Looking at the most recent transaction trends on Yahoo, a lot of boom-or-bust players are getting snatched up off the fantasy basketball waiver wire.
There’s Markieff Morris who has scored 20+ points in four of his last six games but we’ve seen this before, he has the occasional hot streak but is too unsteady, and doesn’t provide enough other stats, to be ownable in most leagues.
There’s Terrence Ross who posted a monstrous 51-point game on Saturday against the Lakers but had scored 14 combined points in his previous three games.
There’s Courtney Lee who has been on a decent scoring run since moving to Memphis but doesn’t help in any other categories.
There’s some players that are worth grabbing, though, so let’s take a look at this week’s top waiver wire targets.
DeMarre Carroll (Owned in 23 percent of Yahoo leagues): Carroll has been dealing with some injuries but he’s back and has averaged 15.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 three-pointers, and 1.8 assists over the last four games that he has played. He’s also shooting a ridiculous 67.6 percent from the floor and 65 percent from downtown. Those percentages are certainly unsustainable and should level out at his usual 45-46 percent but he’s been playing a steady 34+ minutes per game and has done a very good job since Al Horford went down. He’s averaging 11.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.8 threes per 36 minutes on the season so he’s a solid fantasy reserve worth owning in just about every league.
Alec Burks (25 percent): Burks has failed to score double-digits in just one of his last six games and is averaging 18.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and shooting 52 percent from the floor over that stretch. He’s also averaging over 31 minutes per game over those games and it’s right where we’d like him to be. On the season, Burks is averaging 17 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and a steal per 36 minutes so his current production rate is very sustainable if he keeps getting those minutes off the bench.
Darren Collison (50 percent): The fact that Collison can still be had in half of Yahoo leagues is pretty impressive. He’s scored double-digits in 11 of his last 12 games and is averaging 14.2 points, 6.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.1 threes per game over that stretch. He’s playing over 33 minutes per game and shooting 51 percent from the point which is very impressive. He should be owned in all leagues until Chris Paul is healthy.
Jodie Meeks (53 percent): I’m amazed every week to see that Meeks has such low ownership. Meeks has scored double-digit points in 20 of his last 21. That’s consistency. He may not add much in the rebound and assist categories but he’s averaging 16.9 points, 2.5 threes, and 2.0 steals per game over those 21 games and is shooting a solid 45 percent from the floor and 40 percent from beyond the arc. He’s also playing 38 minutes a game, the volume alone is worth a roster spot.
D.J. Augustin (53 percent): A lot of people still have trouble trusting Augustin and that’s understandable but the numbers speak for themselves. Not only is he starting now but he’s scored 27+ points in three of his last four and double-digit points in six of his last seven. Over his last nine games, he’s averaging 18.9 points, 6.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 3.1 threes, and shooting a strong (for a point guard) 48 percent from the floor and 51 percent from downtown. Those percentages are liable to drop but, considering he’s getting over 13 field goal attempts per game and earning more and more time, he’s a must-own in every league.
Kendall Marshall (58 percent): I question Marshall’s long-term value more than Augustin’s but he’s a must-own until the Lakers get healthy, which is at least a couple of weeks away. He’s had his inconsistency issues but he’s scored double-digits in 10 of his last 14 games and has posted 8+ assists in 11 of his last 14. Since moving into the lineup, Marshall is averaging 12.1 points, 11.4 assists, 2.2 threes, and 3.5 rebounds while playing 39 minutes per game.
