October 21, 2018

Week 1 fantasy basketball waiver wire adds for standard leagues. Take a look at three NBA players who are owned in less than 50% of fantasy basketball leagues and should be picked up.

This is the first week of fantasy basketball and there are already plenty of names a case for why they need more minutes. Right off the bat and looking at last night, it's hard to ignore someone like Nik Stauskus. Guaranteed he will be the top scorer on your waiver wire, but his production is all but that. He played well and with confidence, but it's unsure whether his consistency will lead to problems. Give it another game, but keep an eye on him.

Another player to watch is J.J. Barea. Although he is clearly in a reserved role, the Mavericks have a funky team foundation. Dennis Smith Jr. and Luka Doncic will both be impactful players, but it looks like Barea will be the main facilitator when he is in. Having a player that can rack up assists in minimal minutes needs to be added, at least for the short term.

As a reminder, for standard (10-12 team) league adds, we use a general rule of thumb of an ownership rate of under 50% on Yahoo. All position eligibility based on Yahoo leagues.

Standard League Adds for Week 23

Malik Monk , SG,  – Charlotte Hornets

Ownership: 42%

18.0 PPG / 4.0 REB / .438 FG% / 4.0 3PT

Malik Monk also added two assists and a few defensive stats to go along with his scoring, but if the first game of the season is any indication, its clear Monk is about to breakout. He has the green light when he is on the floor and his athleticism makes it hard for teams to really game plan against. There are plenty of other young guys like Josh Hart, who have the same time of potential, but they don't have the same situation Monk has. Charlotte will not be horrible this year, but if Kemba Walker had to score 40 on his own in the first game, Monk will be getting his opportunities sooner rather than later. Until the Hornets really establish themselves with offensive structure, expect the more athletic players to do most of the contributing for the next week or two.

Noah Vonleh, PF – New York Knicks

Ownership 2%

12.0 PPG / 10.0 REB / 3.0 AST / 1.000 FG%

Not only did Noah Vonley impress fans in his debut, he actually looked like he was bringing something new to the team. His energy was infectious and the Hawks were not ready for that to start the season. Granted, Vonleh is entirely benefitting from the Mitchell Robinson ankle injury, but there is no saying that Robinson will be back anytime soon. Robinson will find his way back into the rotation but now that he has an ankle injury to nurse, Vonleh's usage and minutes opened up. Until Robinson is fully healthy and ready, Vonleh is an easy stream play with upside who fills all the boxes.

Zach Collins, PF, C  – Portland Trail Blazers

Ownership 6 %

6.0 PPG / 6.0 RPG / .750 FG% / 6.0 BPG

It is impossible to have watched the Laker-Trail Blazer game without noticing Zach Collins. No player blocks six shots and continues to fly under the radar. If you need blocks, get Collins now and just wait for him to flourish. Jusuf Nurkic and Collins have different styles, and if Collins keeps up his efforts then he win undoubtedly take the job from Nurkic. With defense propelling his offense, Portland is going to find a way to play Collins, their new best defensive player. Nurkic has had plenty of time to adapt, get better on defense and mesh with the team, but he continues to hold the team back with his inability to protect the paint.

Collins will need to score or rebound more to be relevant, but if he can keep up his blocks than the points and boards are just a pleasant bonus.

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