Pierre Camus analyzes NBA bench players as Week 9 fantasy basketball sleepers & waiver wire adds. Their per 36 minutes & usage rates show a rise in fantasy value.

NBA teams have a multitude of players coming off the bench, each with a unique role to fill. As a fantasy owner, you need to decide which of those players can contribute across multiple categories and have the potential to make the most of their time on the court.

To find bench players that can contribute more than just energy and defense during their time on the court, I will analyze usage rate and Per 36 statistics. Below are my Week 9 bench risers and waiver wire adds for fantasy basketball. These are some bench players whose stock should be rising based on their recent play and could be great fantasy pickups for deep leagues.

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Rising NBA Bench Performers

Note: I will only be selecting players who are not regular starters and who are owned in less than 50% of Yahoo! leagues.

JJ Barea (PG/SG, DAL) 36% owned - Barea was off to a hot start in his first 10 games of the season before a calf injury cost him an entire month. He made his return on Monday, although he was under a minutes restriction. He still managed 11 points and four assists in just 13 minutes. Before his injury, Barea was nearly doubling his points, rebounds and assists production from his career averages. Most of that has come as a result of increased minutes (31.1 MPG) and usage (24.7%), both career highs. His per 36 minutes have also gone up, however. In 10 games, he is averaging 18.3 PTS, 6.1 AST, 3.9 REB, and 0.8 STL per 36. The scoring average is a career high mark.

Barea should be leaned on heavily by a Mavs team that is still without Dirk Nowitzki. Starting point guard Deron Williams is as injury-prone as you can get, so it may just be a matter of time before Barea becomes the crux of the offense. Even with Williams around, Barea will begin playing a big role off the bench now that he is back healthy. Fantasy owners in need of guard help should see if Barea is still on waivers before everyone else realizes he is back.

Marreese Speights (PF/C, LAC) 25% owned - Blake Griffin will out for 3-6 weeks as he undergoes a knee procedure, so Mo Buckets will see a bump in minutes and production. Speights has seen limited time when Griffin is healthy, playing an average of 15.5 MPG which is on par with his career average. That number should jump up into the mid-20s, making him an excellent pickup based on his averages.

In his first season with the Clippers, Speights is averaging 21.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per 36. He is already averaging 15.7 rebounds per 48, good for 24th in the league. It would appear he could be in line for a big spike in value, but enthusiasm should be tempered somewhat. Speights has never seen a huge workload, playing over 20 minutes per game only once in his NBA career (2011-12 with Memphis). The Clips will likely work Brandon Bass in the rotation as well, so Speights doesn't necessarily figure to put up Griffin-like numbers despite the projections. Nevertheless, he is a solid big man addition in deep leagues, if you are willing to live with a .437 FG%.

Garrett Temple (PG/SG, SAC) 14% owned - The career journeyman has been quite an under-the-radar addition for the Kings. He is scoring seven PPG on the year, but over the last week he's had games of 17, 20, and 16 points. Rudy Gay is hampered by a hip problem and Aaron Afflalo doesn't seem to want to play in Sacramento after complaining about playing time, so Temple is taking advantage. He doesn't possess the highest ceiling among all waiver wire players, but he is contributing across multiple categories and his stock could rise further if a trade is made.

Temple averaged as much as 17.2 points per 36 when he first entered the league in 2009, but that figure currently sits at 10.2. His recent point totals suggest that number could jump up if he continues to get steady playing time. He also helps out in the percentages by shooting at a .405 clip from three and .885 from the free throw line. He's also contributing about three assists, nearly four rebounds and 1.6 steals per 36 minutes. If you're in the market for a guard, add him for the scoring boost and feel comfortable knowing that he won't leave many zeroes across the stat line. He has more value in weekly leagues right now than rotisserie.