Who's Got Next is a weekly look at some of the top players widely available on the waiver wires.The injuries are starting to kick in, so now we have to start looking at players who are getting more burn in the absence of the fallen few. I wrote earlier about the injuries to Kevin Martin and Tyrus Thomas.
The obvious front-runner in Sacramento is Beno Udrih who is now the starting point guard for the Kings. Tyreke Evans will also see an uptick in value, but it's less likely that he's still available in your league.
In Chicago it'll be Taj Gibson's role to step in and replace Tyrus Thomas at the power forward. Gibson dones't have the upside or the dfensive powress that Thomas does, but he should make for a nice short-term add. Is he Paul Millsap? Probably not. But when the opportunities are there, you have to take advantage.
Let's take a look at a few other players widely available who can help you in the week ahead.
Anderson Varejao just missed posting his third straight double-double Friday night against the Knicks with his 8-point, 12-rebound performance. Over his last three he's averaged 10 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, one block and 65.0-percent shooting from the floor. He's currently leading the Cavs in rebounds per game, tied for first in steals, and third on the team in minutes played. Yes, he's ahead of Shaquille O'Neal in rebounds, tied with LeBron James in steals, and only behind James and Mo Williams in minutes per game. His numbers this season are right on par with his per-36 of season's past. Make the move on Varejao while he can still be had in half of Yahoo! leagues.
Rafer Alston is the starting point guard in New Jersey. Not necessarily exciting news Devin Harris owners, who by now are aware that he's likely out for the next month. Alston is who he is -- he can hit threes, dish the ball and pick up a few steals. He'll also shoot below 40-percent from the floor and turn the ball over a bit too much. But, he's a starter and as we know in the world of fantasy basketball that means a lot. Brandon Bass is now finally going to get a chance to start at power forward. A few games too late, but how can you blame Stan Van Gundy for bringing him off the bench after the way Ryan Anderson has been playing. Alas, Anderson is now more than likely going to miss the next few games with an ankle sprain. Bass is an efficient big who can score, pull down a few rebounds and hit his free-throws. He's a nice short-term add while the Magic await the triumphant return of Rashard Lewis.
Renaldo Balkman has seen the light. It doesn't take much to knock Kenyon Martin out of the lineup, but a good old lower leg contusion should do the trick. He's scheduled to miss the next two weeks, meaning Balkman could get a nice look in deeper leagues. In 10 games as a starter in '08-'09, Balkman averaged nine points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, one block and 66.1-percent from the floor in just 23 minutes. Modest numbers, but a nice boost in the short-term.
George Hill gets an opportunity to start with Tony Parker out for the next week after injuring his left ankle on Friday night. Hill is limited in what he can do from a fantasy perspective. In seven starts last season he averaged 9.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 0.7 steals. Hey, alright. He's a flier for the week if you lost Parker and you're desperate for a point guard.
Dahntay Jones has filled in nicely for the injured Troy Murphy. Since he was slotted into the starting lineup two games ago he's been averaging 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks. Murphy is doubtful for next week, and while the Pacers play only twice this week, Jones is a nice add for Wednesday's start against the Warriors, but the Boston matchup could be a tough one.
Austin Daye has provided a bit of a spark for the Pistons over their past two. He had 11 points, five rebounds, a block and a steal against the Magic on Friday. That's two straight games with at least a block and a steal, and if I'm in a league with 16-plus teams I'm giving Daye the light of, you know, day. Tyler Hansbrough had a nice debut -- 13 points and five rebounds. He's not a standard league add since it seems like he's only going to get 15-18 minutes per game. Deep leagues can give him a go, especially while Murphy is out. A promising start to his career, but not yet worth a flier in 12-team leagues.
