Fantasy Basketball Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups | Should You Add Keyonte George, James Wiseman and Isaiah Hartenstein?

The eighth week of the NBA season is already in the books. It’s time to talk about some potential waiver wire options.

This week, we’ll talk about Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George, Detroit Pistons big man James Wiseman and New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein.

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Keyonte George Fantasy Outlook

George is currently dealing with an ankle injury, but isn’t expected to be out too much longer. He’s started 16 of the 24 games he’s appeared in this season and is averaging 25.8 minutes per game.

George is also averaging 10.9 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 0.5 steals and 0.1 blocks, while committing 2.3 turnovers and 1.1 fouls. The rookie guard is shooting 36.1% overall, 32% on 3-pointers and 78.1% from the line.

The rookie has scored in double figures 10 times, including one game over 20 points and another over 30. He’s failed to reach double figures for rebounds, but has had five or more on five occasions. George has five or more assists in 11 contests, has a steal in 11 games and a block in three contests.

Up until his injury, George had been starting and playing above or just below 30 minutes per game.

Verdict: George has played quite well for being a rookie (and the 16th overall pick). His shooting percentages aren’t great, but he’s averaging enough points and getting enough rebounds and assists to be a pretty solid fantasy asset. The injury is definitely a concern, but it doesn’t appear to be a long-term issue. There might be some better waiver wire options out there, but he’s also probably a more well-rounded fantasy player than several others. It really all comes down to whether you have the space on your roster for him or not - if you have an open spot, or have someone you want to move on from, George is a pretty solid option.

James Wiseman Fantasy Outlook

Wiseman is trying to solidify a larger role on what’s been a terrible Detroit team. He’s combined to play 54 minutes over the past two games, but that 27-minute average is far ahead of his season average of 13.6. 

Wiseman is also averaging 6.9 points, 4 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.6 blocks and 0.3 steals, while committing 2.3 fouls and 0.9 turnovers per game. He’s shooting 69.6% overall and 68.2% from the free throw line.

Across his 16 games played, Wiseman has three games in which he didn’t even reach 10 minutes. He’s only played over 20 minutes on three occasions. 

Wiseman has reached double figures in points five times, and gotten over 10 boards once. He’s got a steal in four games and a block in six contests.

Verdict: At his season averages, Wiseman isn’t that much of a fantasy threat, outside of deeper leagues. But with more minutes, like the past two games, Wiseman is a much better fantasy option. Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren are battling injuries, which is giving Wiseman some more run. Both guys are expected back soon, but with Detroit trying to find ways to be more competitive, Wiseman is worth an add in case his minutes remain high. If he drops back down toward his season averages, then you can simply drop him again.

Isaiah Hartenstein Fantasy Outlook

Hartenstein is a big that’s got a more defined role. He’s played all 25 games this season off the bench and averaged 19.4 minutes per game.

The big man is also averaging 6 points and rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.8 steals, while committing 2.8 fouls and 1 turnover per game. He’s shooting 59% overall and 66.7% from the line.

Hartenstein has played over 20 minutes seven times, and only topped 30 minutes once. The big man has scored in double figures five times and reached double figures in rebounds twice. He’s got a steal in 13 games and a block in 14 contests.

With Mitchell Robinson out for the foreseeable future, Hartenstein should average somewhere between 25-30 minutes a game, like he has the past five games.

Verdict: Hertenstein isn’t ever going to be a huge scoring threat for the Knicks, but with the extended playing time, it increases his opportunities for rebounds, and he actually fills out the stat sheet pretty well in other areas too. Hartenstein is a bigger fantasy asset in deeper leagues, but if the waiver wire is thin in standard leagues, Hartenstein is a pretty decent option for the next few weeks.