Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Shamet from Downtown

Across the NBA, it was another busy week of action. Depending on your situation, it’s fair to take the definition of busy in either direction. Ultimately, the takeaway is to never stop. Whatever you do, don’t stop looking for ways to improve your team. There’s also going to be a need, and it’s your responsibility. As you dig through the fantasy basketball waiver wire for this week, let’s take a look at some options that can help improve your team.

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire

Landry Shamet, G, New York Knicks

With Jalen Brunson likely out for at least the next five games, there’s a void in the New York Knicks backcourt. Even when Brunson is healthy, Mike Brown has been opening up his bench and involving more than just five or six players, like the Knicks did last year. But for as long as Brunson is out, at a minimum, Landry Shamet deserves our waiver wire attention.

Before we go any further, let’s also not get ahead of ourselves. Shamet isn’t going to score 36 points again this season as he did on Friday. However, it was certainly nice to see him do so.

What was most telling was that Shamet attempted 12 three-pointers. That has become a point of emphasis for New York this season and is very helpful from a fantasy perspective. Shamet made six of those shots to improve his season average to 2.1 per game.

So far this season, Shamet is averaging a career high 10 points per game, and with extended playing time, should contribute a few rebounds and assists as well.

Bogdan Bogdanovic, G, Los Angeles Clippers

The last thing we want to be, is an ambulance chaser. But fantasy basketball is all about opportunity. Opportunity leads to production, which leads to fantasy success. With Bradley Beal out for the year and Kawhi Leonard also dealing with an injury, Bogdan Bogdanovic is the next man up for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Prior to this point, Bogdanovic’s playing time was very choppy, but we no longer have to worry about that. In his last four games, the veteran has scored in double figures, and that includes a 20-point performance on Friday. Bogdanovic also is averaging over three rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in that stretch.

Playing time doesn’t appear to be an issue for Bogdanovic moving forward. He’s a trusted and dependable scorer, and now he has the opportunity to match.

Daniss Jenkins, G, Detroit Pistons

When you get an opportunity, take advantage of it. Over the last three games, that’s exactly what Daniss Jenkins has done. At eight, he’s already played more games than he did last season, but it’s those last three that have caught our attention.

Jenkins has played between 34 and 40 minutes and has drawn praise from his coach, JB Bickerstaff. If the guard continues to have success, the playing isn’t going anywhere. And that’s why Jenkins deserves our waiver wire attention.

Now only are the production and statistics there, but more importantly, the effort is present. It also doesn’t hurt that Jenkins is averaging 20.3 points, five rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game in that stretch. If he continues getting the playing time, there shouldn’t be much of a regression in production, although Jenkins clearly is in the midst of a hot streak.

De’Andre Hunter, F, Cleveland Cavaliers

Multiple factors have led De’Andre Hunter to the starting lineup, and he doesn’t appear to be in a position to give up the opportunity. He’s filling the stat sheet, averaging 18.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists while also being consistent.

Hunter’s game with just 21 minutes played is an outlier, and that’s the only game in which the forward scored less than 13 points. At this point, it’s time to follow the production with respect to our waiver wire targets. Even as the Cavaliers get healthier, Hunter has carved out a legitimate role that’s backed by production.