Category: NBA

Last Call On Dion Waiters

Dion Waiters is finally becoming a productive fantasy shooting guard coming off the bench in Cleveland.

Analysis: Dion Waiters is on fire and it doesn’t matter whether he is starting or coming off the bench. Waiters is averaging 18.6 PPG, 1.2 3PM and is shooting 49% from the field over his last five games. Considering his field goal percentage this year is at 38%, he just may be developing and maturing before our very eyes. I know a lot of fantasy owners were crying when he began coming off the bench but he is still getting twenty-eight minutes per game and he’ll be back in a starter’s role at some point in the future(but who cares as long as he is producing).

Waiters is available in about one quarter of fantasy leagues and he is definitely worth the pick-up. His field goal percentage and free throw shooting has been improving over the past few weeks and he averages fourteen shots per game as a rookie. There isn’t much to hate on if he can keep his field goal percentage up but his rebounding could use a boost. Waiters is rebounding at a 2.4 per game clip in thirty minutes per game this year. Up next for Waiters is Portland Wednesday night.

Under The Radar- Bradley Beal

Bradley Beal has been a top twenty shooting guard over the past two weeks but he continues to fly under the fantasy radar.

Analysis: Bradley Beal has averaged 17.0 PPG, 1.6 3PM, 1.0 SPG and 3.6 RPG over his last five games. Beal may not have been a sexy pick for Washington at the number three spot but he is producing well at the NBA level at only nineteen years of age. He’s taken a minimum of 12 shots in each of his last five games all while averaging well over thirty minutes per game. What’s not to like? He’s contributing well in four fantasy categories(3PM, PPG, FT%, SPG) and he’s also throwing in some blocks and assists from the shooting guard position as of the last few weeks.

Beal’s field goal percentage sits at 36% for the year and at 41% over his last five games. This problem should solve itself when Mr. John Wall returns to action for the Wiz. Wall’s career 8.2 APG will most certainly help Bradley Beal out in the points and field goal percentage departments. Beal will start hitting more threes and at a higher percentage and then Beal will no longer be under the radar. At the moment Beal is available in well over seventy percent of fantasy leagues.

Blocks And Boards- Okafor

Emeka Okafor is once again rebounding at an elite level as the fantasy world takes notice.

Analysis: Emeka Okafor is averaging 12.1 RPG with 2.4 BPG over his last five games. Yes, his minutes are around the thirty minute mark in this span but his play has improved considerably as well. He will always hurt you at the line with a 62% average this year but he only gets to the line twice per game. But unlike a Reggie Evans(3.1 PPG) or a Bismack Biyombo(4.8 PPG) he won’t kill you in the points department. Okafor only averages 7.6 points per game this season but he is averaging 10.4 points per game over his last five games which is a step in the right direction.

December was a fine month from the UConn product which saw him average 7.9 boards, 1.3 blocks and average 49.5% from the field. With each passing month this year his minutes are increasing and so is his fantasy production. He still remains a lower tier fantasy center but if he continues to receive nearly thirty minutes per game he will rebound and block shots at a more than serviceable rate.

 

Stock Rising- Mike Dunleavy

After missing some time in early December with knee issues Mike Dunleavy is posting some solid fantasy numbers.

Analysis: Mike Dunleavy has always been a fringe fantasy player but when his three point attempts rise one has to take notice. Dunleavy is averaging 1.8 three pointers made and shooting 5.2 threes per game over his last five contests. Thus far this year Dunleavy is averaging 1.7 threes made per game and is shooting 41% from beyond the arc. He is supplementing his three ball success with other fantasy categories as well. He’s a career 80% free throw shooter and he is averaging 4.7 RPG this year. While his rebounding and steals(0.7/g) are not anything special, they are a must for a small forward who is only going to give you 11-14 points per game.

At this point in the season Dunleavy is well under the radar and only owned in twenty percent of fantasy leagues. He is consistently on the end of 25-28 minutes per night, so the floor time and opportunity will be there for him unlike what we are seeing from Danny Green in San Antonio. If the streaky Kyle Korver isn’t available in your league then Mike Dunleavy is worth a look.

Stock Rising- Shawn Marion

Shawn Marion is three games into his return from a groin injury and he has already tallied three double-doubles.

Analysis: Shawn Marion may be thirty-four years old but he is getting tons of minutes(30/game) and making a big impact in the fantasy world this season. Since Marion has returned from a groin injury he’s averaging 14.0 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG. Marion really is contributing in just about every fantasy category. He doesn’t shoot as many threes these days and his assists will go back down to 2-3 per game but he continues to stuff stat sheets night in and night out.

Marion’s field goal percentage is nearly 50% this year which pretty much coincides with his career average. His free throw shooting is at 88% but he isn’t getting to the line quite enough to make a significant impact there. Marion will continue to receive thirty minutes per game and with it will come the 7-8 rebounds and the steals and blocks which are always so useful. The former UNLV product is available in over half of fantasy leagues and he does offer small forward and power forward position eligibility.