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October 31, 2021, 12:45 pmWeek two is basically in the books and while our sample size is still relatively small, we are beginning to see a few trends. In this edition of Working the Wire, we’ll take a look at the games schedule for week three, including those teams that have a back-to-back set. Before looking ahead, let’s quickly take a look at last week’s waiver wire pickups and whether we struck gold or came up empty. We will then run down the list of players you could consider picking up, although do remember that not every player is going to suit your needs. Finally, we take a look at a list of current streaming options, based on categorical need.
Games Schedule – Week 3
Team MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN Total ATL WAS @bkn UTA @phx 4 BKN ATL @det @tor 3 BOS CHI @orl @mia @dal 4 CHA CLE @gsw @sac @lac 4 CHI @bos @phi PHI 3 CLE @cha POR @tor @nyk 4 DAL MIA @sas BOS 3 DEN @mem @mem HOU 3 DET MIL PHI BKN 3 GSW CHA NOP HOU 3 HOU @lal @phx @den @gsw 4 IND SAS NYK @por @sac 4 LAC OKC @min @min CHA 4 LAL HOU OKC @por 3 MEM DEN DEN @was 3 MIA @dal BOS UTA 3 MIL @det NYK @was 3 MIN ORL LAC LAC 3 NOP @phx @sac @gsw 3 NYK TOR @ind @mil CLE 4 OKC @lac @lal SAS 3 ORL @min BOS SAS UTA 4 PHI POR CHI @det @chi 4 PHX NOP HOU ATL 3 POR @phi @cle IND LAL 4 SAC @uta NOP CHA IND 4 SAS @ind DAL @orl @okc 4 TOR @nyk @was CLE BKN 4 UTA SAC @atl @mia @orl 4 WAS @atl TOR MEM MIL 4 Total 9 5 11 5 9 6 8 53 Back to Backs
Mon/Tues:
Tues/Weds: DAL, NOP, SAC
Weds/Thurs: ATL, BOS, PHI
Thurs/Fri: DET
Fri/Sat: POR
Sat/Sun: HOU, UTA
Sun/Mon (of Week 3): BKN, CHA, GSW, NYK, SACA Look Back…
Guards
De’Anthony Melton (38th ranked player) – A clear hit here
Desmond Bane (29th ranked player) – Another clear hit
Ricky Rubio (132nd ranked player) – I’ll give this one a hit despite the rank
Eric Bledsoe (294th ranked player) – A pretty obvious miss
Alex Caruso (164th ranked player) – Like Rubio, I’m giving this one a hit
Forwards
Jae’Sean Tate (210th ranked player) – I think he might get back in the frame but I’ll give this one a miss
Cam Reddish (92nd ranked player) – A nice hit on this one
Terance Mann (95th ranked player) – Also a solid hit
Dorian Finney-Smith (212th ranked player) – I think DFS will be a 12-team guy but this week was probably a miss
Centers
Kelly Olynyk (50th ranked player) – Obviously a hit
Alperen Sengun (159th ranked player) – A hit here despite the rank. Looking better all the time
Nicolas Claxton (237th ranked player) – Sadly, a miss here
Waiver Wire Adds
Guards
Gary Trent Jr. – Better known for his ability to score the ball, Trent has been able to incorporate a defensive element into his game thus far. Now I’m not saying his current production will stick but it does increase his overall value, and couple that with his playing time, and we could have a rest-of-season asset.
Josh Hart – Having only just returned from injury, Hart has already ramped up his production and playing time. It is unclear whether he will come off the bench as the sixth-man or if he will slide into the starting lineup. Whatever the case, he should be able to put up backend value thanks to his out-of-position stats, at least until Zion Williamson makes it back to the court.
Bruce Brown – After being out of the rotation to begin the season, it appears common sense has prevailed in Brooklyn. Much like Hart, Brown has the ability to contribute in categories typically associated with big men. If he can maintain a 30 minutes role moving forward, he is certainly a name to consider in standard formats.
Jalen Brunson – This one is a little riskier given Brunson’s ability to go missing from time to time. Generally playing off the bench, Brunson can be a sneaky source of assists and points, both of which are highly sought after. The Mavs are seemingly always dealing with at least a couple of injuries and the beneficiary is one Jalen Brunson.
Forwards
PJ Washington – After a slow start to the season, as well as an injury, Washington was dropped in a number of spots. His role is not what we had expected coming into the season but the talent is obviously there. Despite his outlook being lukewarm, at best, he should still be able to do enough to have 12-team value.
Franz Wagner – Wagner is a name that might not be available in too many leagues at this point. However, I managed to scoop him up last night and so I thought I would throw his name into the mix. The return of Chuma Okeke could throw a bit of a spanner in the works but the Magic are clearly enamoured with Wagner and seem intent on getting him out there as much as possible.
Chuma Okeke – Speaking of Okeke, he made his return to the lineup yesterday, ending with a modest line in just 14 minutes. He proved last season that he has the ability to contribute across the board and while it might take a few games, he could very well be a name to stash away for a rainy day.
Joe Ingles – Ingles is who he is at this point. While that might not come with a lot of fanfare, he is a reliable source of 3s and assists and often sees a bump with Mike Conley sitting out. There is basically no upside with Ingles but he is safe as houses and does not look out of place on a 12-team roster.
Centers
LaMarcus Aldridge – The center position is one that is almost impossible to fill from the waiver thus far this season. Being a veteran on a loaded team, the thought was that Aldridge would fill a minor role, potentially putting up deeper league value. Early on, it is pretty clear that he is the best option for the Nets right now and while he certainly isn’t the player he used to be, there is enough meat on the bone for him to have value in competitive formats.
Streaming Targets
Points
Carmelo Anthony
Damion Lee
Seth Curry
Luke Kennard
Lonnie Walker
Kelly Oubre
3-pointers
Seth Curry
Patty Mills
Malik Beasley
Lonnie Walker
Joe Harris
Anfernee Simons
Assists
Patrick Beverley
Monte Morris
T.J. McConnell
Eric Bledsoe
Rebounds
JaVale McGee
Dewayne Dedmon
Gorgui Dieng
DeAndre Jordan
Maxi Kleber
Steals
Matisse Thybulle
T.J. McConnell
Eric Bledsoe
Herb Jones
Cody Martin
Blocks
Matisse Thybulle
DeAndre Jordan
Maxi Kleber
Hassan Whiteside
Is Adam on the money with his Waiver Wire piece? Let him know in our Fantasy Basketball Forums or over on our members-only Discord channel
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Just a heads up that the schedule box formatting is all off on mobile web (iOS chrome browser)
I’ll make sure tech knows and see if they can take a peek.