Start & Sit: Top 150 for Week 6
With three teams set to play just two times in Week 6 of the Fantasy hoops season, you'll probably need some help on the waiver wire this week. So let's dive right in and try to find some difference makers on the wire for the next few weeks.
Add These Guys
In Fantasy, it doesn't matter if Dion Waiters is doing it pretty or ugly, if he's helping his team win or not, or even if he's being efficient while doing it. The numbers are what they are, which is why Dion Waiters probably needs to be universally owned at this point.
He has been starting for the Heat all season, but wasn't doing much for the first few weeks, scoring in double figures just three times in the first eight games of the season. However, he has put up at least 11 in each of the last eight, and is averaging 18.8 points to go along with 4.4 assists and even 1.8 combined blocks and steals per game since.
Waiters has hardly been efficient in that time -- and the Heat are just 3-5, naturally -- but as long as he remains in this role, it's hard to justify leaving him on waivers. Whether you want to believe in him or not, the numbers are real.
Despite putting up 20.0 points per game for Kentucky as a freshman, Jamal Murray wasn't exactly considered the most NBA-ready prospect in his class. He was seen as a man without a position, not good enough of a passer to run the point, and a bit small and not quite athletic enough to hang at the two full-time. He got drafted to a strangely deep Denver team, and subsequently became pretty overshadowed even among other rookies
That shouldn't be an issue anymore for Murray, who is playing better than anyone in his draft class over the past week. He has had to earn his minutes, but with Will Barton and Gary Harris sidelined, Murray has forced his way into a larger role of late, and has scored at least 18 points in each of the past four games. He has also added 13 3-pointers and nine assists in that span, showcasing some of the playmaking skills that had some viewing him as a potential option at the point in the long run.
Whatever position he plays, Murray is getting consistent minutes and making the most of them of late. The eventual returns of Harris and Barton could muddy the waters, because the Nuggets remains surprisingly deep for a team headed for another trip to the lottery, but at some point, they won't be able to justify keeping him on the bench no matter who else is active.
Sean Kilpatrick has had an up-and-down season, which shouldn't come as much of a surprise, given that he is a pretty marginal NBA talent. His minutes have fluctuated, though he seems to have a floor around 20 minutes per game, making Kilpatrick a solid member of the Nets' rotation.
He is capable of contributing for Fantasy when he gets more, as the last two games have proven; Kilpatrick had 39 points and 10 assists over the last two games, while totaling nearly 60 minutes. Injuries and ineffectiveness cause the Nets' rotation to fluctuate pretty regularly, so Kilpatrick probably isn't much more than a streaming option, but with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson ailing, Kilpatrick is worth a look in 12-team leagues for Week 6 (Nov. 28-Dec. 4) at least.
Frank Kaminsky had a decent rookie season, though it was hardly one that seemed to portend big things down the road. He appeared in all 81 games, but had just one double-double, and only two games with more than 20 points. He looked like a decent enough floor-stretching big man, but probably didn't have enough of a well-round game to be much more than a second or third big.
Maybe that will hold true in the long run, but he's potentially starting to buck that scouting report in the early going this season. Kaminsky has scored in double figures in 10 of 14 games, and is averaging 15.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game over the last five, while pushing his playing time up to 32.4 minutes per game. Injuries to Cody Zeller, Marvin Williams, and Roy Hibbert have opened up more chances, but to Kaminsky's credit, he is taking advantage of them.
He isn't a traditional big man, but you'll take 2.0 3-pointers and 3.0 assists per game from your center, even if you have to sacrifice some of the more traditional big man stats. Kaminsky's role could ebb and flow as the season goes on, but you have to like what he's doing right now.
From a non-traditional big man to a non-traditional point guard, let's move over to Phildaelphia to take a look at veteran Jerryd Bayless. The 76ers have been running Sergio Rodriguez and T.J. McConnell out there this season as their main options, while waiting for Bayless' wrist to heal up, but it has become clear that duo just isn't changing things for them. The 76ers have been desperate for high-quality point guard play since their rebuild started, and Rodriguez has only shown flashes of being a capable NFL starter so far this season.
Bayless isn't anyone's idea of a "high-quality" point guard, but he should be able to provide consistent shooting, which might be enough to separate him from the crowd. Here. McConnell and Rodriguez can make plays, but Bayless's ability to score off the dribble gives the 76ers a dimension they haven't had in years at the point.
They worked him back from his injury slowly, but Bayless saw 30 minutes in his first game back and 26 in his second, and that should be the norm assuming he can stay healthy moving forward. Whether he can make a big impact remains to be seen, but he certainly has a chance to take the PG job and run with it.
Cut 'Em Loose
Ish Smith is still playing well enough overall, averaging 11.6 points and 5.4 assists per game over his past five games, production that is solid enough to make him worth keeping in your starting lineup as long as he remains in his current role. Unfortunately, that may not be for much longer.
Reggie Jackson is unlikely to play on the team's upcoming road trip, but he has been working out as he recovers from his wrist and knee injuries, and coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters he expects Jackson to return at some point during the first week of December. You might want to circle Dec. 4 against the Magic as a possible return date. which means Smith might only have one week of real Fantasy relevance left. Even if Jackson has to be worked back in slowly, Smith is going to see a drastic drop in playing time and shots, and isn't efficient enough to continue to put up numbers in a smaller role.
If you need Smith for Week 6, hang on to him, but don't be afraid to let him go this week if you need to add someone.
Even before Bayless' return, Rodriguez was starting to look like waiver wire fodder after a promising start, and this only confirms it. With Bayless sitting out Sunday, Rodriguez got 12 points and seven assists in 28 minutes, a nice remember of what he can still be capable of on good nights, but he is averaging just 5.5 points and 6.2 assists per game over the past 10 overall, while shooting 30.1 percent from the field.
It's hard not to think Rodriguez has been exposed in a starter's role, and probably won't have one again anytime soon. He was a solid waiver-wire pickup in the early going, but it's more than time to let him go.
