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Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Wayne Ellington

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By @bradberreman24

Wayne Ellington, Los Angeles Lakers, Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire

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With a 13-40 record heading into the All-Star break, this season can’t end soon enough for the Los Angeles Lakers. Injuries have been a constant issue, and as a result some less-than notable names have gotten an opportunity to play a lot.

Wayne Ellington continued his strong recent run Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, with 16 points, eight rebounds, one assist and one steal over 34 minutes. He has started 10 straight games now, averaging 15.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in just over 34 minutes per contest over that span. He has also made at least two three-pointers in five straight games, and as could be expected his overall shot volume (14.3 field goal attempts per game) has been notable over the last 10 games. Compared to his first 34 games this season (6.4 shot attempts per game; 19.6 minutes per game), Ellington is a classic case of increased opportunity yielding increased production.

Kobe Bryant is obviously out for the season with a shoulder issue, and Nick Young has been diagnosed with a peroneal tendon strain in his left ankle after being injured Wednesday night. The All-Star break may help Young be ready to go for the Lakers’ next game, Feb.20 against the Brooklyn Nets, but at this point Ellington should continue to start and see extensive minutes as long as he is productive.

I’m not quite ready to say Ellington is a must-add in all leagues, but any fantasy owner looking to add some backcourt depth or trim some roster fat in a deep league should take a long look at him. I wouldn’t expect strong contribution in multiple categories, but Ellington can offer point production (and by extension three-pointers) and there’s definite value in anyone that sees a lot of playing time as the season winds down.

Brad Berreman is a Columnist/Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Connect with him on Twitter or Google +.

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