This article is part of our NBA Waiver Wire series.
With two weeks – and less than ten games per team – remaining, don't approach the waiver wire looking for guys who are playing well.
At this point, "playing" is the primary concern.
In one of my leagues, the difference between second place and fifth is so slight, I've actually resorted to making roster moves based on which teams are playing on a given night. The Thursday schedule this week is typically thin - the only teams going are Orlando and Dallas and Portland and Denver. Unfortunately, my team is short on Magics and Mavs and Blazers and Nuggets - but less so now that I've placed a waiver claim on Roddy Beaubois.
I had to drop a better player to do it. But I'd rather have a chance of getting production than to simply sit out the evening.
If you plan on using a similar strategy, take note… next Thursday, April 8, the only teams playing will be Cleveland, Chicago, the Clippers, the Kings, the Lakers and the Nuggets. So grabbing the best available Nugget this week actually gets you a player you can plug in next week as well. Chris Andersen (11.5% owned) and Ty Lawson (9.2%) might be worth a look.
The Most Added
The most popular adds in ESPN NBA.com leagues this week:
The Most Dropped
Picks for the Week
The first set of picks is for players in standard leagues - guys who will typically be available in your average 10 team/15 player roster league. The second group is for owners in very deep leagues, and will be based more on speculation than actual numbers.
All "percent owned" stats are taken from ESPN NBA.com Fantasy Basketball - your mileage may vary.
Standard Leagues
Drew Gooden (36.4% owned) - Gooden is riding a streak of four straight double-doubles, including a 20-and-11 against Milwaukee on Tuesday. (Of course, he's also getting pulled from the starting lineup, so temper your expectations somewhat.)
Anthony Tolliver (20.3% owned) and Reggie Williams (16.1%) - On most teams, a late-season D-League callup becomes a depth player. On the Warriors, though, these journeymen seem to emerge as legit fantasy options more often than not. I don't know if that says more about Golden State's D-League scouts… or about the talent level of their roster. Either way, Tolliver and Williams are worth a look in any fantasy format.
Taj Gibson (13.3% owned) - Three straight double-doubles would seem to indicate his plantar fasciitis is healing up nicely.
Deep Leagues
Terrence Williams (5.2% owned) - The Nets' rookie has really come on strong in the last month, and is back from a minor foot/ankle injury that held him out of a couple of games last week.
J.J. Redick (2.9% owned) - His shooting ability is unquestioned - as long as Vince Carter and/or Mickael Pietrus are nursing injuries, Redick is worth playing.
DeAndre Jordan (0.4% owned) - The Clips will take a look at Jordan in the starting power forward spot, where he'll replace Drew Gooden (despite the fact that Gooden has been a double-double machine of late.)
Article first appeared on 3/31/10
