Jusuf Nurkic (C, DEN) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Speculative Add/Stash for REB/BLK OWNED: 37% of Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Leagues As a rookie last season, former first-round pick Jusuf Nurkic was a trendy pickup, rewarding owners with nice depth in their frontcourt, particularly in the rebounding and blocks categories. Nurkic finished 2014-2015 as the starting center for the Nuggets, prompting many to […]

Manu Ginobili (SG/SF, SA) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add for efficiency and steals OWNED IN: 34% of Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Leagues ANALYSIS: Manu Ginobili has spent his entire 14 year career proving why no one should overlook him, yet he is unowned in two thirds of Yahoo leagues. Ginobili has resumed his revolutionized sixth man role by starting zero games this […]

Jordan Hill (PF/C) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add for REB and sneaky AST OWNED IN: 20% of Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Leagues ANALYSIS: Jordan Hill emerged in 2013 for a Lakers team that needed him badly. Hill gained playing time last season to the tune of 26.8 minutes per game and an 81% games started percentage in improvement on his 2013 […]

Jerami Grant (SF/PF) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add for BLK and REB OWNED IN: 10% of Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Leagues ANALYSIS: Jerami Grant is owned in a tenth of Fantasy Basketball leagues, yet he is most likely the best defensive forward on 100% of waiver wires. Although Grant's time in the NBA out of Syracuse has been spent with atrocious […]

Tyler Johnson (PG/SG, MIA) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Very Deep Leagues, Monitor in Others OWNED IN: 6% of Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Leagues ANALYSIS: Tyler Johnson has seen an increased role since the departure of Mario Chalmers, and he has impressed as a scorer. He can score from all over the floor at a high percentage, and has shown the ability […]

Nikola Jokic (C, DEN) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues OWNED IN: 19% of Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Leagues ANALYSIS: The Nuggets have a bit of a crowded front-court. but no one player has stood out as a counterpart to power forward Kenneth Faried. Second-year big man Nikola Jokic has the upside to win the starting center job, and has played […]

Will Barton (SG/SF, DEN) is No Chicken Nugget

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 66% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: The title says it all, as Will Barton is a pedal to the metal player for the Denver Nuggets. He plays aggressively and tries to get to the rim as much as possible. Naturally this fearless (hence the "no chicken") style of […]

Grab Jarrett Jack (PG/SG, BKN) and Don't Look Back

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 76% of Yahoo! Leagues ANALYSIS: If you snagged Jarrett Jack towards the end of your respective drafts, you hit the jackpot. J.J. has been really good despite the fact that his Nets have stumbled out of the gates. On the season Jack is averaging 14.6 points, 4.4 […]

Omri Casspi (SF, SAC) a Deep League Stud

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues OWNED IN: 9% of Yahoo! Fantasy Leagues ANALYSIS: Omri Casspi has been on a nice roll lately. DeMarcus Cousins will naturally draw a lot of defensive attention, so this has been creating opportunities for Casspi, as has the fact that the Kings now have Rajon Rondo's elite passing skills. […]

Will Barton (SG/SF, DEN) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED: 46% of Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Leagues Will Barton, a former second round pick in 2012 for Portland, has been way off the fantasy radar for most of his brief career. As part of a 5-player deal at last year’s trade deadline, Barton was sent to Denver for Arron […]

Kosta Koufos (PF/C, SAC) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add for Underrated Production OWNED: 33% of Yahoo! Leagues ANALYSIS: Why did Kosta Koufos, after having the chance to break free of his backup role in Memphis, choose to sign with the Sacramento Kings, a team stacked at the center position with DeMarcus Cousins and Willie "Trill" Cauley-Stein? Maybe it was his familiarity […]

Zach LaVine (PG, MIN) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues OWNED IN: 24% of Yahoo! Leagues ANALYSIS: Zach LaVine's raw athleticism is undeniable, but whether or not his skills are NBA-ready is still up for debate. As a rookie, the lanky combo guard scored 10.1 points per game on 42% shooting. Now in his second year, LaVine is on a very similar […]

Ish Smith (PG, NO) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues OWNED IN: 29% of Yahoo! Leagues ANALYSIS: Ish Smith has bounced around nine different teams in his brief six-year career, but appears to have found a home in New Orleans. The Pelicans are low on guards, even with Jrue Holiday back on the court. Smith has impressed in an increased role […]

Marcus Thornton Benefiting from Rockets' Small Ball

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 41% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: Marcus Thornton is blasting off in Houston! The veteran shooting guard is averaging 16.6 points a game and has been a nice boost for the Rockets' offense. Terrence Jones' injury has opened the door for Thornton and it looks like he could […]

Nemanja Bjelica is the Manja You Want to Own

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 40% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: The 27 year old Serbian power-forward has been pretty good for the Timberwolves so far this season. On Tuesday night against the Hornets, Bjelica scored 13 points while nabbing seven boards and dishing four dimes. His three game streak of double digit […]

Ish Smith a Good-ish Option at the Point

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 14% Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: Ish Smith has come in and done a very good job for the New Orleans Pelicans. His value will take a hit when Jrue Holiday is ready to roll, but in the mean time he is looking like a Ricky Rubio lite […]

Nemanja Bjelica (PF, MIN) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED: 40% of Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Leagues This is not the first time I have banged the drum for reigning Euroleague MVP Nemanja Bjelica. This past weekend, he was one of the players featured in my “Weekend Category Streamers” piece, which you can check out here. Bjelica has provided […]

J.J. Hickson (PF/C, DEN) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add for REB and BLK in Deep H2H Leagues OWNED: 7% of Yahoo! Leagues ANALYSIS: At this point in his career we know what J.J. Hickson is. He is an excellent rebounder. He's a terrible free throw shooter (which makes him untouchable in roto leagues). He will get you some blocks, but never […]

Gary Neal (PG/SG, WAS) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add for PTS and 3PM OWNED: 1% of Yahoo! Leagues ANALYSIS: You can pretty much read what I wrote about Ramon Sessions here. This add is based purely off of the injury of Bradley Beal, but will pay off dividends for this week and possible longer. In case you’re too lazy to click […]

Ramon Sessions (PG/SG, WAS) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add for PTS, 3PM, and AST OWNED: 1% of Yahoo! Leagues ANALYSIS: You never like to see injuries to young stars like Bradley Beal, but this could be great news for future Ramon Sessions owners. The status on Beal’s injury has not been disclosed yet, but after watching it live, and knowing Beal’s […]

Zaza Pachulia (C, DAL) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add for REB and consistency OWNED: 33% of Yahoo! Leagues ANALYSIS: Zaza Pachulia is one of those players where you know exactly what you’re going to get from him. It’s nice to know that almost every night Zaza will sniff a double double; averaging 9.5 points, and 10.2 rebounds a game. He also […]

Jeremy Lamb (SG/SF, Cha) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add for Breakout Potential OWNED: 21% of Yahoo! Leagues ANALYSIS: According to Al Jefferson, it is "mind-boggling" that Jeremy Lamb is still coming off of the bench in Charlotte. Hopefully Steve Clifford follows the same line of thinking. Fantasy owners, do you sense a potential windfall? Through four games in 2015, we are […]

Jeremy Lin (PG/SG, CHA) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues for PTS and AST OWNED: 51% of Yahoo! Leagues ANALYSIS: Jeremy Lin is a player many shy away from because it has become a chic thing to do. For some reason, many seemed to hope for his demise as an NBA point guard after his meteoric rise for the […]

Arron Afflalo (SG, NYK) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Most Leagues OWNED IN: 37% Yahoo! ANALYSIS: Arron Afflalo has yet to play this season, but he could debut as soon as this weekend. He had a down year in 2014-'15, averaging 13.2 points per game between the Nuggets and Trailblazers. However, he had managed at least 14 points per game in […]

Kent Bazemore (ATL, SG/SF) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 41% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: Kent Bazemore has been playing very well for an Atlanta Hawks team that is off to a hot start. We saw last season that the Hawks distribute the ball well and play a bit like an Eastern Conference version of the Spurs. […]

Kristaps Porzingis (NYK, PF) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues/ Buy Low in Trades OWNED IN: 67% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: I know, Kristaps Porzingis is owned in two thirds of Yahoo Leagues, but that's not enough. The Latvian rookie has shown potential with the Knicks so far. His ability to hit from range and to score in the […]

Willie Cauley-Stein (SAC, C) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Short-term Add in All Leagues/Add in all 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 45% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: With "Boogie" out for a while, Willie Cauley-Stein could be in line for some extended minutes. He's really more of a short term option, but owners in need of rebounds and blocks could do a lot […]

Langston Galloway (PG/SG, NYK) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add for PTS and 3PM OWNED: 46% of Yahoo! Leagues ANALYSIS: You can pretty much just read what I wrote about Rodney Hood. Langston Galloway, like Hood, will help you in 3PM and PTS, and also chip in some rebounds and assists. And just like Hood, he might run into some playing time […]

NBA Waiver Wire: Forwards (Week 2)

Finding productive guys on the wire that are long term options at the forward spot is a difficult task after just a week. This list focuses on two sets of guys. The first two, Marvin Williams and Gerald Green, are guys that won't "wow" by any means but are consistently dependent. The next two, Jeremy […]

Rodney Hood (SG/SF, UTA) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add for PTS and 3PM OWNED: 54% of Yahoo! Leagues ANALYSIS: I’ll be honest. I was definitely skeptical of Rodney Hood as a viable fantasy option this season, but he is growing on me. Hood has won the starting SG spot (for now) over Alec Burks, and if he continues to shoot this […]