December 27, 2016

Trevor Crippen recommends waiver wire NBA guards (PG, SG, PG/SG) for fantasy basketball leagues. Follow RotoBaller for more fantasy basketball strategy, rankings, and more.

This year, RotoBaller is separating its waiver wire recommendations by position a little differently.  In our three position breakdowns, we'll be separating players into GUARDS, including point guards (PG), shooting guards (SG), and combo guards (PG/SG); WINGS, including small forwards (SF), swing men (SG/SF), and small ball fours (SF/PF); and BIGS, including power forwards (PF), centers (C), and bigs who play both front court spots (PF/C).

In this post, we are looking into some potential Week 10 waiver wire pickups for guards. We'll provide options for guards, eligible at PG, SG, or PG/SG who may be available in both standard leagues (less than 50% owned) and deeper leagues (less than 25% owned), and will typically provide a boost in points, assists, threes, and steals.  All position eligibility and ownership rates based on Yahoo! fantasy leagues.

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Standard League Waiver Wire Guard Adds

Seth Curry, PG/SG, DAL (25% Owned)

J.J. Berea just can't seem to get healthy, as after a recent return from an earlier leg injury he is now facing another two weeks off with an Achilles injury on the same leg. With him out, Seth Curry will continue to get 25-30 minutes a game for the Mavs with a super green light to launch threes.  Dell's younger son has been especially efficient recently, shooting 49% from the field, including 50% from three, over his last six games, while also committing only 1 turnover compared to 4 assists per game. That kind of efficiency will come and go, and determine just how much fantasy value he has. At that level, he's a top 75 player, but once some cold streaks start factoring in, that'll drag his overall value into the 100s. That's still worth owning, especially for any team punting one of his true weaknesses in blocks or rebounds.

Sergio Rodriguez, PG, PHI (32% Owned)

I recommended Rodriguez and his fellow point guard T.J. McConnell last week, while pointing out you shouldn't expect too much scoring from them. Since then, Sergio had back-to-back games with 21 and 18 points, including 4 treys each. Meanwhile, his ownership rate has dropped from 34% to 32% (likely due to his unfriendly schedule, with only one game in a five day span from the 24th to the 28th, landing on the 26th when the vast majority of NBA teams were in action).

While it's not like Rodriguez has suddenly changed as a player and you should expect a consistent 15+ points per game, his recent run has earned him a bit of rope as the primary point guard. Rodriguez is at least capable of flashes like these, unlike the completely shot adverse T.J. McConnell. He also provides what passes for a veteran leadership presence in the 76ers young starting lineup, who can perhaps help young players like Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor develop better as a second coach on the court. For those reasons, it seems he'll be given some run to lead the 76ers at point, at least until Ben Simmons can get healthy.

Standard League Honorable Mentions: Patty Mills, PG, SA (44% Owned); Ty Lawson, PG, SAC (19% Owned); Austin Rivers, PG/SG, LAC (8% Owned)

Deep League Waiver Wire Guard Adds

Ty Lawson, PG, SAC (19% Owned)

I've been extremely bearish about Ty Lawson at every stage he's seen some failed hype since his Denver heyday, so don't think I'm trying to push a comeback to superstardom now. However, even I can't deny Tywon's recent play for the Kings, given the efficiency he's bringing lately, shooting 58% from the field and 80% from the line in the King's recent four-game winning streak. Meanwhile, starting point guard Darren Collison has fallen off a cliff in the same time, shooting only 37.5% and seeing his playing time fall to only 22.8 minutes per game over the last four, with Lawson and veteran combo guard Garrett Temple proving to be more winning options in the Kings back court.

I don't think it's worth dropping a player who's proven to have more stable efficiency for longer than four games at anytime in the last three years for Lawson, so I'm not going to recommend him as a can't miss standard league pickup. Also, Collison could just be in a funk and return to form, or the Kings could end up trading for a point guard like Brandon Knight, so Lawson's perceived upside of become the starting point guard in Sacramento could be fleeting. However, in deeper leagues, he should be owned on the basis of his current production and for that sliver of upside.

Deep League Honorable Mentions: Shelvin Mack, PG, UTA (9% Owned); Malcolm Brogdon, SG, MIL (18% Owned)