When looking at picking up players in your fantasy basketball, don’t let poor shooting percentages deter you necessarily from picking up an NBA player that gets a high volume of shots. Your fantasy basketball team will be comprised of players who are better at shooting field goals than free throws and vice versa and that will offset poor shooting. Centers are taking a lot of their shots from right under the basket and those shots will help improve your overall fantasy basketball shooting percentage. Struggling NBA shooters still have plenty of time to improve and if that player is getting a good chunk of shots combined with a true rotation commitment of at least 20 minutes of playing time, don’t drop him too soon. The fantasy basketball season is young and here are some players to look to grab off the waiver wire. 

 

 

Tari Eason F Houston Rockets-27% Rostered: 

Jae’Sean Tate can’t shake his injuries and Eason is starting to see his minutes rise. The Rockets rookie will get more burn off the bench, and he’s grabbed six or more boards in four straight contests. He’s been an excellent defender in the lane, and he’s posted steals in all but two games this season and has actually swiped seven balls collectively in his last two battles. Eason is no stranger to producing steals as he posted nearly two per game last year at LSU. He also shot 54 percent from the field and Eason has seen more shots in recent game and scored in double figures in 2 of his last 3 games. He’s taken no fewer than seven shots in five straight contests. Eason has an awesome schedule coming up against weaker frontcourts and he should be able to take advantage. Eric Gordon will still play plenty of minutes, but Eason gives them fresh legs and more explosiveness in their mid-court.
 

Malik Monk SG Sacramento Kings-36% 

Rostered: Monk takes about 10 shots per game, the 5th most on the Kings and even though he comes off the bench, he’s featured plenty in Sacramento’s offense. He’s been shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc and is scoring over 12 points per game. He’s scored 14 or more points in 4 straight contests, and he’s been helping move the ball around and he’s contributed 5 or more assists in all 4 of those battles. If Monk keeps the scoring up and he’s still showing he can produce in another fantasy basketball category, he can be trusted. We’ve seen his minutes rise recently as he’s played at least 27 in 3 straight games and with faster paced matchups coming up over his next few games, including matchups against the Lakers and Warriors, it bodes well for Sacramento’s offense and Monk will continue being the prioritized scorer with the Kings reserves. 

 

Cameron Payne G Phoenix Suns-35% Rostered: 

Payne will likely serve as a short-term pick up until Chris Paul is 100 percent over his heel injury. The Suns will likely be careful with Paul for the next few games, especially since Payne has been scoring and dropping dimes consistently. Even off the bench, Payne should be utilized as a change of pace option and he’s the only Suns bench player to average double figures in scoring. He’s scored 11 points per game and whn Paul is fully healthy, he should still play 18-20 minutes. Should Payne not getting a true rotation commitment of 20 minutes when the Suns are fully healthy concern fantasy basketball players? A little, but the production he’s put up for the limited number of minutes he gets makes him appealing. Payne takes the third most three-pointers per game for the Suns and is shooting just under 39 percent from long-range. Payne dishes about four dimes and grabs a steal per contest. 

 

Santi Aldama PF/C Memphis Grizzlies-40% Rostered: 

It’s never easy finding big men on the waiver wire, but Aldama is still starting, and the Grizzlies need to let him create in the post on offense a little more. He’s been utilized a lot as a bailout shooter from long-range and that hasn’t been working out as much lately, but he’s still produced seven-plus boards in four of his last seven match ups and he’s swatted away a ball per game. The Grizzlies frontcourt defense has been very poor this year. Steven Adams has been banged up, Jaren Jackson Jr is still hurt and Aldama’s shot attempts should remain in the six-to-nine range and he has a few matchups against the Thunder, Nets and Pelicans coming up and he should be able to have a bit of an easier time putting up production. Aldama has been causing more turnovers inside the arc lately stealing the ball in six of his last eight outings. 
 

Grayson Allen SG, SF Milwaukee Bucks-17% Rostered: 

When Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday are off the floor, Allen sees a usage percentage exceeding 30 percent and even Khris Middleton still not being ready to make his regular-season debut gives Allen some life as well when it comes to his production. Allen has scored 11 or more points in each of his last 3 contests. Allen has been the Bucks strongest three-point shooter, sinking at least two threes per game and he’s shooting around 43 percent from beyond the arc. Allen has also provided steals in six of his last eight contests and has even blocked shots in three straight outings. He’s hit the three-rebound mark more often than not this year and Allen continues to start in the Bucks lineups. He’s feisty and will hustle for loose balls and has some staying power on the court even if his shots aren’t falling. Allen will continue to play 25-30 minutes per outing. 
 

KJ Martin F Houston Rockets-22% Rostered: 

Martin is another member of the Rockets who has benefitted from Jae’Sean Tate being out early in the season and he’s played over 20 minutes in all but 1 game this season. Martin has scored 13 or more points in 4 of his last 5 outings and he has scored 11.4 points per game for the season. Martin has shot 51 percent from the field this season and over 36 percent from downtown. Martin has been providing steady rebounding production pulling down about five per game. He’s even posted steals and blocks in three of his last five outings. He’s been excellent at reading screens set for him off the ball and finding open shots from the elbow and the top of the paint. He’s able to produce with the Rockets reserves for the most part and from what we’re hearing, it’ll be a bit before Tate returns to action making both Martin and Eason (mentioned before) safe fantasy basketball players to add.
 

Tre Mann G Oklahoma City Thunder-12% Rostered: 

Mann is the Thunder’s fourth leading scorer and even though both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey play 30-plus minutes, Mann is able to shift to either guard spot and still log a good amount of minutes. Mann will also benefit because of how bad the Thunder are and will see his minutes boosted in games that they are down big. He pulls down three-to-four rebounds per game and swipes about a ball per battle. He's a quick change of pace guard off the bench and he takes 11 shots per outing. Mann spends a lot of time positioning himself in different areas of the arc. If the Thunder opt to go with a three-guard offense, he won’t be attacking the rim, but waiting for the defense to collapse on whoever is trying to drive to the basket so he can get fed a high-percentage long-distance shot. Mann hits about two three-pointers per game. If his shots start to drop, release him back out to the waiver wire.


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