NBA Waiver Wire: Four-Game Fantasy Basketball Sleepers (11/3 - 11/10)

November 2, 2014

In his weekly NBA Waiver Wire column, Brad Baird focuses on four fantasy basketball sleepers that are each slated to play four games during the upcoming week 2 of the NBA season.

This weekly column is geared toward anyone playing in a head-to-head format, and especially those of you in weekly lineup leagues. It is a great idea to keep up with which players are scheduled to play four games during the upcoming week, as fantasy basketball managers can use this information to gain an advantage in games played over an opponent. Simply put, the more games played, the more potential there is for production.

Based on their respective four-game schedules, the following four players should be viewed as "sleepers" for next week. Advising fantasy owners to play the likes of LeBron James or Anthony Davis is a waste of time and effort; hopefully it is common knowledge that studs of that nature should be in lineups regardless of how many games they are slated to play.

Best Four-Game Sleepers (11/3 - 11/10)

Position Eligibility Based on Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Players List

Perry Jones (OKC, SF/PF)

This guy is not a household name...yet. However, Jones has a huge opportunity in front of him as the main offensive weapon in Oklahoma City for the foreseeable future. Injuries to Kevin Durant (foot) and Russell Westbrook (hand) have ravaged the Thunder, but Jones has really stepped up here in the early going of the 2014-15 campaign.

Jones had a 32-point explosion the night Westbrook broke his hand, and followed that up with a 23-point outburst versus the Nuggets.

After playing at least 40 minutes in each of the last two games, Jones' schedule next week includes games at Brooklyn, at Toronto, versus Memphis and Sacramento. He is a must-start player right now regardless of the opponent, so if the 23-year-old forward is still available in your league, stop what you are doing and go pick him up.

Tony Wroten (PHI, PG)

Wroten has been thrust into the starting point guard role for the 76ers due to Michael Carter-Williams' (shoulder) injury. When MCW was hurt last season, Wroten proved more than capable of putting up some monster stat lines. The beginning of this season has been no different, as Philly's "backup" at the point has come out of the gate red hot.

There are a couple of caveats with Wroten. His shooting percentages are going to be terrible and he is going to turn the ball over at a horrifying clip. However, he has been an absolute beast in filling up the counting stats.

Playing for a team that is severely lacking in playmakers helps Wroten's cause, as the ball will be in his hands the majority of the time. His upcoming schedule showcases Houston, Orlando, Chicago and at Toronto. Wroten should continue to be a tremendous asset for as long as Carter-Williams is sidelined.

Donald Sloan (IND, PG/SG)

Many casual basketball fans have little to no familiarity with Sloan. He has bounced from team to team during his four-year NBA career, often struggling to keep a job. When he has been employed, it is typically as the guy at the end of the bench that only gets playing time during a blowout.

Sloan was expected to hold that same role again this season, but injuries to George Hill and C.J. Watson have forced the well-traveled guard into the starting lineup for the Pacers. So far, he is taking advantage of the opportunity.

Sloan is averaging 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.3 threes while seeing at least 34 minutes of action in all three games of the 2014-15 season to this point. Those numbers will certainly play in fantasy leagues, and he has a favorable schedule coming up with matchups against Milwaukee, at Washington, at Boston and versus Washington again. Hill and Watson are both expected to be out for another couple of weeks, so the good times should continue to roll.

Mike Dunleavy (CHI, SG/SF)

Dunleavy’s first game of the season was an absolute clunker. However, game number two saw the veteran swingman come close to a triple-double. These are obviously two extremes, as the expectation on Dunleavy going forward will fall somewhere in the middle. The promising part is that there are many things working in his favor right now.

Dunleavy is locked into the starting small forward job for Chicago and is getting a healthy dose of minutes. His primary value comes with knocking down threes, but he has proven more than capable in other categories as well, averaging 9.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks per game on the young season.

Next week’s schedule features a bunch of cupcakes for Dunleavy, as the Bulls will go to battle against Orlando, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Boston.