Saddiq Bey (SF, DET) - Week 14 Waiver Wire Pickups

Detroit forward Saddiq Bey is a worthy consideration as a fantasy basketball waiver wire pickup heading into Week 14 of the NBA season.

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12-Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 35% of leagues

ANALYSIS: With a 12-32 record and the departure of big-minute occupiers Blake Griffin, Delon Wright, Derrick Rose, and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, it's a good time to be a rookie for the Detroit Pistons. The rotation now consists of a few key veterans, the young talent Detroit has chosen to invest in, and recent backcourt acquisitions Hamidou Diallo and Cory Joseph. The majority of competition for PT in Detroit is for the forward/center slots and PG/SG play, so Saddiq Bey as a 6'7 small forward has only see his floor-time increase as the season progresses. Bey went from 17.1 minutes in December steadily up to 31.3 minutes over ten March contests, averaging 13.6 points, 4.7 boards, and 1.9 assists for this month, with eleven combined blocks and steals (seven steals and four blocks), 27 of 74 shooting from three (36.5%), 21 of 23 shooting on free throws (91.3%), and a 56.6% true shooting percentage.

The Villanova rookie has proven himself a stout defender through inconsistent minutes, averaging a defensive rating of 118 per month, totaling 20 steals and five blocks since the start of February, and netting a 1.3% steal rate; however, it's been his offensive efficiency that makes him so coveted as the postseason draws near. Bey has hit 2.3 of 5.8 three-point attempts per game all year (38.6%), which ranks third on the team behind Wayne Ellington and Jerami Grant. Bey has also converted on 1.6 of 1.8 FT tries per game for the year (87%), with a 53.8% effective field goal rate and 57.7% true shooting percentage, both of which have been getting better with each month.

His defensive prowess combined with rates of 9.4 and 7.9 for rebound and assist percentage illustrate an already well-rounded player at 21, but he has also displayed an advanced floor IQ, as his turnover rate of 7.4% ranks second-best on the team only to Diallo, who has played just one game as a Piston. With the likes of Ellington, Saben Lee, and Josh Jackson seeing ample PT in the wake of Detroit's roster shakeup, Saddiq Bey is in prime position to continue to produce threes, points, rebounds, and defensive figures, while limiting potential drawbacks caused by high-volume misses and turnovers.

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