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The NBA season tipped off this week and Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II has already become a top name when it comes to the fantasy basketball waiver wire.
Currently rostered in 44% of fantasy leagues, is Dereck Lively II someone that fantasy managers should be targeting off the wire.
Keep reading for the latest fantasy basketball waiver wire analysis of Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II.
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Dereck Lively II Fantasy Basketball Outlook
Dallas Mavericks rookie center Dereck Lively II was the No. 12 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was then traded to the Mavericks for Davis Bertans and Cason Wallace. The rookie out of Duke has already made an impact through one game in Dallas.
Coming off the bench against the Spurs in the team's season-opening win, Lively played 30 minutes, scoring 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting and pulling down 10 rebounds, including five offensive rebounds. He also added one assist, one steal, and one block.
In his lone season at Duke, Lively averaged 5.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Considering how different his NBA numbers were in his debut game, should fantasy managers be targeting Lively, or was this a one-time thing?
Is Dereck Lively II A Good Fantasy Basketball Pickup?
One important thing to note about Lively is that head coach Jason Kidd has teased that Lively could start for the Mavericks. Center is a bit of a question mark right now for the Mavericks, which opens up possibilities for Lively.
While we can expect some growing pains for the rookie, it appears that he's ready for the NBA game. The fact that he played while Dwight Powell, who was dealing with an illness but was active, didn't play is another positive sign for Lively.
Fantasy managers who need help at center should absolutely be targeting Dereck Lively II off the waiver wire this week. He should continue to see plenty of minutes at the five considering it's a weak point for the Mavericks.
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