Fantasy Basketball: Is D.J. Augustin Worth Picking Up?

With the news coming down Sunday afternoon that Detroit point guard Brandon Jennings will miss the rest of the season, it thrusts D.J. Augustin into a starting role. Obviously, any of us in 12 team or larger leagues have already picked him up or at least tried to. What about those of us in standard leagues? Is Augustin worth adding, or is there someone better available on waivers?

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Augustin only played in ten games last year with the Raptors before being waived. He was rescued by the Bulls, and put up solid numbers as the backup last year. He played an average of 30 minutes per game picking up 15 points and five assists per game.

Augustin is about the same kind of player as Jennings, which is why the Pistons brought him in in the first place. He fits coach Stan Van Gundy’s scheme almost perfectly. Augustin’s minutes are down from last year. As a result, so are his points (8.4) and assists (4.0). That is to be expected. The number say that he is passing the ball better since his assists are only down one in ten less minutes.

In category leagues, Augustin is not a must add. He is not a great shooter, but he is decent from the outside, and a definite asset from the free throw line. His per 36 minute averages this year are 14.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. The caveat is that Augustin has never averaged 36 minutes a game at any point in his career. If you can take the low field goal percentage (38.4%), he can help you in points and some in assists.

He is much more valuable in points leagues. His percentages won’t hurt you there, and he should put up good enough counting stats to warrant rostering in any points league. I was lucky enough to find him in a couple of leagues, and I think I will be happy with his production for the rest of the season. Augustin really isn’t in any danger of losing the starting job.

Nov 19, 2014; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Spencer Dinwiddie (8) dribbles the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the fourth quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Suns won 88-86. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

The Pistons drafted Colorado PG Spencer Dinwiddie in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft, so there is a possibility that he could play as much or more than Augustin as the season wears on. Especially if he out-performs Augustin. Dinwiddie has only appeared in nine games this season, and played a total of seven minutes so far in January. Now that a lot of minutes have opened up in Detroit, the team likely will want to see what they have in him, especially if they continue to fall out of contention.

The Pistons are ten games under after being destroyed by the Bucks last night. They have done better since waiving Josh Smith, but they still have some work to do if they want to make the playoffs. The Pistons won’t throw in the towel just yet, but if they do, the younger guys will get more time. Augustin is the better short term option, but Dinwiddie is the future.

Dinwiddie would be an interesting add if you have a roster spot available in a dynasty format. You would have to wait on him for at least a few weeks, but it could turn out to be a good long term pickup. I would only advise this if you are not in contention, however. Dinwiddie likely won’t have much value beyond this season, but the nature of Achilles injuries is that the players that suffer them rarely get back to their old form.

That said, Jennings is only 25 years old and is still the future at PG for the Pistons. His young age means that he has a much better chance at coming back strong. Just be aware that it may not happen until most of the way through the 2015-16 season.

Those of you in redraft leagues can safely drop Jennings and try to find Augustin on your waiver wire. Those of you in keeper leagues should stash Jennings on your bench or IR spot. He can be moved if you get a solid deal for him, but don’t sell low. He is still a keeper in keeper or dynasty leagues.

Augustin is probably not going to put up the numbers that Jennings did. Jennings averaged 15.4 points per games and 6.6 assists. Augustin’s per 36 averages say he could come close to that, but as I mentioned before, he has never before averaged 36 minutes per game. If Augustin does average about what he did with the Bulls last year, he could actually come close to doing what Jennings did. He is a little bit worse shooter and won’t give you as many assists.

If Augustin is out there, go get him. He will be better than anything else you can pluck off of waivers right now.

Next: Waiver Pickups For The Week Of January 21st

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