Injuries are a beautiful thing in fantasy basketball. Not simply because they open up opportunities for new faces but because so many fantasy owners will drop perennial All-Stars at the first hint of injury. Five games later, the soreness has subsided and you have a bunch of serious fantasy producers out there for the taking. Let’s take a look at some injury-prone steals in this week’s top waiver pick-ups:
Jameer Nelson (Owned in 70% of Yahoo! Leagues): Nelson returned last Friday after missing six consecutive games with a knee injury. On the one hand, he has only scored 30 points while shooting .273 in the three games he’s managed to play. Still, he plays about 35 minutes per game and is averaging 9 APG, 4 RPG, and 2 SPG so he still has value while he tries to get his shot together.
Jason Richardson (65%): After missing five games, Richardson has come back strong averaging 33 minutes per game with 17 PPG, 6 RPG, and 2 SPG while drowning a ton of threes. If he stays healthy, there is no reason he shouldn’t be owned in most leagues.
Carl Landry (59%): Even though his minutes inconsistently range from 24-36 per game he has managed to average 15 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and is shooting 60% from the floor. If his rebounds stay consistent he should have value in most leagues.
Shawn Marion (46%): Another guy returning after missing five games with a knee injury, Marion was averaging 8 PPG and 9 RPG with some assists and blocks to boot. Although he struggled in his first game back, he put up 10 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal in 33 minutes against the Cavs on Saturday which is where his stats should be most games.
Jason Thompson (44%): He hasn’t lost value since DeMarcus Cousins came back from his suspension and continues to play around 30 minutes per game. He is averaging 11 PPG, 7 RPG, and 1.3 BPG but the points and rebounds have picked up of late.
Tristan Thompson (28%): After being called out by his coach, Thompson has answered with back-to-back double-doubles. He is averaging 11.5 PPG and 9.5 RPG with an occasional assist over his last six games as the second-year forward continues to improve.
Alonzo Gee (18%): Gee has been playing about 35 minutes per game which has translated to increased production on the offensive end. He is averaging 14 PPG and 2+ SPG with some rebounds here and there over the last five games though his shooting percentage remains suspect.
MarShon Brooks (6%): Brooks isn’t back to 100% after missing three games with injury but he scored 14 points in just 12 minutes Sunday night against the Kings and is an established double-digit scorer – even if he is relegated to the bench in this Nets lineup and certainly have value playing about 20 minutes per game.
Linas Kleiza (4%): With Landry Fields out after undergoing elbow surgery, Kleiza will see a lot more time in the already banged up Raptors lineup. After missing the first six games of the season with injuries of his own, he has put up 13 PPG and 5 RPG in the four games he has played.
