Waiver wire pickups: Look to Malik Monk, Kevon Looney
Working the waiver wire is pivotal to succeeding in fantasy basketball. With so many games, injuries and endless shifts in rotations throughout the marathon campaign, we’ll need to source stats from free agency to maximize imaginary rosters.
A willingness to entertain competition for the last few spots on your fantasy hoops roster can prove rewarding. When curating this fluid collective of statistical contributors, it helps to consider your end-of-bench players in direct competition with the talent floating in free agency.
The goal of this weekly series is to identify players at each position widely available in free agency in ESPN leagues. Some nominations are specialists capable of helping in one or two categories, while others deliver more diverse and important statistical offerings. In the breakdowns below, I’ve ordered players at each position with the priority of acquisition in mind, rather than roster percentage in ESPN leagues.
Markelle Fultz, Orlando Magic (rostered in 57.1% of ESPN leagues): The former top pick has proven resilient for Orlando, as he’s developed into the team’s unquestioned top distributor as well as a productive point-of-attack defender via a steady steal rate.
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Talen Horton-Tucker, Utah Jazz (9.3%): The departure of Mike Conley has resulted in “THT” becoming a key playmaker for the Jazz; he’s tallied at least six dimes in six of the past seven and should see continued to freedom to create in the coming weeks.
Delon Wright, Washington Wizards (7.7%): It’s rare to make a Ben Zobrist comparison for an NBA guard, but here we are. Zobrist was a famously versatile baseball player capable of playing all over the field, lending him eligibility at a series of positions en route to being a fantasy baseball legend. Wright’s game isn’t quite as special, but his versatile deployment and elite defensive rates lends to real value for a player available a both backcourt spots and power forward in ESPN leagues.
Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder (38.2%): Not only does he claim one of the league’s better head shots in regards to sheer hair style, he’s become a key part of a hustle-driven Thunder lineup that includes him contributing across several key fantasy-relevant categories.
Malaki Branham, San Antonio Spurs (7.7%): The Spurs are one of the few teams clearly in pursuit of lottery luck over all other outcomes, which has fueled real minutes and touches for Branham in the absence of several injured peers.
Josh Okogie, Phoenix Suns (15.9%): A gifted defender and rebounder fueled by big minutes on a suddenly shallow Phoenix rotation, Okogie should sustain a meaningful role even upon Kevin Durant‘s inclusion in the lineup.
Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers (54.1%): A rookie with no fear of missing shots, Mathurin continues to loft with confidence and has scored at least 14 in six straight entering the new week. While his profile is a bit hollow in that it’s driven by scoring, some recent surges in defensive clips offer promise.
Luguentz Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder (25.0%): Speaking of defensive rates, Dort has recently returned from a injury absence to deliver a nice blend of swats and steals while surfacing with a new resolve for working the boards.
Norman Powell, LA Clippers (39.6%): A scoring specialist without much else to his profile, the good news is that Russell Westbrook‘s presence likely supports Powell’s presence as a catch-and-shoot threat.
Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings (15.3%): A dynamic microwave fresh from a career scoring performance in a recent epic over the Clippers, Monk if afforded rare freedom to find his own shot and quietly boasts from peripheral stats.
Jabari Smith Jr., Houston Rockets (37.0%): The Rockets haven’t had much actual success this season, but there is some promise with the rising production of Smith, who has become much better on the glass in recent weeks while sporting a uniquely high block rate.
Kevon Looney, Golden State Warriors (21.5%): The “Dubs” remain depleted by injuries and absences to their core contributors, which vaults Looney into a critical role as the team’s top rebounder and one of the leagues’ top glass-cleaners of the past month.
Marvin Bagley III, Detroit Pistons (8.8%): An injury to Jalen Duren and Bagley’s return to the rotation could result in some big numbers for this former top pick. After all, Bagley bagged a massive line against the Raptors over the weekend.
Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz (46.3%): Already one of the league’s best sources of swats, Kessler is now thriving on the boards and should finish strong for a team intent on showcasing its young talent.
Mark Williams, Charlotte Hornets (14.6%): A career outing against the Heat over the weekend saw Williams dominate inside against a respected opponent. Gobs of minutes should equate to rich rebounding and rim protection opportunities in the weeks ahead.
Zach Collins, San Antonio Spurs (13.9%): The Spurs seem content seeing what Collins can contribute as the team’s top pivot, a role he’s converted into fun playmaking production in recent games.