Fantasy Basketball Category Analysis & Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 2 (2023)

Welcome to your weekly dose of fantasy basketball possibilities as we explore and identify players who can help take your team to the next level in your quest for the championship crown of your league. It’s a long season, so it’s beneficial to maintain an “it’s a marathon, not a sprint” mindset as you strategize and tailor your approach, whether weekly or season-long, to maximize your team’s value and potential.

Each week, we will be looking at players who are widely available and rostered in fewer than 65% of fantasy leagues on Yahoo. Our focus will be on building strategies in eight-category leagues with standard scoring (more details outlined below).

Insights about the highlighted players will concentrate on how they can contribute to the aligned category but also touch on how they can contribute to various other categories.

Note: The statistics and data used in the writing of this article were sourced from nba.com

Check out the latest fantasy basketball expert consensus rankings

Fantasy Basketball Category Analysis & Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Format

Scoring Type: Head-to-Head (Most Categories)
Player Stat Categories:

• Points Scored (PTS)
• Total Rebounds (REB)
• Assists (AST)
• Steals (ST)
• Block Shots (BLK)
• 3-Point Shots Made (3PTM)
• Field Goal Percentage (FG%)
• Free Throw Percentage (FT%)

Roster Positions:

• Point Guard (PG)
• Shooting Guard (SG)
• Guard (G)
• Small Forward (SF)
• Power Forward (PF)
• Center (C) x 2
• Utility (UTIL) x 2
• Bench (BN) x 2
• Injured List (IL) x 3

Points

Lonnie Walker IV (SG – BKN) | 27% Rostered

Walker is a versatile fantasy asset, averaging 16.7 points, tied for 65th in the league, over 24.9 minutes with a 23.9% usage rate. He’s making 5.0 out of 10.3 field goals per game at a 48.4% clip and hitting 2.7 of 5.7 three-pointers at 47.1%. Beyond scoring, he contributes 3.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. Walker is a strong pick for weekly streaming or as a season-long asset, especially with the Nets playing four games in the week starting Monday, November 6th:

Rebounds

Deni Avdija (SF, PF – WAS) | 52% Rostered

Avdija is a rising fantasy asset with multi-categorical value, offering a balanced strategy for your matchup. Averaging 6.3 rebounds per game, he ranks 68th in the league, enhancing your team’s production. Despite playing only 23.5 minutes per game, his 19.8 percent usage rate and efficiency ensure consistent, impactful value. Having shown versatility with the Wizards, he’s now secured a steady role in the starting rotation, promising benefits for the team and fantasy rosters alike. His stats include 13.0 points, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game, with shooting percentages of 52.4 from the field and 50.0 from three-point range. Act this week to snag him before his roster rate climbs, reflecting his value. The Wizards play four games starting Monday, November 6th.

Assists

Caris LeVert (SG, SF – CLE) | 54%

LeVert is excelling early this season, becoming an essential bench contributor for the Cavaliers with a 25.2 percent usage rate. Tied for 38th in the league with 5.0 assists per game, his multifaceted production could be a significant asset for fantasy teams. He boasts averages of 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks over 34.4 minutes while shooting 38.7 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from three-point range. Despite potential impacts on field-goal percentage due to shooting inconsistencies, his overall versatility might outweigh the negatives. Health permitting, LeVert offers strong roster value for either short-term play or a long-term spot. Note that the Cavaliers have just two games in the upcoming week, making lineup decisions potentially impactful for immediate and future success. The Cavaliers’ schedule for the week of Monday, November 6th includes:

Steals

Malik Beasly (SG, SF – MIL) | 14%

Beasley has secured a significant role in Milwaukee, quietly offering fantasy value in multiple categories. His average of 2.0 steals per game ranks him 8th in the league. With a 13.4% usage rate, he’s averaging 30.0 minutes, 12.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from three-point range. However, Beasley leans towards being a specialist. His skill set is best used as a streaming option to fill gaps in fantasy lineups. The Bucks play four games in the upcoming week, starting Monday, November 6th.

Blocks

Herbert Jones (SF, PF – Pelicans) |58%

Jones is a viable multi-categorical contributor who can produce value in more ways than one, particularly in blocks, where he has averaged 2.0 per game this season, tied for 9th in the league. His defensive prowess leads to reliable fantasy production across several other performance categories that could do well in rounding out any weaknesses in your lineups. In addition to his steals, he has averaged 10.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game across 30.7 minutes per contest with a usage rate of 12.8%. The Pelicans have four games the week of Monday, November 6th.

Three-Pointers

Grant Willliams (PF – DAL) | 33%

Williams has finally landed in a great spot to demonstrate his utility in a consistent role with the Mavericks. He boasts a 15.0% usage rate and has already shown promise as a viable fantasy asset, averaging 31.4 minutes of playing time, 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game, all while shooting 54.3 percent from the floor.

As a potential long-term asset, Williams could be a smart streaming option for now, pending clarity on his role after Kyrie Irving‘s return. The Mavericks play four times this upcoming week, starting Monday, November 6th.

Field-Goal Percentage

Dorian Finny-Smith (SF, PF – BKN) | 28%

The second Net on this list, but a solid one, Finney-Smith is proving to be one of the more productive members of the team, allowing for increased potential for more offense on a team that could be in search of a lot more to keep pace with the competition. His overall production has been strong this season, with him demonstrating the ability to produce worthwhile value across several categories with a 16.7% usage rate. This season, he is averaging 30.2 minutes of playing time, 14.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. His shooting profile is the most attractive aspect of his value proposition:

Depending on your needs, he may be best deployed as a viable streaming option, serving in the role of a shooting-scoring specialist, but he can also complement other strengths of your roster to help bolster your production as a viable long-term fantasy asset. The Nets play four times this upcoming week, starting Monday, November 6th.

Free-Throw Percentage

Saddiq Bey (SF, PF – ATL) | 32%

Bey presents a balanced mix for your fantasy lineup, with a solid 14.2% usage rate and potential as a multi-category contributor. Amidst a strong rotation, he’s securing his role, averaging 28.5 minutes, 11.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and contributing defensively with 1.2 steals and 0.4 blocks. He’s shooting efficiently from the field (50.0%) and three-point range (42.1%), offering a sustainable offensive boost.

Using this week to evaluate Bey’s potential as a routine streamer or long-term fantasy asset may be tremendously advantageous, as he has the potential to be valuable in either capacity, depending on how he can produce in his given role. This could be tricky, as the Hawks seemingly have a lot of mouths to feed and many ways they could do it. The Hawks have three games this week, the week of Monday, November 6th.

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