Alec Burks (PG/SG/SF, NYK): Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups

Alec Burks is worth considering as a fantasy basketball waiver wire pickup heading into Week 12 of the NBA season.

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 51% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Kemba Walker missed three weeks of play from the end of November to mid-December as he came back to Thibs' rotation on Dec. 18 to score 29 points. Not bad. He even doubled-down on that with another 21-8-5 performance three days later, and had the ultimate explosion going for 44 points against Washington before Xmas. That's good, but that's also a little bit of an outlier as the last three games from Kemba show (a trip-dub on Dec. 25, sure, but nothing more than that to call home about). The once-loser-now-beneficiary? Steady bona fide starter Alec Burks.

Had it not been for injuries/COVID reasons, the Knicks might have never called Kemba back--not at least for a while. With Kemba hitting the starting PG position, Burks went to the pine and it's been there for four consecutive games. The minutes went down to 18, 16, 27, and lastly 24 on New Year's Eve. Kemba is now down with left knee soreness, so we'll see how things go in terms of roles and rotations over the next few days/weeks.

In his brief starting stint of 12 games from Nov. 27 to Dec. 23, truth the told, Burks couldn't have played much better ball. On a ridiculous 37 MPG of playing time (Thibs Perks Inc.), he was good for an average of 15 PPG, 5 RPG, 3 APG, 1 SPG, and the odd block. The shooting wasn't even remotely close to perfect sitting at 32.7% from the field. The free-throw accuracy was better, sure, but Burks was and will be a three-point hitter with low percentages basically because of the toughness of those attempts. Good for points, treys, and boards, but low on percentages (getting better, though) and steals.

More Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups

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 February 13, 2025

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 February 2, 2025

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 January 30, 2025

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 January 26, 2025

League Winners: Players To Stash For the Stretch Run - 2024 Fantasy Basketball

The All-Star Break is upon us and while it's nice to have some time off from setting lineups, making DFS lineups, and placing bets. It's also a nice time to look ahead and what moves you can make to put your team in the best position possible to win a fantasy basketball title. Remember, the […]

Dan Palyo February 19, 2024