RADIO
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year! This season has been entertaining with many different story lines, and we're excited for what the rest of the season has to offer. This is a reminder that fantasy basketball is a marathon, not a sprint. We are just past halfway into the fantasy season, where managers should have a sense of what they need to do for the remainder of the season to stay competitive. If you're holding onto the more than a couple of handful of players with an IR spot, it may be time to cut bait. Players like Jonathan Isaac (knee) , Marc Gasol (groin), Otto Porter (foot) all comes to mind.
It's mindful to take all factors into consideration. Be mindful players who are off to flaming hot starts may eventually cool off, or eventually fade out. As a reminder for most leagues, it's crucial to plan ahead. Managers should be doing everything they can to make the fantasy playoffs, which start as soon as Week 20 in most settings. Waiver wire adds, scheduling and player injuries are all things to consider. Make an effort to improve your team by maximizing your weekly adds and utilizing streamer spots via the waiver wire. In some cases, preach some patience in the early part of the season if a player isn't busting out of the gates. 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!
In this weekly piece, I'll go over some specialists in the peripheral areas where you can target on the waiver wire. These guys are not be must-own players by all means, but these are "specialists" in which you should target if you want a boost in assisting to win your statistical head-to-head match ups for example. Let's take a look at some of the guys in Week 13 that are likely on your waiver wire.
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Week 13 Standard Leagues - Waiver Wire Specialists
*Securing your categorical needs at this point is important, especially if you're playing in head-to-head leagues*
I write my columns based on H2H 9-category standard size leagues.
Blocks
Daniel Gafford, C - Chicago Bulls
Wendell Carter J.R (high ankle sprain) is out for at least 4-6 weeks, giving Gafford an opportunity to start and provide solid value, especially for those looking for traditional big man stats. He's not going to wow you with Hassan Whiteside numbers, but he's going to provide consistent block and rebounding numbers on most nights to sustain top-100 value. The more minutes he's able to play, the better he will be.
Jaxson Hayes, C - New Orleans Pelicans
Derrick Favors (hamstring) went down on Friday night and he's not exactly the quickest healer out there. Given how well Hayes has been playing, he should be a must-own player in all 12-team formats until Favors is back. He was already playing well being the first big man off the bench, and the Favors injury will force the Pelicans to play him in the 27-29 minute range. Hayes was great on Saturday, scoring a a career-high 20 points (9-of-13 from the field) with two rebounds, one assist and two blocks.
Dwight Howard / JaVale McGee, C - Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers front-court has been exceptional all season, and they're surprisingly providing enough value to be given consideration in most competitive settings. Both big man are able to rack up defensive stats, and the injury to Anthony Davis (back bruise) makes both of them more intriguing to own, especially if you're in need for blocks. Give them a look as you are surely going to get a boost in defensive stats.
Steals
Jarrett Culver, PG/SG/SF - Minnesota Timberwolves
Culver has been playing close to a must-own player for over a week, and Karl Anthony-Towns (knee) is still unsure about a return date. With the starting spot likely locked in for the rest of the way, Culver will get all the opportunities to thrive. His ability to get defensive stats from a multi-positional eligibility makes him a good add for anyone with dead weight on their roster. His percentages may be hard to swallow, but the upside to generate popcorn numbers makes Culver a good add, especially with four games in Week 13.
Trevor Ariza, SG/SF - Sacramento Kings
The Kings are still without Marvin Bagley (foot) and Richaun Holmes (shoulder) will be out 2-3 weeks, meaning Ariza will get a boost in minutes. Ariza was a non-factor for much of the season, but if he's going to be getting close to 30 minutes a game on a nightly basis, he's a sneaky add. Ariza's always been a relevant fantasy contributor for much of his career, and his ability to fill up the box score with a bit of everything makes him worthy of an add in Week 13.
Markelle Fultz PG/SG - Orlando Magic
Fultz has been up and down for most of the season, but has really started to trend up again. He's quietly provided solid top-90 value over the past two weeks in nine-category leagues due to his contributions in assists (5.7 per game) and steals (2.3 per game). He's be good enough that whenever he's not scoring or struggling with his shot, he's still providing value with his rebounding, assists, and steals. He's a nice hold who can make a difference in the second-half of the season.
Omari Spellman, PF - Golden State Warriors
Spellman has emerged as a player to own in Golden State, and has dethroned Willie Cauley-Stein for the starting center spot in Golden State. Spellman is an interesting player to target since he contributes in multiple categories, and can shoot the 3-ball as a big man at a very nice clip (40% on the season). Spellman had a monster outing against the Clippers on Friday night, scoring 17 points with five rebounds, three assists, three steals and four triples.
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.
