December 26, 2017

Week 11 fantasy basketball waiver wire adds for standard leagues. Take a look at Three NBA players who are owned in less than 50% of fantasy basketball leagues.

It's Week 11 – the last week of 2017, and in the spirit of the New Year, we've got a pair of young guns who are showing some promise and a journeyman point guard to consider to help you kick off the new year strong.

This year, we're tossing out our old convention of separating waiver wire posts into positions, and instead, we're separating them into of league -- standard, shallow, deep, etc. The NBA is trending to positionless basketball, so we at RotoBaller should too.

For standard (10-12 team) league adds, we use a general rule of thumb of an ownership rate of under 50% on Yahoo. All position eligibility based on Yahoo leagues.

Standard League Adds for Week 11

Isaiah Canaan, PG – Phoenix Suns

Ownership: 31%

13.4 PPG / 2.8 REB / 5.8 AST / . 409FG%

At 26 years-old without much to show for it in the NBA, Isaiah Canaan is a bit of a risky pickup in standard leagues, however, he has been good enough in his first five games for the Suns to consider Mike James expendable--he was cut on Friday, only two weeks after being signed by the franchise. Given his age, it is fair to presume his game has taken a step forward, and with the Suns struggling at point guard all season, he has a legitimate shot to be the starter relatively soon, as Tyler Ullis is not really playing inspiring basketball.

The Suns are a team that can put up points and if Canaan can provide some stabilization for them at the point, he is sure to put up solid fantasy numbers when Devin Booker returns. He is able to dish the rock well, and is chipping in with 1.4 steals and 1.6 triples per game as well. He is also hitting his free throws at a rate of .958%. As his minute's progress, it is not unreasonable to expect his numbers to trend up as well. He may be a bit of a risk, but there might be a nice reward in it for those that take it.

Bobby Portis, PF, C – Chicago Bulls

Ownership 40%

12.8 PPG / 6.7 REB / 1.6 AST / .485 FG%

Bobby Portis is a divisive player. In his third year in the league, he has shown flashes but has been inconsistent in his play. He also broke the face of a teammate early in the year. The Bulls stuck with Portis though, and now that Nikola Mirotic has returned from his injury, the Bulls has been rewarded for their patience with their young team.

With Mirotic red hot since his return, and rookie Lauri Markkanen looking like a potential stud, the Bulls have three power forwards who are worth owning. Portis may look like the last of the three on the totem pole, but his highs are undeniably high, making him a solid addition in standard leagues. Over his past two weeks, he is putting up 14.2 points and 7.7 boards per game, while throwing in 1.0 three-pointers and 1.5 assists. Add in the fact that he is a very good free throw shooter for a big man, .944% over these two weeks, and you have a utility player who can swing a week with one of his 27 point and 12 rebound games. With the third highest usage rate of any Bull, Portis is well worth the risk while he's playing well.

Jordan Bell, PF/C – Phoenix Suns

Ownership 37%

5.3 PPG / 3.7 REB / 1.1 BLK / .704 FG%

Is Jordan Bell Baby Draymond? It's possible. Obviously, this is a ridiculous thing to say, as Draymond Green is arguably the most important player on one of the greatest teams ever assembled, but Bell seems to be cut from the same cloth, as he plays with a comparable energy and tenacity. It helps to be able to learn from the likes of Green and Andre Iguodala, who are showing him the ropes as a role player who maximizes their defensive versatility.

He has great upside in defensive stats and stuffs the stat sheet every game. With Green missing several games over the course of December, Bell filled in admirably with 8.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game. He even put up a 20 point, 10 rebound game in Green's return last Friday. Bell has picked up his game lately, and as the calendar flips, he may prove to be indispensable to the 2017-2018 Golden State Warriors. That may seem like a bit of stretch, considering how good the Warriors are, but for those who've watched Bell play lately, it wouldn't be much of a surprise.

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