourt is a bit crowded at the moment.
Larry Nance Jr., Julius Randle, Kyle Kuzma, Brook Lopez, and even Brandon Ingram are seeing time in the power forward and/or center positions. This makes it’s tough to predict who will be the guy to play on any given night, and Nance Jr. has only surpassed 25 minutes in two of his five games since returning from injury.
With that being said, he has played at an efficient rate while on the court and owners should expect his current production to continue if not improve. Nance Jr. may not be worth starting in standard or shallow leagues right now, so he’s not necessarily a must-own, but given the number of trade rumors hovering around the Lakers, he does make for an intriguing stash.
George Haw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from George, check out his archive and follow him @georgeWarfieldH.