Waiver Wire: Versatile Booker worth a look
Fantasy owners have been delighted to see some of their favorite players from seasons past finally coming alive recently, as it looks as though everyone has played enough games to see what they are made off. The lack of training camp appears to have balanced itself 20-something games into the season and the numbers for most players are starting to even out.
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Some players have been able to bounce back from early struggles and injuries continue to dictate roles on most clubs.
This week we are looking at Trevor Booker.
With Andray Blatche expected to be out for nearly a month, Booker will receive a boost off the bench and could end up starting for the Wizards if Jan Vesely continues to struggle. He scored 16 points in the game Blatche got injured and followed that up with a near double-double performance, putting up 14 points with nine rebounds on Jan. 30 against the Bulls. He was a double-digit scorer when Blatche missed games last season, and on a Washington team that can always use the scoring, he should be able to get his numbers again.
Booker can also help owners with his rebounding and blocks, so he is definitely worth a look in deeper formats heading into Week 7 (Feb. 6-12). The 24-year-old will face off against Toronto, New York, Miami and Detroit during the upcoming scoring period.
Guards
Add 'Em
Landry Fields, Knicks
Owned: 62 percent
Analysis: Fields struggled mightily at the beginning of the season -- like most of his teammates on the Knicks -- but he has been able to pick up his production recently and is starting to gain steam in Fantasy. He began Week 6 (Jan. 30-Feb. 5) with an 18-point performance against the Pistons, and also posted five rebounds and five steals in that contest. That rapped up a five-game stretch in which he averaged 12.6 points with three assists, two steals and 4.8 rebounds. New York appears to be gelling more on offense and Fields should be able to start posting numbers similar to his rookie campaign. With games against the Jazz, Wizards, Lakers and Timberwolves in Week 7, owners in larger formats who dropped Fields should consider scooping him up again.
Jerryd Bayless, Raptors
Owned: 40 percent
Analysis: Bayless has played himself into the starting lineup in Toronto and is responding with some decent performances. He scored 18 points in 16 minutes off the bench on Jan. 27 and followed that up with back-to-back double-digit scoring games -- both while starting. While his other numbers have been a little spotty, the Raptors have been desperate for some scoring since Andrea Bargnani went down with his calf injury, so the 23-year-old has an excellent chance at stepping up. While his defensive inadequacies could cost him some minutes, he has showed no signs of the ankle injury that sidelined him for 13 contests. Bayless could end up being a waiver-wire pickup that ends up paying off beyond a couple weeks. With Washington, Milwaukee, Boston and the Lakers on the docket for Week 7, Bayless should be a worthwhile add in deeper Fantasy formats.
Avoid 'Em
Ben Gordon, Pistons
Owned: 58 percent
Analysis: Gordon has been able to pick up his scoring so far this season, but he is currently sidelined with a shoulder injury and could end up losing playing time once he returns. Rodney Stuckey has moved into the starting shooting guard spot and could hold onto it long-term. Gordon, a former Sixth Man of the Year, has shown that he can produce off the bench in the past but it remains to be seen how he will bounce back from this injury. Gordon also doesn’t do much else for owners beyond scoring so monitor his progress before picking him up in Fantasy.
Michael Redd, Suns
Owned: 9 percent
Analysis: Redd was a hot pick up off the waiver wire after signing with the Suns in late December but he has yet to yield the desired results. He began Week 6 (Jan. 30-Feb. 5) with a 5-point performance against the Mavericks, which was a season high for the 32-year-old. It's difficult to get into rhythm when you're only seeing about 10 minutes per game and it doesn't look as though his roll is going to change anytime soon. While he is a candidate to make some noise later on in the year -- once he gets used to the free-flowing offense in Phoenix -- leave Redd on waivers in the majority of Fantasy formats heading into Week 7.
Forwards
Add 'Em
Austin Daye, Pistons
Owned: 27 percent
Analysis: Daye entered the 2011-12 season as a candidate for a breakout campaign and could finally be living up to that billing. After struggling to begin the year, he is finally starting to turn things around and could be catching his stride. He went off for a season-high 28 points against the Heat on Jan. 25, which started a nice little run for the 23-year-old. Daye would average 13.8 points with four rebounds and a steal during the five-game stretch that followed, and is starting to see some solid minutes for the Pistons again. Daye showed some solid progress from his rookie to sophomore year and now that he appears to have worked his way back into coach Lawrence Frank's rotation, he should have more than enough chances to surpass the 7.5 points he posted a year ago. He will play New Jersey (twice) and Washington in Week 7-- who are both ranked near the bottom of the pack in points allowed this season -- so owners in deeper formats who need some help at the forward spot should consider scooping up Daye.
James Johnson, Raptors
Owned: 53 percent
Analysis: Along the lines of Bayless, Johnson has benefited from Bargnani being out and has been able to put together some solid performances since being moved to the starting lineup. He scored in double figures twice during Week 5 (Jan. 23-29) -- including his first double-double of the year -- and began Week 6 with a 9-and-8 performance against the Hawks. Johnson is averaging 10.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks since getting the promotion and is shooting 49 percent from the field over that stretch. He has shown the ability to contribute in every category in Fantasy thus far and the 6-9 forward still has some nice upside at age 24. Keep him mind that his minutes will likely get cut if he starts slumping but Toronto will likely given him every opportunity to succeed. Owners in deeper Fantasy leagues should grab Johnson on waivers if they have not done so already.
Avoid 'Em
Tyler Hansbrough, Pacers
Owned: 60 percent
Analysis: While he continues to do a decent job on the boards so far this season, Hansbrough has really struggled to score and has lost value in Fantasy because of it. He began Week 6 by scoring in double figures for just the second time in his previous nine games, and is averaging under 10 points per contest after posting 11 a year ago. With the offseason addition of David West, the 26-year-old has seen his role changed in Indiana, and his shooting percentage of under 40 percent does not help either. Fantasy owners in larger formats should leave Hansbrough on waivers until he picks up his scoring.
Carlos Delfino, Bucks
Owned: 40 percent
Analysis: Delfino had a solid role with the Bucks earlier in the year but his recent slump has cost him playing time, which has affected his value in Fantasy. He scored 10 points in his first outing of Week 6 -- his first time doing so since Jan. 17 -- and shot just 36 percent from the floor in the four games prior. Milwaukee has made a ton of changes to their lineup and while it looks as though Delfino could continue to start, the plethora of forwards on the team will likely keep stealing minutes from the 29-year-old. Outside of deeper Fantasy formats, most owners should leave Delfino on waivers at this point.
Centers
Add 'Em
Nikola Pekovic, Team
Owned: 18 percent
Analysis: Pekovic has become a hot add off the waiver wire with his recent production and could become a long-term option in Fantasy. While he has been seeing more run of late due to the injury to Darko Milicic, he outperformed his teammate on certain nights even when he was healthy and appears to be a bit more refined on the offensive end. Pekovic averaged 10 points with 6.8 rebounds during a five-game stretch that ended on Jan. 30 and shot an impressive 61 percent over that span. While the Timberwolves do not rely on much scoring from the center spot, owners should take note of the 26-year-old as long as he is performing like this. While his minutes will be affected once Milicic returns, Pekovic should be considered a viable pickup off the waiver wire heading into Week 7.
Tiago Splitter, Spurs
Owned: 66 percent
Analysis: Splitter was an advisable addition off waivers a few weeks ago and has worked out well for those owners who scooped him up. While he started Week 6 with a four-point performance, he is averaging nine points with 5.5 rebounds and 0.9 blocks on the year, yet is still not as highly owned as he probably should be. He has scored in double figures 10 times in 18 games in January, including a career-high 25 on Jan. 21, and continues to do a solid job on the boards. The 27-year-old will likely continue to see solid minutes in San Antonio so owners in deeper formats looking for help at center -- a thin position in Fantasy -- should consider grabbing Splitter for Week 7. The Spurs play the Grizzlies, 76ers and Nets during the upcoming scoring period.
Avoid 'Em
Byron Mullens, Bobcats
Owned: 63 percent
Analysis: Mullens put together a nice little run a few weeks back, but his has not been as consistent of late and his role has been affected because of it. After scoring 23 points on Jan. 28, he started Week 6 with a four-point performance and has seen his rebounding drop off dramatically. The other big men in Charlotte are starting to see his minutes and could eventually fade out the 22-year-old as the season goes on. While he could always get back on the Fantasy map with a couple of decent weeks, owners should resist the temptation to scoop up Mullens off the waiver wire -- even if he is available in deeper formats.
Mehmet Okur, Nets
Owned: 30 percent
Analysis: Okur underwent a procedure on his ailing back to begin Week 6 and missed the entire scoring period because of it. He was expected to replace the production of injured Brook Lopez when he was acquired by the Nets in late December, and while he posted some decent production for awhile, his owners could be in trouble in the short-term. He scored in double figures just one time in the four games prior to being sidelined, and posted a goose egg in one of those contests. While he has proven to be a viable option in Fantasy in the past, Okur has struggled to find his groove thus far and should be left on waivers in most Fantasy formats.
