Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: 7 Hot Players to Target ASAP

In fantasy basketball, the emergence of sleepers doesn’t stop. From surprise players at the beginning of seasons to young guys getting extra playing time on lottery teams toward the end, there will be hot weeks for largely unknown fantasy players.

Since November 6th, several players have outperformed their current ownership percentages on ESPN.com. A couple of Washington Wizards and Denver Nuggets make this list, which is comprised entirely of players available in more than 79 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues.

All stats accurate as of November 11, 2012.

7. A.J. Price, PG, Washington Wizards

Percent Owned: 20.7

Washington Wizards star point guard John Wall is out indefinitely with a knee injury, opening up playing time for A.J. Price. The five starts he’s made this season in Wall’s absence represent 62.5 percent of his career starts during his four-year NBA tenure.

Over the last week, Price is getting up a healthy volume of shots per game (12.3). He’s only shooting 40.5 percent in his last three games, but he also adds two threes per game along with 13.0 points, 4.7 boards and 10.0 assists.

6. Bradley Beal, SG, Washington Wizards

Percent Owned: 19.1

Bradley Beal scored 10 total points in his first two career games for the Washington Wizards. He’s topped 15 in every game since.

Averaging 35.7 minutes per game in his last three, Beal is shooting 47.5 percent from the floor and 91.7 percent from the line. His primary value is in his scoring (18.3 PPG) and threes (2.0 3FG), but his defensive stats haven’t been bad either (1.3 SPG and 0.7 BPG).

5. Vince Carter, SG/SF, Dallas Mavericks

 Percent Owned: 11.7

Although he’s not jumping over people on a nightly basis anymore, Vince Carter still gets buckets even at age 35. In his last three games in a Dallas Mavericks uniform, Carter is averaging 17 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.3 BPG and 2.7 threes per game.

His percentages weren’t top-notch: 41.2 percent from the field and 70 percent from the stripe. Still, if he’s going to put up 14 shots a night he can be a lite volume scorer in fantasy basketball while the Mavs’ rotation stays as it is.

Carter is averaging 27.3 minutes over his last three games.

4. Bismack Biyombo, PF/C, Charlotte Bobcats

Percent Owned: 5.8

Charlotte Bobcats big Bismack Biyombo is a fantasy (and NBA) specialist. If you pick him up for your squad, you’re looking for two things: rebounding and blocks.

His percentages—if he shoots at all—aren’t the best. Biyombo was 5-of-9 from the field and 1-of-3 from the free-throw line in his last three games (22.7 MPG). He averaged 6.3 boards and 2.3 blocks per game during that time, as the sophomore has always been a good per-minute shot-blocker.

3. Corey Brewer, SG/SF, Denver Nuggets

Percent Owned: 2.6

Corey Brewer has quietly been a solid source of steals and double-digit points for the Denver Nuggets and fantasy owners. Denver has played four games in the last week—winning all four—and Brewer has averaged 14 points (on 43.5 percent field-goal and 85.7 percent free-throw shooting) and 1.5 steals per game during that time.

He banged in 2.5 threes per night, adding four boards per game and three total blocks.

2. Kosta Koufos, PF/C, Denver Nuggets

Percent Owned: 0.4

Kosta Koufos is still starting for the Denver Nuggets, swatting shots away in bunches as he mans the paint on defense. The Denver big man has totaled 40 points, 26 rebounds, 11 blocks and three steals over his last four games.

He also went 6-of-8 from the free-throw line during that period and hit 54.8 percent of his field-goal attempts. 

1. Jamaal Tinsley, PG, Utah Jazz

Percent Owned: 0.1

Don’t let Jamaal Tinsley’s scoreless nights fool you—he can be a fantasy asset in deeper leagues with Utah Jazz point guard Mo Williams missing time (via Rotoworld) due to injury. Tinsley only shot three times in 41 minutes against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.

But he added two boards and 14 assists in that contest. The only two guys to get more than 14 assists in a game this season are Rajon Rondo (20; 11/9 vs. Philadelphia 76ers) and Chris Paul (15; 11/2 at Los Angeles Lakers).

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