Monte Morris (PG, DEN): Week 14 Waiver Wire Pickups

January 19, 2020

Denver Nuggets guard Monte Morris is a worthy consideration as a fantasy basketball waiver wire pickup heading into Week 14 of the NBA season.

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ANALYSIS: Jamal Murray is out injured and it is not clear when we will see him back on a basketball court. Monte Morris took his spot in the starting line last Thursday and although he only played 26 minutes due to game script (Denver needed a comeback and he was benched in favor of others) he still finished with 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 dimes. Morris had not started in any other game prior to that one but slowly but surely he had found his role as a good reserve for the Nuggets.

On the season, Morris is keeping up averages of 7.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, and 3.3 apg. He's also contributing 0.8 stocks and only losing the ball 0.6 times per game. All of that in under 20 minutes of playing time (18.2 mpg). Only four players (including Morris) are putting up those numbers while playing fewer than 20 minutes: De'Anthony Melton, J.J. Barea, and Jalen Brunson.

Assuming Morris keeps the starting role or at least sees his minutes bumped up to around 25 at least, it is not out of the equation to expect his averages to get up to something closer to a 10-2-5-1 line (those are the numbers he's averaged this season when playing north of 20 minutes). That line on those near-25 minutes, by the way, would be similar to those currently averaged by the likes of Rajon Rondo and Dejounte Murray. Take advantage of Jamal's absence and go get Monte Morris before it's too late.