Livescore
Injuries in Brooklyn, Dallas, and Philadelphia have recently pushed some role players to the forefront, and they’ve provided solid value in their current roles. Add in the lineup change in Phoenix, and numerous opportunities exist to find value on the waiver wire ahead of Week 12. Let’s look at some of those options, sticking to players rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues.
Priority Adds
1. Kelly Oubre Jr.
2. Shaedon Sharpe
3. Jaime Jaquez Jr.
4. Quentin Grimes
5. Yves Missi
6. Guerschon Yabusele
7. Toumani Camara
8. Noah Clowney
9. Keon Johnson
10. Jaden Hardy
SG/SF Shaedon Sharpe (46%), Portland Trail Blazers
Sharpe hasn’t been the best at providing value outside points and 3-pointers, but that has changed recently. Over the past week, he has averaged 19.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 3.0 3-pointers per game, shooting 48.4% from the field and 71.4% from the foul line. That production has been good for top-50 value in 8- and 9-cat formats, according to Basketball Monster. Portland plays four games during Week 12, all at home, beginning with the Nets on Tuesday.
SG/SF Kelly Oubre Jr. (39%), Philadelphia 76ers
Availability remains an issue for 76ers stars Joel Embiid (foot) and Paul George (groin), but the latter is on track to return as soon as Friday night against New Orleans. That said, there’s a need for consistent production outside the 76ers’ three stars. This is where Oubre comes into play, and he’s been a top-75 player over the past week. And the Week 12 schedule works in the Tsunami Papi’s favor. Not only does Philadelphia play four games, but they’re two back-to-backs.
C Yves Missi (35%), New Orleans Pelicans
Some have been concerned that Missi’s value would decrease with Zion Williamson back in the fold, as the Pelicans’ starting lineup would have two non-shooters. However, the rookie played 28 minutes in New Orleans’ January 7 loss to Minnesota (Zion’s return). A top 100 player over the past week, Missi’s minutes will be fine, given the Pelicans’ lack of options at the center position. Williamson may be able to play the position in segments, but that isn’t a role he can play for extended periods, and Daniel Theis hasn’t provided much value in his minutes. The only negative to Missi for Week 12 is the schedule. New Orleans plays three games next week, the last of which is Friday.
SF Jaime Jaquez Jr. (30%), Miami Heat
Jimmy Butler’s seven-game suspension has freed up more opportunities for Miami’s available wings, and two have stepped up over the past week. One is Jaquez, who has provided top-75 value as a starter. Included in the recent run were his first triple-double in a January 6 loss to the Kings and a 20/7/7/2 line in a January 9 win over Utah. Another option for deep-league managers is PF/C Nikola Jovic, who has provided 7th-round value over the past week. Unfortunately, Miami also has schedule concerns during Week 12. While the Heat are scheduled to play four games, the first two are in Los Angeles (Monday vs. LAC, Wednesday vs. LAL). With the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles County, there’s no guarantee these games will get played on their scheduled dates. If there are postponements, Jaquez and Jovic won’t be fantasy factors until the back end of Week 12.
SG/SF Quentin Grimes (27%), Dallas Mavericks
Grimes has been one of the Mavericks who have stepped up with Luka Doncic (calf) and Kyrie Irving (back) out of the lineup, recording solid averages over the past week. In his last four games, Grimes has averaged 17.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.5 3-pointers in 28.7 minutes, shooting 46.4% from the field and 90% from the foul line. Despite coming off the bench with Spencer Dinwiddie moving back into the starting lineup, Grimes is worth adding, even with the Mavericks only playing three games during Week 12 (the last is on Friday).
SF/PF Toumani Camara (21%), Portland Trail Blazers
Camara’s offensive production has recently improved, increasing his fantasy value. A 7th-round player over the past week, he’s averaged 13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 2.0 3-pointers, shooting 46.3% from the field and 87.5% from the foul line. With Deni Avdija already rostered in over 70% of Yahoo leagues, Camara has value now, and that should remain the case even after Jerami Grant returns from his facial injury (there have been limited updates out of Portland). The Blazers play four games during Week 12, which is good news for those considering Camara, who has been a fixture in the starting lineup all season.
PF/C Guerschon Yabusele (19%), Philadelphia 76ers
What was said for Oubre above also applies to Yabusele. With Embiid and Andre Drummond out of the lineup due to injury, the 76ers power forward/center has started three straight games and provided 5th-round value over the past week. And with Philadelphia playing two back-to-backs during Week 12, it’s likely that Yabusele will get multiple games as the team’s best available big.
SG/SF Keon Ellis (15%), Sacramento Kings
Ellis has unquestionably benefitted from De’Aaron Fox’s absence from the Kings’ lineup, playing nearly 36 minutes per game and providing 4th-round fantasy value over the past week. He’s reached double figures in four of the six games Sacramento has played since its head coaching change, and the willingness to give Ellis more opportunities to contribute may go beyond the team not having Fox on the court. The negative is that Sacramento plays three games during Week 12 with no back-to-backs; it’s easy to envision a scenario where Ellis only gets about 20 minutes per game if Fox is available.
SF/PF/C Noah Clowney and PG/SG Keon Johnson (14%), Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn may get Cameron Johnson (ankle) back sometime during their six-game road trip that begins in Denver on Friday. However, with Cam Thomas (hamstring), D’Angelo Russell (shin) out, and Ben Simmons having questionable availability due to his lingering back issues, others will have the opportunity to step up. Clowney and Johnson have taken on enhanced roles, with the former moving into the starting lineup after Brooklyn traded Dorian Finney-Smith. While neither player has provided top-100 value over the past week, the opportunities cannot be overlooked, especially with the Nets scheduled to play four games during Week 12. Like Miami, the Nets are scheduled to play two games in Los Angeles (Wednesday vs. LAC, Friday vs. LAL), so stay tuned.
C Mason Plumlee (6%) and C Oso Ighodaro (< 1%), Phoenix Suns
The Suns changed their rotation to begin Week 11, with Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic being dropped to the bench in favor of rookie SF Ryan Dunn (9%) and C Mason Plumlee. In the case of Plumlee, the lineup shift has not boosted his overall fantasy profile, but he is worth a look for managers needing rebounds, having averaged 8.8 per game over the past week. And we’ll throw in Ighodaro for good measure, as the rookie has played 25 minutes off the bench in a January 9 win over Atlanta while Nurkic picked up a DNP-CD. Ighodaro is more mobile as a defender and can provide some supplementary playmaking. He’s played 16 minutes or more in five of Phoenix’s last six games, making Oso a player worth watching despite Phoenix playing three games during Week 12.
PG/SG Jaden Hardy (5%), Dallas Mavericks
Hardy is another Mavericks reserve who has been asked to do more offensively after the Doncic and Irving injuries. He’s reached double figures in five straight and six of his last seven outings, most recently scoring a season-high 25 in Dallas’ January 9 comeback win over Portland. Over the past week, Hardy has been a top-100 player in 9-cat formats, averaging 18.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 3.3 3-pointers in 24.4 minutes. Dallas only plays three games during Week 12, but with Doncic and Irving out, Hardy is worth rolling the dice on.
Read the full article here
Discussion about this post