Fantasy Basketball Week 14 waiver wire: Spurs forced to rely on David Lee, Dejounte Murray

With Pau Gasol sidelined for at least a month, Fantasy players need to go grab David Lee.

Start & Sit: Top 150 for Week 14

If there is any team that can handle the loss of a starter or two, it's the Spurs. Not only are they well-coached and deep, but they already have some experience playing without starters thanks to Gregg Popovich's constant rest rotation. That might be frustrating for Fantasy purposes, but it leaves them more prepared to handle sudden, unexpected lineup changes than most teams.

That doesn't mean they won't miss Pau Gasol, of course, who underwent surgery on a broken hand last week and is out indefinitely. It's hard to see him returning within the next month, so they will have to live without him for a while, and Fantasy players will too. Luckily, they have an obvious in-house replacement option, and Fantasy owners should be running out to grab him.

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In some ways, David Lee is a perfect fit for the Spurs.

His passing is a huge plus on a team that values ball movement, and he should fit in well next to LaMarcus Aldridge, as both are equally at home inside or in the mid range. His defense will be a concern, and the Spurs will miss Gasol's rim protection, but Lee has always been good at cleaning up the glass, and the Spurs know how to scheme around bad defenders. In two games with Gasol out, Lee has put up a pair of double-doubles, averaging 12.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in 34.5 minutes.

You'll miss the blocks from Gasol, but other than that, Lee might be a pretty good replacement.

The Spurs are also playing without Tony Parker, who will miss at least Monday's game as he continues to deal with a foot injury. It wouldn't be surprising to see his absence stretch even further, given how cautious the Spurs are with their veterans, which means rookie Dejounte Murray should have more opportunities to impress. Murray has been in and out of the lineup for the Spurs -- including some stints in the D-League -- but he has looked more than ready when called up lately, scoring 38 points with eight combined assists in his last two games, both wins.

Murray is a dynamic prospect, with an off-the-bounce game the Spurs haven't really had since Parker was at his peak. His run might be short-lived, but if Parker's injury lingers, Murray has a chance to be a contributor for Fantasy.

Malcolm Brogdon's run as the Bucks' starting point guard came to an end Saturday, as Matthew Dellavedova returned to his spot in the starting lineup for the first time in nearly a month. Brogdon may give the team a more dynamic option out of the spot, but they were missing his chemistry with Greg Monroe in the second unit, and with Giannis Antetokounmpo handling most of the playmaking duties, Dellavedova remains a nice fit with the starting five thanks to his shooting.

Dellavedova helped his case by hitting the ground running as a starter, as well. In 36 minutes Saturday, he scored 15 points and dished out seven assists, while turning the ball over just one time.

Dellavedova is never going to be a star, but he hits his 3's and can rack up some assists without turning the ball over. He is averaging 8.1 points and 5.6 assists per game as a starter, and is a solid Fantasy option now that he is back.

Khris Middleton has been a hot pickup of late, as reports have continued to indicate that he is aiming for a return sometime in February from his torn hamstring. The Bucks have done well enough without Middleton, but they could clearly use his combination of playmaking and shooting, and will be happy to see him back. Fantasy players should be too, as Middleton was a high-end option last season, averaging 18.2 points, 4.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.8 3-pointers per game.

I wouldn't expect that much from him right away, because he will need to be worked back in slowly from an injury that was originally expected to be season-ending. Still, there just aren't usually players available who can make a difference the way Middleton can, which makes him someone who should be stashed in every league even if he might still be a month away.

Cut 'Em Loose

Hamstring injuries are just so tough for Fantasy purposes. For some players, a few days off is enough to get them right, but if you aren't careful, they can linger for weeks on end and ruin a season. Unfortunately, Jeremy Lin's season has been completely derailed by hamstring issues, as the Nets announced Monday he suffered a setback during rehab and will miss another three to five weeks while recovering.

Given the way this has gone -- Lin has played just 12 games all season -- you have to look at that as a minimum timetable. Lin could be back just before the All-Star break, but the longer end of that time frame pushes him until March, and you have to imagine the Nets aren't going to rush him back at this point. It's been a disappointing campaign for one of my favorite breakout candidates coming into the season, and at this point, there just isn't much of a point in continuing to wait for him.

Sean Kilpatrick, Isaiah Whitehead and Caris LeVert will continue to see opportunities with Lin out, and LeVert remains my favorite option of the three. He could be in line for a massive second half.