February 24 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Royce O'Neale, Cole Anthony, Keldon Johnson, Kris Dunn, Toumani Camara and More
NBA players who are popular waiver wire pickups at the start of the 19th week of the fantasy season.
At the start of a new fantasy basketball week, let's check out the top waiver wire pickups.
We'll pull players off the FantasySP Waiver Wire Pickups page, which updates constantly.
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Royce O'Neale Fantasy Outlook
O'Neale is currently up 10.75% and rostered in 47.85% of leagues overall. Since coming back from the All-Star break, O'Neale has had a great fantasy showing, and two poor ones.
On February 20, O'Neale had 27 points, six rebounds and three assists and steals across 36 minutes played. In the two games since, O'Neale has seven points, nine rebounds, four assists and steals and one block across 52 minutes.
I'm not exactly sure why O'Neale is such a big-time waiver pickup today. Sure, there's some upside, like he showed in the first game back from the break, but there's also the chance he busts any game. He's most likely to average numbers between those three contests.
On the season, O'Neale is averaging 9.7 points, 5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1 steals and 0.5 blocks across 26 minutes a game. That's solid enough production to roster and utilize him in some deeper leagues, but I also don't think he should be rostered in as many leagues as he is.
I'd try to stream him in deeper leagues against weaker defenses. He's a keeper in some deep leagues, but definitely not all of them.
Cole Anthony Fantasy Outlook
Anthony got a 7.75% increase and is owned in 31.23% of leagues. He's had two solid fantasy showings and one poor one since returning from the break.
In the first two games, Anthony scored 17 points in each contest. He also combined for 14 rebounds, 10 assists, five steals and two blocks in those contests. In a game on Sunday, Anthony went for just five points and one rebound and assist in 21 minutes.
Anthony's own percentage is more respectable than O'Neale's, so I'm on board with fantasy owners in deeper leagues picking him up, even after a bad showing on Sunday.
On the season, Anthony is averaging 9.4 points, 3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.4 blocks across 18 minutes. He's been better of late though, averaging 14.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.6 blocks across 24.7 minutes over the past 11 games (eight starts).
His averages over the past 11 games make him a pretty solid deep-league fantasy option. Anthony is likely going to still have ups and downs, but there's enough value here to add him and utilize him in some deeper leagues.
Keldon Johnson Fantasy Outlook
Johnson is up 7.09% and at 39.26% overall. He's seen an uptick in playing time and usage since the Victor Wembanyama injury, so it's no surprise to see him on the rise.
Johnson has scored at least 15 points in the first three games after the break - Wemby hasn't played in any of those games. Johnson had 15 points in the first game, 28 in the second and then 18 in the third.
Johnson has accumulated 10 rebounds and assists and one steal across those three contests. So he's a lot like Anthony in that most of his fantasy production comes from his scoring.
Johnson is scoring it well right now, and I'd be in favor of adding him in more fantasy leagues. I think Johnson will remain a solid fantasy asset for the remainder of the season, and should be owned in most deeper leagues. He might creep into standard league streaming territory, but I think his averages outside points would have to increase for that to happen.
Kris Dunn Fantasy Outlook
Dunn got added in 5.91% of leagues and is owned in 19.2% overall. He's started the past four games, and filled up the stat sheet in those games, so a rise in own percentage was likely to happen.
Dunn only has scored in double figures once in that span, so his 6.8-point per game average looks pretty weak. His 5.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 3.8 steals and 0.5 blocks per game averages in those four games give him some fantasy value though.
There's definitely some better fantasy options available to you, but in some deep leagues, Dunn has more than enough value to be added and utilized. He's not as prone to poor fantasy performances because he can fill the box score with several stats, instead of just one or two stats.
Give Dunn a little run until his playing time or production falls off.
Toumani Camara Fantasy Outlook
Camara is rostered in 69.34% of leagues after a 4.91% bump. He's been in a scoring groove of late, so it makes sense to see him on the rise.
Camara scored 13 points in the game before the All-Star break, and then had 19 and 20 points in the team's two first games after the break. He has racked up 19 rebounds, 11 assists, seven steals and five blocks across those three contests.
Camara's last game was one of his better games of the season, with 20 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one assist. I wouldn't expect those kinds of numbers every game, but it shows some of his fantasy upside.
Camara needs to be rostered in all deeper leagues, and can be a streaming option in standard leagues when he has a favorable defensive matchup.
Other Waiver Wire Options
In standard leagues (players over 50% rostered), Jabari Smith Jr., Deni Avdija, Aaron Gordon, Brandin Podziemski and Jusuf Nurkic are all options.
Smith is rostered in 70.49% of leagues after a recent 3.24% increase. Avdija is up 2.71% and sitting at 90.54% overall.
Gordon got added in 2.42% of leagues and is owned in 65.9% overall.
Podziemski is up 1.85% and rostered in 65.33% overall. Nurkic is owned in 59.03% of leagues after a 1.35% bump.
Grayson Allen, Lonzo Ball, T.J. McConnell, Quentin Grimes, Moses Moody, Donte DiVincenzo, Robert Williams III, Wendell Carter Jr., Trendon Watford, Kyle Filipowski, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Day'Ron Sharpe, Ty Jerome, Josh Green and Sandro Mamukelashvili are players owned in 50% of leagues or less.
Allen is rostered in 40.97% of leagues after a 3.58% increase. Ball was added in 2.83% of leagues and sits at 30.37% overall now.
McConnell is up 2.4% and rostered in 22.92% of leagues overall now. Grimes is owned in 47.85% of leagues after a 2.34% increase.
Moody is up 2.21% and rostered in 16.91% of leagues overall. DiVincenzo got added in 2.2% of leagues and sits at 46.13% overall.
Williams III is up to 16.09% owned after a 2.14% bump. Carter was added in 1.99% of leagues and is rostered in 37.25% overall.
Watford got a 1.97% bump and is owned in 4.87% of leagues now. Filipowski is rostered in 8.6% of leagues after a 1.93% increase.
Alexander-Walker was added in 1.89% of leagues and is rostered in 11.46% overall. Sharpe got a 1.81% bump and sits at 18.91% overall.
Jerome is now rostered in 30.37% of leagues after a 1.72% increase. Green got a 1.36% bump and is owned in 7.74% of leagues overall.
Mamukelashvili is up 1.34% and rostered in 6.3% of leagues now.
