Tyus Jones (PG, MIN) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups

March 17, 2019

Tyus Jones is a worthy consideration as a fantasy basketball waiver wire pickup if he's still available as a free agent in your league, heading into Week 23 of the NBA campaign. Daniel Benjamin recommends Jones due to an increase in playing time and offensive efficiency.

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ANALYSIS: Tyus Jones seems to be a different player when he is in the starting lineup compared to when he comes off the bench. When the 22-year-old comes off the bench, he appears to let the game flow dictate how he plays, but when Jones is with the first unit, he is aggressive and dictates the tempo on both ends of the court.

Jones has started the last two games for the Timberwolves with Jeff Teague (foot) and Derrick Rose (elbow) sidelined. The fourth-year point guard is at his best when he gets into the paint, whether by scoring himself or through setting others up. He has also been more consistent on the defensive end lately.

The former Duke star has scored a combined 28 points, with 14 of those points coming in the paint, on 13 of 22 shooting from the floor over the last two games. He also has grabbed five boards, doled out 12 assists and come up with three steals in the losses to the Jazz and Nuggets. Overall, Jones has scored in double-figures in each of his last three games, and he is shooting 51.1 percent from the floor as well as 45.5 percent from beyond the arc in March.

It is unknown exactly how long Teague and Rose will be out of action with both players currently considered day-to-day, but it is likely that those two players will miss more time this season as Teague has been unavailable for 27 games and Rose has not played in 18 contests. Even if both can return, it would behoove the Timberwolves to give Jones as much floor time as possible to see if he is still in the team's plans as he will be a restricted free agent on July 1.

So, if Jones is still available in your fantasy league, you should pick him up. He has played better since the all-star break and is averaging a respectable 10.9 points along with 7.5 assists, 2.2 steals, and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 46.5 percent from the floor in 10 starts this year.