Week 18 NBA Waiver Wire Adds: Jordan Clarkson vs. Rui Hachimura

Each week is going to bring a new batch of waiver wire pickups, alongside some reoccurring faces depending on ownership. There are various scoring systems for fantasy basketball, but one thing remains certain, you are going to need to key in on specific categories at times. While I will look for the overall producers, I will highlight some names that contribute heavily within a few categories.

Waiver Wire Adds

Malik Beasley – Minnesota Timberwolves

PG, SG

50% Owned

Malik Beasley hasn’t shifted enough in terms of ownership to drop him off the list. Since coming to Minnesota, he has played 32 minutes per game, averaging 18.7 FGA as well. Coming out of the break, Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to miss some time, which frees up a ton of usage. Beasley is a guy to grab right now, averaging 22-6-3 in the first three games with Minnesota. Out of the current guards up for grabs on the waiver wire, Beasley is easily the top add.

Thon Maker – Detroit Pistons

PF, C

19% Owned

Christian Wood was ultimately the big man to get out of Detroit, and if he is still out there for some reason, go ahead and grab him. Thon Maker still has had some viable starts in Drummond’s departure, and is more of a deeper league add at this point. Maker has averaged 10-6-1 with 1.3 blocks in the eight games without Drummond this season. He is shooting 57% from the field and has a 17% usage rate.

Marquese Chriss – Golden State Warriors

PF, C

53% Owned

Marquese Chriss has showed fantasy potential, but minutes, foul trouble, and sitting deep in rotations has always gave him trouble. Over the last ten games, he has averaged 14-7-1 with 1.8 blocks per game. Chriss is coming into his own finally, and with the roster somewhat set for the rest of the year with Golden State, he should continue to see 25+ minutes a night. He has a 19% usage rate over the last ten games.

Rui Hachimura – Washington Wizards

PF

56% Owned

Rui Hachimura is still out there in just a little under half of leagues. He missed some time, but has returned to 25+ minutes a night and picked up where he left off. He is shooting 47% from the field, averaging 13 and 6 on the season. Hachimura won’t add much defensive numbers, but has plenty of fantasy value. Washington’s offense still revolves around Bradley Beal, but the rookie being back is going to enjoy the friendly fantasy offense of the Wizards again. If you need some front court depth, he is a strong add.

Kris Dunn – Chicago Bulls

PG, SG, SF

20% Owned

The benefit of having the all-star break is that Kris Dunn has a week to get healthy. He hasn’t played since 1/31, and we are about to head into the break which gives him another week to get going. Dunn was playing very well before the break, and seeing plenty of minutes. I would expect him to return to a solid role, even if he has to get his legs under him a bit. He can contribute across the board, especially in the steals department. Even if Dunn misses a week after the break, there are only two games for everyone and he has a chance to return.

Jae Crowder – Miami Heat

SF, PF

39% Owned

Jae Crowder’s move to Miami was a short question mark for his fantasy value. The minutes haven’t changed, and he is averaging 18 and 7 with two steals per game so far in the three games with the Heat. Obviously he won’t continue to shoot 58% from the field, and Crowder has never been a particularly strong shooter, but the minutes will be there in South Beach. His role shouldn’t change a ton, and his upside remains a bit limited as it was in Memphis.

Jerami Grant – Denver Nuggets

SF, PF

51% Owned

Coming out of the break, Denver will likely have Michael Porter, Paul Millsap, and Jerami Grant all healthy for the first time in a very long time. This could create a bit of a headache, but I don’t mind taking advantage of some drops that will likely occur for these names over the break. I expect Grant to keep a stronghold on his minutes, and Millsap has played well off the bench. At his age, he shouldn’t be in line for massive minutes anyway. Grant is averaging 15-4-1 with 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per game over the last ten. He is also adding in 2.1 threes per game.

Jordan Clarkson – Utah Jazz

PG, SG

46% Owned

As Mike Conley continues to struggle in Utah, Jordan Clarkson has been fantastic. He occasionally will draw a start, but is mostly coming off the bench. Over the last ten games he has a 27% usage rate, and is averaging 18-2-2. Clarkson is also adding 2.9 threes per game, shooting 45% from three and over 50% from the field. Owners in need of scoring can easily look Clarkson’s way. He is cemented into this role for the rest of the year, but I would expect his shooting numbers to come down slightly.

Damion Lee – Golden State Warriors

SG

20% Owned

With D’Angelo Russell, Alec Burks, and Glenn Robinson gone, Damion Lee has seen consistent minutes. He is averaging 28 minutes over the last ten games, and is averaging 11-3-2 with 1.1 steals per game. Lee is also averaging 1.9 threes per game. He is shooting 39% from three in that span, and 45% from the field. Golden State certainly isn’t a good team, but they are giving us some rotational value.

James Johnson – Minnesota Timberwolves

SF, PF

7% Owned

With Karl-Anthony Towns sitting out after the break for at least a few games, we saw James Johnson get a big bump in minutes. While this is not a for sure thing moving forward, we have seen Johnson play that small ball role. Johnson can contribute across the board and that is one of his best abilities in fantasy basketball. In the meantime Johnson should see a bump in minutes with Towns out.

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