February 3 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Brandon Clarke, Guerschon Yabusele, Ty Jerome, Matas Buzelis, Jaxson Hayes and More
NBA players who are popular waiver wire pickups at the start of the 16th week of the fantasy season.
The start of another fantasy basketball week is here, and after a busy weekend of trades, the waiver wire is flooded with intriguing names.
Let’s dive into several of the most-added players at the start of the 16th week of the fantasy season.
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Brandon Clarke Fantasy Outlook
Clarke was added in 7.8% of leagues, bringing his total mark to 24.26%. He’s posted some nice statlines of late, but nothing too overwhelming. His own percentage is the highest of the day so far because he was simply owned in so few leagues before.
On the season, Clark is averaging 7.8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks across 18.8 minutes in 46 games and 18 starts. Over the past 15 games, Clarke has scored in double figures seven times, averaging 8.9 points a contest. He’s playing 19.8 minutes, so not much has changed from his season averages.
I’m pretty surprised to see Clarke up 7.8% and that his total percentage is just 24.26 now. He’s producing enough in his short amount of time on the court to roster in deep leagues.
Unless a Memphis big man goes down with an injury, or a trade is made to shake up the roster, I don’t see Clarke’s role or usage changing much. His own percentage will probably top out at 30% or so under his current averages. He’s a player to keep an eye on, but mostly just for those of you in deep leagues.
Guerschon Yabusele Fantasy Outlook
Yabusele is rostered in 65.93% of leagues after a 7.7% increase. His surge in own percentage is because of great production of late.
In the past seven games (six starts), Yabusele is averaging 16 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocks across 30.8 minutes. For the season, his averages are 11 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.4 blocks across 26.6 minutes in 46 games and 24 starts.
Yabusele is a good fantasy option when the Sixers aren’t at full strength, which is just about every night nowadays. Joel Embiid and Paul George are expected back soon, so his role and usage could drop, but until those two are back consistently, Yabusele is a good deep-league option and a standard league streamer.
Utilize Yabusele while you can, but keep a close eye on the Sixers’ injury report before putting him in your starting lineup.
Luke Kennard Fantasy Outlook
Kennard got a 7.15% bump and sits at 46.81% now. The second Grizzly to appear in this article, Kennard has had a couple nice scoring nights of late, helping his own percentage increase.
Over the past six games, Kennard has scored 20 or more points three times. In the other three games, he’s only combined for 19 points.
Kennard doesn’t stuff the stat sheet all that well, averaging 2.9 points, 3.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.1 blocks to go along with his 10.1 points. Those aren’t great fantasy marks, and keeps him out of most standard leagues.
He’s really too streaky of a shooter to be all that confident in him outside really deep leagues. Kennard really probably shouldn’t be rostered in as many leagues as he is, but an injury to Ja Morant has several Grizzlies on the rise.
I think you can do better than Kennard in leagues that are a bit deeper. Do some more digging and see if you can find a player who is a bit more consistent.
Ty Jerome Fantasy Outlook
Jerome is up another 6.11% and owned in 58.33% of leagues now. He’s in a good groove as a scorer right now, so it’s no surprise to see him moving up.
In the past four games, Jerome is averaging 16.8 points a contest, along with 2.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals over 26.4 minutes off the bench. In 46 games (just two starts) this season, Jerome is averaging 19 minutes, 11.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals.
His points are up from his season average, but he’s also increased all his other numbers too. Jerome was already a good deep-league option, and right now, I’d also want to be streaming him in standard leagues.
Take advantage of things now instead of waiting to see if he can keep things rolling. Hot streaks only last so long, and you don’t want to wait too long.
Matas Buzelis Fantasy Outlook
Buzelis is rostered in 18.63% of leagues after a 6.1% increase. He’s surprisingly the first player who seems to be being added because of a weekend trade, Zach LaVine was shipped out, with Tre Jones, John Collins and Kevin Huerter coming to Chicago.
Jones, Collins and Huerter could definitely take up some of the minutes Buzelis would have otherwise gotten, but with Chicago going into a rebuild, I’d think the team would keep Buzelis in the rotation and keep adding to his plate.
For the season, Buzelis is averaging 5.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.2 steals and 0.8 blocks across 13.6 minutes in 48 games (all off the bench). Buzelis has averaged 23.3 minutes over the past four games, so his role was already on the rise. He averaged 11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 1 block per game over that span.
There’s enough production in those recent numbers to add him, and the trade of LaVine means his own percentage should grow a bit more still. Those of you wanting him in a deeper league might need to make the move now if you want him - I think his own percentage could skyrocket over the next few days.
Jaylen Wells Fantasy Outlook
Wells is up 5.1% and at 21.81% overall. One last Memphis player here, with the injury to Morant helping Wells more so than his recent play.
He has scored in double figures in five of the past eight games, but he’s only gotten there twice over the past five games. Wells is averaging 2.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.1 blocks in that eight-game span, so outside of scoring, he’s not the best fantasy asset.
I’m fine adding Wells in deep leagues until Morant returns, because Wells will play a lot of minutes, but he isn’t a great long-term option I don’t think.
Jaxson Hayes Fantasy Outlook
Hayes got a 4.85% boost and sits at 26.68% overall now. He’s gotten a boost in playing time with Anthony Davis out of late, and now with Davis traded, Hayes has a more direct line to playing time in the long term (at least for now).
He’s started and averaged 23.4 minutes in the last two games. Hayes is averaging just 7 points, but 6 rebounds, along with 1.5 assists and steals and 2 blocks in those games.
It’s not great fantasy production, but the trade of Davis has fantasy owners intrigued. I think Los Angeles will add another big man soon, and then Hayes will go back to a reserve role, but for the time being, he’s getting enough minutes and producing enough to roster and play in some deeper leagues.
You could stash Hayes if you don’t want to start him in case the Lakers do not add another big before the trade deadline (or pick up a buyout guy).
Other Waiver Options
Some more standard league waiver wire options are: Jose Alvarado, Santi Aldama, Ayo Dosunmu, Klay Thompson, Andrew Nembhard, Tobias Harris, Zaccharie Risacher, Toumani Camara, Kyle Kuzma and Rui Hachimura.
Alvarado is owned in 50.49% of leagues after a 4.54% bump. Aldama is up 4.25% and at 79.41% overall.
Dosunmu is rostered in 71.32% of leagues after a 3.75% bump. Thompson is owned in 85.78% of leagues after 3.47% increase.
Nembhard got added in 2.57% of leagues and sits at 55.64% overall. Harris is rostered in 95.1% of leagues after a 2.47% boost.
Risacher is up 2.32% and sitting at 54.9% overall. Camara is rostered in 67.16% of leagues after a 2.3% boost.
Kuzma is up 2.08% and owned in 78.68% of leagues now. Hachimura is up 2.06% and rostered in 59.31% overall.
Some other deep-league options are: Quentin Grimes, Derrick Jones Jr., Patrick Williams, Precious Achiuwa, Max Strus, Tim Hardaway Jr., Scotty Pippen Jr. and Lonzo Ball.
Grimes is up 3.64%, bringing his total to 18.14%. Jones is owned in 41.67% of leagues after a 3.34% boost.
Williams sits at 25.74% after a 3.08% bump. Achiuwa is rostered in 10.05% of leagues after a 2.92% increase.
Strus is up 2.78% and rostered in 34.31% overall. Hardaway is owned in 15.93% of leagues after a 2.42% increase.
Pippen is up to 32.35% after a 2.37% bump. Ball is rostered in 48.28% of leagues after a 2.09% increase.
