Hello friends. Welcome to a new edition of Waiver wire pickups for the wing spots here at RotoBaller. We're at Week 14 and injuries are starting to pile up and bench players will be needed to fill in for the starters.

Here might lie some hidden talent from the free agent pond, and if you choose just right, you could end up with a decent catch that can help you in your quest to win your NBA Fantasy Championship. Choose wisely!

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Standard League Waiver Wire Wing Adds

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, CHA (52% owned)

The reason Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is still owned in just over half of the Yahoo leagues is beyond me. Sure, he isn't too efficient a shooter, nor is he a natural born scorer. But he makes up for it with his grittiness and defense. Furthermore, he is a double-double threat every time he has a good matchup.

His season averages of 9.1 PTS on 44.8 FG% and 76.3 FT%, 7.5 REB, 1.4 AST, 0.8 STL, 1.0 BLK and 0.8 TO in 30 minutes per game say a lot about what kind of player we're talking about. Kidd-Gilchrist doesn't shoot much threes (he's 1 of 7 on the year), doesn't score much and his shooting percentages don't really help your team. But at 7.8 field goal attempts and 2.7 free throw attempts a game, they don't hurt too much either.

On the other hand, 7.5 rebounds from a small forward, together with almost 2 combined steals and blocks and only 0.8 turnovers in 30 minutes a game are a sight for sore eyes for a lot of owners in need of this kind of production from the waiver wire.

He showed exactly what he's made of in his last game going 7 of 11 from the field and 3 of 4 from the line on his way to 17 points, 14 rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two turnovers in 35 minutes of action. Yes, that came against the Brooklyn Nets, but still... Michael bangs out similar lines every once in a while, and even when he doesn't, he contributes in the categories you expect him to.

If you're set with your percentages, or just don't care too much for them, you would be wise to at least take a look at Kidd-Gilchrist, as he contributes in all the counting stats and gets constant minutes at 30 or more.

 

Austin Rivers, PG/SG/SF, LAC (49% owned)

Let's welcome a new addition to the wings spot. Austin Rivers has recently been given SF eligibility in Yahoo leagues. Great news for his owners and another reason to give him a go.

Rivers has really taken his opportunity in the absence of Blake Griffin and now Chris Paul. In his last five games, Rivers has averaged 15.2 PTS with 1.6 3PM on 48.3 FG% and 76.9 FT%, 2.0 REB, 4.0 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.4 BLK and 1.6 TO in 32 minutes a night. That is some nice scoring, and on decent percentages too. Especially if you count in the amount of three-pointers he takes (4.6 per game in that period). The assists and defensive stats aren't too shabby either.

Furthermore, Austin seems to have gained the trust of his coach and father Doc Rivers, so his minutes should be safe in the upper 20s even when Griffin and Paul return. Griffin will probably play on Jan. 24 against Philadelphia, but Paul is out for another five to seven weeks.

If Rivers can keep up his recent run of decent performances, the only reasons not to grab him would be if you don't need the stats he contributes in, if you don't have anyone to drop or if you think he will see a significant drop off when the Clippers' stars return. If none of those reasons apply to you and your team, I don't see another for you not to take a flier on him. Moreover, the Clippers have a decent schedule during the fantasy playoffs.

Other options: Al-Farouq Aminu, SF/PF, POR (51% owned) and Brandon Ingram, SG/SF, LAL (56% owned)

 

Deep League Waiver Wire Wing Adds

Matt Barnes, SG/SF, SAC (14% owned)

Now here comes a gamble. But at 14% owned, which player isn't?

Matt Barnes isn't having a great season for the Sacramento Kings with averages of just 7.2 PTS with 1.2 3PM on 37.5 FG% and 70.0 FT%, 4.7 REB, 2.7 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.3 BLK and 1.5 TO in 25 minutes per game. So you get bad percentages and relatively high turnovers and for what? A few threes, rebounds, average assists and some defensive stats? No thanks, right? Well, it depends.

Barnes is having one of his worst shooting seasons since he came to the NBA 13 years ago, both from the field and from the line. There's a lot of room to improve there since he is at 43.7 FG% and 74.1 FT% in his career. His defensive stats are also down, but that's got more to do with him playing less minutes.

That might change pretty soon. Rudy Gay just had a season-ending injury and Arron Afflalo is rumored to be on the trading block in Sacramento. Those developments could help Barnes get more playing time. If Barnes starts getting minutes in the high 20s or even around the 30 mark, and his shots start falling again, Barnes could be one of the sneakier pickups of the year in deep leagues.

Other options: Tony Allen, SG/SF, MEM (23% owned) and Sam Dekker, SF/PF, HOU (21% owned)

By popular demand, RotoBaller has aggregated all of our fantasy basketball NBA waiver wire pickups into a running list of NBA waiver options, so bookmark the page and check back often for updates.