November 8, 2016

Milos Zvekic looks at NBA players to target on the waiver wire when punting FT%, assists, and/or threes. Follow RotoBaller for more fantasy basketball strategy.

Different Fantasy Basketball leagues have different values for different stats and therefore different values for same players. Depending on a league's setup, a missed free throw can mean a lot in one league while it means next to nothing, or literally nothing in another.

The strategy of punting is used in head to head category leagues, which means neglecting a category or several categories to pick up players who can help you excel in other cats. So one player in one system of play, or team with a certain mindset and strategy can have a huge role and impact, while in another can be considered useless, or even hurt the owner. Here are a few players who could fit well in a team which doesn't care much about its free throw percentage, assists, and/or or three pointers.

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Waiver Wire Guard for Punting Small Stats

Thabo Sefolosha, SG/SF, ATL (17% owned in Yahoo! leagues)

Thabo Sefolosha is a synonym for defensive stats off the bench. He can back up both shooting guard and small forward position in Atlanta. That gives him minutes in low to mid 20s every night. So far this season he has a ridiculous 2.8 steals and 57.1 FG% in 22:30 per game. Those averages will be very hard to keep up. Now his 7.5 PTS, 4,5 REB and 1.0 TO sound much more realistic.

And another good thing about Thabo, he doesn't really hurt your small stats either. He is a career 73% free throw shooter, dishes out 1.5 dimes and hits 0.6 treys. Now considering he is a SG that's not that great for a guard. But since there are teams who don't care about getting too much shooting and passing from their guards and are in a deep enough league, Thabo's 1.5 combined steals and blocks per night, 4-5 rebounds, high FG%, and low TO could be enough to warrant grabbing him off the waiver wire. If you own a team like that, go and pick him up!

Other guard options:  Tony Allen, SG/SF, MEM (4% owned), Gerald Henderson, SG/SF, PHI (4% owned), Andre Roberson, SG/SF, OKC (11% owned)

Waiver Wire Forward for Punting Small Stats

Terrence Jones, SF/PF, NO (48% owned in Yahoo! leagues)

There is no denying that Terrence Jones is a very talented basketball player. He has showed that in flashes back in Houston and he is doing that again now in New Orleans. His line from 4th November of 19 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL and 4 BLK on 64.3 FG% and only one turnover in 28 minutes shows just that. He even hit one three pointer. Now for a line like that in the NBA you got to have talent.

It's just that he doesn't seem to do it consistently. That was his first double digit scoring game this season. His injury history doesn't help his case either. He has played more than 50 games in just one of his 4 NBA seasons, back in 2013-2014 (76 games). Those durability and consistency issues are what's keeping him owned in under 50% of Yahoo! leagues.

This season he is in a new environment in New Orleans. He is finally free of Houston's crowded front court and shadows of Dwight Howard and James Harden. His good college buddy Anthony Davis (played together in Kentucky and won the NCAA tournament in 2012) is the star of his new team and the chemistry between them is already better than he ever had with the Superman. Besides him and The Brow, only Omer Asik seems to still be in the mix for bigger minutes in the Pelicans frontcourt (Alexis Ajinca played in only three games and an average of 11 minutes).  Jones could finally see enough time and space to show his full potential. He makes an especially intriguing target as a SF for a FT% punting team.

Other wing options: JaMychal Green, PF, MEM (25% owned), Jerami Grant, SF/PF, OKC (8% owned), Larry Nance Jr., PF, LAL (24% owned)

Waiver Wire Center for Punting Small Stats

Tyson Chandler, C, PHO (50% owned in Yahoo! leagues)

Tyson Chandler is 34 years old. He doesn't shoot or score a lot. He is in a Phoenix frontcourt competing for minutes with Alex Len, Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender. All of them are young, talented players on a Phoenix team which probably isn't going to compete for the NBA Championship ring anytime soon. It would make sense for the Suns to play their potential future stars ahead of the "old" and "not too exciting" experienced big man that is Chandler.

Still Chandler finds himself playing almost 30 minutes and so far this season grabbing a career high 13.3 rebounds a night, and on 67.7 FG% (second in the NBA among players playing over 25 minutes per game). Add to those stats his career averages of 1.3 BLK and 0.6 STL and the fact he has averaged a double double in three of his last 10 NBA seasons (last one in Dallas only two seasons ago) and you can understand why he is such an important part of Phoenix and also plenty of fantasy teams in need of Big stats. If you're aiming to beat your buddies in FG%, rebounds and blocks, and need a center to help you do that, Tyson Chandler is your guy!

Other center options: Alex Len (43% owned), Timofey Mozgov (27% owned), Cody Zeller (32% owned)