FANTASY BASKETBALL: WAIVER WIRE (Week 7)

Fantasy Basketball: WAIVER WIRE (Week 7)

By Muntradamus

In this article I will analyze potential free agents in your league that you should consider adding/watching/waiving.  Feel free to ask any questions about potential free agents, I will go over one player from each position.

PLAYERS WHO WILL NOT BE ON YOUR WAIVER WIRE FOR LONG:

Nikola Pekovic (CENTER) Wolves

-Nikola has been amazing filling in for the off and on injured Darko Milicic.  For the first time in the Kevin Love ERA, the Wolves finally have a legitimate center that should be considered a must-add.  Nikola is a huge guy who plays very hard and even gave Samuel Dalembert a fit last night.  In games where he has scored 10+ Points the Wolves are 5-2.  In his last three games Nikola is averaging 17 Points, 10+ Rebounds, and most importantly 30+ Minutes a game.  Those numbers remind me of Marcin Gortat, the player I would compare him to is Marcin Gortat.  Last season as a rookie, Pekovic had two games with 20+ Minutes.  In those two games he averaged 12 Points and 9.5 Rebounds.  This guy is ready, and he will not be a free agent by the end of next week.

Greivis Vasquez (GUARD) Hornets

-Vasquez has exploded lately as maybe the go-to-guy for the Hornets over this past week.  Since the Hornets lost Eric Gordon they have been relying on Jarrett Jack to carry this team.  When Jarrett Jack went down with a knee injury Vasquez got to start two games, he averaged 15 Points, 7 Assists, and 4.5 Rebounds.  Jarrett Jack should be coming back soon, but even when that happens it would not be surprising to see Vasquez and his 6’6 frame move to the SG spot.  Vasquez is not afraid to shoot the 3 ball either, and all owners of Jarrett Jack need to make a move to get this guy as an insurance policy.

Tyrus Thomas (FORWARD) Bobcats

-The Bobcats keep losing players.  First D.J. Augustin, and now Gerald Henderson.  Their offense is featuring a rookie Kemba Walker, besides Reggie Williams scoring 21 Points this team really lacks a true go-to-scorer.  Last night Tyrus shot the ball a season high 14 times, he only made 3 but the point is he will be seeing a lot more touches.  The beauty about Tyrus Thomas is he is not the type of player that needs a big offensive game to be a fantasy threat, he just needs minutes.  Intangibles come with this guy in the rebound, block, and steal department.  If you are settling for a James Johnson, or just need to add some depth.  Thomas is a great forward to own.

PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS WEEK:

Jeremy Lin (GUARD) Knicks

-The Knicks need a PG.  It is very obvious based off of their 8-14 record heading into Saturday.  Jeremy Lin had a huge game scoring 25 Points, 7 Assists, and 10/19 Shooting, and most importantly a Knicks win.  Players with those type of lines do not stay as Free Agents long, but the Knicks do have Baron Davis coming back soon.  It would be nice to see Lin continue to get his chance to run this team, but you never known what D’Antoni has up his sleeve.  Also the leash is very short for Lin where if he has one bad game, and Iman Shumpert has a great game, and the Knicks win.  That situation will get very cloudy.

Trevor Booker (FORWARD) Wizards

-Booker has some solid potential, but he also plays for the Wizards which means at least a blowout or two per week.  The Wizards need a big strong body to compliment Javale McGee and his lanky jump out of the building type of game.  Booker should put up near double-doubles when the Wizards are competitive, but chances are he will fall on the depth chart when Andray Blatche returns in a couple of weeks.

Bismack Biyombo (CENTER) Bobcats

–Bismackkk.  Had an excellent debut as a starting center racking up a double-double against Marcin Gortat.  The potential for Biyombo to be a must start fantasy player is there, last week he had two games off the bench with 4 Block shots.  One of those games was against Dwight Howard.  If your team needs a center and Nikola is not available, this guy has potential written all over him.  If the Bobcats make him a starting center next game, and the game after that.  Chances are he should be scooped up in your fantasy league.

PLAYERS YOU CAN WAIVE:

DeJuan Blair (CENTER) Spurs

-Blair starts at center, and that’s about all the positive things I can say about him.  Tiaggo Splitter is by far the better more talented player than the blob who just sucks in a few rebounds per game.  You can do much better than owning this nothing big man.  Since scoring 17 Points on January 17^th in the next six game he averaged a total of 3.8 Points and 4.8 Rebounds.  As they would say on MTV NEXT…NEXT.

Derrick Williams (FORWARD) Wolves

-With the return of Michael Beasley and Martell Webster the Wolves are very very deep at the SF/PF spot.  Especially because there is no way the Wolves give Kevin Love less than 35 Minutes.  This is a bad situation for Derrick Williams as he is already having enough trouble finding his rhythm in the NBA.  You can hold onto him hoping the Wolves trade Beasley, but you ask yourself, what do the Wolves need for Beasley?  The answer is.  Another scorer, so either way unless he gets traded for a star SG, which probably will not happen, D.Will is going to be sitting on the bench learning this season in the NBA.  If you want to hold onto him you can, but he probably will not be in your fantasy lineup anytime soon.

Roddy Beaubois (GUARD) Mavericks

-Roddy B. had it all.  The starting PG spot of a struggling Mavs team, and no Jason Kidd to compete with for playing time.  Then out of nowhere Delonte West remembered how to take over a game like he use to back at St.Joes.  That started to create a log jam at the PG spot, and now with the news that Jason Kidd is coming back, combined with the fact Roddy B. did not score more than 10 Points in any game this week.  Roddy B. is officially waiver wire material, last night he came off the bench for Dallas and did nothing in 20 Minutes.  Jason Kidd still has not returned.