X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

NBA Guards: Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups & Sleepers

After a lackluster trade deadline day there are only so many days until the basketball season comes to a close. The few moves that did happen changed things enough on certain teams, most notably Detroit and Orlando, that there are a few waiver wire guards worth considering.

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

 

NBA Guards: Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups & Sleepers

Stanley Johnson (SG/SF, DET) - 45% Owned

The Pistons got rid of Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova for a young and upcoming Tobias Harris. Harris has slotted right into Detroit’s rotation and is being used as a stretch big man giving Reggie Jackson/Andre Drummond more freedom to do their own work or run the pick and roll.

Amidst all of these changes (the Pistons also acquired Donatas Montiejunas from the Rockets), do not forget about rookie sensation Stanley Johnson. He has gotten better every month this season and really started coming on over the past 12 games before the All-Star break. Hopefully the shakeup in Detroit doesn’t change Johnson’s role too much because he was averaging 11.4 points and 7.6 rebound a game during his hot stretch.

Brandon Jennings (PG/SG, DET) - 38% Owned

Jennings has been recovering from an Achilles injury for most of the year, so he hasn’t fully shown if he’s still capable of scoring at the clip he was before he got injured. Now that he’s playing for Orlando, he's already started claiming minutes from young point guard Elfrid Payton because Scott Skiles doesn’t seem to fully trust the second year pro. In Jennings’ first game for Orlando, he played all five of the overtime minutes. As Jennings continues to get back into basketball shape, expect coach Skiles to play the veteran guard more than anyone expects.

For some reason the Orlando Magic are in a “win now” mode, so they expect both veterans acquired in the Harris deal--Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova--to contribute heavily for the rest of the season. Jennings has never been the most consistent or efficient player, but expect him to get the opportunity to put up big stats in his stint in Orlando.

Dennis Schroder (PG, ATL) - 29% Owned

Schroder is going to be the beneficiary of a Jeff Teague wrist injury for at least the next week. It seems that the Hawks are starting to move on from Teague even when both guards are healthy, as Schroeder has been getting more consistent minutes as of late. The young German point guard seems to be a team favorite and has always put up solid numbers whenever he’s gotten the call for more minutes.

On the season, Schroder averaging 11.1 points, 4.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.3 three pointers made a game. That stat line alone should make him worthy of being owned in more than 29% of Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball leagues but for whatever reason Schroeder continues going unnoticed. For somebody playing behind an All-Star caliber talent Schroder has consistently been able to put up solid numbers even though he hasn’t always gotten the minutes -- and now with Teague banged up and third-stringer Shelvin Mack in Utah, Schroder is going to get his share of minutes.

T.J. McConnell (PG, PHI) - 5% Owned

McConnell is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise awful season in Philadelphia. McConnell went undrafted coming out of Arizona, but has played his way into deserving consistent backup point guard minutes. Right now McConnell is averaging the second most assists for all rookies and is basically guaranteed his backup point guard role.

While he might not be part of Philadelphia's long term plans (see Kendall Marshall), McConnell is worth picking up for the rest of this season. He is an assist machine that knows every time he sets up one of his teammates, there’s a chance that tape helps him stay in the association for future season. While everyone on Philadelphia might already be thinking about their offseason plans, McConnell has to only be concerned with playing his best ball until the year ends.

 

NBA & Fantasy Basketball Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-11" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Ziaire Williams

Uncertain for Wednesday
Sam Merrill

Out on Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Iffy for Wednesday's Action
Gabe Vincent

Out for Several Weeks
Marcus Smart

in Danger of Missing Another Contest Wednesday
Cam Skattebo

Facing 4-6-Month Recovery Timetable
CFB

Jordyn Tyson Questionable for Iowa State Matchup with Hamstring Injury
Cameron Johnson

Considered Questionable for Wednesday
Jakob Poeltl

Unlikely to Play Wednesday
Ausar Thompson

Battling Illness, Questionable for Wednesday
Jake Oettinger

Collects First Shutout of the Season
Chuba Hubbard

Panthers Don't Want To Move Chuba Hubbard
Connor Bedard

Produces First Career Hat Trick
Victor Olofsson

Has Career Night With Five Points
Thomas Harley

Signs Eight-Year Extension With Stars
Shayne Gostisbehere

Suffers New Injury Tuesday
Conor Garland

Joins Canucks' Growing Injury List
Mikael Granlund

to Miss 2-3 Weeks
Obi Toppin

Expected to Miss One Month
Andrew Nembhard

to Miss Third Straight Game Wednesday
Bennedict Mathurin

Out Week-to-Week
Jusuf Nurkić

Jusuf Nurkic Iffy for Wednesday
Zaccharie Risacher

Listed as Probable Against Nets
Jalen Johnson

Considered Probable for Wednesday
Dillon Brooks

to Remain Out Wednesday
Jalen Green

Could Make His Suns Debut Wednesday
Anthony Davis

Expected to Play Wednesday
Jaylen Brown

Listed as Probable for Wednesday
Zion Williamson

Uncertain for Wednesday
Alex Caruso

Returns to Thunder Lineup
Gary Trent Jr.

Available Against Knicks
Adam Gaudette

Could Miss Time
John Klingberg

Ready for Action Tuesday
Warren Foegele

to Miss "Some Time"
George Springer

Not in the Lineup for Game 4 of World Series
Brett Pesce

Expected to Be Out for One Month
Jake Neighbours

to Miss at Least Five Weeks
Hampus Lindholm

Expected to Return Tuesday
Jacob Markstrom

Returns to Devils Crease Tuesday
Quinn Hughes

Sits Out Second Consecutive Game
Malik Nabers

Should be Ready for Start of Next Season
Lamar Jackson

Says he's "Ready to Go Now"
Isiah Pacheco

Week-to-Week With MCL Sprain
Tyler Shough

Named Saints' Starting Quarterback
Drake Batherson

Picks Up Three Points in Monday's Win
Sidney Crosby

Becomes Ninth NHL Player With 1,700 Points
Michael Kesselring

Expected to Make Season Debut Tuesday
Shayne Gostisbehere

Could Return Tuesday
K'Andre Miller

Expected to Remain Out Tuesday
Pyotr Kochetkov

Close to Returning
Kareem Hunt

Scores Twice in Monday Night Win Over Washington
George Springer

Pulled Early in Game 3 With Side Injury
Terry McLaurin

Questionable to Return in Week 8 After Aggravating Quad Injury
Baltimore Orioles

Orioles Finalizing Deal to Hire Craig Albernaz as the Next Manager
William Byron

Dominates at Martinsville and Advances to the Championship Round
Kyle Larson

Advances to the Championship Round After Top-Five Finish
Ryan Blaney

Falls Short of the Victory and Title Contention at Martinsville
Chase Elliott

Eliminated From 2025 Title Contention Despite Strong Martinsville Run
Lamar Jackson

Ravens Expect Lamar Jackson to Play on Thursday Night
Michael Carter

Cardinals Release Michael Carter on Monday
Carson Wentz

to Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery
CFB

Behren Morton Will Start Against Kansas State
Nico Collins

Trending Toward a Week 9 Return
Puka Nacua

Expected to Practice Wednesday, Play in Week 9
CFB

Lane Kiffin Says Money Won't Impact his Decision-Making
Tony Pollard

Reportedly Available for Trade
CFB

Arch Manning in Concussion Protocol, Misses Practice Monday
Brian Thomas Jr.

Jaguars Not Planning on Trading Brian Thomas Jr.
Justin Fields

Jets Non-Committal on Justin Fields as the Starter Going Forward
Christopher Bell

Eliminated From Championship 4 After a Too Conservative Season
Joey Logano

Lack of Championship-Caliber Speed Leads to Elimination
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Last at Martinsville
Denny Hamlin

Don't Think Denny Hamlin's Engine Failure Affects his Championship Prospects
Cam Skattebo

Out for the Season With Dislocated Ankle
Ciryl Gane

Fight With Tom Aspinall Ends In No-Contest
Ciryl Gane

Tom Aspinall Vs. Ciryl Gane Ends in No-Contest
Virna Jandiroba

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Mackenzie Dern

Wins Vacant Strawweight Title
Mario Bautista

Gets Outclassed
Umar Nurmagomedov

Gets Back In The Win Column
Jailton Almeida

Drops Decision
Alexander Volkov

Wins Split Decision At UFC 321
Azamat Murzakanov

Remains Undefeated
Aleksandar Rakic

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Tucker Kraft

Dominates With 143 Yards, Two Touchdowns on Sunday Night
Troy Franklin

Explodes for Two Touchdowns Against Cowboys
J.K. Dobbins

Breaks 100 Yards Again but Doesn't Find the End Zone
Bo Nix

has a Season-Best Four Passing Touchdowns
Chris Buescher

Is Chris Buescher A Playable DFS option for Martinsville?
Ryan Preece

is an Intriguing DFS Option For Martinsville
Daniel Suarez

May be Worth Rostering in DFS for Martinsville
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon Worth Rostering in DFS for Martinsville This week?
Christopher Bell

Kyle Larson Should Advance to Championship 4
Joey Logano

Don't Expect Joey Logano to Significantly Contend for Championship 4
William Byron

A DFS Must-Start Due to Lap-Leader Points
Ross Chastain

Hail Melon Nostalgia Masks Ross Chastain's Martinsville Mediocrity
Josh Berry

a Top Contender for DFS Place-Differential Points
Brad Keselowski

an Intriguing Martinsville Option
Shane Van Gisbergen

Now Competent on Ovals, but Don't Start Him Here
Kyle Busch

Qualifies Well but Probably Won't Have Staying Power
Carson Hocevar

Lack of Finesse Makes Him a Risky Martinsville Pick
Bryce Harper

Phillies Aren't Planning to Trade Bryce Harper
Bo Bichette

Starting at Second, Batting Cleanup in Game 1 of World Series
Bo Bichette

Makes World Series Roster
Ciryl Gane

Scheduled For A Title Fight
Tom Aspinall

Set for First Official Title Defense
Mackenzie Dern

Can Become The New Strawweight Champion
Virna Jandiroba

Set For UFC 321 Co-Main Event
Mario Bautista

Aims To Extend His Win Streak
MMA

Umar Numagomedov A Favorite At UFC 321
Jailton Almeida

Hopes To Get A Title Shot With A Win
Alexander Volkov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Azamat Murzakanov

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Aleksandar Rakic

In Dire Need Of Victory
CFB

Texas Tech QB Will Hammond Will Start vs. Oklahoma State Saturday
CFB

Kansas State RB Dylan Edwards Out For Sunflower Showdown
CFB

Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson Will Not Play In Week 9
Zack Wheeler

Could be Ready for Opening Day in 2026
William Contreras

Could Need Finger Surgery