Week 13 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups: NBA Guards

Sitting here in the middle of the 2014-15 NBA season, the waiver wire has taken its typical place in the weekly/daily routine of fantasy basketball managers. The following guards, whether of the “sleeper” variety or just cashing in temporarily on an unforeseen opportunity, almost certainly deserve attention across the various formats during Week 13 of the campaign.

Position Eligibility & Ownership Rate Based on Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Player List

Waiver Wire Guard For Right Now

Marcus Smart (BOS, PG) - 43% owned

After a little bit of a bumpy start, Smart seems to be hitting his stride, and is showing some nice all around fantasy game.

Since the departure of Jeff Green, Smart has been consistently playing around 30 minutes per game. Over the last week, Smart is returning top 50 value with averages of 8.3 point, 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, two steals, and 2.3 threes per game. His .368 field goal percentage over that same span leaves much to be desired, but his terrific .438 from downtown makes up for it.

Smart's scoring is still sporadic, but he is coming off of a 14 point game and has posted double digit point totals in three of his last six games. If you can live with his low scoring totals, the assists, steals, and threes combined with the increased opportunity makes him a must-grab guy.

Waiver Wire Guard For Deeper Leagues

O.J. Mayo (MIL, PG/SG) - 39% owned

This guy has fooled me more than once this season, including on draft day, but Mayo should be back on the radars of fantasy owners.

Mayo is red hot right now. Over his last six games the for USC Trojan 13 points and 2.2 threes per game while shooting .547 from the field and a ridiculous .542 from three point land. He also didn't play more than 28 minutes in any of those six games, so there's upside here if coach Jason Kidd decides to play Mayo more while he has the hot hand.

Mayo is not much help in any category other than points and threes, meaning he's little use to fantasy owners if his shot goes cold. He's a notoriously streaky player, but when he's on, he is one of the few guys you can grab on the waiver wire who can put up points in bunches. Grab him while he's hot, especially in a deeper league, but don't forget, his next cold streak could come at any minute.

Waiver Wire Guard To Keep An Eye On

Jameer Nelson (DEN, PG) - 33% Owned

Nelson has been great in his three games in Denver so far, posting averages of 15 points, two threes, 5.5 assists per game. Numbers like that scream must add, but it may be wise to not jump the gun.

First, let's not forget that Nelson has been terrible until these past three games, and looked like he was on his way out of the NBA before he got to Denver. He's also playing in a crowded backcourt that already includes Ty Lawson, Aaron Afflalo, and Randy Foye, so even if the Rocky mountain air is working as a fountain of youth for Nelson, his minutes are sure to be limited unless there is a trade or injury.

Point guards are like gold, so if you're desperate for help at the position, then grab Nelson before somebody else does. Other than that, he's worth keeping an eye on, but I'm pretty sure he won't keep this up.