We had 13 more games on Wednesday night and this slate definitely delivered some very interesting pickups. As always, I’ll list these guys in the order I’d prioritize them just like I do for Waiver-Wired. For NBA news and fantasy advice, find me on Twitter here!
Tari Eason (24%)- This is exactly why I didn’t drop him or even consider it. Eason will one day be a fantasy superstar with a stat profile that resembles Gerald Wallace 2.0.
Tari's too TOUGH 😤 pic.twitter.com/7Z4LkoZTOO
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) November 10, 2022
He finished with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals, and he’s now cleared 20 minutes in three straight games. When he starts getting closer to 25 minutes, he’s good enough to approach early-round territory.
Walker Kessler (19%)- Lauri Markkanen had 32 points, but Kessler won this game for the Jazz with a +/- of +14 in only 16 minutes. He had 12 points (6-of-6 FGs), six rebounds, a dime and three blocks. At some point the Jazz are going to set Kessler loose at the expense of Kelly Olynyk, but who knows when that will happen since the Jazz are suddenly on top of the West (not a typo).
just a little home cookin’ 🍳#TakeNote | @WalkerKessler13 pic.twitter.com/RajuWbufFT
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 10, 2022
Aleksej Pokusevski (26%)- When he’s playing with confidence, there aren’t many players with this kind of upside/intrigue on your waiver wire. Take a look back at his box scores from the end of last season if you don’t believe me, and keep in mind that his improvement this season has been night and day.
Cam Payne (26%)- He will likely produce top-75 fantasy numbers with Chris Paul off the floor, though I’ve heard that CP3 won’t be out long.
Patrick Williams (34%)- He had another quiet night offensively, but hey, at least he brought it on defense for a career-high three swats. He’s now up to 1.2 blocks per game this season in under 25 minutes per game. If we can get just an ounce of confidence from him on offense, fantasy managers will be in business. I still think he’s worth grabbing despite the ups and downs, as he’s been an 8th-rounder in 9-cat over the last eight games.
Mo Bamba (26%)- Orlando has like three guards active right now. It’s actually hilarious. Bamba’s per-minute upside is real like we saw last season, and he’s now played 20 and 24 minutes in his last two games, averaging 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 triples.
Josh Green (3%): The buzziest name of training camp is slowly surfacing in fantasy leagues. Green currently leads the NBA in both true shooting percentage and 3-point percentage through the first 10 games of the season…
He can jump out of the gym and he has a strong steal rate with 1.5 per 36 minutes for his career, so if the shot is even just above average we have a real player on our hands. He’s cleared 20+ minutes in three straight and at minimum should be added to watch lists.
Jalen Duren (17%)- I’ve been hooked since his season opener. He’s so ridiculously ahead of the curve for an 18-year-old. I would add if you’re punting FT% and if you have some serious patience.
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Honorable Mentions:
Charles Bassey- There is some serious intrigue here. Could be a silly season hero at some point in San Antonio.
Jevon Carter- Massive game, but let’s be real, this isn’t who Jevon is and the Bucks were without their top three guys.
Drew Eubanks- Keep an eye on the 2021-22 silly season hero, although Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkić are day-to-day.
Sam Hauser- Epic game for Hauser, but this will surely be his best of the season. No upside here outside of 3-point shooting, but it’s a small sample size to be fair.
Seth Curry- Watch closely. The load management will be annoying, but he was very strong last season.
