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Well, the 2020-21 NBA season is here! After a shorter offseason than usual, (professional men's) basketball (in the United States) is back!
And with that, we want to welcome you to our first waiver wire column of the year. Each week, I'll be highlighting players to target in 9-Cat leagues. Are you a fantasy manager in a different format? Well, no worries, because you can still glean some insights from this column to help you make decisions about your team!
Our staff at RotoBaller has great insight and daily columns on how to improve your squad and tips to make your team successful, so be sure to check them out! Now, let's get prepared for Week 1. All players in this article are rostered at 50 percent or less.
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Week 1 Standard 9-Cat Leagues - Waiver Wire Pickups
*Securing your categorical needs at this point is important, especially if you're playing in head-to-head leagues*
Columns are written based on H2H 9-category standard size leagues:
Darius Bazley - SF/PF - Oklahoma City Thunder (43% rostered)
A big riser this preseason, Bazley is going to get plenty of opportunities on this rebuilding Thunder team. He'll provide fantasy managers with strong numbers in rebounds, blocks, and steals, plus can shoot from deep and should see a nice shot volume. I'm concerned about his efficiency when he's asked to do too much, but also if he really is asked to do too much for OKC, he'll give you enough raw numbers in other categories to help you forget about potential shooting struggles.
Darius Garland - PG - Cleveland Cavaliers (41% rostered)
Garland's rookie campaign wasn't the most efficient thing we've seen, but he should see some improvement in year two. His three-point volume likely means he'll average two three-pointers per game, plus he'll give you something like 15 points and nearly five assists per game. If you're okay with taking a hit in field goal percentage, Garland is someone who can provide you with some raw numbers, plus a strong free throw percentage.
Tyrese Haliburton - PG/SG - Sacramento Kings (38% rostered)
Haliburton will open the 2020-21 season coming off the bench in Sacramento, but I expect to see him playing a sizable role as the third guard right from the get. He's a good defensive player who should be able to help you out in steals and blocks, plus can do some damage as a spot-up shooter when playing off-ball with De'Aaron Fox. Haliburton is one of my favorite rookies and a really great sleeper who should find his way onto a fantasy squad in your league soon. Be smart and make sure it's your team.
Deni Avdija - SG/SF - Washington Wizards (32% rostered)
The rookie will come off the bench and fight with Rui Hachimura for minutes, so adding him at this point is more speculative than it is for other guys on this list. Avdija probably won't help you out in Week 1. But if he can fix his shooting woes, he'll provide you solid contributions in most categories and is an interesting stash.
Maximilian Kleber - PF/C - Dallas Mavericks (28% rostered)
Kleber should be playing a larger role early on than he will later down the line, making him an interesting guy to play for the first few weeks of the season. He averaged 9.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 threes, and 1.6 blocks in games he started last year, per our Brad Leibfried. If you need some threes and blocks, Kleber should be on your radar.
Talen Horton-Tucker - SG/SF - Los Angeles Lakers (24% rostered)
THT had a strong preseason. Like...a really strong preseason as he showed off his great scoring ability while also adding rebounds and steals to the equation. He's probably not going to be part of the main Lakers rotation from the start, but he has the upside to be a strong bench piece for this team and is my favorite stash guy in the league right now.
Shake Milton - PG/SG - Philadelphia 76ers (22% rostered)
Lots of things could change still in Philly if a James Harden trade materializes, but right now it looks like Shake Milton will get a lot of minutes. He can share the floor with Ben Simmons or run the point when Simmons sits. Milton had a strong training camp and preseason and should be able to provide quick points off the bench, plus can provide fantasy managers with assists and threes.
Sekou Doumbouya - SF/PF - Detroit Pistons (14% rostered)
It's hard to get a sense of what the Pistons will look like until we actually see the Pistons on an NBA court, but second-year forward Sekou Doumbouya should get plenty of minutes. He had a strong preseason, providing scoring and defense for Detroit. I'm really interested in him in deeper leagues where I need blocks, steals, and threes.
Immanuel Quickley - PG - New York Knicks (3% rostered)
Here's our deep league guy, who might end up playing a lot of minutes at point guard for the Knicks because the Knicks are...well, the Knicks, and their other options to back up Elfrid Payton at the point include a couple of guys who are looking like potential busts in Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr.
Quickley's preseason numbers are likely a bit of an illusion, but in the final game, he had 22 points, five assists, five steals, and made three three-pointers. He probably won't get a lot of minutes because Tom Thibodeau doesn't love rookies, but considering the dearth of reliable bench options at the one in New York, we can't rule him out, and if he gets minutes he can provide scoring, threes, and steals.
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