NBA Waiver Wire Pickups: Deeper League Adds (Week 8)

Stuck in a deep league with no talent on the wire? That guy your roster just dealt you another dud? Tired of him pissing you off and making your life difficult? Don't despair.

There is value to be found on the waiver wires even in the most competitive leagues. You just have to look really hard. Or just read this article...

Here are today's Week 8 deeper league waiver wire pickups for your fantasy basketball teams.

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Need some assists? What about a PG who's got a shot at a starting gig?

Jerian Grant, PG/SG, CHI, 11% Owned in Yahoo! leagues

Kris Dunn is the starter for the Bulls and he is considered as a bigger talent than Jerian Grant. That is a fact. But Grant has put in a decent stint of performances as the starter before Dunn returned from injury, so he showed that he can do it. And given the chance, he could become even better.

Let's not forget how unreliable Dunn in his rookie season. Some even saw him as a guy who will blow out Ricky Rubio, but he only managed 17 minutes per game with no stats worth mentioning except for his 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks. Dunn is still not turning heads with his 27 minutes per game this season, averaging less than 5 assists and points under the teens. His percentages won't do you any good, his 3.2 turnovers hurt his team. The only real reason to have Dunn, apart from 4.4 assists per game are his elite steals at 1.9 and his decent rebounds at 4.7 a night which has even more weight if you count in the fact that he is a PG.

With Dunn owned in 62% of the leagues and Grant in just 11%, you would think that there was quite a gap between them. But there's not. Even when we don't count the period that Grant was a starter and take into consideration only his last six, Jerian still averaged 13.7 PTS with 3.7 3PM on 55.4 FG% and 66.7 FT%, 2.2 REB, 3.7 AST, 0.8 STL and 1.7 TO in just 23 minutes per game. And that, with a higher FT% and a lower FG%, is pretty much what you can expect from him the rest of the way if he continues to get minutes in the low to mid 20s. And with Dunn not being spectacular, it's not out of the question that Grant could overtake him at some point which could boost his value even more.

Now we have to be realistic. It's not very probable that Grant replaces Dunn if they both remain healthy. Furthermore, Zach LaVine and Cameron Payne are also on Chicago's roster and when they returns from injury, (which will not be before January), they might take a few minutes away from the PG duo. So with Grant, you come for the production from the bench, but you stay for the possible upside on Chicago's lousy roster.

Punting some guard stats like FT%, Points, Threes? Look no further!

Andre Roberson, SG/SF, OKC, 7% Owned in Yahoo! leagues

One man's trash is another man's treasure. That phrase is very true when it comes to Andre Roberson's fantasy value.

To an owner who is looking to be very efficient with his free throws, and wants his players to score and hit some shots from beyond the arc, Roberson is not an attractive target. On the other hand, if you're punting free throws, points or threes, and are looking to boost your defensive stats, FG% and boards from the SG/SF spot, Roberson is probably worth more to you than a lot of players ranked above him.

Andre was quite slow to start the season. He hadn't played more than 22 minutes in the first seven games of the season. I have to be honest, I had my doubts at that time too. After he was dropped in my 20 team league just a few games in, I picked him up for my punt FT% and PTS team. But I failed to stick with him and now he's proving me wrong.

In his last four games Roberson has been returning top-100 value in standard leagues despite his lack of offensive efforts, low scoring and absence of free throw or three-point shot. His averages of 7.3 points including 0.5 threes on 73.7% from the field and 50.0% from the line, 5.3 boards, 0.5 dimes, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks and 1.8 turnovers are making his selected few owner quite happy they have him on their roster.

Now he is probably not going to keep up that type of efficiency from the field, and 3.0 combines blocks and steals are a bit much for him, but if he holds his minutes at around 30, and if his skill set fits your needs and team build, he is a nice pickup available in most leagues.