Kev Mahserejian offers advice on the Week 6 NBA Waiver Wire and the Top Fantasy Basketball Week 6 Pickups.
(Note: Roster % is as listed for Yahoo! leagues. FAAB bid range is based on a percentage of a fantasy basketball player’s remaining budget.)
Week 6 NBA Waiver Wire: Fantasy Basketball Top NBA Pickups
Top Fantasy Basketball Players To Add
Jeremy Lamb, SG/SF, Indiana Pacers (27% rostered)
Jeremy Lamb is back in action. After tearing his ACL last February, he returns to the court 11 months later and looks like he has not missed a beat. Lamb’s game is not predicated on heavy athleticism (though he has his fair share) which allows him to navigate the perimeter and play a “safer" game than someone who was banging bodies inside.
He is very likely to rest on back-to-back games which should be taken into account when adding him but otherwise, he could wind up a good waiver add.
Malcolm Brogdon (23 PTS, 6 AST) hits the game-winning jumper with 2.8 remaining to lift the @Pacers in OT.
Myles Turner: 22 PTS, 9 REB, 3 BLK
Jeremy Lamb: 22 PTS
Domantas Sabonis: 18 PTS, 11 REB, 9 AST, 5 STL pic.twitter.com/3GZ4OUIXcy— NBA (@NBA) January 23, 2021
Lamb is no superstar, but he can perform like a top-100 player by all means. His contributions in scoring, threes, rebounds, free throw, and steals are all solid. Players like him are the crucial glue guys who don’t hurt you anywhere and help almost everywhere. His field goal percentage will likely be a tick worse than his career 44.5% rate but that is palatable with low double-digit shots per game.
Lamb’s usage rate through two games is at 24% and should remain in the low-20’s as long as he does not encounter any setbacks. With Victor Oladipo out of town, Caris LeVert unfortunately out of commission and T.J. Warren injured, Lamb will be needed on the floor for Indiana.
➕ Jeremy Lamb FAAB bid range: 5-10% ➕
Jeff Green, SF/PF/C, Brooklyn Nets (21%)
The Brooklyn Nets are DESPERATE for a big man, and Jeff Green is one of the closest things available. He has some history playing the five as recently as in his time with the Rockets but as we’ve seen, that is not ideal. Jeff Green is a fine player at his age, but when Joel Embiid and Domantas Sabonis are out there … oof.
Nevertheless, Green’s performance for us only matters via his stat-sheet. With Jarrett Allen out of town and DeAndre Jordan, the lone true center on the active roster, Green’s output has spiked.
Over his past five games, Green is averaging 12.8 points, 4.6 boards, 2.6 threes, 1.2 assists, and 0.8 steals. He has double-digit points in each game which could remain a trend unless Brooklyn adds a piece to their front-court.
Green is not someone to consider for the long haul this season and should be dropped the instant he underperforms. His three-point shooting percentage will go down, but the field-goal rate should remain around 50, which is a fantastic little boost on his volume.
➕ Jeff Green FAAB bid range: 5-8% ➕
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Gary Trent Jr., SG/SF, Portland Trail Blazers (16%)
With C.J. McCollum out of commission for the next 2-to-3 months, Gary Trent Jr. will have to step up in his place. Although Trent is not a starter, he will have a heavy role off of the bench with Rodney Hood added to the starting lineup. The Blazers will primarily be running their offense through Damian Lillard, but when he’s double- or even triple-teamed, someone else will have to take those shots.
Trent’s usage is currently 17.8% but it should jump above 20 as the weeks go on and more is asked of him. He started a stretch of games last year as a sophomore and was stellar from a production standpoint. He averaged 14.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.2 threes, one assist, and 1.3 steals per game. He shot 45.8% from the field and was very productive leading up to that starting role as well.
Right now is the best time to jump given that the Blazers have had multiple games postponed this week and the perception as things stand is that Hood is the beneficiary. Hood should be fine over the course of McCollum’s absence but he is coming off of an injury and has been inconsistent this year when active.
➕ Gary Trent Jr. FAAB bid range: 5-8% ➕
Sleeper NBA Waiver-Wire Add
Kevin Porter Jr., SF/PF, Houston Rockets (4%)
The Kevin Porter Jr. saga in Cleveland has come to a close following a series of outbursts and noted discontent with the organization.
Porter proved himself productive through 50 games (started 3) last year playing 23.2 minutes per game on a terrible Cavaliers team. He averaged 10 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 threes, and 0.9 steals with decent percentages and turnovers. He accomplished that at 19 and is chock-full of potential given his ball-handling and athleticism.
Porter could be a star one day but he needs to get his head on straight, and surely the Rockets will do everything in their power to given the state of their roster and organization.
Cavaliers expected to trade or release Kevin Porter Jr. after outburst, with me, @ByJasonLloyd @kelseyyrusso @ShamsCharania @TheAthleticNBA https://t.co/G6Q6GXbdJH
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) January 18, 2021
Do not expect much from KPJ early on as he learns a new system and is integrated into the locker room but if the Rockets continue down their current path, his usage could spike, especially with more rest days from John Wall and Victor Oladipo.
➕ Kevin Porter Jr. FAAB bid range: 1-5% ➕
Prepare for Week 6 basketball action
After gathering your list of adds for the Week 6 NBA Waiver Wire and your Top Fantasy Basketball Week 6 Pickups, read our full NBA coverage for fantasy basketball and basketball betting tips.
