RADIO
Hello again and welcome to another week of waiver wire decisions and another group of three forwards (one you've seen before from me) who can add a spark to the middle of your lineup. Hopefully these players reach the rosters of Fantasy Basketball Managers in time for them to have a Happy Holidays and cash in on the statistics they have been producing of late.
Be sure to check out RotoBaller's other Week 9 NBA coverage, including our Week 9 Waiver Wire Guards and Week 9 Waiver Wire Centers.
Position Eligibility & Ownership Rate Based on Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Player List
NBA Forwards: Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups & Sleepers
Boris Diaw (PF/C, SA) - Owned in 3% of Yahoo! leagues
Boris Diaw is not a prototypical waiver wire addition. At 6-8 and 250 pounds, you wouldn't expect him to offer just 3.3 rebounds and 0.3 blocks per game, even in the mere 18.7 minutes he receives in the insanely deep San Antonio front court per game. What Diaw offers as a PF/C combo is his deep shooting ability and his passing. At 2.5 assists per game, Diaw ranks 8th among Centers and 6th among Power Forwards in the league; and he would be averaging 4.9 assists per 36 minutes played. Also at 0.9 3PT attempts and 0.4 3PT made per game at 38.5%, Diaw ranks 9th among Power Forwards and 2nd among Centers in 3PT% out of players with at least ten threes made. Diaw adds assists and 3PT field goals into the big man section of your roster that normally wouldn't be able to contribute to these categories, which makes him uniquely useful in team builds where you are punting blocks and/or rebounds, or as a category streaming option.
Gerald Green (SG/SF, MIA) - Owned in 20% of Yahoo! leagues
Here is the honest pitch for Gerald Green: Gerald Green can't pass, rebound, block shots, or get steals. What he can do (besides win dunk contests) is score. Pure and simple. Gerald Green is currently attempting 4.8 three pointers per game and is currently making 1.8, for a 3PT% of 36.5% on pace with his career percentage of 36.8%. Green is averaging 26.2 minutes per game which is allowing him enough time to accumulate worthwhile statistics. Green is averaging 12 points per game, beating out his career average of 10.3 points per game. Green would also be averaging 16.5 points if he was to see 36 minutes of court time. Green may not be a well rounded player, but he is sinking a high volume of three pointers at a solid percentage and is seeing the floor enough to average 12 points per game. That makes him valuable enough for Fantasy Basketball Managers to take notice.
Evan Turner (SG/SF, BOS) - Owned in 23% of Yahoo! leagues
In complete contrast to Gerald Green, Evan Turner is a guy that should be added for his well-roundedness. What Evan Turner lacks in offensive eliteness at 9.3 points per game and 15.4% 3PT% in 26.6 minutes per game on average, he more than makes up for in his overall game. Turner currently averages 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Per 36 minutes Turner's stat line would read: 12.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The 3.8 assists per game especially stands out, which currently ranks 8th among shooting guards and 5th among small forwards. Evan Turner is a must add for any Fantasy Basketball Manager that needs extensive help from a single waiver wire claim.
