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After a poor start to the season, the San Antonio Spurs’ Tiago Splitter is starting to find his groove as the playoff run begins.
In today’s edition of “All Wired Up”, I’ll delve into the fantasy strengths of potential waiver wire gold like Splitter and the Utah Jazz’s Richard Jefferson.
» Tiago Splitter, PF/C, San Antonio Spurs (4.1 percent owned on ESPN.com)
17 points (6-10 FG, 5-8 FT), 0 three-pointers, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover vs Warriors.
Even though Splitter’s big night came when Tim Duncan was resting, he has been productive as the starting center even when the old man has been playing.
I had high hopes for Splitter in the off-season and thought he could thrive as the starting center and return top 100 value to his fantasy owners. I drafted him in a number of leagues, only to drop him after a few weeks, due to his horrific start to the season.
He then suffered through numerous injuries and fluctuating playing time and that made him a fantasy afterthought. But after the last week, Splitter is looking like a player who can influence your fantasy playoff matchup.
In his last four games, Splitter is averaging 13.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 0.5 steals and 1.8 blocks while shooting a fantastic 67.7 percent from the field.
Those averages rank him 42nd on Basketball Monster.com over the last week. And only one of those games was without Duncan.
What does that mean for fantasy owners? Well if you are looking for a boost in your boards, blocks and field goal percentage, Splitter makes for a very good add, considering the Spurs play a fairly easy schedule next week.
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» Richard Jefferson, SF, Utah Jazz (0.4 percent owned)
21 points (6-12 FG, 4-5 FT), 5 three-pointers, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks, 2 turnovers vs Magic.
I didn’t think there would come a time this season where I would be writing about Richard Jefferson as a viable fantasy player. But thanks to coach Ty Corbin’s infuriating rotations, that’s exactly where we find ourselves, smack bang in the middle of the fantasy playoffs.
Before we get too carried away, don’t run out and grab Jefferson in every single league. His value lies in anything over a 12 team league and may even have a place in leagues of 12 teams.
Jefferson has hit a three in 14 of his past 15 games, including a season-high five against the Magic. In his last two weeks, Jefferson has averaged 12.4 points, 2.0 three-pointers, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 47 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free throw line. Those averages rank him 147th on Basketball Monster.com.
As much as I’ve been calling for Corbin to change up the starting lineup and give the young guys a go (amazingly, he didn’t heed my advice), Jefferson has started every game for the Jazz this season. That means that his role and minutes are pretty much locked in, so what you see is what you get.
If you need three-pointers and a decent smattering of points along with very solid percentages, Jefferson could be a key addition to your fantasy squad.