Week 15 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: NBA Guards

February 5, 2015

In his Week 15 NBA Waiver Wire column, Lou Cappetta focuses on a few guards that could deserve some attention in your fantasy basketball league.

With the fourth month of the 2014-15 NBA season getting underway, the waiver wire has taken its typical place in the weekly/daily routine of fantasy basketball managers. The following guards, whether of the “sleeper” variety or just cashing in temporarily on an unforeseen opportunity, almost certainly deserve attention across the various formats during Week 15 of the campaign.

Position Eligibility & Ownership Rate Based on Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Player List

Waiver Wire Guard For Right Now

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (DET, SG) - 22% Owned

Second year guard Caldwell-Pope continues to make great strides this season, and after a week of games that saw him average 16.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.3 three pointers per game (at 43.8 percent shooting), Caldwell-Pope should be added until he cools off.

There's a lot of things to like here. First, his minutes are above 30 per game, and he's getting plenty of shots off from downtown (5.3 attempts per game) with the added playing time. The Pistons have made it clear they plan to lean on their young talent going forward, and Caldwell-Pope's biggest competition for playing time, Jodie Meeks, has stuggled since his return from injury.

Caldwell-Pope's scoring and three point production should make him a top 100 value as long as the playing time is there. He'll also offer a handful of steals, but his poor overall field goal percentage (39.4 percent on the year) and lack of other stats will limit his value a bit. Still he's proving to be a guy who can score in bunches, making him a must-add guy while he's hot.

Waiver Wire Guard For Deep Leagues

Corey Brewer (HOU, SG/SF) - 32% Owned

I was one of the many people who thought Brewer's value would take a huge hit when he was traded to Houston. I thought it would take an even bigger hit once Josh Smith was added to the Rockets as well, but somehow, Brewer has found a way to stay productive.

Brewer has scored in double figures in seven straight games, even while playing fewer than 30 minutes per game. Even when he doesn't score, his elite steal totals make him rosterable in deeper leagues. In fact, if you need help in the steal category, I'd say Brewer is a must add player, and would much rather grab him over a guy like Tony Allen.

There's a chance that James Harden misses some time with a bruised knee, and if that happens, Brewer's increased minutes will make him a must add in all leagues. As of now, however, I'd only recommend hin in deeper leagues, or for teams hurting for steals.

Waiver Wire Guard To Keep An Eye on

Jose Calderon (NYK, PG) - 63% Owned

It boggles my mind that somebody who has been as putrid this year as Calderon is owned in 63 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Calderon has the potential to put up impressive three point and assist numbers, but has not done so this year. So what makes him a guy to watch? Good question.

Calderon is coming off a 17-point performance in which he also hit three shots from downtown. It's nothing special, but it does show that there are signs of life here. There's also plenty of trade rumors surrounding the point guard, and I'd bet my house on it that he's out of New York by the trade deadline. In fact, the only reason I believe Calderon hasn't already been dealt, is because he's played so poorly, that his value is at an all time low.

This is just a hunch, one that I have stated before, but now that Phil Jackson has shown that he plans to clean house, I wouldn't be surprised if Calderon got some extended run going forward. Showcasing Calderon is the only way to ensure they'll get anything decent for him, and since the Knicks are playing for the lottery anyway, they have nothing to lose in doing so.

I wouldn't grab Calderon after one decent scoring game, but I would keep an eye on him. If his minutes stay in the 30's over the next few games, he's worth a speculative add.