Fantasy Basketball

2013-14 Fantasy Basketball: In The Bonus – Waiver Targets Week 23 – Championship

Photo Credit: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Photo Credit: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Here we go, the final week of the majority of league’s playoffs. Hopefully if you’re reading this you’re moving on to your league’s finals for a shot at that oh so precious title. As far as the recipe for winning, you already have it. All season long if you read my columns I preached key strategies to use to get yourself an edge or better chance at winning your leagues.

If you are a reader of mine and you made your league’s championship game or already won the ship, I’d love for you to comment on here or tweet me @BigZack44 and tell me how you did it. I don’t care if it is blatant bragging because you dominated or an underdog story of how you shocked your league and stole the crown, I want to hear about it. You deserve to gloat a bit after a long season of hard work that paid off in the end. Also, if you fought for it and came up short, I’d still like to hear about your season and how it came to an end or lessons you may have learned that you can use next season. Comment here and leave your twitter handle if you have one and/or tweet me and I will give you a follow back if I already don’t.

This was my first season of writing for fantasy hoops and I had a lot of fun doing it. I have to thank The Fantasy Fix for the opportunity to take my fantasy experience to the next level. I have always put in more hours than any person should studying stats and coming up with my own opinions or predictions for my fantasy hoops leagues. What can I say, I am a fantasy degenerate and I can’t help it. Like many of you too I am sure, I have gotten in multiple arguments with my wife over how much attention and effort I put into fantasy sports. Luckily, she was very supportive of me taking on this challenge and opportunity so now she sees it as me helping others as well. I wasn’t sure how she’d take it since our lives had just changed four months prior when we had our first baby, but she was very happy for me and here I am.

I look forward to sharing my offseason work and opinions with my readers next season as I came on too late this season to do that. Fantasy draft prep is the best and most important part of this game and I promise to provide a ton of information to have you ready to dominate from the jump next season. Don’t think that I am done all the way until next season though. I will be helping the site put out info on players who will be in the NBA draft and the fantasy values of all the draftees based on where they land. This is one exciting draft class, especially the top part of the first round, but to have close to ten players likely to be in the class who have superstar potential, that’s phenomenal.

Before we get to next season though, let’s finish this one by taking a look at these waiver wire targets to help you this final week strong.

First, let me list some names that I have mentioned in recent weeks that you should also look at who could still be available in your league: Ramon Sessions, Avery Bradley, Gorgui Dieng, Matt Barnes, Vince Carter, Tiago Splitter, James Anderson, Jeff Adrien to name a few.

Henry Sims (owned in 11.1% of leagues) – Remember after the Sixers got rid of Spencer Hawes and we knew some big man had to step up and we assumed it’d be Byron Mullens? Yeah, that never went anywhere but now we’ve been welcomed to Sims city. He’s come into his own as of late and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop anytime soon. The Sixers have no other options there and he’s playing well, so it will continue. Over his last four games he’s averaged 15.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.8 blocks while shooting 58% from the field and 75% from the free-throw line, OH Henry! (Sorry.) Sims is worthy of being owned in all leagues going forward if you need a big man and/or don’t want your opponent adding a big asset like Sims.

Jordan Hill (33.8%) – Hill has had several ups and downs this season and they have went from one extreme to the other. He’s been a must own and a couple of weeks later not even worthy of being owned in deeper leagues. Right now, he’s worth owning in most leagues again as he’s really been effective since returning from injury. In five games since becoming active again, Hill has averaged 16.8 points, 11 rebounds and one block per game. When Hill gets minutes, he delivers and right now he’s been receiving around 25 minutes of playing time and he’s tearing it up out there.

Terrence Ross (26.4%) – Mr. Ross hasn’t been the most consistent player this season, but he at least knows his role on the team now and is hot of late. Ross is a player you mostly target for points, steals and treys. He’s hit 12 trifectas leading the charge for his 16.7 points, while also getting over a steal per game in his last four. Ross is a solid option in 12-teamers and deeper and a great stream play in shallower leagues depending your statistical needs during the week.

Samuel Dalembert (8.9%) – If it is rebounds and/or blocks you’re in need of you should take a look at big Sam in Dallas. I know he lacks the sexiness of some potential waiver targets, but this youth/upside isn’t a category in your league. Rebounds are rebounds no matter who you get them from and Bert is bringing down 11.4 a night over his last five games not to mention 2.5 blocks in those games as well. Sure, seven of those swats came in one game but he has the potential to do that on any given night. You can at least count on him for one block a night to go along with his double digit boards and solid percentages. He’s a perfect stream target if you need help there, but he’s also a fine player to hold in 12-teamers and up if you see you’re going to need him. The Mavericks have four games next week, that’s potential for 40 boards and 5+ blocks. That can make a big impact on a week’s matchup.

All percentages were gathered from ESPN.com

Follow me on Twitter @BigZack44 for more fantasy hoops analysis/tips and to answer any questions you may have. Go win those championships.

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