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This week's waiver wire guards are a mixed bag, with a few different kinds of potential fantasy basketball stars. Both veterans and a rookie make an appearance because of how well they’ve been playing, yet are still being ignored in the majority of leagues. The fantasy season is beginning to wind down and now is the time where you can’t have any duds or people who aren’t contributing. Stay on top of your league while everyone else is still thawing out from January. Check out the guys below.
Position Eligibility & Ownership Rate Based on Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Player List
NBA Guards: Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups & Sleepers
Jeff Green (SG/SF, MEM) - 49% Owned
I have written about how Jeff Green is a master of deception. He makes fantasy users believe that he’s a special player only to let you down for three weeks straight by not scoring double digits one time. Over the last week he’s averaging 26.7 points and 5.0 rebound per game. He’s had three straight games of scoring more than 21 points. To anyone that has followed the career of Jeff Green, it is in no way surprising that he’s been able to put up big numbers over a hot stretch of games. It's happened many times before. But it will also not be a surprise when he doesn’t show up for two weeks straight. To be fair, it is still a miracle he’s even playing professionally with the whole heart surgery ordeal. Proceed with caution when adding him to your squad, but right now he’s on a hot streak and Jeff is definitely worth owning while he's hot.
Norris Cole (PG/SG, NO) - 21% Owned
New Orleans is at the bottom of their division, but they are slowly crawling up the standings with some more consistent team play. Norris Cole is stepping in for Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon has been a major reason why the team has been able to escape the bottom of the Western Conference. Over his last seven games, Cole is averaging 13 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game (Pelicans are 5-2). Because of Cole’s size and skill set it seemed for the longest time the league only expected him to be a backup at best.
During his time in New Orleans it has become clear that Cole is much more than just a backup. The Pelicans have kept Cole in the starting lineup ahead of Jrue Holiday, who they have left as a bench spark plug even after all the injuries while Cole acts as facilitator for Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson. His role as a backup on fantasy teams has been well established, as he doesn't put up enough fantasy relevant numbers to be a top option even with a starting gig. But with the role he's carved out in New Orleans, he should be considered for all squads looking for guard depth.
Dion Waiters (OKC, SG/SF) 13% Owned
Waiters’ production and usage make it difficult to understand why so few people have picked him up. While his field goal (41%) and free throw percentages (73%) aren’t the best, they aren’t so bad to suggest he can't be owned. Any given night Waiters is capable of scoring 15+ points while hitting two to three shots from long range. This alone makes him intriguing, but the fact that he’s the main outside scoring option off the bench for the Thunder makes Waiters even more intriguing as a potential deep league option.
Matthew Dellavedova (PG, CLE) - 9% Owned
With all the changes and “turmoil” going on in Cleveland (they’re 1st place in the East, how bad is it really?) it has been a pleasant surprise to see Dellavedova continually produce at a high level. After all of the criticism last year about being an "energy guy" who was in the game more for his gritty/dirty play than for his actual talent, he has genuinely turned into a legitimately good backup point guard in the league. His 8.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.4 three pointers a game -- with great percentages -- for the season makes him worth being on most teams.
The fact that he’s been able to do this the whole season whether Kyrie Irving or Mo Williams has been healthy is extremely impressive. Right now Mo Williams seems to be on the outside of the playing rotation -- likely because of Dellavedova's defensive value. This leaves Dellavedova with more minutes and playing time, which is he is taking advantage of. Some basketball analysts are considering Dellavedova for the most improved player of the year award. This isn’t out of the realm of possibility, because Dellavedova is a true hidden gem this year among guards because it’s hard to believe he’s doing what he’s doing.
Jerian Grant (PG, NY) - 3% Owned
New York’s other rookie has played really well for a non-lottery pick. Grant has been inconsistent, but has shown that he has all the tools to have a spot in this league for a long time. Right now he is New York’s most capable facilitator from the guard spot. Jose Calderon is a shell of his former self, and the rest of the Knicks guards are score-first types like Langston Galloway. Grant's 5 assists per game over the last four games leads the team. He has shown an incredible ability to come off the bench and make things happen. Sometimes they’re good things, and sometimes they’re bad things, but there is always some action revolving around the young point guard. Grant can get anywhere on the floor he wants at any time, the only problem is he doesn’t always know what to do once he gets there. He's still too raw for standard leagues, but if you’re in need of scoring and assists in a really deep league then Grant should be considered as a viable option.
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