🖥 CYBER WEEK - TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE CYBER
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

NBA Waiver Wire Pickups: Deeper League Adds (Week 2)

Milos Zvekic digs up deeper league NBA waiver pickups for Week 2 of fantasy basketball. These waiver wire adds can be sleepers for fantasy basketball teams.

NBA is back! And so is fantasy basketball. The long break is finally over and we can get back to planning, calculating, trading and "dancing on the wire". I hope your drafts went well and your players avoided the injury plague that hit in the previous 10 days. If either of these statements is not true, we have an out for you.

As many times before, the waiver wire comes to our aid. Championships have been won and lost because of the players dropped or picked from the waivers. And that's the case again this year, with plenty of guys under-performing, plenty of sleepers still fast asleep and plenty of injuries, past trades and future trade rumors changing the landscape of the NBA.

Here are today's Week 2 deeper league waiver wire pickups for your fantasy basketball teams.

Featured Promo: Get any Props Premium Pass for 50% off using code CYBER. Win more with our two new Props Optimizer tools -- one for PrizePicks Props, and one for Sportsbook Betting Props. Find optimal prop bets and get our recommended picks daily! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Looking Ahead

The Eric Bledsoe trade seems to be a sure thing, and we just have to be patient and see where he lands and what Phoenix gets in return. But being patient doesn't mean we have to do nothing. Some players values could change as a result of the Bledsoe deal, and at least one, and maybe even two players in the article below will be affected.

As Del Trotter from one of England's most popular and hilarious TV shows Only Fools and Horses likes to say, "He who dares, wins!" so don't just wait around for a deal to take place. Try and be the beneficiary of the changes it brings and get some players that might find themselves in a better position than before Bledsoe packed his bags.

So, you have a guy on your roster that you're not really fond of? You don't trust he will provide your team with enough value? Keep on reading.

 

Deep League Adds for Week 2

Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Denver Nuggets (10% Owned in Yahoo! Leagues)

Emmanuel Mudiay has been a disappointment since he was selected with the 7th overall pick in the 2015 rookie draft. He was supposed to take over from Ty Lawson and become Denver's point guard of the future. He was given the opportunity, but he just couldn't make the most of it so far. In his career he has averaged 12,0 PTS with 1.1 3PM on 37.0% from the field and 71.9% from the line, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks and 2.8 turnovers in 28 minutes per game. Not really what you would hope to get out of your first round lottery pick, and even more annoying if you hoped that he will be your franchise player for years to come.

Mudiay is not any better this year either, playing 22 minutes per game, scoring 11.0 points with 1.3 triples. He has increased his rebounding to 4.0 and is shooting better at 42.9%, but hit just 5 of 8 free throws, recorded seven assists with the same amount of turnovers and had just one steal with no blocks in the first three games of the season. Not too much reason for you to pick him up. But keep in mind, Nuggets have a new franchise point guard in Jamal Murray now, so Mudiay is limited to the backup role. Furthermore, we saw plenty of players take a huge step forward in their third year in the league... so why not Mudiay?

Rumor has it that Denver is in pursuit of Bledsoe and Mudiay is said to be a most probable piece in that deal. If he were to go to Phoenix he would suddenly find himself in competition with Mike James and Tyler Ulis instead of Murray. Now Murray is not a superstar player yet, but just to show how much faith Denver has in him, I remind you that they declined to involve in a deal for Kyrie Irving and as a result, Kyrie is a Celtic now. And even more important than less competition is the fact that Mudiay will have a chance to start over and prove himself worthy of a starting PG role on an NBA team.

If Emmanuel starts improving in his third year, he can be a useful addition in a deep league, even with mediocre minutes in the mid 20s. But IF he does end up in Phoenix, and IF he gets the starting gig he can really be one of the surprises of the season. This time in a good way. Plenty of IFs around Mudiay, but also, plenty of upside should the IFs become a reality.

 

Tyler Ulis, PG, Phoenix Suns (5% Owned in Yahoo! Leagues)

Tyler Ulis is a 21 year-old prospect from Kentucky in his second NBA season. He was selected as the 4th pick in the 2nd round of the 2016 draft and started last season in a tough spot on a stacked Phoenix team. He didn't play much in his first few months in the league but still showed potential, mostly in the assists and steals column. But then Phoenix decided to sit Bledsoe and give Ulis the keys to their offense. And boy did he step up!?

In 27 games starting from 12th of February Ulis averaged 12.8 PTS with 0.6 3PM on 43.2 FG% and 77.2 FT%, 2.7 REB, 7.0 AST, 1.1 STL, 0.1 BLK and 2.0 TO in 31 minutes per game. Now that's not something many owners expected from him based on his time with Bledsoe. And now, he will be without Bledsoe once again. Although Mike James does seem to be ahead of Ulis at the moment, that is definitely not set in stone, and Ulis could take over, especially with the Suns aware of what he can do when unleashed. Furthermore, Ulis played a season high 21 minutes in the first game without Bledsoe and under the new coach Jay Triano so that is a good sign. And with assists being such a scarce category, especially this deep in fantasy it's another incentive for those owners craving this category to take a flyer on Ulis.

Now, as with all the players owned in just 5% of the leagues, and just like with Mudiay there are plenty of IFs. The Bledsoe deal could involve another PG to crowd up the backcourt in Phoenix. Mike James might continue his good play and Ulis could be stuck in a backup role for the rest of the season, rarely eclipsing the 25 minute mark. But he just might blossom like he has last year. He just might get you 7-10 assists, a steal and decent enough percentages to be worth your last roster spot. His ceiling is pretty high for a guy sitting on the waiver wire and on a team that's about to endure a lot of changes.

 

Tony Snell, SG/SF, Milwaukee Bucks (9% Owned in Yahoo! Leagues)

It's easy to fly under plenty of fantasy radars when you're sharing the court with Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak is displaying some flashy performances and both real and fantasy basketball worlds are mesmerized. But his teammate Tony Snell remains thoroughly unnoticed, even though his stats deserve recognition.

Snell is quietly putting up top-100 numbers in the first four games of the season with averages of 11.0 points with 1.8 threes on 59.3% shooting and no misses in 5 attempts from the line, 2.5 boards, 1.8 dimes, 1.0 steal, no blocks and only 0.8 turnovers in 33 minutes per contest. Now that's called efficiency. His percentages and insanely low TO with a modest but nice contribution in almost all categories really make me wonder how come he's owned in just 9% of Yahoo! leagues. It also kind of makes me sad that he is not available in any of mine.

To be even more fair to Tony, the stats he's been putting up so far do seem unsustainable, but they aren't too far off his 2016/17 averages. Last season he averaged 8.5 PTS with 1.8 3PM on 45.5 FG%
and 81.0 FT%, 3.1 REB, 1.2 AST, 0.7 STL, 0.2 BLK and 0.7 TO in 29 minutes per game. That's more than enough to warrant at least a courtesy pickup in deep leagues.

Snell's game is a Rotisserie goldmine. Even if your league has a different format but you sport a well balanced squad or want some all-around help with emphasis on threes, decent percentages and low turnovers, Tony is the guy for your team.

 

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis

 

NBA DFS Premium Subscription

Get a free trial of our powerful NBA Premium Tools. Our famous DFS Cheat Sheets, and NBA Lineup Optimizer & Generator with daily matchup projections.

Win more. Try the most advanced lineup optimizer in daily fantasy basketball.

Sign Up Now!


By popular demand, RotoBaller has aggregated all of our fantasy basketball NBA waiver wire pickups into a running list of NBA waiver options, so bookmark the page and check back often for updates.



POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Ryan Leonard

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Friday
Carter Hart

Day-to-Day With Lower-Body Injury
Brayden Point

Questionable for Saturday
Victor Hedman

Expected to Return Saturday
Byron Buxton

Twins Not Planning to Trade Joe Ryan, Byron Buxton
Patrick Williams

Dalen Terry Available Versus Pacers
Coby White

Returns With Minutes Restriction Friday
Ayo Dosunmu

Out Friday Against Pacers
Zach Collins

Available for Season Debut Friday
Robert Williams III

Donovan Clingan Out, Robert Williams III in for Portland Friday
Evan Mobley

Ready to Play Friday
Kristaps Porzingis

Coming Off the Bench Friday
Spencer Jones

Available Against Hawks
OG Anunoby

Returns to Knicks LIneup Friday
Tre Mann

Misses Third Consecutive Game
Ryan Kalkbrenner

Available Friday
LaMelo Ball

Upgraded to Available
Brandon Miller

Returns to Action Friday
Steven Adams

Alperen Sengun Out Friday, Steven Adams Starting
Ozzy Wiesblatt

to Miss 8-10 Weeks With Upper-Body Injury
Jalen Johnson

Returning To Atlanta's Lineup On Friday
Pierre-Olivier Joseph

Out With Illness Friday
Evander Kane

Doubtful for Friday
Jusuf Nurkić

Jusuf Nurkic Questionable For Friday Night
Conor Garland

Back From Two-Game Absence Friday
Tyler Herro

Sitting Out Of Friday's Game
Thomas Harley

Could Be an Option Next Week
Daniel Gafford

Out For Friday Night's Game
Mikael Granlund

Returning From 10-Game Absence Friday
P.J. Washington

Won't Suit Up Friday Night
John Carlson

Misses Second Consecutive Game Friday
Rome Odunze

has Fractured Foot, Labeled Week-to-Week
Brandon Miller

Trending Toward A Return To The Court
Paul George

Avoids Injury Report On Friday
Sauce Gardner

Ruled Out for Sunday
Petr Yan

Looks To Reclaim Bantamweight Belt
Merab Dvalishvili

Set For His Fourth Title Defense
Joshua Van

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Aaron Jones Sr.

Cleared to Play in Week 14
Chris Olave

Listed as Questionable for Week 14
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fifth Title Defense At UFC 323
Tatsuro Taira

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Alvin Kamara

Ruled Out for Sunday
Brandon Moreno

Searches For His Third Win In A Row
Rome Odunze

Ruled Out for Week 14
Payton Talbott

A Favorite At UFC 323
Henry Cejudo

Set For His Retirement Fight
Drake London

Ruled Out vs Seattle
Jan Blachowicz

Set To Open Up UFC 323 Main Card
Lamar Jackson

Will Play on Sunday
Bogdan Guskov

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
CFB

Emmett Johnson Leaving Nebraska for 2026 NFL Draft
Dalton Kincaid

to be Questionable for Week 14
Tee Higgins

Clears Concussion Protocol, is a Full-Go for Sunday
CFB

Jam Miller Unlikely to Play in SEC Title Game
CFB

Penn State Expected to Hire Matt Campbell from Iowa State
Mike Evans

Not Quite Ready to Return This Week
Jayden Daniels

Will Start Against Vikings
Lamar Jackson

Returns to Practice, on Track to Play on Sunday
Kyler Murray

Won't Return This Year, Cardinals Non-Committal on his Future
Trey Benson

Out in Week 14; Could he Miss the Rest of the Season?
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Ruled Out for Sunday's Game
CeeDee Lamb

in the League's Concussion Protocol
Brian Branch

Out with Torn Achilles
Detroit Lions

Brian Branch Feared to Have Suffered an Achilles Injury
CFB

Arkansas Targeting Ron Roberts for Defensive Coordinator Job
Jayden Daniels

Tracking Towards a Week 14 Return
Justin Herbert

Trending in the Right Direction to Play Monday Night
Mathew Barzal

Leads Islanders Past Avalanche
Elias Lindholm

Posts Hat Trick of Assists Thursday
Leon Draisaitl

Notches Season-High Four Points in Thursday's Win
Connor McDavid

Nets 13th Career Hat Trick
Teuvo Teravainen

Expected to Be Fine After Thursday's Exit
Shane Pinto

Exits Loss With Injury
Joseph Woll

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Thursday
Jhostynxon Garcia

Pirates Acquire Jhostynxon Garcia From Red Sox
Cody Bellinger

Yankees Pushing Hard to Re-Sign Cody Bellinger
CFB

Penn State Eyeing Iowa State Coach Matt Campbell For Coaching Vacancy
Alex Bregman

Cubs Have Renewed Interest in Alex Bregman
Kirill Marchenko

Returns From Four-Game Absence
Carter Verhaeghe

Ready to Return Thursday
Scott Wedgewood

Skips Thursday's Game
CFB

Billy Napier Finalizing Deal to Become James Madison's New Head Coach
CFB

Buster Faulkner Set to Become Florida's New Offensive Coordinator
CFB

Joe Sloan Expected to be Kentucky's New Offensive Coordinator
CFB

Lane Kiffin Working to Keep Defensive Coordinator Blake Baker at LSU
CFB

Brian Daboll a Candidate for Penn State Head-Coaching Job?
Kyle Tucker

Visits With Blue Jays
Emilio Pagán

Reds Bring Back Closer Emilio Pagan on Two-Year Deal
Cedric Mullins

Rays Agree on One-Year Deal
Freddy Peralta

Brewers Considering Trading Freddy Peralta
Kyle Schwarber

Reds Serious About Adding Kyle Schwarber in Free Agency?
CFB

Brent Key Signing Five-Year Deal to Remain at Georgia Tech
CFB

Brian Hartline Expected to Land USF Head-Coaching Job
CFB

Collin Klein Expected to be Top Target for Kansas State if Head-Coach Job Opens
CFB

Chris Klieman Considering Stepping Down at Kansas State
CFB

D.J. Durkin Staying at Auburn Under Alex Golesh
CFB

Charlie Weis Jr. Permitted to Coach Ole Miss Offense in College Football Playoff
CFB

Five-Star Quarterback Jared Curtis Flips Commitment From Georgia to Vanderbilt
CFB

Florida Hiring Brad White as Defensive Coordinator
Kyle Schwarber

Giants Have Checked in on Kyle Schwarber
Willson Contreras

Willing to Waive his Full No-Trade Clause?
Edwin Díaz

Mets Still Interested in Re-Signing Edwin Diaz
Devin Williams

Agrees to Three-Year Deal With Mets
Cole Ragans

Red Sox Targeting Cole Ragans in a Trade?
CFB

Kentucky Hires Oregon Offensive Coordinator Will Stein As Head Coach
CFB

Kalani Sitake the Top Target for Penn State Coaching Job
CFB

Josh Heupel Says He's Not a Candidate for Penn State Head Coach Job