NBA

10 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Targets for Week 7

After a slow start to his Memphis tenure, Kyle Anderson has picked it up. Which other waiver wire adds should be on your radar in Week 7?

We're here once again to look at 10 of the most interesting players to emerge off fantasy basketball waiver wires over the past week.

As always, make sure you're checking out last week's edition (and the week before for good measure). We try not to repeat ourselves, but there are always some high-priority options to be found in previous iterations of this column who should still be on your radar if they're out there.

All rankings come courtesy of Basketball Monster.

Now, let's hit the wire.

Kyle Anderson, SG/SF, Memphis Grizzlies

Yahoo Ownership: 65%

Kyle Anderson had a fairly decent fantasy campaign in 2017-18, ranking 76th in nine-category leagues over 74 games, mostly filling in as a starter for the San Antonio Spurs in place of the oft-injured Kawhi Leonard. Many assumed Anderson would continue that kind of mid-round value as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies this year, but a rocky start caused some to lose faith, making him one of the most dropped guys in fantasy hoops during the early goings of 2018-19.

If he was dropped in your league, now is the time to scoop him up. Over his last five games, Anderson has been the 74th-ranked player in nine-category leagues, averaging 7.2 points, 0.4 three-pointers, 5.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.6 blocks, and 0.8 turnovers in a healthy 35.3 minutes per contest, while shooting 54.8% from the field and 0-for-3 from the free throw line.

He's not going to do much for you in terms of points or three-pointers -- he's hit double figures in only 3 of his 19 games played this season, while hitting a total of three triples -- but he regularly stuffs the stat sheet with boards, dimes, and defensive stats, rarely turns the ball over, and shoots an efficient mark from the floor. He's not a flashy fantasy asset, but he's a valuable one nonetheless.

Wesley Matthews, SG/SF, Dallas Mavericks

Yahoo Ownership: 40%

Wesley Matthews returned from a hamstring injury on Saturday that cost him four of his previous five games, and he should be picked up if he was dropped in your league.

Over his last seven games dating back to Halloween, Matthews has been the 82nd-ranked player in nine-category leagues, averaging 14.0 points, 2.4 three-pointers, 2.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 1.1 turnovers in 30.3 minutes per contest, while shooting 46.4% from the field and 81.0% from the free throw line.

He's not a lock for mid-round value like he was back during his days with the Portland Trail Blazers, but Matthews has been a solid late-round guy with mid-round upside in all three years of his tenure with the Dallas Mavericks (including a top-100 finish last year), and he's on his way to doing it again this year.

Reggie Bullock, SG/SF, Detroit Pistons

Yahoo Ownership: 15%

Reggie Bullock has been roughly a top-50 asset in nine-category leagues over the last two weeks, but his 15% ownership rate suggests that very few people have taken notice.

Over that six-game span, Bullock has ranked 51st with averages of 13.0 points, 2.8 triples, 1.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.0 blocks, and 0.7 turnovers in 33.6 minutes per contest, and a shooting split of 48.1% from the field and 90.0% from the free throw line.

Expecting mid-round returns going forward might be unrealistic, but Bullock's stable starting role in Detroit should help him get enough minutes to provide plenty of points, threes, and steals going forward. Combine that with his low turnover rate and fairly solid shooting efficiency, and he's worth owning in most leagues.

Jeremy Lin, PG/SG, Atlanta Hawks

Yahoo Ownership: 35%

It's hard to get excited about Jeremy Lin's role as a backup guard on the lowly Atlanta Hawks, but he's been filling it up enough lately that it's getting basically impossible to ignore him. He's been on a steady rise, as well, ranking 99th in nine-category leagues over the last month, 66th over the last two weeks, and 43rd over the last seven days.

Over his last five games, in a mere 23.2 minutes per contest off the pine, Lin has been the 38th-ranked player in nine-category leagues on the strength of his 16.0 points, 2.2 threes, 2.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.2 blocks, 2.2 turnovers, 65.3% shooting from the field, and 71.4% from the line.

His role makes him a volatile asset, and it's not like the rebuilding Hawks are about to start favoring Lin over their prized rookie, Trae Young, but it's hard to just leave Lin on the wire while he's this blazing hot. Pick him up and see how long this lasts.

Noah Vonleh, PF, New York Knicks

Yahoo Ownership: 50%

Despite a relative dud on Sunday night, Noah Vonleh has been one of the hottest players in the Association over the last week.

Over his last four, he's averaged 12.8 points, 2.3 triples, 10.3 boards, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.8 blocks, and 0.5 turnovers in 33.6 minutes per contest, while shooting 54.8% from the field and 66.7% from the free throw line. Those numbers are good enough to rank him 10th overall in nine-category leagues over that span.

He's had an up-and-down season so far and has been in and out of the starting lineup, but it's hard to argue with him as an add based on his recent early-round returns. The New York Knicks don't seem to have any plans to nail down a regular rotation, but if they continue to ride Vonleh's hot hand, he'll have a chance to remain relevant in standard fantasy hoops leagues.

Iman Shumpert, SG/SF, Sacramento Kings

Yahoo Ownership: 15%

Iman Shumpert may have gotten a rest game on Sunday night, but he's been playing well enough lately to warrant an immediate add anyway.

He's been the 59th-ranked player in nine-category leagues over his last nine games, and over his last three, he's been a first-round asset. He's ranked 12th over that week-long span on the strength of his 16.3 points, 3.3 triples, 3.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.3 blocks, 0.3 turnovers, 54.8% shooting from the field, and perfect 5-for-5 mark from the charity stripe.

Shumpert's not about to become a consistent mid- to early-round asset after seven seasons of never even cracking the top-140 (and three straight outside the top-200), but it's hard not to take a flier on the guy while he's this blazing hot. Ride him until the wheels inevitably fall off.

Wayne Ellington, SG/SF, Miami Heat

Yahoo Ownership: 25%

Wayne Ellington has started four consecutive games for the Miami Heat and has found a groove in his new role.

Over that span, he's been the 53rd-ranked player in nine-category leagues, averaging 11.5 points, 3.0 triples, 1.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.8 blocks, and a mere 0.3 turnovers in 31.9 minutes per contest, while shooting 39.5% from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.

He's never going to give you much outside of threes and steals, but owners in need of a boost in those categories should look Ellington's way while he's getting enough minutes to produce.

Cedi Osman, SF/PF, Cleveland Cavaliers

Yahoo Ownership: 40%

Cedi Osman has not had a great fantasy season, despite starting all but one of his 16 games played. Over his last three games, however, he's starting to find a rhythm and is worth a flier to see if this is the start of something better.

Over that three-game span, he's been the 55th-ranked player in nine-category leagues, averaging 16.0 points, 2.3 threes, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 0.7 turnovers in a healthy 35.8 minutes per contest, while shooting 45.5% from the field and 91.7% from the line.

He has no chance of living up to the Cleveland Cavaliers previous starting small forward, but the opportunity is there for Osman to have standard-league fantasy relevance if he can gain some consistency.

Collin Sexton, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers

Yahoo Ownership: 55%

Collin Sexton isn't having a great rookie season from a fantasy perspective, but he's at least scoring enough over his last five to warrant a look in standard leagues.

Over that span, he's been the 99th-ranked player in nine-category leagues, averaging 21.2 points, 1.0 three, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.2 blocks, and 1.8 turnovers in 31.7 minutes per contest, while shooting 53.7% from the field and 81.3% from the free throw line.

The efficiency is nice, and the points certainly make him worth a look if you're desperate there, but there aren't many goodies in his line outside of that. Go ahead and grab him for the scoring, but be ready for typical rookie drawbacks and an otherwise empty-calorie fantasy line.

Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, New York Knicks

Yahoo Ownership: 15%

The Knicks' three-headed point guard monster of Emmanuel Mudiay, Trey Burke, and Frank Ntilikina is a nightmare to navigate from a fantasy perspective, but Mudiay is starting to emerge as the guy to own out of the three.

He's started seven consecutive games and has been the 64th-ranked player in nine-category leagues over his last six. Over that span, he's averaged 16.0 points, 1.3 threes, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 1.5 turnovers in 23.5 minutes per contest, while shooting 53.0% from the field and 81.8% from the free throw line.

Coach David Fizdale's fickle rotations could render Mudiay useless again in a matter of days, but for now, he's doing enough to warrant a flier to see if his current role sticks.