It has nothing to do with Waiver Wired, but I still find it hard to believe that Dwight Howard shot an NBA record 39 free throws on Thursday night. He hit just 21 of them, but the fact he shot that many is amazing. He shattered Wilt Chamberlain’s record for attempts by five and it will be interesting to see if other team’s follow Mark Jackson’s lead on the Hack-a-Dwight plan. Of course, had the Warriors won, there would be a better chance of that happening. And if you came for the Ant-Rand hype, he's on page 2.
Now on to the waiver wire. I consider deep leagues to be 14 or more teams, standard leagues to be 12 teams and small leagues to be 10 teams or less. And this is assuming there are 12-15 players on each roster.
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Point Guards
Iman Shumpert Knicks
Shumpert was awful in Thursday's blowout loss to the Grizzlies, scoring 12 points on 5-of-20 shooting, but did have four steals and a block in 29 minutes. He hasn’t exactly been a fantasy beast thus far, but he’s got a green light to shoot and is playing heavy minutes. He also has the potential to rack up stats in nearly every category on any given night, and I still think he should be owned in all leagues.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues as long as he’s starting for the Knicks.
Brandon Knight Pistons
Knight scored 20 points and his two 3-pointers on 7-of-9 shooting with two rebounds, three assists, one block, and five turnovers in Thursday's loss to the Bucks. He’s still available in some leagues, but should be owned in nearly all of them, as he’s only going to get better with time.
Recommendation: Should be owned in most leagues.
Nate Robinson Warriors
Robinson stepped off the plane and right onto the court after being signed by the Warriors and has been very effective thus far, helping to fill in for Stephen Curry, who could miss another week with another sprained ankle. In four games Robinson is averaging 14.5 points, 4.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 3-pointers in 32.5 minutes per, and will continue to see heavy minutes as long as Curry is out. And while he still may be worth holding even after Curry returns, he’ll only be startable for most teams in the upcoming week.
Recommendation: Should be picked up and used as long as Curry is out.
Delonte West Mavericks
Jason Kidd is still out with a sore back and there’s been very little information coming out of Dallas about how he’s feeling. Even when Kidd was playing, West was starting at shooting guard, but Vince Carter is now in that spot. West is averaging 10 points, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals in his last four games and is worth a look in deeper leagues. And even when Kidd returns, it looks like West should still have a solid role with the Mavs.
Recommendation: Should be owned in deep leagues and considered in most.
Luke Ridnour Timberwolves
Ridnour has scored in double figures in six of his last seven games and is averaging 12 points, three assists and more than a steal and three per game on the season. He continues to start over Ricky Rubio and spends much of his time on the court with the young phenom. He had 22 points, three 3-pointers and a fat stat line in his last game against the Bulls, and should continue to produce even if Rubio enters the starting lineup.
Recommendation: Should be considered in most leagues, but starting job could be in jeopardy.
Shooting Guards
Anthony Morrow Nets – He’s simply on fire and should not be available in any leagues now, but is still not owned in 19 percent of ESPN leagues. He’s scored 20 or more in three of his last four games and hit 18 3-pointers in the hot streak. I am still not sure what will happen once DeShawn Stevenson and Damion James are back from their injuries, except that Morrow will keep getting minutes and bombing threes. MarShon Brooks is not on the list this week officially, but is still a player I think should be held in most leagues in case he prevails over James for the starting SF job going forward.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.
Kawhi Leonard Spurs
Leonard is now the starting shooting guard for the Spurs and is averaging 14 points, seven rebounds, two steals and a block over his last three games, hitting 20-of-34 shots from the field over that stretch. It's anyone's guess as to whether or not Gregg Popovich sticks with him in the starting lineup going forward, but he has said he loves Leonard's defensive skills. Gary Neal might still be starting over Leonard, but was put on the bench to back up point guard Tony Parker after T.J. Ford tore a hamstring. Dropping Neal for Leonard makes a lot of sense.
Recommendation: Should be owned in most leagues.
Evan Turner Sixers
Turner is starting to turn it on, scoring 16 points in each of his last two games and nearly posting a triple-double in one of them. Expectations were high coming into the season and he got off to a slow start, but his last two games could be a sign that he’s turning it around. If he was dropped in your league, picking him up looks like a good idea.
Recommendation: Should be considered in all leagues.
J.J. Redick Magic
Redick had 13 points, three boards, three assists and a 3-pointer Thursday, and is averaging 12 points, 2.5 boards, 2.5 assists and a 3-pointer on the season. The news here is that Jason Richardson hurt his knee on Thursday and will have an MRI, meaning Redick could finally get his shot at the starting lineup. In five starts last season Redick averaged 14.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, a steal and 2.4 3-pointers. Don’t be surprised if he starts for the next several games and pick him up if you need threes, at least as long as JRich is sidelined.
Recommendation: Can be used in most leagues as long as Richardson is out.
Tony Allen Grizzlies
Allen scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting with five rebounds, one assist, five steals and one block in 26 minutes on Thursday against the Knicks. He continues to start over O.J. Mayo and while his scoring will fluctuate greatly from game to game, he should be a solid source of rebounds and steals as long as he’s starting. Mayo had a season-high 18 points with four 3-pointers on Thursday and appears to be in line for more minutes going forward, meaning he’s also worth a look off wires.
Recommendation: Should be considered in deeper leagues.
Michael Redd Suns
Redd scored 12 points on Thursday and hit three 3-pointers in 19 minutes. Oddly, Alvin Gentry is thinking about starting him on Friday against the Nets, which is bad news for Jared Dudley. But I’m not convinced Redd can play more than 20 minutes a night, or stay healthy, so Dudley is a guy worth holding onto until we see how this shakes out. Feel free to take a flier on Redd if you’re desperate for a shooting guard, but don’t be surprised to see him struggle with knee soreness in the near future.
Recommendation: Should be monitored in most leagues, but he’s a very risky pickup.
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It has nothing to do with Waiver Wired, but I still find it hard to believe that Dwight Howard shot an NBA record 39 free throws on Thursday night. He hit just 21 of them, but the fact he shot that many is amazing. He shattered Wilt Chamberlain’s record for attempts by five and it will be interesting to see if other team’s follow Mark Jackson’s lead on the Hack-a-Dwight plan. Of course, had the Warriors won, there would be a better chance of that happening. And if you came for the Ant-Rand hype, he's on page 2.
Now on to the waiver wire. I consider deep leagues to be 14 or more teams, standard leagues to be 12 teams and small leagues to be 10 teams or less. And this is assuming there are 12-15 players on each roster.
The NBA Season Pass is up and running, so check it out! Weekly projections and rankings, exclusive live chats, the schedule grid and breakdown, customizable scoring, and much more is all there. Do you miss football already? Didn’t get into enough hoops leagues? Check out SnapDraft, where you can draft a new team every night and win some cash.
Point Guards
Iman Shumpert Knicks
Shumpert was awful in Thursday's blowout loss to the Grizzlies, scoring 12 points on 5-of-20 shooting, but did have four steals and a block in 29 minutes. He hasn’t exactly been a fantasy beast thus far, but he’s got a green light to shoot and is playing heavy minutes. He also has the potential to rack up stats in nearly every category on any given night, and I still think he should be owned in all leagues.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues as long as he’s starting for the Knicks.
Brandon Knight Pistons
Knight scored 20 points and his two 3-pointers on 7-of-9 shooting with two rebounds, three assists, one block, and five turnovers in Thursday's loss to the Bucks. He’s still available in some leagues, but should be owned in nearly all of them, as he’s only going to get better with time.
Recommendation: Should be owned in most leagues.
Nate Robinson Warriors
Robinson stepped off the plane and right onto the court after being signed by the Warriors and has been very effective thus far, helping to fill in for Stephen Curry, who could miss another week with another sprained ankle. In four games Robinson is averaging 14.5 points, 4.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 3-pointers in 32.5 minutes per, and will continue to see heavy minutes as long as Curry is out. And while he still may be worth holding even after Curry returns, he’ll only be startable for most teams in the upcoming week.
Recommendation: Should be picked up and used as long as Curry is out.
Delonte West Mavericks
Jason Kidd is still out with a sore back and there’s been very little information coming out of Dallas about how he’s feeling. Even when Kidd was playing, West was starting at shooting guard, but Vince Carter is now in that spot. West is averaging 10 points, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals in his last four games and is worth a look in deeper leagues. And even when Kidd returns, it looks like West should still have a solid role with the Mavs.
Recommendation: Should be owned in deep leagues and considered in most.
Luke Ridnour Timberwolves
Ridnour has scored in double figures in six of his last seven games and is averaging 12 points, three assists and more than a steal and three per game on the season. He continues to start over Ricky Rubio and spends much of his time on the court with the young phenom. He had 22 points, three 3-pointers and a fat stat line in his last game against the Bulls, and should continue to produce even if Rubio enters the starting lineup.
Recommendation: Should be considered in most leagues, but starting job could be in jeopardy.
Shooting Guards
Anthony Morrow Nets – He’s simply on fire and should not be available in any leagues now, but is still not owned in 19 percent of ESPN leagues. He’s scored 20 or more in three of his last four games and hit 18 3-pointers in the hot streak. I am still not sure what will happen once DeShawn Stevenson and Damion James are back from their injuries, except that Morrow will keep getting minutes and bombing threes. MarShon Brooks is not on the list this week officially, but is still a player I think should be held in most leagues in case he prevails over James for the starting SF job going forward.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.
Kawhi Leonard Spurs
Leonard is now the starting shooting guard for the Spurs and is averaging 14 points, seven rebounds, two steals and a block over his last three games, hitting 20-of-34 shots from the field over that stretch. It's anyone's guess as to whether or not Gregg Popovich sticks with him in the starting lineup going forward, but he has said he loves Leonard's defensive skills. Gary Neal might still be starting over Leonard, but was put on the bench to back up point guard Tony Parker after T.J. Ford tore a hamstring. Dropping Neal for Leonard makes a lot of sense.
Recommendation: Should be owned in most leagues.
Evan Turner Sixers
Turner is starting to turn it on, scoring 16 points in each of his last two games and nearly posting a triple-double in one of them. Expectations were high coming into the season and he got off to a slow start, but his last two games could be a sign that he’s turning it around. If he was dropped in your league, picking him up looks like a good idea.
Recommendation: Should be considered in all leagues.
J.J. Redick Magic
Redick had 13 points, three boards, three assists and a 3-pointer Thursday, and is averaging 12 points, 2.5 boards, 2.5 assists and a 3-pointer on the season. The news here is that Jason Richardson hurt his knee on Thursday and will have an MRI, meaning Redick could finally get his shot at the starting lineup. In five starts last season Redick averaged 14.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, a steal and 2.4 3-pointers. Don’t be surprised if he starts for the next several games and pick him up if you need threes, at least as long as JRich is sidelined.
Recommendation: Can be used in most leagues as long as Richardson is out.
Tony Allen Grizzlies
Allen scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting with five rebounds, one assist, five steals and one block in 26 minutes on Thursday against the Knicks. He continues to start over O.J. Mayo and while his scoring will fluctuate greatly from game to game, he should be a solid source of rebounds and steals as long as he’s starting. Mayo had a season-high 18 points with four 3-pointers on Thursday and appears to be in line for more minutes going forward, meaning he’s also worth a look off wires.
Recommendation: Should be considered in deeper leagues.
Michael Redd Suns
Redd scored 12 points on Thursday and hit three 3-pointers in 19 minutes. Oddly, Alvin Gentry is thinking about starting him on Friday against the Nets, which is bad news for Jared Dudley. But I’m not convinced Redd can play more than 20 minutes a night, or stay healthy, so Dudley is a guy worth holding onto until we see how this shakes out. Feel free to take a flier on Redd if you’re desperate for a shooting guard, but don’t be surprised to see him struggle with knee soreness in the near future.
Recommendation: Should be monitored in most leagues, but he’s a very risky pickup.
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Small Forwards
Dorell Wright Warriors
Wright finally caught fire on Wednesday, blowing up for 20 points, 10 rebounds, a steal, a block and six 3-pointers. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury in that game and missed Thursday against the Magic. Brandon Rush started in his place and hit three 3-pointers in that one, and is still worth a waiver-wire look, but Wright should be owned in all leagues after his disastrous start to the season. His knee injury doesn’t sound serious and he could play on Saturday at Charlotte, so grab him if he was dropped in your league.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.
Josh Howard Jazz
Howard had 18 points, a steal and two 3-pointers on Wednesday and appears to be very close to overtaking Raja Bell as the starting small forward. He's still dealing with some soreness in his quad and knee tendinitis, but is playing through it. I don't trust Howard any farther than I can throw him, but if he takes over the starting gig, he'll be worth starting in fantasy as long as he's healthy.
Recommendation: Should be owned in most leagues if healthy, and if he gets the starting job.
Chandler Parsons Rockets
Chandler Parsons started again at small forward on Wednesday and had eight points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block on 4-of-10 shooting. He was 0-for-5 from downtown, but at least he's shooting them, meaning he's going to hit threes in the future. He's worth a pickup in most leagues as a starter, while Chase Budinger failed to score in 13 minutes. Parsons should hold the job, at least in the near future, and has played more than 30 minutes in each of his three starts.
Recommendation: Should be considered in most leagues as long as he’s starting.
Carlos Delfino Bucks
Delfino is still struggling with inconsistency, but with Mike Dunleavy out with a groin injury, should continue to start and hit threes. He’s hit seven treys in his last two, but has scored in single digits in five of his last six games. The minutes are there and as long as he stays healthy, he should be a solid source of threes, rebounds, steals and points.
Recommendation: Should be considered in all leagues in case he gets hot.
Kyle Korver Bulls
Korver has hit 15 3-pointers in his last five games and is averaging 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and more than a steal over that stretch. If you need threes, Korver looks like he’s going to keep hitting them off the Bulls bench.
Recommendation: Should be picked up by owners in need of threes.
Matt Barnes Lakers
Barnes is the starting small forward for the Lakers and is playing well, averaging nearly nine points, six rebounds, three assists, a steal, a block in seven games. He’s also hit three 3-pointers in his last three games and has scored 11, 15 and 16 points in three of his last four. If you’re in a deep league, Barnes should be available and able to help most teams.
Recommendation: Worth grabbing in deeper leagues.
Chris Singleton Wizards
Singleton is starting for the Wizards over Rashard Lewis and is averaging nearly seven points, six boards and more than a steal in his three starts. It’s hard to say how long he’ll stick, but owners in deep leagues should keep a close eye on him Friday night against the Sixers. He’s been wildly inconsistent since replacing Lewis, but should improve with time.
Recommendation: Should be monitored in most leagues as long as he’s starting.
Power Forwards
Update: I didn't include Markieff Morris in the original column, but should have. He's averaging close to 10 points, 7.5 rebounds, a steal, a block and is hitting 1.5 3-pointers per game in January for the Suns. And if he ever gets a starting nod over Channing Frye, lookout.
Anthony Randolph Timberwolves
Randolph came off the bench and then started the second half for the Wolves on Tuesday, playing a season-high 29 minutes and posting a great line of 18 points, a steal and a block on 6-of-10 shooting. The fact he replaced Darko Milicic to start the second half is huge news, and Rick Adelman said after the game he is considering changes to his starting lineup. Fantasy owners need to take notice of Randolph's night and he's an automatic pickup if he moves into the starting five. He could very well end up being a bust again, as he usually does, but picking him up and seeing what happens looks like a very good idea, especially if you need steals, blocks and boards. The Wolves play the Hornets on Friday night and if Ant-Rand plays well, he’s not going to be available off waivers for long. But after years of dealing with situations identical to this one with Randolph, I’m preparing myself to be let down. And while we're talking about the Wolves, keep an eye on Anthony Tolliver, who also started the second half alongside Randolph on Tuesday.
Recommendation: Should be picked up in most leagues until we see how this weekend goes.
Marreese Speights Sixers
Speights went hitless on six shot attempts on Thursday, finishing with two points, nine rebounds, one assist, and no steals or blocks in 22 minutes. Speights now has one good night and two bad nights under his belt, but should continue to fill in for Zach Randolph. Poor shot selection is a problem and conditioning have been problems, but he also has some big-game potential given the heavy minutes he’s getting. He could be a much better player two weeks from now than he is currently.
Recommendation: Should be held in most leagues.
Trevor Booker Wizards
Booker has started over Andray Blatche in two straight and has played well in three in a row, averaging 10 points, seven boards and more than a steal and block over that stretch. I have no idea how long he’ll continue to start over Blatche, but if he does, he’ll be worth a look in many leagues.
Recommendation: Should be considered in deep leagues as long as he’s starting.
Josh Harrellson Knicks
Harrellson scored eight points off the bench on Thursday, hitting 3-of-5 shots from the field (including two threes) with seven rebounds, one assist, and one block in 28 minutes. Harrellson is worth watching in deeper leagues as he continues to get quality minutes off the bench for Mike D’Antoni. He’s had six or more rebounds in four of his last five games and has scored in double digits in three games this season. He can block shots and hit threes, giving him a unique fantasy skill set. And if Carmelo Anthony’s ankle injury causes him to miss games, Harrellson, along with Bill Walker, could see a short-term boost in minutes.
Recommendation: Should be monitored in deep leagues.
Jon Leuer Bucks
Leuer, a rookie, scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting with six rebounds, five assists, and two steals over 31 minutes in the Bucks' easy win over the Pistons Thursday. The Bucks are extremely deep at PF and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is currently out with a knee injury, but is close to returning, which could make it tough for Leuer to have a repeat performance anytime soon. Mike McCollow, a former Raptors assistant coach, Wolves broadcaster and friend of mine, worked with Leuer over the summer and shared these thoughts with me after his big night. "I couldn't be happier for Jon. He has done everything I have asked of him the last couple of years and has worked his tail off, ignoring the hype and working on mastering the fundamentals,” McCollow said. “A night like last night just shows how versatile he is, stuffing the stat sheet in every category in his first start ever as an NBA player.“ Leuer is not a must-own player and I need to see him play well in a couple more before thinking about picking him up, but he is worth putting on your watch list.
Recommendation: Should be monitored in deep leagues.
Centers
Anderson Varejao Cavaliers
Varejao had a season-high 17 rebounds to go along with eight points, a steal and a block on Thursday, and is having a nice season. He’s averaging nine points, 11 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 0.6 blocks on the season and, as we predicted, is getting heavy minutes in Cleveland.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.
Samuel Dalembert Rockets
Dalembert is finally starting, but is stuck in a three-way timeshare with Jordan Hill and Patrick Patterson. He’s still boarding and blocking, but is not a must-start fantasy player as of now. I still think he will be at some point, but the timeshare will have to end for it to happen. However, I also think he should still be held in almost all leagues.
Recommendation: Should be held in most leagues.
B.J. Mullens Bobcats
Mullens made his first start Thursday and scored a career-high 21 points, hitting 8-of-16 shots from the field with four rebounds and no steals or blocks. Mullens is not a great rebounder, but has been scoring nicely this season, and is also a great free throw shooter. He was a popular pickup with five games this week, and after a slow start has come through for his owners. And given his starting job and how well he’s playing, should be held in most leagues.
Recommendation: Should be owned in most leagues.
Andris Biedrins Warriors
Andris Biedrins returned from an ankle injury on Thursday and started against the Magic, scoring two points with eight rebounds, one steal, and two blocks in 21 minutes before fouling out hacking Dwight Howard. Kwame Brown’s season is over and Biedrins is going to have to step up his game for the Warriors. Injuries could be a problem all year and his lack of offense isn’t very fun in fantasyland, but he should be reliable for boards and blocks when he’s healthy. But if you are in a league that starts two centers, Biedrins should probably be owned.
Recommendation: Should be owned in two-center leagues, and considered in most.
Zaza Pachulia Hawks
Pachulia looks like the starting center for the Hawks until they can trade Kirk Hinrich for a better option. Al Horford is done for the season (or at least the fantasy season) and Zaza had 10 points, 10 rebounds and a block on Thursday. Pachulia has made 170 career starts, averaging 10.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks in those games. His only competition for playing time at the center spot right now is Jason Collins, and possibly rookie Ivan Johnson, meaning Pachulia is the guy to own here.
Recommendation: Should be owned in two-center leagues, and considered in most.
Ivan Johnson Hawks
Johnson came off the bench for 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting with seven rebounds and a block in 21 minutes Thursday. With Horford toast, Johnson will get plenty of minutes and opportunities to show off his skills. Boards, blocks, a few points and plenty of mistakes will be his calling card, and while he’s not worth picking up just yet in most formats, he’s suddenly a valuable asset in my 30-team league.
Recommendation: Should be monitored in deep leagues.