Jahlil Okafor and Waiver Wire Story Time With Jake Finnen

February 1, 2019

Week 17 fantasy basketball waiver wire adds for standard leagues. Take a look at three NBA players who are owned in less than 50% of fantasy basketball leagues and should be picked up.

As of this moment, there are few players making as big of a splash in fantasy leagues as Jahlil Okafor....

OK, maybe the Kristaps Porzingis trade and Anthony Davis trade rumors are the only things people can talk about, but it shouldn't overshadow everything Okafor has done in the past two weeks. He has been productive on both sides of the ball, including one game with six blocks, something entirely uncharacteristic of what he has shown in his first few years in the league.

While most of this production comes at the heels of Davis' demanding a trade, regardless, it shouldn't stop this production from continuing through the All-Star Break.

Story Time With Jake

Another important thing to note with more trades coming through, that most teams will not know exactly what they have until they literally play them. If you have concerns about a player, yes I can always help you, but taking the time to watch a players first game will give you a leg up on the competition.

I cannot stress the importance of timing when it comes to the waiver wire. Last season, I watched DeMarcus Cousins hit the ground and immediately knew his season was over. Within five minutes I already had Cousins dropped and Montrezl Harrell on my team. Harrell didn't really emerge until this season, but I had all the options to fill that void at my disposal. No other player was coming in to steal a waiver wire option and if I had waited till everyone got confirmation, I would have been stuck with an injured Cousins and a dry wire.

Well, thats my story, but I wanted to end this intro on a more informative note. Courtney Lee, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke will impact the Mavericks rotation, there is and should be no doubt about that. Hardaway and Lee seem like clear-cut options to start alongside Luka Doncic, but I don't think it will change how Doncic is producing. He will still be the focal point, just with one or two extra shooters for spacing.

The biggest problem with that is how Hardaway, Lee, and Burke generate offense. Lee will be primarily catch-and-shoot, but Burke and Hardaway rely on creating their own offense for production. While both could help lessen the workload for other Mavericks, mainly Doncic, it won't just automatically translate to more assists from Doncic.

Make sure to stay updated on injuries and return times, but as far as I'm concerned, these next three players will see the biggest benefit. As a reminder, for standard (10-12 team) league adds, we use a general rule of thumb of an ownership rate of under 50% on Yahoo. All position eligibility based on Yahoo leagues.

Standard League Adds for Week 17

Malik Beasley, G  – Denver Nuggets

Ownership: 26%

10.7 PPG / 2.5 RPG / .493 FG% / 1.9 3PG

When I first say Malik Beasley available I didn't think much of it. Then I realized, HE'S AVAILABLE. With the steaming options out there, I was actually amazed to see his name floating with a 26% ownership. Given his usage and production lately, there is almost no reason why he should be sitting on any waiver wire anywhere. He is offering production in mainly offensive categories, so hopefully you aren't in need of steals and blocks.

His minutes have been incredibly consistent lately outside of one game, so don't be worried about anyone really taking his minutes. Even with the return of Will Barton, Beasley has carved himself out a nice role in the Nuggets offense and there is no real indication he will stop taking double-digit shot attempts. Yes, there will be games where he struggles, but as long as he is able to take his shots and the Nuggets stay on this course, Beasley should be a very consistent option despite not yet having the name-value to back it up.

Bruno Caboclo, SF – Memphis Grizzlies

Ownership 2%

5.8 PPG / 3.3 RPG / 1.8 BPG / .5 SPG / .318 FG%

The efficiency is just not there yet. He might be getting the minutes he needs to produce in some categories, but he isn't the strongest scorer so do not stream him for that reason. What he does incredibly well is play defense. Memphis might be making some serious moves in regards to their rotation and no matter what happens, Bruno Caboclo will be getting minutes moving forward.

He has shown the ability to score, but until he proves their some consistency to it, he will primarily be used for his defensive contributions, both in fantasy and in real life. They didn't pick him up for no reason, so while Jaren Jackson Jr. continues to foul out of every game like thats his whole agenda, Cabaclo will be a productive defender that should have upside on offense playing for a bad team.

Cody Zeller, PF/C – Charlotte Hornets

Ownership 10%

9.3 PPG / 6.2 RPG / .558 FG% / .8 BPG / .7 SPG

Cody Zeller is nearing a return from a hand fracture, so make sure if you are low on center options, you absolutely roster him. Zeller was part of a 5-man rotation that was leading the league in minutes played at one point. Zeller is also a two-way defender that is more than capable of returning to form his first game back.

The Hornets have been seriously missing the toughness he brings to the frontcourt, so expect him to get inserted right back into the starting job since the backup options were unable to prove value in his place. Zeller makes his contributions on both sides of the ball and his ability to get both blocks and steals gives him great upside, especially with the lack of centers available in most leagues.

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