With the first couple of weeks of the 2017-18 NBA season in the books, we now have a big enough sample size to react to what we have seen so far in fantasy basketball leagues. While in most cases star players are worth hanging on to despite slow starts, there are a number of players that you might be better off cutting bait with if they haven’t delivered to expectations so far. At the same time, there are a number of potential waiver wire options that you might want to consider adding to your team to help both in the short and in the long term. Here is a look at the best NBA waiver wire pickups for this week.
PF: Taj Gibson, Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves are much deeper than they were in previous years but Gibson has emerged as a legitimate fantasy option at the power forward position. The veteran Gibson has averaged 10.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists along with 1.2 blocks per game over his last five contests. One of the most important factors has been his playing time as Gibson has averaged 21 minutes a night. The veteran power forward has replaced Gorgui Dieng as the primary backup to Karl-Anthony Towns and as long as he remains in that role he should continue to produce. As long as he remains the first big man off the bench in Minnesota he should be worth owning in fantasy basketball leagues.
C/PF: Alex Len, Phoenix Suns
Another big man to keep an eye on is Len, who has been pretty good for Phoenix so far this season and could be in line for an even bigger role. Len has averaged 8.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 23 minutes per game so far this season. Tyson Chandler is a serious trade candidate so Len’s stock could be even better if the veteran center is eventually traded by the Suns. Len has produced at a high enough level to make him worth owning now. If Chandler is moved, he will become that much more valuable as a player that is eligible at both the center and power forward positions this season.
SF: Jeff Green, Cleveland Cavaliers
A number of Cavaliers have underachieved during the team’s surprisingly slow start. However, Green clearly isn’t one of them. The veteran wing has exceeded expectations from a fantasy standpoint in recent weeks by averaging 10.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.8 three-point shots over his last five games. While he isn’t a must-own player by any means, Green might be worth taking a chance on in the short term if you need help at the small forward position.
SG: Austin Rivers, Los Angeles Clippers
Rivers has been an interesting waiver wire addition since Milos Teodosic went down with an injury. If he is still available in your league then you might want to grab him before somebody else does. Rivers has averaged 13.4 points, 2.0 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 2.6 three-point shots over his last five games. As long as he continues to play substantial minutes he should continue to produce.
PG: Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Nets
D’Angelo Russell is the man in Brooklyn but Dinwiddie has played well coming off the bench behind him so far this season. Dinwiddie has averaged 14.0 points, 5.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals with 2.4 three-point shots per game over his last five contests. While he won’t play big minutes behind Russell, Dinwiddie has been a steady contributor over the past couple of weeks and might be worth an add if you need help at the point guard position.
Of Note: Eric Bledsoe Has Been Traded
On Tuesday afternoon, we had a big trade as the Phoenix Suns unloaded disgruntled guard Eric Bledsoe to the Milwaukee Bucks. In return, the Suns will get Greg Monroe and a couple of draft picks.
In terms of fantasy, the Bucks acquisition of Bledsoe hampers a couple of players. Bledsoe is an upgrade over Tony Snell and Matthew Dellavedova at shooting guard but both of those players already have roles on the team. It’s likely that Delly becomes useless in NBA fantasy while Snell moves to a backup role. It could also mean that Snell shifts over to small forward at times.
For Monroe, don’t expect much from him. He’s an expiring contract. The Suns have a logjam in the frontcourt anyway and probably won’t use him much because they want to employ a youth movement.
The 2017-18 NBA is well underway. It’s been a wild offseason already, but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest NBA betting lines right here.
