Walker Kessler (C, UTA) - Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 20

March 5, 2023

Walker Kessler is worth considering as a fantasy basketball waiver wire pickup heading into Week 20 of the 2022-23 NBA season.

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 44% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Can somebody explain to me why Walker Kessler is still rostered in fewer than half of all ESPN leagues out there? Please? Yes, he's a rookie. Yes, he plays for the now-sinking Utah Jazz. But that's a unique and winning combo, folks! Do something before it's too late, is what I'm saying!

Kessler has started 21 consecutive games with the Jazz since not doing it for the last time all the way back on Jan. 8, nearly two months ago when he came off the pine against Memphis and still got a 10-11 dub-dub to go with... 6 (!!!) blocks on top of it all!

The rookie has grabbed double-digit boards in all of his last five games and in six of his last seven. More incredible is the fact that he's pulled down 9+ rebounds in 12 of his last 15 matchups, and he's not grabbed fewer than 5 boards in a single game since he failed to do so back on Jan. 5 (!).

Time will pass and we'll talk about that deal as the Kessler Trade, not the Gobert Trade. Wait for it, because it's inevitably happening. Back-to-back double-doubles for Kessler through Friday with a 10-15 and then a 10-11 against SAS and OKC in his last two games at the time of this writing.

Points and rebounds in bunches, and the most prolific shot-blocking is what you'd get if you land some Kessler shares. The swats are, in fact, unheard of. The rookie has blocked 39 shots since the start of February for an average of 3.25 BPG since then. Hell, even just looking at February alone, he'd have blocked 35 shots for more than one swat per day, let alone per game!

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