Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Roll with Rollins

Now we’re rolling. While there’s still a lot of basketball left to be played, we’re beginning to see what teams and players are made of. That means you can begin to evaluate your teams and search for ways to improve. Let’s take a look at some options I have my eye on for the upcoming week.

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire

Ryan Rollins, G, Milwaukee Bucks

Talk about taking advantage of your opportunity. After playing just 15 minutes per game last year, Ryan Rollins is up to 32 so far this season. With Kevin Porter still out for multiple weeks, Rollins is starting in the backcourt for the Milwaukee Bucks and is in the midst of a career year.

The good news is that Giannis Antetokounmpo seems to trust Rollins, and the chemistry is there. Not only do we have another four to six weeks of Rollins in a starting role, but that’s just the minimum. If he continues his success, his role and minutes will continue to be secure. And that’s what makes the well-rounded guard a legitimate waiver wire option.

Through six games, Rollins is averaging 18.2 points per game to go along with a solid 5.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds. As a guard, Rollins is a contributor across the board as he also makes two three-pointers a game while picking up 2.3 steals. Both of Rollins’ percentages, 53.9% from the field and 88.2% from the free-throw line, are also fantasy assets.

Nickeil-Alexander Walker, G, Atlanta Hawks

Entering the season, Nickeil Alexander-Walker was expected to be a key option off the bench for the Atlanta Hawks. The guard has shown the ability to score in bunches when given the chance, but playing time was going to be an issue.

Now, with Trae Young sidelined for the next month, the narrative has changed surrounding Alexander-Walker. The expectation is that he’s going to receive an increase in playing time in Atlanta’s backcourt. That means the ball will be in Alexander-Walker’s hands and he’ll be in the position to score. We do need to note that scoring is where Alexander-Walker offers the most fantasy value.

So far this season, he’s averaging 17 points per game, but that comes with just 3,2 assists and 2.8 rebounds. The guard does have 1.5 steals while making two three-pointers a game and making 84.3% of his free throws.

It’s all about the opportunity here, but we know that Alexander-Walker can put the ball in the bucket.

Santi Aldama, F, Memphis Grizzlies

Depending on your league settings, Santi Aldama is also eligible at center, which pumps things up a notch. Mostly coming off the bench last season, Aldama had a strong year, averaging 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

Once again, Aldama is coming off the bench, but that shouldn’t impact our thought process. He’s playing about 25 minutes per game and has a legitimate role that’s only heightened with Zach Edey still sidelined. Regardless of that, Aldama deserves consideration off the waiver wire.

With 10.3 points and eight rebounds per game, Aldama has picked up where he left off. I’d expect his performance to continue at similar levels.

Quentin Grimes, G, Philadelphia 76ers

If this holds, it will be a career year for Quentin Grimes. It’s just five games, so while we don’t want to overreact about Grimes’ 17.4 points per game, I’m not sure how much that really matters. In fact, the points are really just a by-product of the 32 minutes he’s averaging per game. At this point, Grimes’ role in the 76ers’ rotation appears to be secure.

With 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, Grimes does a good job of filling out the stat sheet. He’s currently averaging three three-pointers per game, and that’s a nice waiver wire addition.