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One thing we've been missing at RotoBaller has been a focus on points leagues. We know many of you play in them, though, so we'll be presenting you all with a weekly points league waiver column, to help you find players who can get you to the top in that format.
So, heading into Week 2 of NBA action, which players should you be targeting on the wire?
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 2. All players in this article are rostered at 50 percent or less.
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Week 2 Points League Waiver Wire Pickups
Columns are written based on H2H Points Standard Size Leagues:
Harrison Barnes - SF/PF - Sacramento Kings (45% Rostered)
In his 10th year, Barnes won't show us anything new, but does he need to? Averaging 14.4 points per game the last two seasons with the Kings, he is a proven scorer and decent rebound grabbing 5.2 rebounds per game. On these stats alone, he should be a rostered player in 12 teams and larger leagues.
What intrigues me about Barnes this season was coach Luke Walton's decision to give Harrison more playing time at PF. Barnes' more natural position is the 4 and gave him opportunities opening night to grab 9 rebounds while keeping up his scoring with 21 points.
Malik Beasley - PG/SG - Minnesota Timberwolves (43% Rostered)
After signing a long term deal to stay in Minnesota, Beasley showed why he is worth the money on opening night. When Beasley got traded to the Timberwolves midseason last year, he got 15 more minutes tonight and used that to improve his previous 7.9 points per game to 20.7 points per game. He should have a role as a starter or the top scorer off the bench.
Keldon Johnson - SF - San Antonio Spurs (32% Rostered)*
Keldon Johnson is a 2nd-year player who might have gone under the radar a little too much this year for fantasy. During the NBA Bubble is where Johnson shined and showed his fantasy potential for the Spurs. Eight of his 17 played games came in Orlando, where he averaged 14.4 points from his previous 5.3 in the other nine games.
Gregg Popovich's lineup changes during the end of last season gave younger players like Johnson and his teammate listed below Lonnie Walker more chances to show why they deserve rotation minutes. Keldon got the go-ahead in the starting five opening night and put up 33.5 fantasy points.
Shake Milton - PG/SG - Philadelphia 76ers (28% Rostered)
Last year when Ben Simmons got injured, Shake Milton was thrown into the starter role to fill the hole that Simmons' absence left. In the 16 games without Ben Simmons, Milton averaged 13.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. After a strong first game, Milton is solidifying himself as the spark plug off the bench.
Mason Plumlee - PF/C - Detroit Pistons (26% Rostered)
After an odd offseason for the Detroit Pistons, drafting a center with the 16th pick then signing multiple big men to the roster, Mason Plumlee has secured the starting spot. While he isn't a big name player, Plumlee should get 30+ minutes a night and provide good value for your team. An added plus for Plumlee is that he has great court vision for a center, and has shown he can get assists adding on to his fantasy points.
Patrick Williams - SF - Chicago Bulls (24% Rostered)
Williams has stolen the starting job from Otto Porter Jr. and has gotten some extended runs when the Bulls get blown out by the opposing team. The opening game was especially rough for the Chicago Bulls, being down 20+ at the half and the team, under newly acquired head coach Billy Donovan, looked lost for the whole game.
Williams will get minutes as a promising rookie for the Bulls and will be asked to be molded into a key player for the Bulls as they push for the play-in tournament.
Alec Burks - SG/SF - New York Knicks (20% Rostered)
The Knicks guard rotation is a mess, but Alec Burks has shown that he will get minutes as a starter or off the bench. Having a career year in scoring last year, he found a role to be a floor spacer in the starting rotation or a solid 6th man for any team. Burks had a strong opening game and has proven that he can provide NBA level minutes for the Knicks compared to some of the other guards on the roster.
Josh Jackson - SG/SF - Detroit Pistons (12% Rostered)
Josh Jackson hasn't lived up to his status of the former 4th overall pick in the 2017 draft but may have found a spot in the rotation for the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons team is a bit of a mess, but Jackson found 29 minutes in the opening game and produced one of his best games in the NBA.
Jackson had 19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal as the 6th man creating 30.2 fantasy points. While he shouldn't average 19 points this season, Jackson and Derrick Rose will be valuable pieces for the Pistons running the second unit.
Lonnie Walker IV - SG/SF - San Antonio Spurs (11% Rostered)*
Walker didn't get many opportunities his rookie season playing 6.9 minutes per game in 17 games. His second year was disappointing, but he got more playing time, increasing his minutes to 16.2 in 61 appearances. The bubble gave another young Spurs player a chance to break through the cracks as Lonnie averaged 11.3 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, which were all above his season average for his 2019-2020 campaign. Walker came out to play opening night, scoring 16 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and dishing out 2 assists. Lonnie had 31.2 fantasy points and will likely produce similar numbers when given the minutes.
*Keldon Johnson and Lonnie Walker are getting some extended minutes while Derrick White is healing from left toe surgery and won't be back until some time in January. With their impressive performances so far they should maintain a role in the rotation but might lose minutes when White returns.
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