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Looking ahead into Week 3, the injury bug has been spreading across the association. Key guys like James Harden and Devin Booker are dealing with hamstring injuries. Kevin Love is battling a leg injury, and Anthony Davis (elbow) was a late scratch Saturday night as well. Unfortunately, Injuries are part of fantasy and the only way to stay ahead of it is to plan ahead. With that said, we're here to bless you all with everything you guys need to stay ahead of your opponents in all your fantasy leagues. Below are our recommended waiver wire pickups for Week 3 of the fantasy basketball season, for those looking to beef up their teams.
These next couple of weeks is absolutely critical to your season, where you can scoop up some waiver wire gems that can be a key part to your team. Some will stick on your team, and some will quickly be flushed back to the waiver wire. NBA teams will reveal stabilized rotations, so pay close attention in the next week or so where teams stand with their players. We wish everyone the best of luck in your leagues and may the odds forever be in your favor!
As a reminder for most leagues, it's crucial to plan ahead. Waiver wire adds, scheduling and player injuries are all things to consider. Drop the dead weight, make an effort to improve your team by maximizing your weekly adds and utilizing streamer spots via the waiver wire. Don't be attached to short-term pickups when there is a hot player on the horizon, especially if a hot player can stick with significant minutes the rest of the season. Be wary of weekly streaming options and stay ahead of your opponents. Our staff at RotoBaller has great insight and daily columns on how to improve your squad and tips to make your team successful, so be sure to check them out! Now let's get prepared for Week 3.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers received five total writing awards and 13 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, tops in the industry! Congrats to all the award winners and nominees including NBA Writer of the Year, Best NFL Series, MLB Series, PGA Writer and Player Notes writer of the year. Be sure to follow their analysis, rankings and advice all year long, and win big with RotoBaller! Read More!
Week 3 Schedule
5 Games - Sixers, Blazers
4 Games - Hawks, Nets, Bulls, Nuggets, Pacers, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Lakers, Kings, Knicks, Raptors, Spurs
3 Games - Jazz, Suns, Wizards, Magic, Thunder, Bucks, Heat, Grizzlies, Clippers, Rockets, Warriors, Pistons, Mavericks, Cavaliers, Hornets, Celtics
Week 3 Standard Leagues - Waiver Wire Pickups
I write my columns based on H2H 9-category standard size leagues:
Assuming Montrezl Harrell PF/C - Clippers (65% Ownership), Josh Hart SG/SF - Lakers (78% Ownership) and Nemanja Bjelica PF - Kings (52% Ownership) are already on teams in most leagues.. change that immediately if that's not the case. These are three players who have the best outlook than the players below for the rest of the way.
Cameron Payne PG - Bulls (24% Ownership)
Kris Dunn (knee) played one game this season and injured his MCL, which will put him out for roughly 4-6 weeks. Cameron Payne is the one to fill the void right now and has played relatively well with the exception of Saturday night's two-point dud. He will be inconsistent, but will do enough on a nightly basis to give you 3-pointers and some low-end assists. Just don't be too attached to Payne should a hot free agent come around.
Markelle Fultz PG - Sixers (61% Ownership)
With five games on the schedule for the Sixers this week, it makes a lot of sense to use your Week 2 acquisitions to pick up Fultz for the Week 3. The Sixers are going to continue to try and get Fultz up to speed, and they'll need his strong guard play this season if they truly want to make a deep playoff run. He's a tough guy to gauge this season, because his upside is capped to two high usage players in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Don't forget that Fultz was the #1 overall pick in the 2017 draft, and he's just averaging 8.8 points and 3.8 assists per game this season. I doubt he can get any worse than this and there's hope that he should continue to get better as the season goes on. Pick him up this week and hope he produces.
Kelly Olynyk PF/C - Heat (30% Ownership)
Olynyk has proven in the past that he can flirt with mid-round value if he's getting enough minutes. He has averaged 29 minutes per game in his last two and it looks like that could stick all year along. James Johnson (groin) returning could make things complicated, but the Heat winning last two with Olynyk in the starting line up is a very encouraging sign. Olynyk will give you solid points and rebounds, with out of position 3-points and assists numbers from a big man as well.
Zach Collins PF/C - Blazers (33% Ownership)
Like the Sixers, the Blazers also play five games this week and Collins has not only played well to warrant a roster spot, he looks like someone who will continue to log 24-26 minutes per game going forward. There's some value there, and Collins is filling the same amount of minutes that Ed Davis played last season. He's a much better offensive player than Davis, and he will not be shy about shooting it from deep if he's open. Collins has hit three 3-pointers over the last two and is averaging 2.2 blocks per game this season. With five games on the schedule this week, it's almost a no-brainer to scoop him up now.
Justin Holiday SG/SF - Bulls (27% Ownership)
Holiday is continuing his trend from last season, and he continues to play heavy minutes despite the fact that Jabari Parker is healthy. He's someone to heavily consider should he continue to contribute 3-pointers and he may not be available on your waiver wire for long. He's been ignored for too long now and still logging in heavy minutes. Holiday is playing 35.8 minutes per night with averages of 11.5 points, 2.3 3-pointers, and 1.8 steals.
Bryn Forbes PG / SG / SF - Spurs (22% Ownership)
Dejounte Murray (ACL knee) is done for the year and Derrick White (heel) is looking like he's at least a couple weeks away from the action, leaving Patty Mills and Bryn Forbes as the only capable guards to start at the point. He doesn't have a ton of upside, but he could hit 3-pointers and give you a trickle of dimes. The Spurs are a very unselfish team, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Forbes flourish in the starting role, especially if he's given close to 30 minutes per night. Forbes is averaging a stellar 15 points with 2.6 triples per game this season. He has to be owned in all 12-team leagues right now.
Markieff Morris PF / C - Wizards (69% Ownership)
Morris is capable of flirting with top-100 value as long as he's getting minutes. On a Wizards team where they look to play faster this season and combine that with a willing passer in John Wall, Morris should be owned in leagues 12 teams or more. There will be nights where he lays an egg, but take the good with the bad. Dwight Howard (back) is still sidelined, giving Morris more opportunities to produce. Also, it doesn't affect Morris that much since he will have the opportunity to play both the power forward and the center spot.
P.J. Tucker, SF/PF - Rockets (24% Ownership)
His impact in real life is far more valuable than fantasy, but as long as he's averaging 36 minutes per night - he needs to be added in a lot more leagues. His role is similar to Trevor Ariza this season, and he'll be assigned to guard the opposing team's best player(s) on most nights. He’s averaging 9.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.4 steals, 0.8 blocks and 2.2 3-pointers while shooting 40 percent from the floor. He rarely turns the ball over so he should be owned in more leagues, especially if your league is competitive.
Rodney McGruder SG/SF - Heat (66% Ownership)
McGruder has been playing out of his mind lately and his coach doesn't think it's a fluke. He's hitting shots and is providing great rebounding numbers. Although it's a small sample size, McGruder is averaging 16.0 points, 7.4 boards, and 3.6 assists per game. He's connecting on 2.6 triples as well on 54 percent from the field. These are obviously not sustainable, but his play has bumped Wayne Ellington (DNP-CD) out of the rotation this season so far. Justice Winslow was also only to log 19 minutes last game as well, so keep running McGruder out there until the wheels fall off.
Week 3 Deeper Leagues - Waiver Wire Pickups
Jordan Clarkson PG/SG - Cavaliers (30% Ownership)
Clarkson will get a chance to average double-figures on a team that desperately needs offense. He's an undersized shoot-first shooting guard, which is why his upside is capped because of his inability to play on the other end of the ball. He might be for you if you're in dire need of some extra points and a couple of assists. Clarkson is more suited for deeper leagues.
Frank Ntilikina PG - Knicks (9% Ownership)
Ntilikina has made some progression as an NBA player, but he's still really raw on offense. The Knicks have plenty of options on offense, so it's highly unlikely he'll eclipse 10 + points this season. He should be viewed as a steals and 3-points specialists in deeper leagues. The French product had the best game of his pro career, logging 17 points with three 3-pointers against the Warriors on Friday. Should this trend continue, he'll quickly play himself into standard league consideration.
Miles Bridges SF - Hornets (16% Ownership)
Bridges was quiet to start the season after an impressive preseason, but now is starting to heat up again. He's played 26 and 30 minutes in the last two, having scored averaged 14.5 points. If you have players to drop, Bridges makes a lot of sense right now given his upside in 3-pointers and steals. He'll be aggressive anytime he's on the court, so he should be given a look.
Maxi Kleber PF - Mavericks (9% Ownership)
Kleber has done a wonderful job filling in for Harrison Barnes (hamstring) and Dirk Nowitzki (ankle). He's been great the last couple of games to warrant our attention with seven blocks in the past two games, however, Barnes is now healthy so the minutes should fall back down into the mid-teens. Give him a look as a stream option in deep leagues, and understand anything he gives would come off as a bonus.
Monte Morris PG - Nuggets (18% Ownership)
Monte Morris took advantage of the extra minutes on Thursday night, scoring 20 points on an ultra-efficient six of nine shooting. He connected on two 3-points and also dished out seven assists, hitting a perfect 6-of-6 from the line. Morris is playing some extra minutes due to Will Barton (hip surgery) out for 5-6 weeks and Isaiah Thomas (hip surgery) isn't even practicing yet. He looks to have earned the backup point guard minutes and should be picked up in 14-team leagues after tonight’s performance. Keep an eye on Morris in 12-team leagues as well, as his upside in 3-pointers, assists, and steals could serve as a great option to stream. The Nuggets play four times this week, including a tasty back-to-back set on Wednesday and Thursday against the Bulls and Cavaliers.
Damyean Dotson SG/SF - Knicks (22 % Ownership)
Dotson has been the biggest winner from the Kevin Knox (knee) injury, and he's been lighting it from deep, while also rebounding the ball. The sophomore is averaging 14 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.8 3-pointers on 47 percent shooting over his last four games and the Knicks will play four this week as well, starting with the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.
More Fantasy Basketball Analysis
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.
