Fantasy College Basketball Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week

With the final month of the regular season approaching, this is the time to jump on players who are ascending. This week we take a look at some players who have an opportunity to see their production spike due to injuries and a few players who have recovered after a shaky start to the season. 

Guards

De'Vion Harmon (Texas Tech):

I wrote about Pop Isaacs a couple weeks ago in this column, but the freshman guard suffered an ankle injury in last week's game against West Virginia. He was later seen in a boot and did not play in last Saturday's game. Not coincidentally, Harmon would post eight assists in the contest, marking his second-highest output in that category on the season. Harmon is going to slide over to fill that PG role voided by Isaacs for the foreseeable future. The senior was on a role anyways averaging 13.6 points, 3.4 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals over the last seven games. 

C.J. Kelly (UCF):

Kelly has been producing across the board recently. Over the last six games he is putting up 16.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 3.0 three-pointers per contest. That's all while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and an eye-popping 52.9 percent from three-point range. UCF has been scuffling as of late, but the return of Darius Johnson should only give Kelly more open looks. 

DJ Richards (UTSA):

This season got off to a slow start for the freshman, but he has absolutely found his groove. Richards has scored in double figures in 13 of the last 15 games. Over that span he is also averaging 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 three-pointers per contest on 37.5 percent shooting from deep. Japhet Medor has been battling a foot injury, which may lead to some bigger lines going forward for Richards. 

Isaiah Hill (Fresno State):

Hill has come into his own of late, averaging 14.7 points, 4.7 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.8 three-pointers over the last six games. Fresno State is a team with a lot of veteran players, but Hill's emergence recently has been big for this team with no real alpha scorer. Take advantage of Hill for upcoming games against Wyoming and San Jose State, two of the worst defensive teams in the Mountain West. 

Andrew Funk (Penn State): 

If you team is lacking in the three-pointer department, Funk becomes a must add, especially considering this recent stretch of games. He is averaging 18.6 points, 4.2 three-pointers, and 3.8 rebounds over his last five games. His 67 three-pointers on the season are 12 clear of the next closest player in the Big Ten. Funk should continue to get great looks with Jalen Pickett running the show. 

Forwards

Akok Akok (Georgetown):

There hasn't been much positive for some time now for Georgetown, but Akok's recent play is at least a glimmer of hope for the future. The 6-10 forward is putting up 10.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and 1.0 three-pointers over the last seven contests. Akok is among the top shot blockers in the Big East and creates a nice tandem with center Qudus Wahab. 

Harrison Ingram (Stanford):

Stanford has a ton of size throughout their lineup and Ingram has been making it all go as of late. The sophomore has led this team to a four-game win streak and is putting up 12.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.8 three-pointers, and 1.3 steals during that stretch. Ingram's ability to contribute in all categories makes him a very appealing add, especially in leagues with an emphasis on the Pac-12. 

Calvin Solomon (UTEP):

Solomon showed his defensive prowess over the last three seasons with Stephen F. Austin and has brought that same intensity to UTEP. Over his last nine contests, Solomon is averaging 10.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per contest. In a pretty competitive Conference USA this season, Solomon ranks third in steals and eighth in rebounding on the season. 

Matt Cross (Massachusetts):

Cross is a player that I've had my eye on for awhile. His latest stretch of games is just too good to not include in this column. While he did not play on Saturday due to a non-COVID related illness, in the prior five games Cross put up 16.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 three-pointers, 1.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks. UMass is a team that loves to play fast, which gives Cross a lot of chances to produce across all categories. 

Jalen Hill (Oklahoma): 

Hill has stepped up for an Oklahoma team that struggles to score at times and become that second option for the Sooners behind Grant Sherfield. Over the last nine games Hill is averaging 14.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, and 0.9 three-pointers on 58.8 percent from the field and an even 50 percent from behind the arc. The senior is coming off the best game of his career against a very good Alabama team, scoring 26 points and pulling down eight boards. 

Centers

Abou Ousmane (North Texas):

Ousmane has had his share of duds this season, but he's also had a few huge outings. Some of his best were a 23-point, 10-rebound effort in the season opener, a 19/8/1/2/2 game against Omaha, and a 37-point, 11-rebound explosion against UTSA on Dec. 22. Ousmane was averaging 10.3 points 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks over a six-game stretch before laying an egg on Saturday against UTEP. If you can exercise a little patience, Ousmane has shown the upside to be a valuable asset at the center position. 

Kenny Pohto (Wichita State):

After an up-and-down start to the season, Pohto has turned into a really strong all-around player. The 6-11 center is putting up 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks over the last eight games. Pohto is even able to knock down an open jumper from deep if left open. That kind of production across the board is hard to find at this position.