Welcome to our weekly waiver wire series where we scout out some of the best options off the wire still available in most fantasy basketball leagues. As we approach the end of Week 9, it’s important to remember that the fantasy basketball season is more of a marathon than it is a sprint. Or, maybe it’s somewhere in the middle like a nice 800-meter event in track – a long-distance sprint if you will. Either way, if you’re still harping on a poor draft or just trying to deal with multiple injuries, whatever your situation may be, try not to panic quite yet. There’s still plenty of time to turn things around, and there’s no time like today to do just that, so read on to see who we like best this week!
Ownership percentages are for ESPN leagues as of December 14.
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Jonathon Simmons (SG/SF – ORL) 37.1%
I first wrote about Jonathon Simmons back in week 3, suggesting he could become a solid bench asset, if not more, in standard leagues. Now, six weeks later, Simmons is looking more and more like a fantasy mainstay as he’s averaged 17.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 three-pointers in 36.1 minutes over his past nine games. He’s really thrived off of the simultaneous absence of Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier, so their eventual return (which may be any day now) is bound to slow Simmons down some, but even then, he should be owned in a majority of leagues. Pick him up now and enjoy his current production while it lasts, but once it ends, don’t be too quick to drop him. If or when he does return to the bench, any following regression may be somewhat exaggerated at first but eventually level out to a respectable level.
Taurean Prince (SF – ATL) 33.1%
It’s a little surprising to see Taurean Prince’s ownership rate still so low given the season he’s had so far. Sure, just like any younger player, Prince (23 years old) has put up some duds, but he’s yet to let them represent anything more than sporadic lapses of judgment or products of unfortunate game flow. Atlanta’s second-year forward has only scored in single digits in back to back games once this season and has recorded 17.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.8 threes and 34.3 minutes per game over his last four contests. His ceiling may not be at the same level as someone like Jonathon Simmons, but he’s going to see plenty of playing time almost regardless of the scenario, and that should help solidify a relatively high floor suitable for owners in standard-sized leagues regardless of the format.
Caris LeVert (PF/SG/SF – BKN) 27.7%
This week is full of familiar names, and Caris LeVert is no exception. I mentioned him as a waiver wire target in last week’s issue, but if you missed that bit of advice here it is one more time. LeVert is becoming more consistent as the year progresses, and over his last four games has averaged 16.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 threes in 29.4 minutes. His playing time fluctuated a bit through the first four or so weeks of the season, but that looks to have changed now that head coach Kenny Atkinson has decided to throw some backup point guard duties his way. Being able to play so many positions allows LeVert to collect minutes more easily and should make him more of a long-term value. It’s unlikely that his ownership rate will remain this low for long, so if you’re thinking about adding him, stop, and just do it already!
Milos Teodosic (SG/PG – LAC) 15.5%
OK, so lastly we have another player who was featured in last week’s article. I mostly try not to repeat too many names from week to week, but sometimes you just can’t help it. The waiver wire is in a strange state at the moment. There aren’t many attractive options out there, yet the few that do deserve more attention are so far ahead of everyone else that it makes little sense to avoid mentioning them for no other reason than they were mentioned last week.
Milos Teodosic has played in just two games since returning from injury and only four total on the year, but it’s already easy to tell he has plenty of potential. At 30 years of age and with six years of EuroLeague experience, Teodosic is an unusually seasoned rookie, so any growing pains typically associated with first-year pros are likely to be both less intense and less frequent. He’s going to be eased into a larger workload, but in the two games since his return, Teodosic has averaged 10 points, 6.5 rebounds, three assists, two three-pointers, 0.5 blocks and 1.5 turnovers in 23 minutes per game. Again, the sample size is small, but this is not a time to “wait and see.” Teodisic was owned in seven percent of leagues last week and this week that number has doubled. If you’re in a 10-team or deeper league and can handle a not so great field goal percentage, grab the veteran-rookie while you still can.
George Haw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from George, check out his archive and follow him @georgeWarfieldH.