NBA Waiver Wire: Four-Game Fantasy Basketball Sleepers (1/19 – 1/25)

January 18, 2015

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 (1/19 - 1/25).

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 (1/19 - 1/25), 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.

Position Eligibility & Ownership Rate Based On Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Leagues.

Top Four-Game Sleepers (1/19 - 1/25)

Mo Williams (MIN, PG/SG) - 45% Owned

Many people are shying away from Williams because of the impending return of Ricky Rubio. With the big picture in mind, it is understandable why this is happening in many leagues, but this guy should be owned in every league right now. He is too hot to ignore any longer.

Yes, Williams fantasy value is likely to take a massive hit when Rubio makes his eventual return. However, Rubio’s expected return date keeps getting pushed back. There are no guarantees that he stays healthy for very long when he does come back. Until we actually see him on the court, Williams should be rostered.

If that is not enough to convince you, how about a 52-point game? He did that January 13th at Indiana, along with four rebounds, seven assists, and six threes! He followed that up with 26 points, two rebounds, five assists, three steals, and five more threes in his next game at Phoenix.

Dial him up this week as he will play at Charlotte, Dallas, New Orleans, and at Atlanta. Check the guy on the end of your bench, chances are Williams is better than him right now. Rubio is coming back, but it probably will not be this week. Get Williams active.

Hassan Whiteside (MIA, C) - 49% Owned

This guy has come out of nowhere to be fantasy gold recently. Whiteside just completed a stretch of six straight games where he scored in double figures, and three of those were double-doubles. He did have a stinker in his last game, most due to foul trouble. DeMarcus Cousins has that effect on a lot of guys though, so I willing to give him a pass.

The most impressive thing about Whiteside’s game is that every night is a block party. He is currently on a run of nine consecutive games with at least two blocked shots in all of them. Oh by the way, he is also shooting a ridiculous 66.2 percent from the field this season.

Whiteside has managed to put up all these numbers despite only playing about 20-25 minutes a game. If he continues his strong play and can learn to stay out of foul trouble, that number should go up. There is not much competition for playing time at the center position in Miami right now, with the likes of aging veterans in Chris Anderson and Udonis Haslem. These guys are injury prone and just cannot hold up playing significant minutes, so Whiteside has a chance to be a great asset for the rest of the season.

Next week, he will do battle against Oklahoma City, at Charlotte, Indiana, and at Chicago. Whiteside will help owners out in points, rebounds, field goal percentage, and especially blocks. He should be owned and started in just about every format right now.

Khris Middleton (MIL, SF/PF) - 37% Owned

Middleton is one of the most underrated commodities in basketball, both reality and fantasy. He quietly goes about his business, putting up solid numbers with little recognition. Well, it is about time we show him some love.

Over his last six games, Middleton is averaging 12.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.5 threes. He is shooting 49.0 percent from the field and 88.2 percent from the line. Besides blocks, he is doing work in every other category. What is there not to like?

Middleton is a sneaky thief as well. He is currently on a run of eight consecutive games with two or more steals in each. He has also hit at least one three in all eight, and has only failed to reach double digit points once over that same span.

The upcoming schedule for Middleton features Toronto, Utah, Detroit, and at San Antonio. His strong play of late has caused his minutes to creep back up into the 30s. As long as he is getting minutes, he is going to produce. With all the injuries Milwaukee has sustained this year, it is unlikely that he is going to lose minutes anytime soon. Pick him up and start him with confidence while he is red hot.

Taj Gibson (CHI, PF/C) - 75% Owned

Gibson is one of the few players in fantasy hoops that is worth owning in standard leagues despite coming off the bench. When Joakim Noah gets hurt, which is quite often, Gibson is inserted into the starting lineup for the Bulls. When he starts for them, he becomes a must-start for you.

Gibson has a fantasy friendly game. He is a great asset in the big man categories: points, rebounds, and blocks, along with a high field goal percentage. He gets an even bigger bump in 9-cat leagues, as he rarely turns the ball over.

Next up on the schedule the Bulls will play at Cleveland, San Antonio, at Dallas, and Miami. It looks like Noah could miss several games. Chicago will likely play it safe with his injured ankle, so Gibson should have a nice run as a starter in the short term. Make sure to get him active, as he will continue to log huge minutes while Noah is on the sidelines.