Delon Wright (PG/SG, MEM) - Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add In 14-Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 11% of leagues

ANALYSIS: For my 500th article as a member of the RotoBaller writing team, Delon Wright will receive the prestigious honor of having me discuss why he is an asset of upside value for fantasy basketball managers proceeding past the 2019 All-Star break. The 26-year-old alumnus of the University of Utah has been a dependable fixture on the Toronto Raptors bench since 2015, and had performed admirably in that role showcasing his skill set. In 172 games (seven starting lineup appearances) across four seasons for the Raptors, Wright averaged 6.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 0.9 steals, in 17.5 minutes per contest. Wright shines the brightest when playing perimeter defense or distributing the rock, as demonstrated by his efficient figures of 1.8 steals and 4.8 assists per 36 minutes of play over his career. On the pessimistic side, Wright has never been an elite three-point shooter. He is only a career 34.9% shooter from downtown, while he has actually regressed beyond the arc this season as demonstrated by his 1.2 makes per 3.6 three-point attempts per game for a mediocre (at best) conversion rate of 32.3%.

The Memphis Grizzlies were an active franchise at the trade deadline and ended up bringing Wright to Memphis along with C.J. Miles and Jonas Valanciunas. The Grizzlies also dealt away players like Shelvin Mack and Garrett Temple to bring in guys like Avery Bradley and Tyler Dorsey. The end result has been that Mike Conley remains the lone veteran from the Grizzlies Golden Era, and the backcourt bench appears ripe for the taking. Though he produced a modest seven points, one rebound, two assists, and one steal in his debut for the Grizz, he did so in 23 minutes of playing time. With the shakeup of Memphis's roster, Delon Wright has an excellent opportunity to carve out an established backup guard role with his ball management and defensive efficiency, and therefore is an asset of interest for fantasy basketball managers in deeper leagues.