Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
The time has come.
All-Star weekend is behind us, forcing fantasy hoops owners to come to the realization that the season is more than halfway complete. If you are currently on the outside looking in, the waiver wire is the ideal place to add depth to your roster in order to make the playoff push, especially with league trade deadlines rapidly approaching.
Note: Ownership percentages are based off ESPN leagues.
Tony Wroten, Philadelphia 76ers (10.1%): When Wroten gets significant playing time, he is almost a must-start fantasy option. Now, with the departure of Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes, he will certainly see an uptick in minutes, especially if the team does in fact buyout Danny Granger. Wroten is seemingly a lock for at least 30 minutes a night for the rest of the season, considering the Sixers lack scoring and the team is in full tank mode. They’ll want to give him plenty of run, and with the 76ers league-leading pace and a four-game week, Wroten needs to be owned in more than 10 percent of leagues.
P.J. Tucker, Phoenix Suns (14.2%): As of late, Tucker has been one of the more quiet sources of fantasy production. The guy is playing 30-plus minutes a night and is making them count, providing in many categories. Over his last five games, he’s averaging 10 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per contest. The rebounds are the most impressive, as the 6’6″ small forward is averaging almost seven per game on the year. He needs to be owned in way, way more leagues, even with signs pointing towards a possible Eric Bledsoe return. Tucker will likely still start, as he was playing 30 minutes a night with Bledsoe in the lineup. It would likely be Gerald Green who returns to a bench role.
Jarrett Jack, Cleveland Cavaliers (23.1%): Jack should make for a fine short-term add, as both Dion Waiters and C.J. Miles are banged up at the moment. As a result, Jack is logging heavy minutes next to Kyrie Irving, playing 37.6 minutes per game over his last three contests. He should be a nice, cheap source of assists and steals, and if his shooting finally comes around, he’ll be great. Over his last five games, Jack is shooting a dismal .326 percent from the field, which has certainly hindered his value. If his shots start falling, we could be looking at a guy who can post 10 points, six or seven assists and 1-2 steals per game while in the starting lineup, which warrants far more fantasy attention.
Mike Scott, Atlanta Hawks (2.3%): On Saturday, Scott became the sixth player this season to post a career high in points against the Knicks, going off for 30 points on six three-pointers. He’s played 30 minutes in back-to-back games now, and with the center position depleted in Atlanta, Scott should see plenty of run. Especially since it was recently announced that Paul Millsap will miss the Hawks next two games with a knee contusion. Scott offers far more upside than Elton Brand, and with Atlanta playing a decent three games this week, he’s worth a very, very hard look. One of his opponents this week, Phoenix, is allowing opponents to post the second-highest three-point percentage over the last 10 games.
Byron Mullens, Philadelphia 76ers (0.9%): Such an ugly name, but Mullens is seemingly the only viable center on the Sixers roster now after Hawes and Lavoy Allen were dealt. He can score, hit the glass and, more importantly, contribute from beyond the arc. Mullens definitely has upside, as last year when he was asked to play a lot, he posted some monster stat lines, including an insane 25-point, 18-rebound, 4-assist contest. During the month of February last year, he averaged a respectable 14.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.3 triples per game. The 76ers pace allowed Hawes to average over 60 offensive touches per game, which ranked inside the top-50 in basketball. There’s going to be opportunity for Mullens here.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
