Malachi Flynn (PG, TOR): Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups

Raptors guard Malachi Flynn is a worthy consideration as a fantasy basketball waiver wire pickup heading into Week 17 of the NBA season.

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ROSTERED IN: 35% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Quite the story that of Malachi Flynn. Drafted at the end of the first round this past November (29th overall) by Toronto, Flynn played only a total of 250 minutes for the Raps in 23 games from Dec. 23 to Mar. 31 never reaching 20 on a single match in that span. Since the start of April, though, Flynn has yet to play fewer than 27 minutes in a single game with Toronto and has started four leading up to Friday's slate of games in the past couple of weeks.

Something has changed, and although injuries to Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet have definitely contributed to Flynn's ascension in Toronto's pecking order, it is not that the rookie hasn't done enough by himself to merit the rise in minutes and playing time. VanVleet should be available from now on, same as Lowry--who already came back last weekend--but Flynn is definitely a mainstay in a Raptors franchise that if is known for something that is because of its great player-development prowess.

Malachi's numbers in April are, simply put, insane. Even on a massive 34 MPG Flynn has stayed above the water and has put up above-average efficiency numbers with a silly 1.00 FP/min average mark in 9 games. He's failed to score 25+ FP just once in that span, averaging 34 FPG with a 14-5-6-2 line on average in those matches, no matter if he started or came off the pine. Even if he gets back to the secondary unit, Flynn is a lock to stay hitting triples (2.5 3PG in April, at least one in all-but-one games in the month), comes with great upside on the boards for a PG, and knows how to dish out dimes (the TOs are a little high at almost 2 TO/G, though). Great addition ROS for those in slightly deep formats with Flynn projecting--at least--as the first man off the bench to cover any of the two guard spots.

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