Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups: Monk, Avdija are on the list

Working the waiver wire is crucial to success in fantasy basketball. With so many games, injuries and endless rotation changes during the marathon campaign, we need to get statistics from free agency to maximize our imaginary rosters.

The willingness to compete for the final spots on your fantasy hoops roster can prove rewarding. When assembling this flexible collective of statistical contributors, it’s helpful to view the players at the end of the bench as direct competition to the talent in free agency.

The goal of this weekly series is to identify players at every position who are at wide risk in free agency across ESPN leagues. Some are specialists who can help in one or two categories, while others provide more varied and important statistical offerings. In the breakdowns below, I have listed the players at each position in order of priority rather than order of roster percentage in the ESPN men’s basketball leagues.

Point guard

Malcolm Brogdon, SG, Washington Wizards (listed in 50.1% of ESPN leagues): As a Pitt alum, I’m keen for Carlton Carrington to shine, but it also makes sense for the Wizards to rely on Brogdon’s steady hand in recent games. The trusted vet is often injured but is currently healthy and productive as the main perpetrator of a crime involving several splash-happy participants.

Jalen Suggs, SG, Orlando Magic (68.6%): It might be tempting to just look at Suggs’ offensive production and feel a little underwhelmed compared to the super guards in the league. Look closer and you’ll see a unique two-way force that ranks 35th in steals and 27th in blocks per game among all qualified players. The eventual return of Paolo Banchero should actually improve Suggs’ offensive efficiency as an off-ball playmaker.

Stephon Castle, SG, San Antonio Spurs (45.1%): They’ll have to overcome some poor outings from this rookie, like a recent dud against the Kings, but overall we’re seeing some strong lines from him. Castle becomes particularly valuable on nights when the team rests Chris Paul or is less strong on the wing.

Spencer Dinwiddie, SG, Dallas Mavericks (8.2%): The return of Luka Doncic pushed Dinwiddie into a complementary role, but there are times when this combo guard can still shine. Whenever Kyrie Irving or Doncic are sidelined, we learn that Dinwiddie becomes uncharacteristically productive.

Rifle Guard

Malik Monk, SF, Sacramento Kings (40.8%): Kings coach Mike Brown announced Monday that Monk is moving into the starting lineup. Monk brings more defensive power to the floor than the traditional, offense-only archetype. With the ability to close out, if not start, games, Monk is an underrated fantasy option when healthy.

Shaedon Sharpe, SF, Portland Trail Blazers (32.6%): There isn’t much of value to fantasy investors beyond Sharpe’s scoring and shooting production, but the sheer volume of these categories from Sharpe is intriguing whenever he’s fresh off the floor.

Christian Braun, Denver Nuggets (53.7%): A youth movement is taking shape in Denver, with Braun proving productive on the glass and as an active defender. The scoring pop isn’t always there, but like Suggs, having a guard who combines steals and blocks at a uniquely high rate is valuable.

Marcus Smart, PG, Memphis Grizzlies (14.0%): No longer a Defensive Player of the Year force since his Boston heyday, Smart is still a smart two-way guard who has quietly become a steady hand for the Grizzlies in recent weeks. If he can sustain this recent surge in passing production, Smart offers a true two-way fantasy option.

Small striker

Deni Avdija, PF, Portland Trail Blazers (51.7%): This week’s top signing among generally available players is this up-and-coming winger. The Trail Blazers paid a real price for Avdija via trade last summer and are following that interest with regular playing time and playmaking duties. This guy does a little bit of everything.

Trey Murphy III, SG, New Orleans Pelicans (35.7%): Since Murphy was the focal point of the Knicks’ defense last Sunday, he understandably struggled to find his shot. As with Suggs, Murphy is at his best when used as a scorer alongside the team’s established stars. Murphy is still valuable, but he could eventually become a real difference-maker if his role is better tailored to his skill set.

Julian Champagnie, San Antonio Spurs (10.1%): The Spurs have a long history of helping 3-and-D players advance. Call it the Danny Green Academy. One current student is Champagnie, who has gone from being on the fringes of the league to being a productive winger for San Antonio in recent weeks.

Power forward

PJ Washington, Dallas Mavericks (67.0%): Great numbers from Washington when Doncic was struggling don’t hold water, but they show this guy can step up when asked. With just enough production on both sides of the ball to prove useful in most fantasy formats, Washington is valuable even when his superstar teammate is back in the game.

Jabari Smith Jr., C, Houston Rockets (53.3%): We haven’t seen an actual jump from Smith yet, but we shouldn’t dismiss incremental growth when it appears. For example, we’ve seen it in the last few weeks with Smith as a rebounder. Now he’s also becoming a secretly great rim protector. With multiple blocks in each of his last four games entering the new week, Smith’s rise could look different than what we would expect from a top prospect.

center

Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder (67.4%): So this guy could lead the NBA in rebounding if Chet Holmgren misses as much time as planned. With 22 rebound chances per game since joining the team, the third-highest rate in the league, Hartenstein has a real path to dominance on the glass.

Goga Bitadze, Orlando Magic (11.7%): Some of the best swat numbers in the league, coupled with respectable rebounds and inside scoring, support the streaming value for Bitadze until the team regains several missing frontcourt starters.

Special teams

This section focuses on specialists and players who can shine in a single category and provide particular value to those in category and roto formats. Nominations are based on the category the players are helpful in and will rotate throughout the season.

3 points: If nothing else, Malik Beasley remains a force from deep. We also see rookie Dalton Knecht continue to shine. These two are specialists, but prove to be elite in this context.

Steals: Houston’s Tari Eason ranks second in the league in added value from steals in the Player Rater over the past two weeks. Charlotte’s Cody Martin has also been acting pretty thieving lately.

Blocks: Houston’s Smith outperforms most wings in block rate, while Bitadze ranked sixth in added value in rim protection over the last two weeks.

Rebounds: Dallas’ Washington was a force on the glass and revealed a new level of value in that regard. Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate is the rare rebound specialist to consider.

Supports: I don’t buy Elfrid Payton ever repeating this 21 cent work, but at least there’s a precedent for the volume. Keyonte George is slowly finding his way back into Utah’s rotation.