RADIO
The Waiver Wire is filled with veteran guard talent this week. This week we have a group of guys have something to prove and are getting the opportunities to prove it. These guys will only be getting their chances for so long, so make sure to pick them up while they're producing.
Be sure to check out RotoBaller's other Week 8 NBA coverage, including our Week 8 Waiver Wire Centers and Week 8 Waiver Wire Forwards.
Position Eligibility & Ownership Rate Based on Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Player List
NBA Guards: Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups & Sleepers
Veterans to Add
Ramon Sessions (WAS, PG/SG) - 2% Owned
Sessions has averaged 9 points with 1.5 three pointers a game in just under 20 minutes. Bradley Beal suffered the beginnings of a stress fracture in his right fibula and will be out for at least two weeks. This is the fourth time Beal has dealt with this injury in the same leg. Sessions will be worth the pick up for at least the two weeks because his minutes should increase to around the 25 minute mark. Otto Porter would be my first choice but he's owned in 71% of Yahoo league, so Sessions should benefit enough to make him serviceable for the length of Beal's injury. Sessions especially has value if you want help in FT% -- you can expect around the 79.6% he has hit in his career on an elite number of attempts per minute (he is averaging 7.0 FTA per 36 minutes played, which is good for 16th in the NBA among players who have played at least 400 minutes).
O.J. Mayo (MIL, PG/SG) - 27% Owned
Over the last week, Jason Kidd has been experimenting with O.J. Mayo as the starting point guard. During that time he is averaging 14 points with 2 threes made on 40% shooting from the field. In the month of December, Mayo has run up averages of 12.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in seven games. Mayo's 30 minutes a game during December are also the most minutes he's played this year. If the Mayo at point guard experiment continues to be successful, the Bucks might actually stick with it. Taking over as the starter would obviously raise his fantasy value significantly and make him worth consideration in all leagues.
Rodney Stuckey (IND, PG/SG) - 14% Owned
Can Rodney Stuckey be trusted? No. But recently he's gotten a lot of minutes and he's done well. He doesn't make enough threes, steals, or assist for me to take him too seriously, but he's still the great scorer he's always been. For the last two weeks, he's gotten around 28 minutes a game and has put up decent numbers all around. Stuckey had a similarly effective outburst during November but then disappeared for two weeks again. While Monta Ellis continues to really struggle for the Pacers, Stuckey will be worth considering. Indiana just doesn't have that many other guards who can play.
Players to Watch
Iman Shumpert (CLE, SG/SF) - 13% Owned
Coming off the bench for Cleveland last year, Shump averaged a solid 10.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, on 41% from the field. He did this for 38 games after being traded from the Knicks. The Cavs will probably want Shumpert to take some of the minutes being played by Matthew Dellavedova and J.R. Smith. It'll take a week or two for Shump's role on the team to be better defined. Also, he still has to prove he can stay healthy. Iman has had an ACL tear in 2012, a dislocated shouler in 2013, and is coming off of wrist surgery. There's no doubt a lot of talent and opportunity with Shumpert, and fantasy owners should wait to see if they amount to anything worth owning, but he definitely has the upside to turn into a solid fantasy role player.
Ish Smith (NO, PG) - 16% Owned
Smith's value is wholly dependent on the health of Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday. Both have missed significant time this season making Smith a leader on the team in minutes. During Smith's opportunity this season, he has averaged the 9th most assists per game in the league. He has more total assists than Stephen Curry or LeBron James. With the return of a healthy Holiday, Evans, and Norris Cole, there's just not enough basketball to go around anymore. Ish will just not get the time on the court anymore despite playing well. However, his early contributions won't be forgotten by the coaching staff, so fantasy owners should be prepared to snag him again if one of the Pelicans' oft-injured guards goes down again.
