Feb. 15 Fantasy Basketball Takeaways: Top Rookies and Waiver Wire Options | Ziaire Williams, Jaden McDaniels, Keyonte George, GG Jackson II, Scoot Henderson and More

There were only three NBA games on Thursday in what was the final day before the All-Star break. Wouldn’t it make sense to have all 30 teams in action?

Anyways, let’s get into some of the top performances from Feb. 15, with a focus on waiver wire options and rookies.

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Waiver Wire Options

I think it’s only fair to start with some Memphis Grizzlies players after the team shocked the Milwaukee Bucks 113-110.

Ziaire Williams, rostered in 4% of leagues, tallied 27 points, four rebounds and assists and three steals across 36 minutes.

Williams had missed several recent games, but got a start on Thursday. He took advantage, making 9-of-13 shots overall and 4-of-7 from behind the 3-point line. Williams set a new career high in points - he hadn’t hit 20 points in a game this season. 

The Grizzlies are extremely banged up, which made their win that much more impressive. Williams likely wouldn't have held such a big offensive role with a team closer to full health, but several of the team’s players will be out for more time after the All-Star break, so Williams might remain involved for the time being. Keep an eye on the injury report and stream Williams in deeper leagues if you’d like.

Jordan Goodwin, rostered in 12% of leagues, recorded 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals across 29 minutes.

Goodwin made his first start of the season and responded with a pretty well-rounded effort. His playing time has been spotty this season, but again, if the team is without several regular rotation players, players are going to fill in the gaps, and Goodwin is a possibility.

Memphis’ Santi Aldama posted seven points and assists, three rebounds and one block across 33 minutes. He’s owned in 43% of leagues.

Aldama has started in every game he’s appeared in since late January. Over that 13-game span, Aldama is averaging 10.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.5 blocks across 28.9 minutes. That’s enough production to roster him in deeper leagues until his playing time goes down (if it ever does).

Minnesota Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels, rostered in 31% of leagues, totaled 17 points, five rebounds, two steals and one assist across 28 minutes in the team’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

McDaniels starts and plays a healthy amount of minutes for the Wolves, but his scoring is streaky, which explains his lower own percentage. He’s scored in double figures in three of the past six games, reaching the mark in every other game. Until he can consistently deliver points, I’d look elsewhere for fantasy help, even in deeper leagues.

Top Rookies

There were several rookies that had nice showings on Thursday.

Utah Jazz’s Keyonte George, owned in 57% of leagues, went for 33 points, six assists, three steals and two rebounds in the team’s loss to the Golden State Warriors. George was 11-of-22 from the floor and 9-of-16 from deep.

George started for a third straight game and finished with a new season high in points scored. Seeing as the Jazz are pretty healthy, there’s no reason to think George can’t keep these kinds of outings up after the All-Star Break. He’s a good waiver wire option in all formats - even in standard leagues, until he cools off.

Memphis’ GG Jackson II, rostered in 62% of leagues, finished with 27 points and one rebound and block across 30 minutes in the team’s win. 

Jackson stayed hot and registered his sixth straight game in double figures for points. He’s usually a fairly well-rounded player, so I wouldn’t worry too much about Thursday’s numbers. He’s another rookie that is a good waiver wire option in all formats right now.

Memphis’ Trey Jemison, rostered in just 3% of leagues, tallied 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block across 23 minutes on Thursday.

Jamison has taken advantage of all the Memphis injuries and delivered a few solid fantasy showings over the past couple weeks. His playing time might dry up when the team is at full health, but until that time, he’s a streaming option in really deep leagues.

Portland’s Toumani Camara, owned in 10% of leagues, went for 13 points, five rebounds and two assists and blocks across 18 minutes.

Camara scored in double figures for a second straight game. His fantasy ceiling would be a decent bit higher if he played more minutes, but he’s shown he can deliver solid outings even with limited minutes. He’s an option in deep leagues and dynasties.

Portland’s Scoot Henderson, now rostered in 77% of leagues, had 15 points, four assists and one rebound and steal across 31 minutes. 

Henderson started with a couple teammates inactive and scored in double figures for a sixth straight game. Until he cools off, he’s a solid fantasy asset in all formats.

Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski, rostered in 78% of leagues, finished the night with 13 points, eight assists and six rebounds in 34 minutes.

He started for the first time in a while and scored in double figures for a fourth straight game. Over that short span, Podz is averaging 14.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 0.5 steals across 31.6 minutes. Those numbers are strong enough to roster and play him in any format.