NBA Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week

NBA Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week

This article is part of our NBA Waiver Wire series.

GUARD

Taurean Prince, G, ATL - We suggested keeping an eye on Prince last week, and he's continued to validate the suggestion in the four games since. He's averaging 9.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 blocks over the last five contests overall across a robust 27.4 minutes over that span. With what looks like a secure role in the Hawks rotation, he's an appealing pickup.

Brandon Jennings, G, WAS - Jennings has shown plenty of upside throughout his career as a starter, and although he's been relegated to the bench the last two seasons, he continues to provide solid production relative to playing time. Traded to the Wizards on Feb. 25, Jennings has seen double-digit minutes in 12 of the 13 games he's played in Washington and topped out at 21 minutes Friday against the Nets. He's scored in double digits in two of the last three contests and is averaging 5.7 points, 6.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds over that span. He could be in line for a slight uptick in minutes if he can continue producing, and certainly has the track record to lend credence to the idea that he could be a source of scoring and assists for owners in deep formats.

Troy Daniels, G, MEM - Daniels has double-digit scoring efforts in two of his last three games and is averaging 9.7 points and three made three-pointers per game on 50 percent shooting over that span. He's been solid over the last

GUARD

Taurean Prince, G, ATL - We suggested keeping an eye on Prince last week, and he's continued to validate the suggestion in the four games since. He's averaging 9.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 blocks over the last five contests overall across a robust 27.4 minutes over that span. With what looks like a secure role in the Hawks rotation, he's an appealing pickup.

Brandon Jennings, G, WAS - Jennings has shown plenty of upside throughout his career as a starter, and although he's been relegated to the bench the last two seasons, he continues to provide solid production relative to playing time. Traded to the Wizards on Feb. 25, Jennings has seen double-digit minutes in 12 of the 13 games he's played in Washington and topped out at 21 minutes Friday against the Nets. He's scored in double digits in two of the last three contests and is averaging 5.7 points, 6.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds over that span. He could be in line for a slight uptick in minutes if he can continue producing, and certainly has the track record to lend credence to the idea that he could be a source of scoring and assists for owners in deep formats.

Troy Daniels, G, MEM - Daniels has double-digit scoring efforts in two of his last three games and is averaging 9.7 points and three made three-pointers per game on 50 percent shooting over that span. He's been solid over the last 10 games, averaging 7.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.1 made three-pointers across 16.7 minutes per game. With a modest but secure spot in the Grizzlies' backcourt, he's a serviceable scoring option.

Andrew Harrison, G, MEM - Harrison is another member of the Memphis second unit who's offered steady numbers recently, as he's averaged 7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists over the last three, and 5.6 points, 2.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds over the last seven. His 32.3 shooting percentage on the season leaves plenty to be desired, but he offers some decent production across other categories for those desperate for guard help in deep formats.

REVISTING:

Jamal Murray, G, DEN - We talked up Murray on Feb. 19 and he's taken it up a notch since. The rookie has scored in double digits in 12 of the 14 games after the All-Star break, and is averaging 14.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.5 steals across 23.5 minutes over the last six contests. His role in the high-scoring Nuggets rotation is considerable and secure, making his value higher than ever.

Jodie Meeks, G, ORL - Meeks was highlighted Dec. 31, but was felled by a thumb injury just three weeks later and just returned on March 20 against the Sixers. He's averaged 9.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 made three-pointers over his first two games and has immediately reclaimed his role as the primary backup at two-guard to Evan Fournier, making him worth another look.

Patty Mills, G, SAS - Mills was mentioned Jan. 28 and he's only gotten better since, making a quick refresher appropriate. The veteran sharpshooter has averaged 12.6 points, 5.1 assists, 1.7 rebound and 1.0 steals over the last seven, with a 46.9 percent success rate from the field and 42.6 percent from three-point range. Despite his bench role, he's posted double-digit point totals in eight of 15 games since the All-Star break and also is good for the occasional start when Tony Parker is either injured or gets a night off.

KEEP AN EYE ON

Chasson Randle, G, NYK - Randle opened some eyes Thursday night when he posted 13 points, two rebounds and two assists over 19 minutes against the Blazers. He's still hard to trust – as recently evidenced by two scoreless outings in the last four – but definitely worth keeping an eye on, especially as the Knicks potentially go into full evaluation mode down the stretch. Randle is averaging 5.4 points, 2.0 assists and 1.1 rebounds over the last seven, with impressive success rates of 45.8 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from three-point range.

David Nwaba, G, LAL - Nwaba, who just signed a two-year contract Tuesday, received a career-high 26 minutes against the Timberwolves on Friday and parlayed that opportunity into high-water marks of 10 points and seven rebounds. The 24-year-old guard is averaging 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds across 18.6 minutes across the last five, and with the Lakers' recent commitment to him and their demonstrated willingness to provide their young players with plenty of run, he's certainly worth monitoring in coming games.

FORWARD

Shawn Long, F, PHI - The 24-year-old Long can be deployed at either center or power forward and has been coming on, scoring 13 and 18 points, respectively, over the last two, and averaging a solid 9.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 blocks across just 12.2 minutes over the last five contests. Long is sporting a robust 25 percent usage rate since arriving in Philly on March 6, and although his minutes remain modest, he's proven to be highly aggressive and efficient any time he's on the floor.

K.J. McDaniels, F, BRO - McDaniels has seen a significant boost in playing time recently and produced with it, averaging 10.2 points and 3.4 rebounds across 21.0 minutes over the last five games. The third-year pro's spot as a backup at small forward is secure at this point, and with the Nets playing out the string but still remaining competitive on most nights, McDaniels looks like an excellent option in deeper formats for those seeking scoring and rebounding help.

Derrick Jones, Jr., F, PHO - Jones is averaging 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds across 23 minutes over the last five and is currently slotted in as T.J. Warren's primary backup at small forward. He's seeing a steady allotment of playing time, and although he hasn't been very efficient overall, he makes for a deep-league dart.

Evan Turner, F, POR - Turner may have been jettisoned by a few owners during his 14-game absence due to a hand injury, but he offers plenty of upside and makes for a steal off the wire. He's averaged a modest 4.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in his first four games back, as his shot has been notably slow to get back up to speed (26.9 percent from the floor). However, Turner showed signs of coming out of his slump Thursday against the Knicks with 10 points on 60 percent shooting over 24 minutes, and he could be returning to the first unit in the near future. With his ability to essentially check off every box on the stat sheet, Turner holds considerable value in any format.

REVISITING

Paul Zipser, F, CHI - We spotlighted the young German on Jan. 28 and he warrants a quick refresher in the wake of Dwyane Wade's season-ending elbow injury. Zipser is averaging 10.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.0 steals across 33 minutes in the last three games in his new role with the first unit and can be deployed at either shooting guard or small forward, adding to his appeal.

KEEP AN EYE ON

Omri Casspi, F, MIN - The veteran forward was recently acquired by the T-Wolves in the wake of Nemanja Bjelica's season-ending foot injury and was inserted into the rotation immediately. He's seen 22 and 14 minutes in his first two games in Minnesota and is averaging 4.5 points and 1.0 rebounds over that span. Modest totals to be sure, but Casspi's past body of work, which includes averages of 11.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.6 made three-pointers on 48.1 percent shooting last season in Sacramento, certainly make him worth monitoring.

CENTER

Georgios Papagiannis, C, SAC - The young Greek 7-footer is averaging 6.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks across 21.8 minutes over the last five games, including two contests with double-digit rebounds, as he's started to see more run behind starter Kosta Koufos. The minutes boost first began on March 13 and appears to be a long-term move as the Kings evaluate their plethora of young talent. Those in need of scoring, rebounding and blocks in deep formats would do well to give the impressive big man consideration.

Aron Baynes, C, DET - Baynes exploded for a couple of impressive double-doubles recently and has been very productive relative to playing time overall, averaging 5.8 points and 7.4 rebounds across just 15.2 minutes in the last five games. While his playing time never seems to exceed the teens, his spot behind Andre Drummond is secure, and he offers some nice upside for a reserve center.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juan Carlos Blanco
Winner of the FSWA 2016 Newcomer of the Year Award, Juan Carlos Blanco has been playing fantasy sports for over 20 years and covers NBA, MLB, NFL, CFL and Arena Football for Rotowire.com, including serving as the beat writer for teams in multiple sports. He has previously written for KFFL.com and remains an avid season-long and daily fantasy player in multiple sports as well.
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