Royce O'Neale is likely to see a bump in PT for the Phoenix Suns.

Royce O’Neale has a chance to step up for the Suns. (Bright Side of the Sun)

Welcome back to another week of Fantasy basketball. We’ll be taking a break from the NBA Wire Troll until at least January, so use this opportunity to milk the wire.

This week, Anthony Edwards lost his shit about his struggling T-Wolves; Trae Young dished a career-high 22 dimes to help hand Cleveland a rare setback; and the Utah Jazz continue to struggle defensively.

So while you wonder whether red-hot Boston can become back-to-back champions (currently +230 to win the NBA title as per FanDuel), let’s get to this week’s…

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Picks

Royce O’Neale, SF, Phoenix Suns (ESPN: 8.9 per cent; CBS: 29 per cent): Early last season, we offered up O’Neale as a potential Fantasy pickup because of his rebounding prowess, and he provided mixed results as he enjoyed a solid month of production before seeing his touches dip for a few weeks. He then exploded in February before slowly regressed down the stretch. All told, last season was a bit of a letdown for O’Neal as he didn’t see as much PT as he had over the previous few seasons. This season, his touches are up, he’s been flirting with (or reaching) double digits in points the last few games and could very well be in line for a nice boost in PT as Bradley Beal — who just came back — is hurting again. O’Neal is mostly a defensive specialist, so don’t bank on a ton of scoring, but he can help you in boards, blocks and steals and is capable of canning some treys while periodically taking it to the paint (see video below).

Vasilije Micic, PG/SG, Charlotte Hornets (ESPN: 1 per cent; CBS: 1 per cent): Part of an extremely strong Philadelphia 76er draft class a decade ago, Micic is now starting with LaMelo Ball (calf) out and while he didn’t exactly shoot the lights out in his first opportunity on Friday, he still flirted with a double-double. A small-ball asset, Micic played well after getting dealt to the Hornets last season, so consider him in deeper formats while Ball is out.

Micah Potter, C, Utah Jazz (ESPN: 0.6 per cent; CBS: 1 per cent): Who? You are excused if you are not familiar with Potter as he put up one of those where-did-that-come-from performances on Wednesday (16 points, nine boards, three assists and a block) in his first appearance (and start) of the season. The third-year veteran had 26 games on his NBA resume before this game, but had never showed anything like that. So if you’re seeking Tobias Harris-like production at a much lower price and with much greater risk, give Potter a try as a streaming option.

Fast Breaks

While he’s still pitching in with rebounds, assists and steals, De’Aaron Fox has been uncharacteristically quiet on offense lately, failing to top 26 points in any of the last three games, including just 14 on Monday. Even so, he’s shooting better from downtown this month and has stayed healthy so far this season as he enjoys his top scoring campaign yet.
Mikal Bridges had a stinker on Friday, scoring just eight points with only two boards and two assists while committing another three turnovers (that’s five in the last two games for those keeping score at home). He’s been getting more touches this month but has gone cold from the field after a big start. Bridges’ bucket count is down for the second straight season, making that huge late run with the Nets in 2022-23 look like an outlier.
Russell Westbrook is making headlines for the wrong reasons again, this time getting dinged $35K for an obscene gesture on Monday. He turned in another forgettable game on Wednesday, managing just 10 points, five assists and one board over 19 minutes, but it’s actually been a better month for him as he’s been getting more touches and sinking more buckets. Overall, it’s been a tough first season in Denver for Westbrook as his bucket count has dipped yet again, but he’s salvaged things with the best three-point shooting season of his career.
It’s high time we gave some Fantasy love to Houston big man Alperen Sengun, who has emerged as one of the league’s top defensive players (he’s currently tied for the NBA lead in defensive win shares). He’s no slouch on offense, either, racking up a career-best third triple double of the season on Tuesday and then falling just three helpers shy of another one the next day. He’s struggled from downtown this month, but has otherwise really picked up his game. Sengun missed 19 games last season, but has been healthy so far as the team has cut back on his PT a smidge. And while he’s not scoring at the same pace, the rest of his numbers are mostly headed in the right direction.

RotoRob Tune of the Day

American songwriter James Taylor was enshrined into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Here’s another track from his 1976 Greatest Hits album, “Walking Man,” the title track from his 1974 album.