Killian Hayes (PG/SG, DET): Week 24 Waiver Wire Pickups

Killian Hayes is worth considering as a fantasy basketball waiver wire pickup heading into Week 24 of the NBA season.

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 27% of leagues

ANALYSIS: While Killian Hayes started all games (34 of them) to kick his second pro-season off, he's only done so three more times since Jan. 23. Nothing wrong with that, though, at least at the point we find ourselves into the season. That's because Hayes's last couple of weeks have been quite nice and he's back to averaging a healthy enough 32 MPG while getting usage rates around 19%, close to an average figure. All of that, combined with the fact that Detroit is out of everything and most probably locked into a top-3 pick makes me want all shares I can get of Killian Hayes.

A lot of folks have already labeled Hayes a bust, or just a run-of-the-mill guy with his NBA days numbered. Not me. I'm staying strong and holding onto Hayes as much as I can. He just needs some run and adaptation to the Association and he will become a more than valuable asset down the road. Watch it happen, because we're getting glimpses of it already: seven games in the last two weeks and an average line of 13-5-4-2-1? Can't complain, fellas.

Hayes, had he put up those numbers all season long (his true average sits at 7-3-4-1) would be one of just three players to do so with Dejounte Murray and Paul George as his select partners. Sublime, that is. For now, though, I'm more than pleased with this late production boost. Hayes is coming off a ridiculous 40-minute outing against OKC on Friday in which he dumped a 26-7-8-5-2 nonsensical line shooting 48% from the field on 25 (!!!) FGA. No need to say those figures are all nearly season/career-high marks for the Frenchman. That won't hold for long, maybe, but you can do much worse than running with Hayes ROS.

More Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups

Jayson Tatum Injury: Fantasy Basketball Impact and Boston Celtics Team Outlook After Torn Achilles

It's hard to believe things could've gotten any worse for the Boston Celtics. As if gifting the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals to the New York Knicks wasn't egregious enough, Jayson Tatum suffered a ruptured Achilles in the final minutes of Game 4. As first reported by ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, […]

Alex Burns 4 days ago

RotoBaller Writing and Media Team Nominated For 13 FSWA Awards in 2024

It's awards season for the fantasy sports industry, and RotoBaller is honored to be recognized by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) with various award nominations from our writing and media team in 2024. The RotoBaller brand continues to shine among the many talented companies and analysts throughout the fantasy sports industry for their editorial […]

RotoBaller 3 months ago

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 15 (2024-25): February 3 - February 9

If you're like me, you woke up to one of the biggest trades in recent NBA history (Luka for AD) and are still trying to make sense of it. It will likely be the biggest trade of the week, but it won't be the only deal made this week as Thursday's NBA trade deadline looms. […]

Dan Palyo 3 months ago

League Winners: Second-Half Trade Targets and Stashes - 2025 Fantasy Basketball

Things have not gone as planned for fantasy basketball managers who drafted players like Joel Embiid or Jimmy Butler. But there's plenty of basketball left to be played and it's time to reassess how we view players going forward. If you want to win that fantasy basketball league championship, worry less about where your players […]

Dan Palyo 3 months ago

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14 (2024-25): January 27 - February 2

We flip the calendar to February this week and edge closer to both the All-Star break and the NBA trade deadline. Some of the moves you can make in the next few weeks could greatly impact your team's ability to compete for a fantasy championship in March or April! Most leagues have a weekly moves […]

Dan Palyo 3 months ago