It should be no surprise to anybody that James Harden, Karl-Anthony Towns and Giannis Antetokounmpo rank among the top players in standard NBA fantasy leagues over the past couple of weeks. While it’s those star players that will lead the way for championship caliber fantasy contenders, even teams with the top superstars need a strong supporting cast. There area number of underrated and underutilized fantasy options that might still be available in your respective league. Here is a look at the best NBA fantasy league waiver wire options for this week.
C: Dewayne Dedmon, Atlanta Hawks
There is a good chance somebody in your fantasy basketball league grabbed Dedmon after he blew up for 20 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals in one game last week. While he won’t produce at that level in most games, the fact that he is capable of registering those types of numbers in one game should be enough to make him a must-own in most fantasy basketball leagues. Dedmon has averaged 12.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 0.8 blocks and 0.6 three-point shots while shooting 69-percent from the field in November. Grab him now if he is still available in your fantasy basketball league before somebody else does.
SG: Austin Rivers, Los Angeles Clippers
Rivers is staring for the Clippers and considering his situation he is definitely worth taking a chance on in fantasy basketball leagues. Rivers struggled from the field on Saturday, but his averages are good enough to warrant taking a flyer on him if you need help at shooting guard. Rivers has averaged 14.4 points, 3.0 assists, 2.2 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 2.6 three-point shots per game over his last five contests. As long as he continues to play starter minutes he should be owned in fantasy basketball leagues.
SF: Jonathan Simmons, Orlando Magic
Simmons is another starter whose production warrants giving him a long look at on the waiver wire this week. Simmons has averaged 14.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steal while shooting 48-percent from the field over his last four games. Simmons isn’t a must-own player but he is trending upwards so it makes sense to grab him now if you need help at the position. If you have room on your bench, pick up Simmons and hope that he continues trending upward to the point when he forces his way in to your starting lineup.
PF: Taj Gibson, Minnesota Timberwolves
Gibson isn’t one of the top options in Minnesota but he has been productive enough to make him worth owning in fantasy basketball leagues. Gibson has averaged 13.0 points and 9.6 rebounds while shooting 50-percent from the floor over his last five games. Those are solid numbers for a potential waiver wire option that could fill a void on your roster if you need an immediate solution at the power forward position.
PG: Mario Chalmers, Memphis Grizzlies
With Mike Conley sidelined indefinitely with an Achilles injury, it will be Chalmers that takes the reigns as the starting point guard in Memphis. Chalmers didn’t dazzle in his debut but he is primed for big minutes in a situation that should be conducive to strong point and assist totals. Chalmers isn’t the best long-term option but if you need help at the point guard position then he might be a good short-term fit for your team.
PG: Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors
We’re doing some deep diving in this spot but VanVleet is someone that has popped up on the NBA fantasy radar. That’s because Raptors guard Delon Wright is out indefinitely. He has dislocated his shoulder and it’s unclear as of right now how long he’ll be out. As a result, VanVleet will get bigger minutes.
What you can expect from him is contributions across the board, but obviously modest. He has averaged 7.8 points, 3.2 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 threes and 0.8 steals in his last five games. And that’s while only playing about 19 minutes a night. If you see his minutes jump up to the 20-25 range, which they should easily, he will be worth a roster spot in deeper NBA fantasy leagues.
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