March 19 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Options: Keon Johnson, Max Strus, Jonas Valanciunas, Al Horford, Zaccharie Risacher and More

It's time for the second fantasy basketball waiver wire story of the week!

All these players were pulled from the FantasySP Waiver Wire Pickups page.

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Keon Johnson Fantasy Outlook

Johnson was added in 11.25% of leagues to bring his total mark to 56.25%. He's scored in double figures in three straight games, so you can see why he's on the rise.

Johnson has tallied 56 points, 17 rebounds, eight assists, four steals and one block in 83 minutes played over those three games - he's started each contest.

His playing time has actually fallen in each of the past two games, but Johnson has produced enough to get some waiver wire love. Unfortunately, I think his own percentage is about as high as it should go.

Before this three-game stretch, Johnson combined for just three points, nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal in the previous two games. That's too drastic a difference in production to consider him heavily in standard leagues.

I'm fine utilizing Johnson in most deeper leagues, but I think that's where his fantasy value ends.

Gary Payton II Fantasy Outlook

Payton got a 10.83% boost and is owned in 28.33% overall. He's alternated single- and double-digit scoring outings over the past four games, so let's dive deeper into some numbers.

Looking at his game logs, Payton has definitely been a better fantasy asset of late. The inconsistency is going to hold him back as well, but there's definitely enough value in his production to utilize in some deeper leagues.

Over the past seven games, he's scored in double figures four times - scoring over 20 points once, but over 15 points in three of those contests. Payton has four or more rebounds in three of those games. He has at least one assist in every game, and a steal in all but two of the contests. Payton also had a block in three of those games.

Add him in some deeper leagues, but his own percentage probably shouldn't go over 35%.

Max Strus Fantasy Outlook

Strus is rostered in 42.92% of leagues after a 7.09% increase. He's been a pretty steady contributor of late, but is coming off a 24-point showing.

Strus has scored in double figures in seven of the past nine games. He has 44 rebounds, 28 assists and five steals in that span, so he's not just scoring for his fantasy production. 

I think his own percentage is getting to its ceiling, but I think he's definitely a good deep-league option to utilize in the later portion of the regular season/fantasy playoffs.

Jonas Valanciunas Fantasy Outlook

Valanciunas is up 6.67% and is at 86.25% overall. Domantas Sabonis got injured again and will be out roughly 10 days, so Valanciunas will have an expanded role again.

In six starts recently when Sabonis missed time, Valanciunas recorded 72 points, 73 rebounds, 23 assists, six blocks and five steals across 160 minutes played.

On scoring and rebounding alone, Valanciunas is a good fantasy asset. He needs to be rostered in all deeper leagues, and can be a good standard league option for the next week-plus. Utilize him while you can.

DaQuan Jeffries Fantasy Outlook

Jeffries was added in 6.25% of leagues, bringing his total to 11.67%. He's scored in double figures in three of the past four games.

Jeffries scored 20 points on March 12, then went for 13 points on March 14. After a five-point outing on March 16, Jeffries tallied 19 points on March 18. 

Outside of scoring, Jeffries has accumulated 11 rebounds, six assists and blocks and one steal in that four-game span. So basically, Jeffries is just a fantasy asset because of his scoring.

Take that into account if you are thinking about adding him. A different player on the waiver wire might be a little more well-rounded, and help you avoid a fantasy dud, like Jeffries had on March 16. 

As long as Jeffries is starting and playing 30+ minutes, I have no issues utilizing him in deep leagues though.

Al Horford Fantasy Outlook

Horford got a 5.51% boost and is at 55.51% overall now. He's coming off back-to-back single-digit scoring outings, but has been filling the stat sheet otherwise, and playing 30+ minutes a game.

Horford is a pretty solid fantasy asset when he's active, but he's been missing some games of late. He's a standard league streaming option anytime he's active.

While he's scored just 31 points over the past three games, he has 24 rebounds, 17 assists, three blocks and one steal in that timeframe to remain a good fantasy asset. He'll have better scoring nights in the games to come, so I get why he's on the rise as a fantasy player. Keep rostering him in deeper leagues, even if he is missing games occasionally.

Zaccharie Risacher Fantasy Outlook

Risacher is up 5.4% and sitting at 48.73% overall. I'm actually a bit surprised his own percentage isn't higher seeing his game logs over the past several weeks.

Sure, he recently had a stretch where he scored in single digits in three of five games, but he's been in double figures in eight of the past 11 contests overall. His past five games have been good, tallying 82 points, 29 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks across 135 minutes.

You'd like to see his other averages higher, but on scoring and rebounding alone, Risacher is a pretty good deep-league option. He needs to be rostered in dynasty/keeper leagues, along with most deeper redraft leagues right now.

Kevin Porter Jr. Fantasy Outlook

Porter is rostered in 25.85% of leagues after a 5.02% increase. He had been in a pretty good groove before scoring just two points on Tuesday.

Porter had 49 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and two steals and blocks across 55 minutes off the bench in the three games before Tuesday.

His fantasy ceiling is capped by playing less than 20 minutes most nights. He has a little fantasy value in deeper leagues, but I also think there's probably better options out there.

Other Waiver Wire Options

LA Lakers' Jaxson Hayes was added in 4.59% of leagues, as was Brooklyn's Day'Ron Sharpe. Hayes is up to 49.17% rostered, while Sharpe is at 40.42%. Brooklyn's Tyrese Martin is also on the list, up 3.97% and at 13.14% overall.

Boston's Jrue Holiday got added in 4.58% of leagues, bringing his total percentage to 94.58. Teammate Payton Pritchard is up to 90.25% owned after a 2.33% increase.

Cleveland's Ty Jerome is rostered in 54.58% of leagues after a 4.16% boost. Denver's Aaron Gordon is up 3.33% and sitting at 75% overall.

Washington's Tristan Vukcevic is up 2.98% today, bringing his total to 3.81%. Portland's Matisse Thybulle was added in 2.5% of leagues and is up to 3.33% overall.

Charlotte's Josh Green and Golden State's Brandin Podziemski are also up 2.5% each. Green is rostered in 8.75% of leagues, while Podz is at 58.75%. Golden State's Moses Moody is up 2.08% and at 57.5% overall.

Dallas' Spencer Dinwiddie got a 2.09% boost, bringing his total to 52.92%. Utah's Keyonte George is rostered in 75.83% of leagues after a 2.08% boost.

Philadelphia's Jared Butler and Houston's Tari Eason are up 2.08% as well. Butler is owned in 28.75% of leagues, while Eason is up to 82.5%.

San Antonio's Chris Paul got a 1.99% boost, bringing his total to 94.07%.