Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Playoffs?
That’s right, Jim Mora. For many fantasy hoops owners, the postseason begins this week. Heck, a handful of leagues already saw their playoffs begin. The time has come, and you better have been actively scrounging the waiver wire.
I’m not going to waste any time.
Note: Ownership percentages are based off ESPN leagues.
Dion Waiters, Cleveland Cavaliers (43.3%): A speculation add here, but my beloved Kyrie Irving exited Sunday night’s game with a biceps injury and did not return. Excuse me while I wipe my tears. Irving is scheduled to get an update on Monday, but Waiters should be worth a look regardless. He won’t help you from the field, but the guy is still averaging a respectable 14.5 points per game in limited action this year, and has the talent and potential to light it up on any given night. If Kyrie sees some time on the sideline, Waiters will see a major uptick in role, as Irving is sporting a healthy usage rate of 28.3 percent. The Cavs also have two four-game weeks remaining, so Waiters should give you solid production the rest of the way.
Reggie Jackson, Oklahoma City Thunder (56.4%): The Thunder already rested Russell Westbrook on Sunday, and could sit a handful more games the rest of the way. They obviously want him to be as healthy as possible for the playoffs, and the Thunder play a league-leading six back-to-backs for the rest of the season. I highly doubt Westbrook plays in all of these back-to-backs, meaning if he sits, Jackson will man the starting point guard job. He really hasn’t been all that great, but anyone playing 30-plus minutes on an offense with Kevin Durant warrants fantasy attention.
Evan Turner, Indiana Pacers (72.4%): I was actually surprised that Turner was still owned in this many leagues, but I’m assuming some dead leagues play a role. Turner has some sneaky value down the stretch, as the Pacers will likely limit their starters minutes late in the season. Turner has still been good when seeing significant minutes, averaging 21 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the two contests he’s played at least 30 minutes with the Pacers. The Pacers also have one of the best remaining schedules in basketball, seeing three four-game weeks, which even adds to the reasoning to rest the starters a bit.
Michael Beasley, Miami Heat (1.7%): A very, very sneaky look here, but you know for a fact that the Heat are going to at least rest Dwyane Wade a considerable amount down the stretch, but it would obviously be wise to rest the best player in the planet in LeBron James, too. The Heat have four-game weeks for the rest of the regular season, so it’s basically a lock that at least Wade will rest quite a bit. They also have five back-to-backs the rest of the way, so Beasley should certainly see some added run, making him a sneaky look in deeper formats.
Tony Wroten, Philadelphia 76ers (25.6%): Oh, look. Wroten is on this list … again. Starting shooting guard James Anderson suffered a thigh injury and will miss some time, allowing Wroten, who is already producing, to see more run. Over his last five games, Wroten is averaging 16.8 points and two steals per game, and he needs to be owned in more than 25 percent of leagues, despite the fact that he hasn’t hit a three-pointer since March 2nd. He attacks the rim at a high rate, which is why he is averaging about 17 points per game over his last five. The 76ers have lost 20 straight games, so they are in no rush to rest their young players.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
