Here we are again, back with another installment of our weekly fantasy basketball waiver wire column. For the past few weeks or so, trade rumors have dominated headlines, and with every new rumor comes the hope that the next big waiver grab could be just around the corner. It’s an exciting time for fantasy owners, but at the same time, it can be a bit taxing trying to keep track of it all – not to mention frustrating constantly trying to add and drop players every time the news changes. Thankfully, we’ve finally gotten our first big trade thanks to the Pistons and Clippers, and it’s looking like that may just be the tip of the iceberg. Add to that, the recent injuries to star players like DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, and Kevin Love and the wire is looking deeper than it has in quite a while. So, let’s get started.
Ownership percentages are for ESPN leagues as of February 2.
Denzel Valentine (SG/SF – CHI): 21.8%
Valentine has been great when picking up the slack left by injured players, and now that Kris Dunn is out, he’s back at it again. Over the last six games since Dunn was first ruled out due to a concussion, Valentine has filled in nicely, averaging 12.2 points, five rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.5 made threes, 0.8 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 1.5 turnovers in 28 minutes per game. And, the Chicago sophomore has had even more success in his last three games, averaging 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in the same 28 minutes per game. Dunn is still without a timetable to return, so fantasy owners should pick Valentine up now and keep rolling him out as long as he’s logging minutes in the upper 20’s or more.
Jerian Grant(PG – CHI): 8.2%
As mentioned above, the recent injury to the Bulls’ starting point guard, Kris Dunn (concussion), has opened up plenty of minutes for some of the bench players, and in deeper leagues, Jerian Grant may be the one to target. If Valentine isn’t available, Grant is worth considering while Dunn recovers as the former has averaged 12 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.5 made threes, 1.3 steals, 0.2 blocks, and 2.2 turnovers in 30.7 minutes over the six games Dunn has missed so far. Those numbers are somewhat inflated because of one game in which Grant went crazy, putting up 22 points, 13 assists, and five rebounds in 47 minutes, so one should temper expectations a bit, but for owners in 12-team or deeper leagues in need of point guard help, Grant makes for a serviceable flyer at the moment.
Greg Monroe (PF/C – FA): 34.8%
Monroe is now a free agent after having his contract bought out by the Suns. I’ve lost track of how many times Greg Monroe’s name has come up here, but it’s been a lot. Phoenix has been one of the most frustrating teams to gauge from a fantasy perspective this season, as they’ve been awful from the get-go, yet they refuse to act like it when it comes to their roster. Instead of focusing on developing Alex Len, a 24-year-old 7’1″ center with obvious potential, they’ve had him in an ever-revolving three-man carousel at center along with Monroe and Tyson Chandler. Why they continue to start Chandler, who’s 35 years old, over Len is perplexing, to say the least, and the way they dealt with Monroe wasn’t much better. The latter was great whenever he had the opportunity, however, those were few and far between as Monroe rarely played consecutive games since he was traded to Phoenix.
In what must have been a last-ditch effort to display his value for a possible trade, he did play in his last five games as a Sun and averaged 12.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.2 blocks, and three turnovers in just 25 minutes. In other words, when he’s had the opportunity, Greg Monroe has produced (his per 36 minutes averages this season are 17.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals), and he’s going to get that opportunity soon – the only question is, with whom? Monroe is not guaranteed to play major minutes with whichever team eventually picks him up, but it’s probably safe to say he’ll at least log around 25 minutes per game. If that does happen, he’ll be worth owning in most, if not all leagues, so now is a good time to act.
Terry Rozier (PG – BOS): 20.8%
Rozier just made history as he recorded a triple-double Wednesday against the Nets. That makes him just the second player to do so in his first career start since the NBA first began recording starts in 1970 (Tony Wroten being the other). With a beat dime dealing crew (Kyrie Irving, Marcus Smart, and Shane Larkin all sat out due to injury), Rozier was able to log heavy minutes at point guard, and he certainly made the most of the opportunity, putting up 17 points, 10 assists, 11 rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and three made three-pointers in 33 minutes.
While Irving may return sooner rather than later, that doesn’t mean Rozier’s recent success will end all together as a result. In the game preceding his triple-double, Rozier logged 29 minutes leading to eight points, nine rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block, and two made threes. Irving played 37 minutes in that game, however, both Smart and Larkin were out, which is where Rozier found the extra playing time. Even if Irving returns in Boston’s next game, Smart is expected to still miss another week, and Larkin won’t be rushed back given how proficiently Rozier handled himself. So, to make a long story no longer, just go ahead and pick Mr. Rozier up now if you need some help in the backcourt over the next week.
Reggie Bullock (SG – DET): 15.1%
Over his last four games (the last three of which he’s started), Reggie Bullock is averaging an impressive 16.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 3.5 made threes across 32.2 minutes per game. Now in his fifth NBA season, the North Carolina product may have finally found a role that will allow him to consistently play heavy minutes, which is key for any shooter to be able to find their rhythm. There were some questions as to how the blockbuster Blake Griffin trade would affect Bullock, but if their last game is any indication, then he should be just fine. In Griffin’s first game as a Piston, Bullock remained in the starting lineup and played a solid 35 minutes resulting in 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field. He was a little off from beyond the arc, making just 2-of-6 from deep, but his playing time was certainly a good sign moving forward. If you’re in need of points and/or threes (along with some useful peripheral stats), Bullock is worth considering in most leagues.
Markieff Morris (PF – WAS): 45.4%
Before John Wall was first sidelined due to a sore knee on Jan 27, Markieff Morris was averaging 25.4 minutes per game and putting up numbers worthy of only deep league consideration. In each of the three games since then, however, he’s logged at least 30 minutes, resulting in 18.7 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two made threes per game. With Wall expected to miss the next six-eight weeks, Morris should be set up nicely to continue this usage rate for most, if not all, of the remaining fantasy season. Those past three games may represent Morris’ ceiling, so owners shouldn’t expect much more from him, but he should be worth owning in most standard leagues moving forward.
George Haw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from George, check out his archive and follow him @georgeWarfieldH.