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NBA Waiver Wire Pickups: Deeper League Adds (Week 2)

Milos Zvekic digs up deeper league NBA waiver pickups for Week 2 of fantasy basketball. These waiver wire adds can be sleepers for fantasy basketball teams.

NBA is back! And so is fantasy basketball. The long break is finally over and we can get back to planning, calculating, trading and "dancing on the wire". I hope your drafts went well and your players avoided the injury plague that hit in the previous 10 days. If either of these statements is not true, we have an out for you.

As many times before, the waiver wire comes to our aid. Championships have been won and lost because of the players dropped or picked from the waivers. And that's the case again this year, with plenty of guys under-performing, plenty of sleepers still fast asleep and plenty of injuries, past trades and future trade rumors changing the landscape of the NBA.

Here are today's Week 2 deeper league waiver wire pickups for your fantasy basketball teams.

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Looking Ahead

The Eric Bledsoe trade seems to be a sure thing, and we just have to be patient and see where he lands and what Phoenix gets in return. But being patient doesn't mean we have to do nothing. Some players values could change as a result of the Bledsoe deal, and at least one, and maybe even two players in the article below will be affected.

As Del Trotter from one of England's most popular and hilarious TV shows Only Fools and Horses likes to say, "He who dares, wins!" so don't just wait around for a deal to take place. Try and be the beneficiary of the changes it brings and get some players that might find themselves in a better position than before Bledsoe packed his bags.

So, you have a guy on your roster that you're not really fond of? You don't trust he will provide your team with enough value? Keep on reading.

 

Deep League Adds for Week 2

Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Denver Nuggets (10% Owned in Yahoo! Leagues)

Emmanuel Mudiay has been a disappointment since he was selected with the 7th overall pick in the 2015 rookie draft. He was supposed to take over from Ty Lawson and become Denver's point guard of the future. He was given the opportunity, but he just couldn't make the most of it so far. In his career he has averaged 12,0 PTS with 1.1 3PM on 37.0% from the field and 71.9% from the line, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks and 2.8 turnovers in 28 minutes per game. Not really what you would hope to get out of your first round lottery pick, and even more annoying if you hoped that he will be your franchise player for years to come.

Mudiay is not any better this year either, playing 22 minutes per game, scoring 11.0 points with 1.3 triples. He has increased his rebounding to 4.0 and is shooting better at 42.9%, but hit just 5 of 8 free throws, recorded seven assists with the same amount of turnovers and had just one steal with no blocks in the first three games of the season. Not too much reason for you to pick him up. But keep in mind, Nuggets have a new franchise point guard in Jamal Murray now, so Mudiay is limited to the backup role. Furthermore, we saw plenty of players take a huge step forward in their third year in the league... so why not Mudiay?

Rumor has it that Denver is in pursuit of Bledsoe and Mudiay is said to be a most probable piece in that deal. If he were to go to Phoenix he would suddenly find himself in competition with Mike James and Tyler Ulis instead of Murray. Now Murray is not a superstar player yet, but just to show how much faith Denver has in him, I remind you that they declined to involve in a deal for Kyrie Irving and as a result, Kyrie is a Celtic now. And even more important than less competition is the fact that Mudiay will have a chance to start over and prove himself worthy of a starting PG role on an NBA team.

If Emmanuel starts improving in his third year, he can be a useful addition in a deep league, even with mediocre minutes in the mid 20s. But IF he does end up in Phoenix, and IF he gets the starting gig he can really be one of the surprises of the season. This time in a good way. Plenty of IFs around Mudiay, but also, plenty of upside should the IFs become a reality.

 

Tyler Ulis, PG, Phoenix Suns (5% Owned in Yahoo! Leagues)

Tyler Ulis is a 21 year-old prospect from Kentucky in his second NBA season. He was selected as the 4th pick in the 2nd round of the 2016 draft and started last season in a tough spot on a stacked Phoenix team. He didn't play much in his first few months in the league but still showed potential, mostly in the assists and steals column. But then Phoenix decided to sit Bledsoe and give Ulis the keys to their offense. And boy did he step up!?

In 27 games starting from 12th of February Ulis averaged 12.8 PTS with 0.6 3PM on 43.2 FG% and 77.2 FT%, 2.7 REB, 7.0 AST, 1.1 STL, 0.1 BLK and 2.0 TO in 31 minutes per game. Now that's not something many owners expected from him based on his time with Bledsoe. And now, he will be without Bledsoe once again. Although Mike James does seem to be ahead of Ulis at the moment, that is definitely not set in stone, and Ulis could take over, especially with the Suns aware of what he can do when unleashed. Furthermore, Ulis played a season high 21 minutes in the first game without Bledsoe and under the new coach Jay Triano so that is a good sign. And with assists being such a scarce category, especially this deep in fantasy it's another incentive for those owners craving this category to take a flyer on Ulis.

Now, as with all the players owned in just 5% of the leagues, and just like with Mudiay there are plenty of IFs. The Bledsoe deal could involve another PG to crowd up the backcourt in Phoenix. Mike James might continue his good play and Ulis could be stuck in a backup role for the rest of the season, rarely eclipsing the 25 minute mark. But he just might blossom like he has last year. He just might get you 7-10 assists, a steal and decent enough percentages to be worth your last roster spot. His ceiling is pretty high for a guy sitting on the waiver wire and on a team that's about to endure a lot of changes.

 

Tony Snell, SG/SF, Milwaukee Bucks (9% Owned in Yahoo! Leagues)

It's easy to fly under plenty of fantasy radars when you're sharing the court with Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak is displaying some flashy performances and both real and fantasy basketball worlds are mesmerized. But his teammate Tony Snell remains thoroughly unnoticed, even though his stats deserve recognition.

Snell is quietly putting up top-100 numbers in the first four games of the season with averages of 11.0 points with 1.8 threes on 59.3% shooting and no misses in 5 attempts from the line, 2.5 boards, 1.8 dimes, 1.0 steal, no blocks and only 0.8 turnovers in 33 minutes per contest. Now that's called efficiency. His percentages and insanely low TO with a modest but nice contribution in almost all categories really make me wonder how come he's owned in just 9% of Yahoo! leagues. It also kind of makes me sad that he is not available in any of mine.

To be even more fair to Tony, the stats he's been putting up so far do seem unsustainable, but they aren't too far off his 2016/17 averages. Last season he averaged 8.5 PTS with 1.8 3PM on 45.5 FG%
and 81.0 FT%, 3.1 REB, 1.2 AST, 0.7 STL, 0.2 BLK and 0.7 TO in 29 minutes per game. That's more than enough to warrant at least a courtesy pickup in deep leagues.

Snell's game is a Rotisserie goldmine. Even if your league has a different format but you sport a well balanced squad or want some all-around help with emphasis on threes, decent percentages and low turnovers, Tony is the guy for your team.

 

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By popular demand, RotoBaller has aggregated all of our fantasy basketball NBA waiver wire pickups into a running list of NBA waiver options, so bookmark the page and check back often for updates.



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