RADIO
In his Week 3 NBA Waiver Wire column, Lou Cappetta focuses on a few guards that could deserve some attention in your Fantasy Basketball League.
Week three of the NBA season is upon us, and there have been plenty of surprises, and major injuries, that may greatly effect your season. If you own a guy like Derrick Rose, or even worse, Ricky Rubio, there is no doubt that you are scouring the waiver wire for some insurance at what usually ends up being a fairly shallow position.
The following guards, whether of the “sleeper” variety or just cashing in temporarily on an unforeseen opportunity, almost certainly deserve attention across the various formats.
Position Eligibility & Ownership Rate Based on Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Player List
Waiver Wire Guard for Right Now
Mo Williams (MIN, PG/SG) - 22% Owned
With Ricky Rubio out indefinitely due to a severe high ankle sprain, Williams is in line to see his minutes increase significantly in Minnesota. He did not do much in the Timberwolves' first game without Rubio in the rotation this past Saturday, but Williams has a long track record of solid performance in the NBA.
Williams is a veteran who, at the very least, can score and hit threes. He is not going to give you Rubio-esque assist or steal totals, but has the skills to put up comparable numbers to those that Aaron Brooks has contributed for Chicago so far this season.
Williams is still owned in less than a quarter of all Yahoo! leagues, so if you are thinking about adding him, do it now. Once he has a big game, it will be too late.
Waiver Wire Guard in Deeper Leagues
Tony Allen (MEM, SG/SF) - 16% Owned
Allen is not scoring, and receiving under 29 minutes per game, but he is still returning top-100 value, especially in nine-category leagues.
Allen's value comes in giving his owners a little bit of everything outside of points, as he is currently averaging 4.8 boards, 2.5 steals and 2.1 assists while shooting a solid 49.2 percent from the floor. So far in this young season, only Stephen Curry, John Wall and Tony Wroten are averaging more steals per game.
If you are in a deep league, grabbing a guy off of waivers who could lead the league in a statistical category, any category, can make a huge difference. Do not let Allen's lack of scoring scare you away in a league consisting of 12 or more teams.
Waiver Wire Guard to Keep an Eye On
Randy Foye (DEN, PG/SG) - 46% Owned
Foye went off for 28 points, nine assists and five treys while Ty Lawson was forced to sit out due to injury this past Friday. However, that performance was followed by a less than stellar effort with Lawson back in the lineup, and owners started dropping Foye as a result.
If you own Foye, do not drop him just yet. If he is on the waiver wire, you should strongly consider adding him.
Yes, Foye is going to lose playing time as long as Lawson is in the mix, but he should still hold on to some value. First, Lawson is a constant injury risk, meaning there are going to be plenty of nights which Foye is going to have to fill in at the point guard position. Second, I personally feel that he is more talented than Arron Afflalo, Foye's competition at shooting guard. In time, I really believe that Afflalo is going to be the odd man out.
Finally, at the very least, Foye is a lethal long-range shooter, and three-point specialists always find their way onto fantasy rosters. One could do much worse on their fantasy roster than a guy who is going to hit 2-plus treys per game at a 40-percent clip.
Waiver Wire Bonus Guard
Dennis Schroder (ATL, PG) - 3% Owned
Schroder is not a must-add yet, but he is someone to keep an eye on going forward. Jeff Teague is the starter, but Schroder did out perform him in Atlanta's last game to the point that the former was benched in favor of the later late during the fourth quarter.
This is just a hunch here, but I have always felt that Atlanta has never been completely sold on Teague being their point guard of the future. It took him two years to dethrone an aging Mike Bibby from the starting point guard spot, and all along the way the Hawks have tried to change his game. Even his breakout season last year was mired with prolonged slumps, injuries and shooting woes.
Again, I have nothing factual to back this up, just a feeling that Schroeder could see more run going forward. Whether Teague is in the dog house or injured, Schroder is a guy to keep an eye on. Then again, it is very possible that nothing ever comes of this.
