Scanning the Waiver Wire: 4 Players To Target in Fantasy Basketball Leagues

Here are four players to target this week that are still available on the majority of fantasy basketball waiver wires:

Toney Douglas (PG/SG – New York Knicks)

Douglas’ recent success has made him the hottest pickup in fantasy basketball, but he’s still available in about a quarter of all leagues. Douglas is having a stellar second year, seeing action at both point guard and shooting guard (eligibility at both positions) and averaging 16.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.8 three-pointers on 49 percent shooting this season.

His shooting has been absolutely lights out and it’s pretty clear that Douglas is more comfortable playing off the ball than at point guard. It’s only a matter of time before Douglas finds himself in the Knicks’ starting lineup. Pick him up if he’s still available in your league.

Kyle Lowry (PG – Houston Rockets)

Lowry has played in just two games this season due to back spasms, but with the news that Aaron Brooks will miss four-to-six weeks with an ankle injury, Lowry should see big minutes when he returns to full health.

Lowry put up nice numbers off the bench last season and was a good play in deep leagues despite playing just 24 minutes per game. Lowry can be counted on to score double digits and put up solid assist and rebound numbers while starting, making him an immediate pickup for owners looking for point guard help.

Hakim Warrick (PF – Phoenix Suns)

Warrick has always been a solid scorer and rebounder, but the main problem throughout his career has been finding consistent playing time. Playing in his first year with Phoenix, Warrick is seeing the most playing time of his career at 26.7 minutes per game. And that number should rise with his solid production as of late.

Warrick is averaging 12.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, but can easily improve on those numbers if he continues to see more playing time (31.4 minutes per game over his last four) due to Hedo Turkoglu’s struggles. Turkoglu is starting, for now, but as long as Warrick is seeing consistent minutes he is a nice pickup, especially in deeper leagues.

Brandon Rush (SG – Indiana Pacers)

Rush played his first game of the season Tuesday night following a five-game suspension and scored 16 points while adding seven rebounds, two assists, two three-pointers and a steal. He should see a good deal of minutes moving forward with the way Mike Dunleavy has been playing. Dunleavy is struggling following a second major ACL injury last season and it may only be a matter of time before Rush enters the starting lineup.

The third-year shooting guard could be primed for a breakout season along with fellow first round pick Roy Hibbert. Rush is definitely a player to monitor over the next few games to see how much playing time he gets and how he performs following the suspension.