Garrett Temple (SG/SF, BKN): Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups

Brooklyn Nets guard Garrett Temple is a worthy consideration as a fantasy basketball waiver wire pickup heading into Week 20 of the NBA season.

BALLER MOVE: Add In 14-Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 8% of leagues

ANALYSIS: It's getting towards the end of the regular season in a lot of head to head leagues for fantasy basketball, and that means that we get to dive deep into the waiver wire pool this week with Brooklyn Nets guard Garrett Temple. Everyone that follows the NBA knows that Kyrie Irving is out for the season, and it leaves a lot of minutes on the floor for Nets Head Coach Kenny Atkinson to fill. Temple has earned those minutes in his first season with the team and is putting them to good use. He has played in 54 of Brooklyn's 59 games this season and has been a reliable man off the bench for a Nets team that has battled with its fair share of injuries this season.

Since returning from a three-game absence in January, the 10-year veteran out of LSU has been averaging 26.3 minutes per game and providing 10.1 points, 3.6 assists, 2.4 assists, and 2.1 made threes. I understand that's an 18-game sample size, but if you look at his season numbers, that production is sustainable. The shooting guard is averaging career-highs with 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 made threes, and 0.5 blocks per game.

Another thing going for Temple is the Nets' schedule this week. They play four games against Boston, Memphis, San Antonio, and Chicago. Those four games will be enough to rack up some counting stats, but the favorable matchups make Temple an even better pick up. Over the last two weeks, the Grizzlies (26.4) and Bulls (31.8) both rank bottom-nine in terms of points allowed per 48 minutes versus opposing shooting guards. Temple isn't what we would call a sharpshooter, but he has scored 10-plus points in seven of his last 12 games and over 15 points in five of those 12 as well.

As you can see, we are recommending that you add Temple if you are playing in 14-team leagues or deeper. His ownership percentage is less than 10%, but that needs to be higher for Week 20. His substantial contributions in the counting categories and four-game schedule mean that he can be a player that helps you clinch a playoff spot down the home stretch, so snag him off the waiver wire before any of your league mates can.