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Fantasy Basketball Deep League Adds: Week 9

Antonio Losada digs up deeper league NBA waiver pickups for Week 9 of fantasy basketball. These waiver wire adds can be sleepers for fantasy basketball teams.

The deeper a fantasy league, the harder it is to hit a winner with your last few picks. It is also harder to find decent help from the waiver wire if your late-round picks don't do you justice. If you picked up a few stinkers, don't lose hope just yet. I will try to help you pick up a winner.

Here are my deeper league waiver wire pickups for your fantasy basketball teams. These players should be available in most leagues and they might just help you out, whether it's a few weeks rental or a long term fix to a problem your team is having.

If a guy on your team is frustrating you with his weak performances, give some of them a go. They might just be worth it.

 

Saddiq Bey (SF, DET)

9% rostered

In a season that was always going to be a "lost" one, the Pistons need to find out what they have and have not in their hands. That's the main goal of rebuilding teams such as Detroit is these days, and given their current status and the fact that young players like rookie Killian Hayes are injured for long, it makes sense to put kids like fellow-rookie Saddiq Bey out there for long stretches. And that is precisely what has happened in this month of February.

Bey had logged seven starts through Friday's game against Boston when he got everybody's attention with a 50-FP performance facing the Celtics. In another off-the-bench game for Bey, he put up a season-high 30 points, 12 boards, and 7 treys. He didn't contrib any other goodies, but he also shot 83% from the floor on 12 FGA and hit all of his 3 FTA. Not bad for a rook, was it?

Barring Detroit's game against Utah on Feb. 2, Bey has played at least 18 minutes in all other February's games averaging 24 MPG. He's gone on to score 10+ points in four of the six games played in that span (including 1+ 3PG in all six games), and he's also added 4+ RPG and 1+ APG+SPG in the past two weeks of games. We can expect Bey to keep building a resume going forward and Detroit to keep giving him reps, which makes Saddiq a nice deeper-league WW-flyer to take.

 

Dorian Finney-Smith (SF/PF, DAL)

8% rostered

Dorian Finney-Smith has yet to come off the bench in a single game this season. Believe me, because that's absolutely true through Friday's slate of games. DFS has played 18 matches so far this season starting at either the PF (first half of the season) or SF (second half) position. Dorian is also playing a lot of minutes, getting average runs of 31 MPG on the year and 33+ during this month's games.

One thing you have to keep in mind is, though, that DFS is far from a go-to player for the Mavs on offense. Sure, he starts every game and plays extended periods of time, but his usage rate of 10% in February tells you all you need to know about how and when he's used. That usage, obviously, limits his numbers in categories such as points and assists, but he rarely turns the ball over and is a great spot-up shooter.

On the year, DFS is attempting just 7.3 FGA per game, although he's scoring 8.8 PPG and hitting 1.8 3PG per contest. That is where Dorian's value is at. In the 18 games he's played, only twice did he not hit a trey, and in the past seven games (all in February) he's scored a total of 13 long-rangers already. DFS is one of only 14 players scoring 1.8+ 3PG while attempting fewer than 8 FGA per game, and one of only four (Batum, JaMychal Green, Royce O'Neale) pairing that with 5+ RPG and 1+ APG.

 

Grayson Allen (SG/SF, MEM)

7% rostered

While Grayson Allen started the first four games of the season for the Grizzlies, that didn't last long as he was out of the starting five as soon as we flipped the calendar page to 2021. Since then, Allen hadn't logged a start. Until last Friday, that is, when he was put in the starting lineup against the Lakers and he went on to have his best game of the season in 35 minutes of playing time. All Allen did was scoring 23 pops (including 6 triples) while shooting 62% from the floor, and on top of that, he stuffed the line with three rebounds, a dime, and a couple of steals.

Coming off the bench is Allen's bread and butter, though, and what you should expect going forward. Allen's usage rate as part of the second unit sits at a healthy 18.5% on the year, which isn't bad at all. He's attempting around 8 FGA per game while sustaining 40/41/88 shooting splits and scoring 2+ three-point shots per game.

Allen and teammate Desmond Bane are the only two players in the NBA scoring 2+ treys per game in fewer than 23 MPG on the season. There are only 16 players averaging 2+ triples per game while also adding 2+ rebounds, 2+ assists, and 1+ steal per game to their nightly average, and Allen is by far the most affordable one and the one doing it in the fewest amount of playing time (23 MPG compared to second-lowest Horford's 28 MPG).

 

Jalen Brunson (PG/SG, DAL)

6% rostered

In a season in which the Mavs are performing a little bit below expectations--they come off putting up the best offensive performance ever in 2020--they have been forced into a constant search of solutions to their woes. One of the better contributors of late, which has proved to be way more productive coming off the bench, is Jalen Brunson.

Brunson rode the pine until Jan. 7, then missed a span, and when the Mavs came back in full force on Jan. 18 they did so with Brunson manning the starting PG spot. It took five games for the Mavs to send Brunson back to the bench, making him a second-unit player once more. It made sense, as even though his numbers when starting were good, his per-minute levels of production were way below league-average.

It's been 10 games in a row coming off the bench now, and Brunson is putting up 23+ FP per game with an above-average 1.05 FP/min since the start of February. He's scoring 10+ points almost nightly these days (12+ PPG in Feb.) while grabbing rebounds (4.5+ RPG) and dishing out dimes (4+ APG) easily. The shooting percentage from the floor is quite high (54%, more than a three-pointer per game too) on a healthy usage rate (18%), and Brunson adds value in 9-cat leagues as he hasn't turned the ball over more than once in the past 11 games.

 

Reggie Bullock (SG/SF, NYK)

3% rostered

Every time Bullock has been active this season (23 of 28 games), Reggie Bullock has started for the Knicks at the SG position. You might like that, or you might not, but that's as true as Elfrid Payton starting over rookie Immanuel Quickley under Tom Thibs coaching hand. When such a starter is rostered in fewer than five percent of Yahoo leagues, something is wrong. That might be the case, but we're hunting for super-deep format flyers here, so it's alright.

Bullock's most appealing trait is his shooting, even more as of late. In the last six games he's played, Bullock shot 55% from the floor on 46 total FGA (near 8 FGA per game). He's scored at least a triple in all but six games this season, and he's averaging 1.8 3PG on the year. The points are low because his usage is thin, but he's a great spot-up shooter that won't miss when given the rock.

Bullock is putting up an average 9-3-1-1 line on the season in 27 MPG. If you're hurting for three points, high shooting percentages, or a small-but-constant production of rebounds/assists/steals then Bullock should be a nice low-cost asset to go after.



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By popular demand, RotoBaller has aggregated all of our fantasy basketball NBA waiver wire pickups into a running list of NBA waiver options, so bookmark the page and check back often for updates.



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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Travis Etienne Jr.

Needs to Bounce Back in 2025
Wan'Dale Robinson

Wants More Downfield Opportunities this Season
Quinshon Judkins

Arrested on Saturday for Battery and Domestic Violence
Terry McLaurin

Could be a Holdout at Training Camp
Roger McCreary

a Candidate for a Contract Extension?
Max Fried

Exits Start With Blister
Mike Evans

Buccaneers Could Have Difficult Time Retaining Mike Evans
Charles Cross

Could Sign Extension Before Training Camp
Xavier Restrepo

One to Watch Going into Training Camp
Calvin Ridley

Appears Re-Energized
Mark Andrews

Still a Key Piece in Ravens Offense
Ndamukong Suh

Officially Announces his Retirement
Jaylen Waddle

Motivated After Disappointing Season
Tre Harris

Still Unsigned
Hunter Dobbins

to Miss Rest of Season With Torn ACL
Nolan Arenado

Held Out of Lineup on Saturday
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
Carlos Correa

Sitting on Saturday
Austin Riley

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Nolan Arenado

Exits Friday's Contest With Sprained Finger
Jake Burger

Expects to Play on Saturday
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Wyatt Langford

Records Four-Hit Night
Cal Raleigh

Homers Twice, Drives in Five
Cody Bellinger

Swats Three Homers in Victory
Jake Burger

Leaves With Quad Discomfort on Friday
Carlos Correa

Exits Game With Mild Ankle Sprain
Edward Cabrera

Dealing with Posterior Elbow Discomfort
Austin Riley

Leaves Game Early on Friday With Abdominal Tightness
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Rafael Devers

Dealing With Back Inflammation
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Returning on Friday
Sauce Gardner

Wants to be Highest-Paid Cornerback
Rhamondre Stevenson

Heading into an Important Season
Minnesota Vikings

Josh Metellus, Vikings Have Mutual Interest in Extension
Tua Tagovailoa

2025 Could be Tua Tagovailoa's Last Season in Miami
Rashawn Slater

has "Full Confidence" a Deal Will Get Done
Byron Buxton

Returns on Friday
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Jake Meyers

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Calf Strain
Brandon Lowe

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Tightness
Kodai Senga

Reinstated to Start on Friday
Alex Bregman

Officially Activated and Starting on Friday
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
Chicago Bears

Bears Extend General Manager Ryan Poles
Dalton Knecht

Avoids Serious Injury
MarShawn Lloyd

in a "Much Better Spot" Heading Into Training Camp
Javon Small

Signs Two-Way Deal
Dustin Hopkins

Browns Still Counting on Dustin Hopkins
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
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