RADIO
Walker Kessler is worth considering as a fantasy basketball waiver wire pickup heading into Week 18 of the 2022-23 NBA season.
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues
ROSTERED IN: 35% of leagues
ANALYSIS: The Jazz didn't sell the whole team at the deadline day but they moved enough pieces to let folks around the league know that they indeed are just another tanking and rebuilding team looking more for a bright future rather than a shiny present. One of those men sending out of state was Jarred Vanderbilt, opening the door (even more) for Walker Kessler to keep racking up starts and numbers.
Vando was already and for the most part out of the rotation in terms of playing time with rookie Kessler being the main beneficiary of that move. Kessler has now started all of his games since January 10 (he's at 14 straight starts and counting), averaging 27 MPG and stat lines reading 12-10-1 nightly to go with 0.7 SPG and 2.5 (!!!) BPG.
Kessler doesn't ever stretch the floor so his shooting percentages are as high as they get. He has scored 70.3% of the field goals he's attempted in his last 14 games while shooting above 50% in all but two of those games (averaging 7.7 FGA per game).
Consider Kessler the typical big man in terms of the cats he'll help you, with a monster upside on the scarce STL+BLK. If Kessler can keep up the numbers from his last 14 games through the remainder of the season, he'd be one of only four players blocking 1.5+ shots and stealing 0.5+ possession per game this season along with Myles Turner, Mitchell Robinson, and Joel Embiid.
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