Especially for Yahoo Sports
While this season is as much as it has been in recent memory, the NBA regular season continues to wind down, slowly but surely, with more teams falling out of the playoff race and shifting their focus to developing young talent.
The playoffs have already begun for some fantasy leagues, while others are approaching that stage. With the different timelines in mind, this week’s waiver wire article separates the proposed picks into two categories: widely available players whose availability should be double-checked, and widely available players who are reported in no more than one out of every five leagues.
Without further ado, here are nine players to pass in Week 20.
DOUBLE CHECK
Marvin Bagley, Detroit Pistons (47% of applicants)
After missing a month with broken fingers on his non-dominant hand, Bagley has benefited from recent absences Isaiah Stewart (hi) and Jalen Duren (ankle), combining for 50 points and 39 steals in his first three games since rejoining the rotation. However, even when Stewart and Duren are healthy, Bagley’s offensive agility and Stewart’s spacing ability could allow Detroit to regularly field lineups with two of the four big men (including James Wiseman). As such, Bagley could be more than just a short-term streaming option, so see if he’s still available.
Bruce Brown, Denver Nuggets (46% of applicants)
Brown is having his worst rebounding season (3.9 RPG) since his freshman year. Despite this, he is posting career highs in scoring (11.1 PPG), dozens (3.5 PPG), three-pointers (1.3 3 PG) and minutes (28.6 MPG) while maintaining a solid field goal percentage ( 48.7% FG) and plays a defensive role. of 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. Brown was involved in more than 50 percent of the leagues for most of the season, but that dropped off after a few unconvincing outings after the All-Star break. If another manager in your league has released him, don’t hesitate to pick up the versatile, multi-positional Brown.
Dennis Schroder, LA Lakers (44% of applicants)
In his last 18 appearances, Schroder is averaging 13.9 points, 5.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 3-pointers and 0.9 steals in 33.0 minutes. Moreover, with LeBron James (foot) out at least three weeks and with D’Angelo Russell (ankle) on the verge of missing his fourth straight game Friday against Minnesota, Schroder will be working with the ball in his hands even more often this month. If it happens to still be available in your league, add it now.
James Wiseman, Detroit Pistons (43% of roster)
Like Bagley, Wiseman has benefited from the recent injury absences of Stewart and Duren, so it’s fair to wonder how much longer either player will be a consistent contributor. Still, with Bagley and Stewart able to man the wing, it’s possible that all four frontcourt players will split time somewhat evenly and achieve sustainable fantasy relevance by the end of the year. At the very least, Wiseman is worth a speculative pass in most leagues if he can continue to put up plenty of points and rebounds.
Dennis Smith Jr., Charlotte Hornets (39% of applicants)
WITH LaMelo ball (ankle) until the end of the season, Smith will likely still get plenty of minutes most nights for the lowly Hornets. As the Pistons point guard Killian Hayes, Smith has significant value in leagues that ignore shooting percentages and instead prioritize counting stats. Managers in other formats may want to stay away unless they can afford a significant hit in the goals percentage department.
WIDELY AVAILABLE
Austin ReavesLA Lakers (20% of applicants)
Reaves has scored 17 points or more in three of his last four games while also dishing out at least four assists over the same span. Furthermore, the extended absence of James, and to a lesser extent Russell, opens the door for Reaves, among other Lakers, to appear on the stat sheet. Managers in the deep leagues shouldn’t overlook Reaves. He is worth noting in most formats.
Isaiah Joe, Oklahoma City Thunder (19% of applicants)
Small sample size warning! In the last four games, Joe is averaging 18.8 points, 3.8 threes, 2.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.8 steals in 28.8 minutes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain and health and safety protocols) missed all four games. Even so, Joe’s deep reach could keep him heavily involved even when Gilgeous-Alexander returns. Those in need of containers should look no further than Joe.
Chris Dunn, Utah Jazz (14% of applicants)
Managers in deep leagues in need of a Week 20 streaming option could do much worse than Dunn. In his three games since joining the Jazz, Dunn is averaging 12.3 points, 4.0 dimes, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals while committing just 0.7 turnovers in 22.0 minutes off the bench. balls. Collin Sexton (hamstring) will be re-evaluated after the weekend, so there’s a chance Dunn’s fantasy will be short-lived. Still, Dunn seems like a decent addition until Sexton returns.
Patrick Beverley, Chicago Bulls (11% of applicants)
Beverley has a great performance against the Pistons, totaling five points, 10 rebounds, 10 steals, four steals and one block in 33 minutes. Despite seeing an actual increase in minutes in the first four games with the Bulls compared to what he saw with the Lakers, it’s clear that Beverley will be relied on more in Chicago. In his first four games with his hometown team, he is averaging 5.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks in 27.8 minutes. Beverley’s ability to enter every category makes him worth watching, even in standard leagues. Add it now before it’s too late.
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