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NBA Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 13 and Buy/Sell

Week 12 is in the books and we're flying into Week 13. For most, fantasy playoffs are a lock, while others are still trying to figure out ways to improve their squad. Our staff at RotoBaller has great insight and daily columns how to improve your squad and tips to make your team successful, be sure to check them out!

In case you haven't been following closely, we're just past halfway into the fantasy season. Your performance in the upcoming weeks will give likely give you a more clearer indication if you're able to secure a spot in the playoffs. For most leagues, fantasy playoffs will start on Week 21, beginning in March 5th. EDIT: It's been brought to my attention that I've made a mistake (Thanks Reddit team!) without factoring in how fantasy playoffs actually start on Week 21 (Beginning March 12th due to an extended Week 18 during the All-Star Break) That gives you just about two months to make a final push towards playoff contention. It should be your priority to just get into the playoffs, since anything can happen in fantasy.

Remember, injuries and such can quickly derail a team, so it's time to be alert and stay atop of your team. It's always good to plan ahead before you sink farther down the standings. When making trades, it's good to double check if they have good playoff schedules.The Clippers are the only team to play 12 games from Week 21 to Week 23, so Lou Williams (if he doesn't get traded), DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin are nice trade targets. Now let's look back on Week 12 and get prepared for Week 13.

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Week 13 Schedule

4 Games – Raptors, Kings, Trail Blazers, Pelicans, Timberwolves, Bucks, Clippers, Pacers, Warriors, Nuggets, Nets

3 Games – Hawks, Hornets, Bulls, Cavaliers, Pistons, Rockets, Lakers, Heat, Knicks, Thunder, Magic, Spurs, Wizards

2 Games – Suns, Jazz, Grizzlies

1 Game - Celtics, 76ers

 

Week 12 Breakout Performers

Stephen Curry, PG/SG, Golden State Warriors

Week 12 averages: 35.3 PPG 6.7 RPG 5.3 APG 1.7 SPG 0.0 BPG 6.0 3PM 53% FG 93% FT 2.7 TO

Chef Curry is simply amazing, as he's quickly reminding his owners he's worth the wait after nearly missing a month with a nasty ankle injury back in December. As long as he's healthy, he's capable of being the best overall fantasy player in nearly all formats. Nick Young said it best when asked about Curry, "I think he ain't from this earth, I ain't seen nothing like it". Although the Warriors can randomly give Curry maintenance days on back-to-back sets, having Curry out on the floor gives you an advantage other fantasy owners don't have. Curry has averaged a scorching 36.0 points in his four games since his return, and appears refreshed from an extended rest on the sidelines. Kevin Durant (calf) is still questionable heading into Monday's contest, so Curry could be in for another ridiculous outing.

Karl-Anthony Towns, PF/C, Minnesota Timberwolves

Week 12 averages: 19.5 PPG 15.5 RPG 1.3 APG 0.8 SPG 1.0 BPG 1.5 3PM 55% FG 90% FT 1.5 TO

Towns is starting to heat up, and he's coming off five straight double-doubles, including a massive 25-point, 23-rebound night against the Celtics on Friday. The 23 boards was a career-high, and he's looking at a huge second-half of the season with the Timberwolves pushing themselves into the upper-echelon of the Western Conference. In case people forgot, Towns was the No.1 overall player in all of fantasy in the last three months of last season. He's that good and there's a good reason why many secured him with a top pick in some drafts this season. His durability, along with his opportunity to play heavy minutes under head coach Tom Thibodeau makes him a desirable fantasy asset.

LeBron James, SF/PF, Cleveland Cavaliers

Week 12 averages: 25.3 PPG 7.7 RPG 7.7 APG 3.7 SPG 1.0 BPG 1.3 3PM 54% FG 85% FT 3.3 TO

I'm running out of nice things to say about LeBron James, as he's probably deserved to be mentioned in this part of the column every week so far this season. He's smashing preseason projections, as he's been the third best player in 9-category leagues on the year. He's in the best shape of his career and there's no indication the Cavaliers plan to rest King James. That's fantastic news for his owners, and he should continue to dominate the game while he's chasing his fifth MVP award.

Michael Beasley, SF/PF, New York Knicks

Week 12 averages: 19.3 PPG 9.3 RPG 2.3 APG 1.3 SPG 1.0 BPG 1.0 3PM 60% FG 90% FT 1.7 TO

Beasley has been red-hot lately, scoring in double-digits in 11 of the past 13 games. He's carved out a meaningful role with the Knicks, and the Knicks are going to lean on him to provide the offense off the bench. There's been a lot of talks lately with Kristaps Porzingis being "tired", and the Knicks could very well decide to rest or limit Porzingis's minutes going forward. Beasley did have an ankle tweak on Friday, and he wasn't able to suit up for Sunday's contest against the Mavericks. However, he's been way too good to leave on the wire, and owners should consider him day-to-day. The Knicks are off until Wednesday when they host the Bulls, so he should play in that game.

Bradley Beal, SG, Washington Wizards

Week 12 averages: 27.0 PPG 4.7 RPG 4.0 APG 1.7 SPG 0.7 BPG 2.7 3PM 52% FG 86 % FT 1.7 TO

Beal has been one of the most consistent options for the Wizards this season, and he's been a first-round play this week. Not many players offer first-round upside like Beal can, as the Wizards will only go as far as Beal and John Wall can take them. With that said, owners shouldn't look to sell high and continue to enjoy the ride.

DeMar DeRozan, SG/SF, Toronto Raptors

Week 12 averages: 35.7 PPG 4.3 RPG 6.0 APG 2.0 SPG 0.7 BPG 3.7 3PM 55% FG 93% FT 1.7 TO

There's something weird happening with DeRozan's play this season, but it's actually a good thing. He's suddenly attempting a career-high 3.2 attempts from deep this year, in which he's connecting on 1.2 makes per game, which is also a career high. The three-time All-Star is also enjoying career high in assists (4.9 per game) and steals (1.2 per game). Whatever DeRozan did in the off season, it's clearly been working. He shows no signs of slowing down as he's definitely the No.1 scoring option with the ultimate green light to fire in Toronto. He's been flirting with top-20 value all season, and has finally emerged as an elite fantasy asset now he's able to contribute in other areas besides just points and free-throws.

 

Week 13 Standard Leagues - Waiver Wire Pickups

Delon Wright, PG/SG, Toronto Raptors (24% Ownership)

Wright has emerged as a standard league asset, thanks to his ability to fill it up in assists, steals, and 3-pointers. Wright erupted for 25 points with 13 rebounds, five assists, four steals, four 3-pointers and one block on Wednesday and this type of upside is very hard to find on the wire. He needs just about 20+ minutes to carve out value, and he's been fantastic over the past month (ranked #54) with averages of 10.7 points, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks per game on 50 percent shooting. He's doing it in just 20.9 minutes of action and all bets are off if he's able to eclipse 25 + minutes per night. Pick him up now.

Kyle Anderson, SG/SF, San Antonio Spurs (16% Ownership)

Danny Green (groin), Rudy Gay (heel) and Kawhi Leonard (shoulder, "rest management") is questionable heading into Monday's contest against the Kings, and Anderson could have a nice week. The Spurs are one of the most random and annoying teams to predict in fantasy, but Anderson's minutes are safe considering the Spurs will want to rest their veterans in most cases. Anderson offers across the board upside and should be owned in more leagues.

Gerald Green, SG/SF, Houston Rockets (48% Ownership)

With James Harden (grade-2 hamstring sprain) out of commission for at least another two weeks, Green offers tremendous upside for a Rockets team that needs his scoring. Green is fresh off attempting 12 triples in Saturday's contest and that should be an indication he has the green light in Mike D'Antoni's system. Green also plays with a great passing point guard in Chris Paul, so he won't be shy about letting it fly. Green is averaging 19.8 points and 5.0 triples per game in his last five. He should be owned in all 10+ team leagues until Harden is clear.

De'Aaron Fox, PG, Sacramento Kings (43% Ownership)
Fox scored 18 points to go along with seven dimes on Saturday night and looks ready to run away with the starting point guard position the rest of the way. This marks the second straight game in which Fox has logged over 30 minutes while having scored 17 points the previous game. He's starting to come on after a brutal start to his rookie campaign, as his outlook for the second half of the season looks promising. Go get him now if you're in need of a point guard, but just remember he's a rookie that's going to have some bumps along the way. He's also not going to hit many three-pointers, so just take the good with the bad and hope he can continue to stay healthy.

Bogdan Bogdanovic, SG, Sacramento Kings (14% Ownership)

The Kings plays four games this week, and they start the week off with a back-to-back set on Monday and Tuesday. Bogdanvoic's minutes has been relevantly safe, as he's been quietly taking upon a bigger role with the Kings. He's handling the ball a lot more, averaging 4.0 assists in the past 10 games. He's not exactly breaking out yet, as he probably needs an injury to Buddy Hield to really make some noise. However, he could get better as the season goes on and he's worth a pick up this week to see if he can build on some momentum. Just don't drop anyone you'd miss for him.

Dwight Powell, PF/C, Dallas Mavericks (22% Ownership)

Powell has played some great basketball lately, and believe it or not he's been a top-40 play over the past two weeks. Powell offers nice upside in field-goal percentage, along with rebounding without hurting you anywhere. There's not much depth in the front court for the Mavericks, so he may run away with a 25+ minute role the rest of the way.

Markelle Fultz, PG, Philadelphia 76ers (48% Ownership)

Fultz (shoulder) has finally been cleared to take contact in five-on-five in practice, and all signs are pointing towards a return in the near future. He's worth a stash despite the Sixers playing once this week, but he shouldn't be on any waiver wires because he could very well start at point guard on a team that needs his outside shooting. His return will also take some pressure off of Ben Simmons to handle the ball. Although there's no telling if he's able to make a meaningful impact in fantasy this season, owners who have very little to lose will definitely want to take the gamble on Fultz. Just be mindful the Sixers will be very careful with him and will bring him aboard slowly. At the very worst case scenario, he'll flirt around with top-125 value with top-80 upside. That's not bad considering he was on most waiver wires for the past couple months.

 

Week 13 Deep Leagues - Waiver Wire Pickups

Terrance Ferguson, SG/SF, Oklahoma City Thunder (4% Ownership)

The injury to Andre Roberson (knee) has opened up some minutes to Ferguson. The Thunder want athletes running the floor with Russell Westbrook, so Ferguson certainly fits that high-flier category. He's played well in his previous two games heading into Sunday's contest, hitting a combined 9 3-pointers and averaged 12.5 points per game. He's also played 31 and 33 minutes before Sunday's dud, so his outlook this week is still okay. Just remember Ferguson should be viewed as a short-term rental, so don't drop anyone with significant value for him. EDIT: Ferguson started and logged just 18 minutes on Sunday due to foul trouble, but was still able to contribute three steals.

Thabo Sefolosha, SG/SF, Utah Jazz (7% Ownership)

The injury to Rudy Gobert (knee) has opened up some minutes, as the Jazz as elected to run smaller ball lineups until Gobert is able to return. Sefolosha is a crafty vet who can play and defend multiple positions, so it's not a surprise he's able to secure minutes. He has averaged 28.5 minutes per game over the last five with averages of 11.0 points and 2.5 steals. Sefolosha was all over the place on Sunday with 13 points, six boards, two dimes, three steals, a block and chipped in a 3-pointer on 4-of-4 shooting. He can quickly find his way into standard league consideration if he's able to sustain this level of play.

Tyrone Wallace, SG, Los Angeles Clippers (0% Ownership)

Austin Rivers (bruised heel) is expected to miss at least two weeks and Milos Teodosic (plantar fasciitis) is expected to miss at least a couple of games, so the newly signed guard can find himself earning big minutes for the Clippers this week. Wallace was decent in his Clipper debut with 13 points with three rebounds, two assists, three steals and one 3-pointer in 31 minutes against the Warriors on Saturday. He's worth a look in deeper leagues.

Jahlil Okafor, C, Brooklyn Nets (29% Ownership)

Okafor has finally been cleared to play, and while he hasn't made much noise yet, he can quickly be a potential difference maker if the Nets unleash him for 25 + minutes. Okafor scored a season-high 12 points with five rebounds, two blocks and one turnover in just 13 minutes on Saturday, so he can obviously fill it up in a hurry. People forgot he averaged 17.5 points and 7.0 boards on 50 percent shooting as a rookie, so he's definitely capable if given the opportunity. I've been holding onto him ever since he's been traded to Brooklyn and I'm anxious to see what he's able to do as he continues getting comfortable with his new team.

Skal Labissiere, PF/C, Sacramento Kings (12% Ownership)

The sophomore erupted for 17 points and a career-high 15 rebounds out of nowhere on Tuesday, and he's coming off a 12-point, three-blocks performance in just 16 minutes of action on Saturday. The minutes are obviously a disappointment, but he's a very high upside asset to have, especially in deeper leagues. Wishful thinking suggests the Kings should have more incentive to give him playing time for the rest of the season, so go secure him and treat him like a stash, similar to Jahlil Okafor.

Frank Kaminsky, PF/C, Charlotte Hornets (42% Ownership)

Kaminsky has seen a slight uptick in minutes in 2018, averaging 25.2 minutes per game over the last five. With Cody Zeller (knee) out for at least a couple more weeks, Kaminsky could have some value. He hasn't exactly been killing it lately, but his 11.6 points and 1.4 3-pointers per game over the past month could become serviceable as your end of the bench big man. Give him a look if your waiver wire is completely dry.

Kyle O'Quinn, PF/C, New York Knicks (13% Ownership)

The Knicks could very well be showcasing him for a trade, but he's played very well the past few games. KOQ has scored double-figures in three straight contests, including two double-doubles. He offers nice upside in racking up steals and blocks as well, so he's worth using while he's hot.

 

Buy Low

Kawhi Leonard, SG/SF, San Antonio Spurs

I don't usually recommend buying Spurs players, but the track record of Leonard is too good to ignore. Leonard has never finished below top-7 in the previous three seasons and I would count on the Spurs taking the chains off soon rather than later. There is always going to be a risk of him sitting out back-to-backs for the foreseeable future, but he's an elite play when healthy. EDIT: Yes, news just came out that he has a "partial tear" in his shoulder. To be clear, a partial tear is very much just another term for sprain. However, I'm being optimistic enough that the Spurs elected to let him finish the game against Phoenix on Friday and he has yet to be ruled out for this upcoming road trip. This could all be the Spurs being cautious as they also don't want to be fined by the NBA.

Hassan Whiteside, PF/C, Miami Heat

Whiteside has been somewhat disappointing over the last five games, averaging just 23.0 minutes per game. He's averaging just a pedestrian 12.4 points and 8.4 boards over his last five, before starting to show a bit of life on Sunday with a 14-point, 10-rebound, 4-block performance. There's still some buy-low appeal here, and the big lines should be coming as the big man works his way back from his recent knee rehabilitation. Whiteside missed 13 games last month due to knee soreness.

Nikola Jokic, PF/C, Denver Nuggets

Jokic was awful this past week, being outside the top-150 this past week. Jokic averaged just 10.0 points and 8.7 boards on an uncharacteristic 34 percent shooting from the field. Owners should chalk this up as a bad week, and those who want him should aggressively test the market on a guy whose still ranked #16 on the year in 9-category leagues.

Myles Turner, PF/C, Indiana Pacers

Turner is another big man whose shot hasn't been falling and he's also struggling to block shots (just 1.2 over the past two weeks.) The minutes has been low due to some foul trouble and missed defensive assignments, but don't forget he's one of the league's best shot-blockers (2.2 per game) and he's certainly due for a bounce-back sooner rather than later.

 

Sell High

Lou Williams, PG/SG, Los Angeles Clippers

Williams has seen his usage spike with all the injuries, and he will continue to put up video game-like numbers now that Blake Griffin (concussion) is expected to miss time. There's a very good chance that Williams continue to put up monster numbers, but he's also a key candidate to be traded should the Clippers decide it blow it all up before the trading deadline. If you're able to package him with another player for players like Nikola Jokic, Hassan Whiteside, or Myles Turner, it makes a lot of sense.

Dario Saric, SF/PF/C, Philadelphia 76ers

With Markelle Fultz (shoulder) closer to a return, I would bet Saric is a candidate to head to a bench role. Saric has been outstanding lately, as he's been flirting with top-35 value the past month. I just don't see him averaging more than 30 minutes per game when the team is fully healthy, so I would sell everywhere I had the chance.

 

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