Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
After starting off the season red hot, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Corey Brewer cooled off, but is now starting to regain that form that saw him snapped up in many fantasy basketball leagues.
In today’s edition of “All Wired Up”, I’ll delve into the fantasy strengths of potential waiver wire gold like Brewer and fellow Timberwolf Ronny Turiaf for deep league consideration.
» Corey Brewer, SG/SF, Minnesota Timberwolves (18.8 percent owned on ESPN.com)
11 points (5-8 FG, 0-0 FT), 1 three-pointer, 0 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers vs. Bulls
Corey Brewer’s last four games have been nearly as good as anyone’s in fantasy basketball, which is surprising considering the terrible run he suffered a couple of weeks ago. According to Basketball Monster.com’s rankings, Brewer is the 16th ranked player over these past seven days, averaging 14.0 points, 1.5 three-pointers, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks per game, while shooting 60.5 percent from the field on nine field goal attempts per game. He also hasn’t missed a free throw over that stretch.
Brewer has earned his reputation as an elite perimeter defender throughout his seven years in the league and that reputation is backed up by fantasy stats. His 1.6 steals per game this season is the best of his career and that is where he can really help your fantasy team. One of best parts of Brewer’s fantasy game is the fact that he doesn’t really hurt your team in any area, with the exception of rebounding.
With no real competition for his minutes or starting job, Brewer seems locked into top 100 value for the rest of the season and would be a great addition to any fantasy team.
Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
» Ronny Turiaf, C, Minnesota Timberwolves (0.0 percent owned):
14 points (6-7 FG, 2-3 FT), 0 three-pointers, 7 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 3 blocks, 1 turnover vs. Bulls
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be advising anyone to add Ronny Turiaf in pretty much any league. But with Nikola Pekovic leaving the game after just six minutes due to a troublesome Achilles, Turiaf is in line to start the Timberwolves’ next game, just as he did in the second half against the Chicago Bulls.
There’s not a lot to say about Turiaf’s performances so far this season. After playing the first two games, he missed the next two months of the season with a fractured elbow. Since returning, he’s averaging 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks, as well as a paltry 3.5 points per game — but that all goes out the window now with Pekovic likely to miss some time.
His per-36 numbers since coming back are 7.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, numbers which are more than reasonable. If he can approximate these numbers while Pekovic is out, he’s a worthy add, even if it’s only for the short term.