Welcome back to our weekly transactions article, where we dish out 12 dimes of fantasy hoops advice.
Because most fantasy hoops trade deadlines have already passed and the playoffs in the majority of head-to-head leagues are underway, A Dozen Dimes has essentially converted into a waiver wire column for the rest of the season. In other words, instead of offering up 12 nuggets of adding, dropping, buying, and selling advice for this upcoming week and beyond, we're focusing on just the adding.
These are generally listed in relative order of importance. If you're looking for even more advice, check the "related news" section underneath to cycle through other recent editions of this column. We try not to repeat ourselves too much from one week to the next, so you might find more ideas you like from previous weeks that are still valid.
All fantasy rankings are courtesy of BasketballMonster.com.
Okay, let's get down to it.
Quinn Cook
We mentioned Quinn Cook last week, but that was when he was temporarily filling in for Stephen Curry, who was dealing with a short-term ankle injury. Now that Curry has a more long-term knee injury, Cook's poised to be the starting point guard for Golden State Warriors from here on out. Over his last five games (four starts), Cook has been the 21st-ranked player in nine-category leagues, averaging 20.6 points, 2.8 three-pointers, 5.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.2 blocks, and 1.8 turnovers in 37.0 minutes per contest, while shooting 55.4% from the field and 77.8% from the free throw line. He's still available in 65% of Yahoo leagues and 70% on ESPN, but he is a must-own guy the rest of the way.
Al-Farouq Aminu
Al-Farouq Aminu has been a sneaky mid-round value this season, but he's been almost as valuable as a first-rounder over his last six games. Over that span, he's been the 13th-ranked player in nine-category leagues, averaging 14.0 points, 3.0 triples, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.2 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 0.8 turnovers in 33.4 minutes per contest, while shooting 50.0% from the field and 66.7% from the charity stripe. You'll have a hard time finding a better all-around nine-category line than that, yet he's still available in 45% of Yahoo leagues and 65% on ESPN. Add and start him immediately.
Maurice Harkless
Another Portland Trail Blazer who is red-hot (or blazing-hot, if you will) is Maurice Harkless. Over his last six games, Moe has been the 25th-ranked player in nine-category leagues with averages of 14.8 points, 2.2 threes, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.2 blocks, and a mere 0.2 turnovers in 28.7 minutes per contest, and a shooting split of 66.0% from the floor and 71.4% from the line. He’s a little more widely available than Al-Farouq Aminu, with ownership rates of only 25% on Yahoo and a measly 5% on ESPN, so he’s a great guy to target if you’re in a deep league (though he’s a must-add in more shallow formats as well).
Kelly Olynyk
Kelly Olynyk is absolutely on fire off Miami's bench these days. Over his last five games, he's been the 12th-ranked player in nine-category leagues, averaging 18.0 points, 2.4 threes, 6.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.2 blocks, and 1.6 turnovers in 29.3 minutes per contest, while shooting 54.1% from the field and 85.7% from the free throw line. It's been Bam Adebayo starting in place of the injured Hassan Whiteside (hip) for the Heat lately, but Olynyk's been carrying a larger portion of the load overall off the bench. He's out there in 40% of Yahoo leagues and roughly 45% on ESPN if you're in search of a hot hand.
Michael Beasley
Michael Beasley has been up and down a lot this season, but he's been on an upswing of late. Over his last seven contests, Super Cool Beas has averaged 16.0 points, 0.7 threes, 7.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 2.3 turnovers in 29.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting split of 59.3% from the field and 71.4% from the free throw line. That's good enough to rank him 81st in nine-category leagues over that roughly two-week span, and he can be yours off the waiver wire in 55% of Yahoo and ESPN leagues. He could put up a dud on any given night, but he's starting for the New York Knicks, and they seem more than happy to let him eat up usage as their season winds down.
Allen Crabbe
The Brooklyn Nets have very little left to play for at this point in the season, but Allen Crabbe is still out there getting it done. Over his last four games, Crabbe has been the 48th-ranked player in nine-category leagues with averages of 13.5 points, 3.0 triples, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.3 steals, 1.5 blocks, and 0.3 turnovers in 27.9 minutes per contest, with a shooting split of 48.6% from the field and 85.7% from the free throw line. If you're looking for a three-point specialist in particular, Crabbe's a solid add in the 50% of Yahoo leagues and nearly 90% on ESPN in which he's available.
Dewayne Dedmon
Dewayne Dedmon doesn't put up the fanciest stat lines, but he's quietly the 67th-ranked player in nine-category leagues over his last five games. Over that span, he's averaged 10.6 points, 0.8 triples, 10.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.2 blocks, and 1.8 turnovers in 29.5 minutes per contest, while shooting 45.7% from the field and 77.8% from the free throw line. If you're in need of a big man who can give you a bit of everything on top of the usual big-man numbers, Dedmon is out there in 50% of Yahoo leagues and 70% on ESPN.
John Henson
John Henson has held onto late-round value for much of the season as the starting center for the Milwaukee Bucks, but he's kicked things up a notch over his last three contests. Over that span, he's averaged 10.3 points, 0.3 threes, 8.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.3 steals, 1.7 blocks, and 1.0 turnover in 27.7 minutes per game, while shooting 60.9% from the field and a perfect 2 for 2 from the charity stripe. That's good enough for 48th-ranked value over that span, so if you're in need of a big man who can give you some boards and/or blocks, Henson's a good get in the 65% of Yahoo leagues and 75% on ESPN in which he's available.
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Kelly Oubre Jr. has maintained late-round value for much of the campaign, but he has been a mid-round asset over his last four contests. Over that span, he’s been the 66th-ranked player in nine-category leagues, averaging 16.3 points, 2.0 triples, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 0.8 turnovers in 26.5 minutes per game off Washington’s bench, while shooting 49.1% from the field and 55.6% from the charity stripe. It’s worth noting that the 5-for-9 mark from the line is atypical, since his clip on the season is 83.0%. In other words, there isn’t really anywhere to find fault in that line. If you’re looking for a solid, all-around wing, Oubre Jr. is currently available in 60% of Yahoo leagues and 80% on ESPN.
Yogi Ferrell
Yogi Ferrell isn’t currently starting for the Dallas Mavericks, but he’s been one of their top fantasy guys over the last week or so. Over his last four games, Ferrell has averaged 15.8 points, 1.8 triples, 3.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.3 blocks, and 1.0 turnover in 27.2 minutes per contest off the pine, while shooting 46.4% from the field and 80.0% from the free throw line. He’s currently available in roughly 80% of Yahoo leagues and 90% on ESPN, so owners in need of assists and threes should be able to grab him fairly easily.
Cameron Payne
The Chicago Bulls are a hot mess right now when it comes to injuries and resting players, but Cameron Payne is finding a bit of consistency as the team’s current starting point guard. Over his last three contests (all starts), Payne has averaged 12.7 points, 2.0 triples, 3.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 1.0 turnover per game, with a shooting split of 48.3% from the floor and 80.0% from the line. That’s good enough for 62nd-ranked value over the span, so if you’re in desperate need of a point guard, Payne is a valuable guy who's out there in a whopping 85% of Yahoo leagues and 90% on ESPN.
Jeremy Lamb
Nicolas Batum isn't yet healthy -- he's a game-time call tonight -- and Jeremy Lamb has been starting in his place. Over his last three games (all starts), Lamb has been the 100th-ranked player in nine-category leagues, averaging 14.3 points, 1.7 threes, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 2.0 turnovers in 29.8 minutes per contest, while shooting 50.0% from the field and 66.7% from the free throw line. He’s out there in 50% of Yahoo leagues and 55% on ESPN if you need help on the wings.