Keldon Johnson (SF, SAS): Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups

Spurs forward Keldon Johnson is a worthy consideration as a fantasy basketball waiver wire pickup heading into Week 2 of the NBA season.

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12-Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 41% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Keldon Johnson was the 29th overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft for the Spurs.

The Kentucky product appeared in just nine games before the Bubble last season, though he saw a marked increase in playing time in the four games before COVID-19 paused the NBA season.

Johnson ended up playing a key role for the Spurs in the Bubble though, averaging 14.1 points and 5.0 rebounds to go along with 1.1 steals and 1.4 threes per game during that eight-game stint. He had a wild 63.8/64.7/82.4 shooting split.

So, it shouldn't be too big of a surprise that Johnson is in the starting lineup over Rudy Gay this season. The Spurs are in a weird liminal space between playoff team and rebuilding team, which might make head coach Gregg Popovich more willing to make moves like this.

Two games isn't a big sample, but Johnson is playing 30 minutes per night, and while his numbers are down then it comes to efficiency, he's still producing 14 points per night, plus seven rebounds, two steals, and 0.5 blocks. Assuming he can get that efficiency back up to a normal level, Johnson should be able to provide around one three per game and would have a slight bump up in his points per game.

Johnson might not be the best waiver add if you need a well-rounded player who can help you in every category, but he's a high-upside guy whose arrow is pointing up.

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