Three weeks in to the 2015-16 NBA season, there likely aren’t many frontline starters available on the waiver wire in your fantasy basketball league but there are a number of players with the potential to help you round out the roster. Here is a look at the top four small forwards that might still be available on the waiver wire in your fantasy basketball league.
Marco Belinelli
Sacramento Kings
The biggest problem with Belinelli’s fantasy potential during his time with the San Antonio Spurs was always his limited touches on a stacked offense that curtailed his overall production. While he has averaged just 27.9 minutes per game so far with the Sacramento Kings, there have already been signs that he could be in for his most productive NBA season yet. Belinelli has averaged 12.1 points, 3.1 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 threes per game in his first seven contests. More importantly, he has hit double-digit point totals in four of the seven games including a season-high 22 points in 35 minutes in a 103-94 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Belinelli is already a decent option in deeper fantasy leagues and he undoubtedly has the potential to be even better over time if he can earn more minutes in Sacramento this season. You’ll have to keep an eye on the volatile situation (I.E. if the Kings end up firing head coach George Karl) but for now, Koufos has proven to have quality fantasy value.
C.J. Miles
Indiana Pacers
Miles was sidelined for a couple of games with an ankle injury but he has played at a high level for the Pacers when healthy and might already be worth taking a flier on in deeper fantasy leagues. Miles has averaged 11.6 points, 2.7 threes, 2.0 steals, 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 27.7 minutes per game this season. What you have to love about miles is two things: the minutes and the auxiliary production. Starting with the former, he’s playing close to 30 minutes a game this season and as long as he gets that kind of action, he’s going to produce. And secondly, the auxiliary production refers to categories like threes and steals. Sure, he doesn’t offer much in the way of rebounds or assists, but those are cheaper commodities to find. The 2.0 steals and 2.7 threes are quite valuable. He’s in the Top 11 for both categories.
Justise Winslow
Miami Heat
NBA experts were surprised to see Winslow fall to the Miami Heat at No. 10 overall in this year’s NBA Draft and while he is off to a slow start in his rookie season, the numbers provide some insight in to his potential for a very good season. The most important number is his 28.5 minutes per game average, which is already pretty solid for a rookie. He’s actually up to 30.7 in the month of November. Those could climb even higher now that Mario Chalmers has been shipped off to Memhis. Winslow has averaged 7.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 assist per game but we’d like to see more out of him in other categories. He’s not doing much with threes, free throws, steals or blocks. Give him time, though. He should be a quality asset as long as he continues to play over 30 minutes a game.
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Will Barton
Denver Nuggets
For all of the talk about rookie Emmanuel Mudiay and the other Nuggets worth taking a chance on in fantasy this season, the one name that hasn’t been mentioned enough is Barton, who has averaged 13.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Barton has averaged 25.3 minutes per game, which is fifth on the team. He’s been the main man used in a rotation with Mudiay and Garry Harris in the backcourt. The other two are starting and he’s one of the first guys off the bench. Denver likes to run a lot, so there should be minutes and room for production for everyone. If you need backcourt help, consider Barton, who has the second-highest PER on the team.
