Hamidou Diallo (SG/SF, DET): Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 40% of leagues

ANALYSIS: After coming off the pine for the first month-and-change of the season, Hamidou Diallo found a place in Detroit's starting lineup and has yet to surrender it. It's been 23 starts and going from Dec. 12 on and that doesn't feel like changing: the slump Diallo is going through these days (five games playing way below average) is very real, but he's still starting games and playing 22+ MPG on a per-game basis, which is more than encouraging for his fantasy GMs and the chance that he keeps racking up minutes, chances, and (we hope) a statistical bounceback.

If you think buying Diallo's shares right now is risky, well, it is. I mean, Diallo's last five games have seen him average a low 9-3-2-1 even starting and getting a kinda-healthy 19%+ usage rate. Now, as I see this, the slump is just a buy-low opportunity for those of you that can still find Diallo available in your league's WW. Prior to this little shaky set of games Diallo was thriving. From Christmas to Jan. 18 Diallo played 12 games averaging an impressive 17-7-2-2 per-game line. That's pretty much what he had  been doing for a month prior to Xmas day too, so it's crazy to think he can get back to those levels sooner rather than later.

Diallo is not adept at stretching the floor with long-range shots, but that helps his percentages all things considered, as he's hitting 50%+ of his 9.5+ FGA per game. Diallo, even playing 22 MPG on the year, is one of only nine players putting up an average 10-4-1-1 line in fewer than 30 MPG (just seven if we remove Olynyk with only 12 GP and Rubio who is done for the year). Low turnovers (1.1 TOPG), high steals (1.2 SPG), and more than anything a very solid and established position in the Pistons pecking order are Diallo's calling cards.

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