Dennis Smith Jr. (PG, CHA) - Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 5

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 51% of leagues

ANALYSIS: The Dennis Smith Jr. Lightspeed Train might have left the fantasy station now that LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier are both back, fit, available, and playing nightly. That said, even with Smith missing last Saturday's game and expected to hit the second unit playing off the pine going forward, DSJ has done more than enough to still consider him a must-roster player in nearly all leagues.

The Hornets have had a rough start to the year and are hoping LaMelo can fix their wrongs. That means that Smith goes straight to the bench. That also means that Smith will keep leading a unit, the second one, and what he'll give up in dimes he'll gain in shot attempts and points per game.

Smith has scored at least 10 points in nine of his 13 games played to date. He started the season on the bench and he put up lines of 12-2-4-2-2 and 10-2-4-3 in those matchups, which I could very well live with if that's what is ahead for him. Smith has been shooting the rock extraordinarily well, too, with splits reading 46/35/54 on nearly 9.5+ FGA and 2+ 3PA per game. His career splits are at 40/31/65 on nearly the same volume shooting overall.

While not a one-of-a-kind player, Smith is still one of only 46 players in the NBA hoisting more than nine shots per game and hitting them at his current FG% and 3P%. Smith is one of only 10 doing that in fewer than 30 MPG and among those 10 players only three play at the guard position: Smith, Malcolm Brogdon, and Collin Sexton. Smith is averaging almost twice as many APG and SPG than those two to date.

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