Fantasy Basketball: Week 9 – Top 10 Waiver Wire Pickups

Giannis AntetokounmpoI hope you’re doing well in fantasy basketball this season. I’ve been taking chances on guys with big upside and stashing them away. That strategy has worked so far, but I’m still tweaking with my roster, in-between poker hands at 888poker.com. I just keep finding quality guys on the waiver wire.

I advise you to look at every box score, especially bad teams’ box scores. You can find a few gems on bad teams. Players aren’t as highly coveted and they can slip through the cracks. You will find bargains, trust me.

For example, the Milwaukee Bucks have a few players worth a pick up, you’ll find two in this post.

Most of these players are owned in less than 50% of leagues (and some are owned in less than 10%). You should pick these guys up or at least keep a close eye on them.

  • Andray Blatche – PF/C (Brooklyn Nets) – Brook Lopez is out indefinitely with a broken foot, so Blatche is now starting. He has flourished off the bench and I expect he’ll contribute even more in the starting lineup. I was lucky enough to pick him up two weeks ago.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo – SF (Milwaukee Bucks) – I just spent a full minute making sure I spelled his name correctly. The Bucks began starting him late last week and I expect decent production. You may not see it immediately from ‘The Greek Freak’, but he could help you in every category for his position.
  • D.J. Augustin – PG (Chicago Bulls) – Augustin has been starting in place of an injured Kirk Hinrich…and he may never give it up. He has scored in double-digits in three of the last four games and has six steals in that span. The Bulls don’t think Marquis Teague can handle the starting duties, so you shouldn’t worry about him vulturing time from Augustin.
  • Alec Burks – SG/PG (Utah Jazz) – I’ve mentioned Burks in nearly every waiver wire post I’ve written this season. He has scored in double digits in ten of the last 12 games and he adds in other areas. He is still only owned in 40% of leagues.
  • Brandan Wright – PF/C (Dallas Mavericks) – Wright came off the injury list last week and he’s lighting it up. Some fear that he won’t be able to play with Dirk Nowitzki, but he’s been playing with him. He’s currently coming off the bench, but he’s scored in double-digits in three of four games and has averaged over two blocks in that span. He’s worth a roster spot.
  • Channing Frye – PF/C (Phoenix Suns) – Frye is another player that has been in nearly every one of these posts. He’s a big that can help you in points, three pointers and rebounds. He won’t get many blocks, but since he’s already carrying three categories, the blocks are just a bonus.
  • Caron Butler – SF (Milwaukee Bucks) – Butler just returned from injury and he’ll be the go-to guy. I do believe ‘The Greek Freak’ and Butler can play beside each other. That duo will be fun to watch play together. In his first game back, he scored 22 points and grabbed 11 boards. He’s definitely worth a roster spot.
  • Xavier Henry – SG/SF (Los Angeles Lakers) – With Kobe Bryant on the shelf again, Henry has a bigger role. He’ll get you double-digit scoring and has averaged 2.5 steals per game in his last four contests. Henry was one of the best high school prospects and needed more than one injury-plagued season at Kansas. He could end up turning into Lance Stephenson, who had the same success in high school. They just needed to learn on the job, which is hard when you’re not getting minutes right away.
  • Jarrett Jack – SG/PG (Cleveland Cavaliers) – This is one for deeper leagues. Jack is only averaging 27 minutes, but he’s producing. In his last eight games, he’s been scoring in double-digits and getting roughly five assists and five rebounds. He’s worth a spot start and keep him on your roster, especially if you own Kyrie Irving. He’s a nice handcuff for him.
  • Jared Dudley – SG/SF (Los Angeles Clippers) – Dudley will help you if you’re in need of three pointers and scoring. He doesn’t add much in any other area. He gets a handful of rebounds and gets a steal here and there. He’s a spot candidate or fill-in if you need three pointers late in the week.

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sweetbob-author-picAbout the Author…

Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.