Jaden Hardy (SG, DAL) - Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 23

March 26, 2023

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

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 3% of leagues

ANALYSIS: It's been a wild couple of weeks for Jaden Hardy and the Dallas Mavericks as a whole. The TX squad is looking at the playoffs from the outside looking as through games played on Friday they are in possession of the no. 11 seed in the West, not even cracking the play-in tournament.

Hardy, for what is worth, has spent the last four games coming off the pine after starting three prior to that. And the most incredible thing is that he was absolutely unstoppable in that three-game run, which makes one wonder if Dallas would enter panic mode and give the rookie more chances.

Truth be told, Hardy has been similarly good starting and coming off the bench recently on second-unit-leading duties. He averaged a per-game 24-5-3 stat line in those three games from Mar. 11 through 15, but in his most recent three outings he's gone for an average 18-3-2 per-game line.

Yes, the numbers went down, but so did the minutes. He started three games playing an average of 39 MPG and putting up 38 FPPG... but now that he's back to the second unit he's logging 21 MPG in which he's producing a ridiculous 30 FPPG for a per-minute average of 1.40 (league average at 0.90).

With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving manning the backcourt, Hardy is ultra-blocked from a chance at starting games. That said, he has been fantastic of late leading the bench and that should stay the same considering he's fit perfectly and that Dallas won't be trying any dumb stuff with their season on the line.

More Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 15 (2024-25): February 3 - February 9

If you're like me, you woke up to one of the biggest trades in recent NBA history (Luka for AD) and are still trying to make sense of it. It will likely be the biggest trade of the week, but it won't be the only deal made this week as Thursday's NBA trade deadline looms. […]

Dan Palyo February 2, 2025

League Winners: Second-Half Trade Targets and Stashes - 2025 Fantasy Basketball

Things have not gone as planned for fantasy basketball managers who drafted players like Joel Embiid or Jimmy Butler. But there's plenty of basketball left to be played and it's time to reassess how we view players going forward. If you want to win that fantasy basketball league championship, worry less about where your players […]

Dan Palyo January 30, 2025

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14 (2024-25): January 27 - February 2

We flip the calendar to February this week and edge closer to both the All-Star break and the NBA trade deadline. Some of the moves you can make in the next few weeks could greatly impact your team's ability to compete for a fantasy championship in March or April! Most leagues have a weekly moves […]

Dan Palyo January 26, 2025

League Winners: Players To Stash For the Stretch Run - 2024 Fantasy Basketball

The All-Star Break is upon us and while it's nice to have some time off from setting lineups, making DFS lineups, and placing bets. It's also a nice time to look ahead and what moves you can make to put your team in the best position possible to win a fantasy basketball title. Remember, the […]

Dan Palyo February 19, 2024

Trendon Watford (PF, POR) - Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 23

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 7% of leagues ANALYSIS: According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (reporting on Sunday morning), the Portland Trail Blazers are leaning toward shutting down Damian Lillard for the remainder of the season. The Blazers, mind you, have been without Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Lillard, and Jusuf […]

Antonio Losada March 27, 2023