Thaddeus Young (PF/C, SAS): Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 10+ Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 40% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Thaddeus Young's rostership percentage hasn't moved a lot from the season's tip-off to his current mark of 40%. That's because fantasy GMs entered the year attracted to the veteran's upside after his 2020 season playing for the Bulls. The thinking went if he had found a way to become a viable fantasy play in a better-than-San-Antonio team, then he might thrive in a depleted squad where he'd take on Aldridge/DeRozan/Gay vacated minutes/roles.

Well, it's actually not been that rosy of a path for Young to become someone even rosterable in most fantasy leagues this season. He started the year slower than expected, topped 15 minutes just once in his first four games played, and only in one of those four-first matches was he noticeable on the fantasy realm (10-8-3-2 line against Milwaukee for an outstanding 1.78 FP/min average). Things have changed for the better in the past couple of games, with Thad playing 22 and lately 26 minutes against Orlando in the last game played by the Spurs through Saturday.

In those last two games played, Thad has put up absolutely packed lines of 8-6-3-2-2 (shooting 50% on 8 FGA) and 12-4-5-2-3 (85.7% on 7 FGA) against Dallas and Orlando respectively, both times coming off the pine. Young's upside is in his low-maintenance steadiness. Forget about watching Young shooting more than 10 shots a game, or scoring 20 points, or reaching double-digit rebounds, etc. He's not that, but you can almost count on him to give you the daily 5-5-5-1-1, which is more than good for a reserve in deeper leagues. Not a man for 9-cat leagues, though, as the turnovers are quite high at 2+ per game, same as the net-zero free-throw attempts, let alone the inexistent percentages.

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