The 2015-16 NBA season is almost a month old and waiver wire action is in full swing. Here is a look at the top waiver wire options available in fantasy basketball leagues this week.
Jared Sullinger, Boston Celtics
Power Forward
Sullinger isn’t the most explosive fantasy performer but he has been extremely steady for the Celtics. His ability to stuff the stat sheet in a number of different categories makes him an intriguing weapon even if he’s not as valuable of a real life asset. Sullinger has averaged 11.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.1 threes and 1.0 blocks through seven games in the month of November. His ability to contribute across the board that makes him such a unique option in deeper leagues.
The 23-year-old is entering the prime of his career and as long as he continues to perform at a high level, he has to be owned across all formats. A double-double guy with more than a block and steal per game is great fantasy value, let alone the threes to boot. He would be a Top 25 pick next season if he kept this up. Make sure you own him if he’s not picked up already.
T.J. McConnell, Philadelphia 76ers
Point Guard
A combination of injuries to Kendall Marshall and Tony Wroten as well as the ineffective play of Isaiah Canaan has opened the door for McConnell to play more minutes for Philadelphia. He has rewarded the coaches’ faith in him with good enough play to warrant fantasy consideration. McConnell isn’t the best option for points but its his ability to contribute in other areas that makes him an interesting add. He has averaged 6.4 points, 7.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals this season while playing 29.2 minutes per contest. Points are the cheapest commodity in fantasy, so don’t worry about that. McConnell might not be as attractive as Sullinger but he is still a decent option in deeper leagues – in particular for those that need help at the point guard position.
Marcus Thornton, Houston Rockets
Shooting Guard
Thornton has the potential to score in bunches and while there are only so many touches to go around for Rockets’ players, he has carved out a decent role coming off the bench for Houston this season. Thornton has averaged 13.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.3 threes and 1.4 steals in the month of November. As long as Terrence Jones and Patrick Beverley remain sidelined, he should continue to log decent minutes. Thornton isn’t likely to be a very good long-term option unless the Rockets run in to more injury troubles but he has been a contributor across a number of categories. And you can see the upside when he does get minutes as evidenced by an early November effort against Sacramento. He had 16 points, seven rebounds, four threes, two assists and a steal. That’s value. If he’s getting minutes, he’s worth owning.
Jordan Hill, Indiana Pacers
Center
A lot of people passed on Hill in fantasy drafts after seeing what Myles Turner did in Summer League action. Most people figured that Hill would simply be holding a frontcourt job temporarily until Turner took over. However, Turner had surgery on his thumb and is expected to miss the next six weeks.
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Hill isn’t an elite power forward by any means but he has sneaky value as a fantasy asset as he has averaged 23.6 minutes per game for Indiana this season and continues to stuff the stat sheet. Hill has averaged 8.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.8 steals per game. His consistency makes him a reliable option in deeper leagues if you need help at the position. Normally, you probably wouldn’t invest in a guy like this off the waiver wire but considering that you can expect his minutes to go up, we should be looking at a serviceable power forward over the next month and a half. Consider adding him if you need help at the position.
