NBA Waiver Wire: Week 3 Targets

NBA Waiver Wire: Week 3 Targets

This article is part of our NBA Waiver Wire series.

As the NBA nears the close of its second full week, a number of rotations are rounding into focus. With each passing game, we learn something new about every team, and that knowledge often translates into fantasy value.

Though many of the best finds have already been scooped up, several players remain who could have dramatic and long-term impacts on fantasy rosters. Additionally, injuries are now -- as always -- the biggest drivers of fantasy value, and they continue to have an outsized impact on the players listed below – especially in the case of this week's top add. So, without further ado, let's get into the best waiver adds of the week.

All players listed must be owned in less than two-thirds of leagues.

Adds for All Leagues

T.J. McConnell, PG, 76ers (18 percent owned)
With Markelle Fultz (shoulder) now sidelined indefinitely, McConnell steps in as this week's top waiver add. In the first two games without Fultz, McConnell's minutes have nearly doubled, going from 15.0 per game to 29.5 per game. Without Fultz, his averages have increased to 10.5 points, 8.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds.

Whenever McConnell has stepped into a larger role, his production has been exactly what he showed last week: Modest scoring, tons of assists, and solid rebounding for his position and physical profile. This production level is completely sustainable, and he's also likely to chip in a good number of assists as well. He'll probably be a drop candidate whenever Fultz returns, but

As the NBA nears the close of its second full week, a number of rotations are rounding into focus. With each passing game, we learn something new about every team, and that knowledge often translates into fantasy value.

Though many of the best finds have already been scooped up, several players remain who could have dramatic and long-term impacts on fantasy rosters. Additionally, injuries are now -- as always -- the biggest drivers of fantasy value, and they continue to have an outsized impact on the players listed below – especially in the case of this week's top add. So, without further ado, let's get into the best waiver adds of the week.

All players listed must be owned in less than two-thirds of leagues.

Adds for All Leagues

T.J. McConnell, PG, 76ers (18 percent owned)
With Markelle Fultz (shoulder) now sidelined indefinitely, McConnell steps in as this week's top waiver add. In the first two games without Fultz, McConnell's minutes have nearly doubled, going from 15.0 per game to 29.5 per game. Without Fultz, his averages have increased to 10.5 points, 8.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds.

Whenever McConnell has stepped into a larger role, his production has been exactly what he showed last week: Modest scoring, tons of assists, and solid rebounding for his position and physical profile. This production level is completely sustainable, and he's also likely to chip in a good number of assists as well. He'll probably be a drop candidate whenever Fultz returns, but based on how the 76ers have handled injuries with their high-profile rookie in the past, an extended absence is certainly in play.

Marco Belinelli, Hawks, SG (32 percent owned)
Belinelli is the Hawks' backup shooting guard, but he's playing as well as starter Kent Bazemore, at least from a fantasy standpoint. In actual basketball, Bazemore is a better defender, which is important to keep in mind when projecting future minutes-splits. That said, Belinelli is getting 27.1 minutes per game, which is more than enough to keep him in the fantasy conversation.

His 3.1 three-pointers per game are good for ninth in the league entering Monday, and he's doing that while maintaining a healthy 45.3 percent field goal percentage and modest production in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Belinelli's role on this depth chart seems unlikely to shrink, and he currently grades out as an elite specialist without damaging rosters anywhere.

Jakob Poeltl, Raptors, C (30 percent owned)
It's not entirely clear what's going on with the Raptors' frontcourt rotation, and as that picture illuminates, Poetl could eventually return to the waiver wire, or become near-universally owned. Poetl has played between 17 and 19 minutes three times, and more than 26 minutes twice. The games in which Poeltl saw increased minutes came while Jonas Valanciunas was sidelined and, despite back-to-back double-doubles and 2.0 blocks per game in those two contests, Poeltl's minutes dropped back below 20 in the third game, which Valanciunas also sat out.

Blocks are so hard to find on waivers that Poetry can be added in all leagues, despite his potentially small workload, on the basis of his 2.3 blocks per game over his last four appearances alone. Even if the workload doesn't increase, those blocks, combined with his contributions in rebounds and steals, warrant a long-term addition to a roster.

Other recommendations:Josh Richardson, Heat, SG (68 percent owned); Jonathon Simmons, Magic, SG (33 percent owned); Danny Green, Spurs, SG (51 percent owned); Jerian Grant, Bulls, PG (53 percent owned); Austin Rivers, Clippers, SF (46 percent owned); Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kings, SG (24 percent owned)

Phoenix Suns Special

Last week, this column half-heartedly endorsed several members of the Suns, as their values seemed likely to change following the removal of Earl Watson as head coach, replaced by interim head coach Jay Triano. After one week's worth of games, here are the Suns most worthy of waiver consideration:

Marquese Chriss, PF (76 percent owned)
Technically, Chriss is owned in more than two-thirds of leagues, but if we're focusing on the Suns, he demands attention. His number this past week were inconsistent, but this rotation remains very much in flux. Chriss offers too much fantasy upside to be dropped, and he's worth a stash in any league of 10-teams or more. If, as expected, he's seeing at least roughly 25 minutes when this rotation settles down, his statistical profile is too rich to ignore.

Tyler Ulis, PG (35 percent owned)
While Mike James remains the starter, if I'm adding either Suns point guard, I prefer Ulis. Last week, James averaged 25.3 minutes to Ulis' 22.7, so the workload remains close to an even split. James' shooting efficiency is lower, and Ulis's production from last season was better than what James has done so far this year. Either player makes sense as a stash in a 12-team league, though neither are worth owning right now based on their current production. I recommend Ulis over James, but this is still an open competition.

Tyson Chandler, C (30 percent owned)
The frontcourt rotation has been volatile through Triano's first three games, but Chandler remains the starter. His primary contribution is rebounds, but he offers a slightly richer stat profile than backup Alex Len. Chandler is good enough to own, but he's not exactly someone you need to rush to waivers to grab, either.

Alex Len, Suns, C (59 percent owned)
Regardless of how many minutes Len gets, he can contribute in rebounds. However, he does little else, and his playing time has been all over the place in the first three games under Triano. Only managers in need of rebounds, or those in deeper leagues hoping Len settles into a higher-volume role, need to concern themselves with him right now.

Deep Leagues Only

James Ennis, Grizzlies, SF (9 percent owned)
It feels like we are playing whack-a-mole with the Grizzlies' small forwards, but Ennis has shown enough to warrant adding in deeper settings. Dillon Brooks really is better than anyone expected three weeks ago, but Brooks is not going to consistently put up the kind of numbers he did in the opener, and he is unlikely to take Ennis' starting spot any time soon. Ennis hasn't shown a ton, but in deep leagues it is hard to ignore a player averaging 32.5 minutes per game over his last four contests. His best contribution is in rebounds, where he is averaging 6.8 per game during that stretch, but he's also added 8.0 points, 0.8 steals, and has at least one assist in every game.

He's not a home run, but Ennis is a speedster who walked to first, and has a good chance of stealing second. Perhaps I shouldn't have stayed up so late watching the end of the World Series last night. Ennis is OK, with a chance to be good in deep leagues.

Short-Term Streamer

Yogi Ferrell, Mavericks, PG (28 percent owned)
There's no way to sugar-coat it – Yogi Ferrell is simply not as good at basketball as Dennis Smith, Jr., Wesley Matthews, or Seth Curry. Therefore, when Curry (leg) returns to action, Ferrell's minutes will probably fall off, potentially dramatically. That said, Curry is not yet back, and appears unlikely to return before the end of this week.

With Curry on the sideline, Ferrell is averaging 12.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.9 threes, and 1.3 steals in 31.6 minutes per game. That's solid, well-rounded production from an end-of-roster streamer. The Mavericks play four games this week, including a Friday-Saturday back-to-back. That schedule is almost tailor-made to keep Curry sidelined at least into next week, as the Mavs are unlikely to bring him back from a stress reaction for a back-to-back set. There seems to be a strong chance Ferrell maintains his workload through this entire week, though it may not last much longer.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex Rikleen
Rikleen writes the NBA column "Numbers Game," which decodes the math that underpins fantasy basketball and was a nominee for the 2016 FSWA Newcomer of the Year Award. A certified math teacher, Rikleen decided the field of education pays too well, so he left it for writing. He is a Boston College graduate living outside Boston.
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