Onyeka Okongwu (C, ATL) - Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17

February 6, 2023

Onyeka Okongwu is worth considering as a fantasy basketball waiver wire pickup heading into Week 17 of the 2022-23 NBA season.

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 14% of leagues

ANALYSIS: The first piece of the trade deadline domino fell on Sunday when Kyrie Irving was sent to Dallas in the first winter blockbuster. That has nothing to do with Atlanta, of course, but it might be a sign of things to come--mostly regarding John Collins leaving the Hawks once and for all.

Onyeka Okongwu has not started a game since he did for the last time on January 18. That matchup wrapped up a 12-game span of consecutive starts for the young man made possible by Clint Capela getting injured. Now that both Capela and Collins are back, OO is an off-the-pine daily performer logging some 20 MPG.

In the 17 games he's started this season (he's appeared in 51 total matches), Okongwu has averaged nearly 30 FPPG and stat lines in the 10-9-1-1-2 vicinity, getting around 33 MPG in those games. For context, only two players in the NBA are doing that over the full season this year: Anthony Davis and Nic Claxton. Even lowering the 2.0 BPG down to 1.0 BPG, you still only get seven players on a season-wide 10-9-1-1-1 average line.

It's impossible to know whether or not Atlanta will finally pull the trigger on a Collins deal, and what would happen with Okongwu if that happens. Even if he keeps playing off the pine with a similar set of teammates, though, OO is still a viable fantasy asset for those managing in deeper leagues.

In his last eight games (all of them in the second unit), he's averaging nearly a 10-7-1 line with 0.5 SPG and 1.5 BPG. The shooting percentages are always sublimely high because he just never stretches the floor, and the blocks are nonsensical with 66 total swats over 52 games--only 10 players in the NBA have blocked more shots than Okongwu this season and only four of those have logged fewer total minutes.

More Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 15 (2024-25): February 3 - February 9

If you're like me, you woke up to one of the biggest trades in recent NBA history (Luka for AD) and are still trying to make sense of it. It will likely be the biggest trade of the week, but it won't be the only deal made this week as Thursday's NBA trade deadline looms. […]

Dan Palyo February 2, 2025

League Winners: Second-Half Trade Targets and Stashes - 2025 Fantasy Basketball

Things have not gone as planned for fantasy basketball managers who drafted players like Joel Embiid or Jimmy Butler. But there's plenty of basketball left to be played and it's time to reassess how we view players going forward. If you want to win that fantasy basketball league championship, worry less about where your players […]

Dan Palyo January 30, 2025

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14 (2024-25): January 27 - February 2

We flip the calendar to February this week and edge closer to both the All-Star break and the NBA trade deadline. Some of the moves you can make in the next few weeks could greatly impact your team's ability to compete for a fantasy championship in March or April! Most leagues have a weekly moves […]

Dan Palyo January 26, 2025

League Winners: Players To Stash For the Stretch Run - 2024 Fantasy Basketball

The All-Star Break is upon us and while it's nice to have some time off from setting lineups, making DFS lineups, and placing bets. It's also a nice time to look ahead and what moves you can make to put your team in the best position possible to win a fantasy basketball title. Remember, the […]

Dan Palyo February 19, 2024

Trendon Watford (PF, POR) - Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 23

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 7% of leagues ANALYSIS: According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (reporting on Sunday morning), the Portland Trail Blazers are leaning toward shutting down Damian Lillard for the remainder of the season. The Blazers, mind you, have been without Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Lillard, and Jusuf […]

Antonio Losada March 27, 2023