RADIO
Daniel Lubofsky looks at some mid-week waiver wire options for fantasy basketball leagues. These players may be free agents to pick up off waivers in Week 3.
The NBA season hasn’t been open for even a month, and already fantasy seasons are being decimated left and right. Injuries to seemingly everyone on the Golden State Warriors have taken its tole as have the suspensions of Deandre Ayton and more recently John Collins.
All this sudden fluctuation makes it all the more important to have ready substitutes available at a moment’s notice to keep your fantasy squad running with some semblance of normalcy.
It is with that being said that I release five potential midweek pickups for Week 3 of what is already a chaotic NBA season.
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Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups
Dillon Brooks - SG/SF - Memphis Grizzlies - 11% owned
Despite being picked 45th overall back in 2017, Dillon Brooks has wasted no time ingratiating himself into the Memphis Grizzlies organization as a key piece for their future.
So far this season, Brooks has filled a role as a complementary piece alongside the dynamic young duo of JA Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr, averaging 15.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in under 30 minutes a night.
Following a 31-point explosion against Minnesota, Brooks is now shooting 41.2 percent from downtown. He certainly has the green light to let it fly on a team that is tied 25th in attempts per game and ranks 28th in makes.
Nobody within Memphis is nipping at his heels for the starting job and the Grizzlies are one of the fastest teams in the league with the fifth-highest pace. That’s a recipe for solid production and a reliable source of points and 3-point makes from Brooks.
Meyers Leonard - PF/C - Miami Heat - 30% owned
The emerge of Bam Adebayo would figure to leave Meyers Leonard scrapping for minutes off the bench, but that hasn’t been the case, at least not recently.
Adebayo has shifted over to the power forward spot, paving the way for Leonard to serve as Miami’s man in the middle. After a rough start over the Heat’s first four games, Leonard has stepped it up over their last three.
The seven-year veteran has averaged 15.7 points and 4.0 rebounds in 23.7 minutes a night in helping Miami to a 2-1 record during that time. Leonard’s been efficient from the field at 67.9 percent and his soft outside stroke has helped him can 1.7 makes from beyond the arc.
Perhaps this three-game stretch is nothing more than an outlier for a player who’s been plagued with inconsistencies throughout his career. Or maybe in an organization and a culture that’s reshaped many careers before, Leonard has found stability and will continue to show it on the court.
Jordan Clarkson - PG/SG - Cleveland Cavaliers - 32%
The presence of Cleveland’s backcourt pairing of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland hasn’t stopped Jordan Clarkson from continuing to do what he’s done since entering the league in 2014: Get buckets.
Clarkson is currently averaging 15.0 points off the bench for the Cavs in a hair over 23 minutes a night. He’s scored at least 15 in all but two of the team’s seven games to start the season and has been nearly automatic from the free-throw line at 93.1 percent.
Without much of any other contributions across the stat-sheet, Clarkson can at times be a frustrating option when his shot fails to drop and might be better suited for a points league.
His turnovers, however, are low and a modest 44.0 field goal percentage looks even better after eliminating two outlier performances — 16.7 at Orlando and 30.8 against Boston -- that bump the figure up to 54.0 percent, making him a solid play for those in need of help in the scoring column.
Bryn Forbes - PG/SG - San Antonio Spurs - 22% owned
Having secured a spot in San Antonio’s starting lineup for nearly all of last season, Bryn Forbes has returned and built upon his breakout campaign with further opportunities to contribute.
His usage rate and nightly field goal attempts are both up and it’s led to 14.6 points in just 29.0 minutes per game. Forbes’ game provides little else but the chances to fill up the scoring column will always be there in San Antonio’s offense.
Despite having shot a sparkling 42.6 percent from beyond the arc a year ago, Forbes has struggled from beyond the arc. He’s taking 7.3 shots from downtown a game but is converting only 33.3 percent of them.
For those who can opt to ignore 3-point percentage, Forbes has canned multiple 3-point looks in all but one of San Antonio’s first seven games.
If Forbes can shake off that early-season shooting rust, it could make him an even more effective scoring option for Pop and potential fantasy owners to turn to.
Troy Brown Jr. - SG/SF - Washington Wizards - 20% owned
Troy Brown Jr. missed the first three games of Washington’s season making his way back from injury. While not adept at any single trait, Brown isn’t heavily reliant on his scoring output to be considered a productive fantasy option.
Since his return, the sophomore has looked impressive for the most part, posting averages of 9.8 points 5.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. The Wizards have entrusted their former first-round pick with some playmaking duties as well, resulting in 2.5 assists per 36 minutes -- a mark that was 3.9 during his rookie campaign.
Bradley Beal not including, the Wizards are a bit of a toss-up at the offensive end. Isaiah Thomas and rookie Rui Hachimura have flashed their stuff, but there are still plenty of touches to go around.
Brown has seen his minutes increase in each of his first three games back. Barring another setback, that should continue and allow him to make his mark at both ends.
