Deni Avdija (SF, WAS) - Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 10

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 7% of leagues

ANALYSIS: First of all, I have to admit that I fell for Deni Avdija before he entered the NBA and ahead of the 2020 draft. I was high on him, and now that hype I built around his name if only inside my brain, might have been a little too big for what the forward has done to date on American soil.

All of that said, Avdija has been improving and he's now a kinda important part of the Wizards, with the upside to become an even larger figure of the franchise depending on which route the organization takes (delusional contention, or obvious rebuild).

Avdija, mind you, is the starting SF for Washington on a nightly basis. Kyle Kuzma has already said that he is entering free agency this summer no matter what. In other words, Avdija is going nowhere. The third-year forward has averaged 34 MPG in the past two weeks and seven games through Saturday.

Of course, the sky-high minutes are basically dropping his efficiency to below-ground levels. Avdija's 0.86 FP/min is below the 0.90 league-average figure, but the positive is that staying for such a large time on the court helps him make up for that on pure volume. Avdija has scored 10+ points in four of his last six games and 7+ points in seven consecutive games through Saturday.

Avdija's appeal comes from the shooting percentages and 3-point prowess more than his actual points scored (he almost never tops 10 FGA).

The rebounding is quite nice and he also dishes out dimes with a passion while keeping turnovers (mostly) at bay, in case that impacts outcomes in your league. In games with 10+ MP this month, Avdija is putting up a 10-8-4-1 line and he's stolen at least one possession in four of five of seven games in that span.

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