Welcome to another week in the lost-and-found department of fantasy basketball. Will any of the names below help turn around your fortunes? No. But they might help a little bit here and there. Think of it as marginal gains of fantasy basketball. Emphasis on the marginal.
Week 17 Fantasy Basketball Deep Waiver Wire Adds
Ty Jerome, SG – Golden State Warriors (2% rostered)
Stat highlight: Ranks as a top 120 fantasy player in games where Stephen Curry does not play
As Stephen Curry is out with a multi-week injury, Ty Jerome will be one of the players benefiting from the available playing time. I wouldn’t expect a miracle since the bulk of Steph’s usage will fall on Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole, even Donte DiVincenzo, but Jerome might just sneak in decent enough three-point and assist numbers to be worthy of a roster spot in deeper leagues.
Xavier Tillman, PF – Memphis Grizzlies (15% rostered)
Stat highlight: Leads the league in big-man steals over the last two weeks
Tillman ranks as the 62nd-best fantasy player across the seven games since Steven Adams went down with a knee injury. Considering Adams is projected to be out for at least a few more weeks, there is no reason Tillman can’t continue performing at a rosterable level. The highlights of his last seven are 7.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 24 minutes per game. And, he’s shooting 62.5% from the field. Granted, it’s on 4.6 shots per game but you’d be surprised at how it’ll add up.
Keita Bates-Diop, SF – San Antonio Spurs (3% rostered)
Stat highlight: 6 steals over the last 3 games
With half the Spurs roster on the injury report, Bates-Diop has come into considerable playing time over the last couple of weeks with not totally awful results. Over the last 6 games, he averaged 11 points, 6 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 28.5 minutes. Those numbers could be decent roster-filler in deeper leagues. Keep an eye on the Spurs injury report, particularly on the forward positions, to see if Bates-Diop can continue his little run.
Eric Gordon, SG/SF – Houston Rockets (20% rostered)
Stat highlight: Top 50 fantasy player over the last week
Eric Gordon is continuing his trade showcase in Houston having scored 24, 25, and 28 points in his last three outings. Getting a 25+ point scorer off the waiver wire is a pretty rare thing so I’d hurry if he’s still available. In addition to the scoring, Gordon averages 5 assists and 1.7 steals over the last three games. In fact, Gordon is having a positive impact in 5 out of the 9 fantasy categories, which, again, is rare for a player on the waiver wire.
Chris Boucher, PF/C – Toronto Raptors (34% rostered)
Stat highlight: Top 80 fantasy player over the last two weeks
Everyone’s favorite fantasy sleeper from the last couple of years, Chris Boucher, is, again, putting some hope out there for fantasy players – he ranks as the 78th-best player across his last 8 games. Quite a feat considering Boucher averages only 22 minutes per game. Makes you wonder – what if he played 30 per game? Then again, we’ve been wondering that for years and it hasn’t happened. The stats for his last 8 are 12 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1 block, 1.4 threes, and 56% from the field. Good enough for you? I don’t know.