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 14 that are likely on your waiver wire.
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Week 14 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
Nerlens Noel, PF/C - New Orleans Pelicans
Noel is back healthy now and there are trade rumors swirling around Steven Adams. If Adams get traded and Noel becomes a full-time starter, he would be one of the best defensive big men in fantasy for the rest of the way. Noel's ability to rack up steals and blocks even in limited minutes is worth owning in all standard leagues.
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.
Luke Kornet, C - Chicago Bulls
Kornet is the only healthy big man left in Chicago, with Wendell Carter J.R (ankle) and Daniel Gafford (thumb) out for multiple weeks. He's going to provide a decent amount of blocks, with a big of contributions in boards and 3-pointers as well. I don't believe he's a must own player by all means, given how Kornet is a limited liability in transition defense, but give him a look to see where it goes if you have some dead weight on your roster.
Assists
Jarrett Culver, PG/SG/SF - Minnesota Timberwolves
Culver has been playing close to a must-own player for over a week, and 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 14.
Shabazz Napier, PG/SG - Minnesota Timberwolves
Napier is a beneficiary of the Jeff Teague trade, and he should get meaningful minutes as a combo guard playing alongside Culver and Andrew Wiggins in the back court. He's not a must own player, but can be a nice source of assists and anything else would be a bonus. Napier has averaged eight assists per game over the last three contests, and he's now averaged 27 minutes of action in the month of January. He's going to hold solid value the rest of the way assuming he's not traded.
Monte Morris, PG - Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray (ankle) is set to miss "multiple games" and there's a good amount of swelling in his ankle. There's a chance the Nuggets may hold him out until the All-Star break, meaning Morris will be the starter until Murray is healthy. He's always been a decent per-36 minute player, so getting to 30+ minutes will be be a key indicator if he can provide nice value while Murray is out. Give him a look as he's one good game to being a must-own player until Murray is back.
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.
