If you were fortunate enough to reach your fantasy finals, if you're still fighting for consolation, or even if you're just fighting for bragging rights with a friend, here's a short list of additions you could make to your roster that would benefit you here in Week 23.
Let's start off with Jermaine O'Neal, Warriors backup center. Andrew Bogut was diagnosed with a pelvic contusion, and will be sidelined for somewhere in the ballpark of 4-7 days. In leagues of at least 12 teams, O'Neal is probably one of the smartest pickups. Almost every team plays four times this week, and with Andrew Bogut injured and David Lee's status up in the air, O'Neal and Marreese Speights are in for some big minutes this coming week. It seems that Lee should be returning soon, but Bogut will be out for at least the next two games, if not all four. In a start against New York, O'Neal posted a stat line of 8 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots. Solid performance for a waiver-wire pickup.
Jarrett Jack, Cleveland PG - If you didn't pick up Jack as soon as you heard Kyrie Irving would be missing substantial time, you missed out. He's playing efficiently, scoring and assisting, and chipping in with a few rebounds, too. In my opinion, the 37 MPG he's averaged over the last 9 games stands out. The more time on the court, the more opportunities he is given to help your fantasy team. You might even want to check out Matthew Dellavedova in a deeper league. He's been playing upwards of 30 minutes each game since Kyrie's injury, and he's the main guard behind Jack and Waiters.
Enes Kanter, Utah C - Kanter is only owned in 68% of ESPN leagues. Pretty ridiculous, considering he's won the starting center job in Utah and is a walking double double. In his past 12 games, he's grabbed double-digit rebounds eight times and scored in double-digits nine times, including a couple 18-point games and 15-rebound games. He's also played over 40 minutes twice over that span, and should be owned in all leagues. He's a steal if you're alive in fantasy playoffs.
Gorgui Dieng, Minnesota C - All the hype around Dieng was hype for a reason. The guy can play. He's shown that he can be dominant on the glass, posting totals of 15, 17, and 21 rebounds in three of his last eight games. Despite Pekovic's return, Dieng still has plenty of upside, especially if Rick Adelman decides to be cautious with Pekovic. Any time Dieng plays at least 20 minutes, he's good for 8 points and 12 rebounds.
Matt Barnes, Clippers SF - Barnes got injured earlier in the season, at which point he was dropped in almost all leagues. Now, he's healthy, and the defensive specialist is getting minutes and he's shooting a lot of threes. He's only owned in 39% of leagues, and with four games this week, you can count on him to chip in every single category, and well. With Griffin and Jordan sitting out, the boards are opened up to the likes of Barnes, and he will give you threes, steals, and blocks, stats that usually don't go hand-in-hand.
Omer Asik, Houston C - Asik is only really worth a look if Howard misses time. Howard has been fighting injuries, leading to Asik starting four of the last six games. In addition to that, some news sites are stating that Howard could miss up to eight to ten more days with his injury, opening up the starting job for none other but Asik. He will most likely be a nice source of rebounds and blocked shots in the championship week of fantasy basketball.
Darren Collison, Clippers PG - Sitting backup to Chris Paul is never easy, but upon Griffin and Jordan missing time, Doc Rivers has instead decided to go with a small line-up, starting Collison at the 2-guard. Collison has proven to be very effective in starter's minutes, considering his ability to score consistently, assist well, and grab some sneaky steals meanwhile.
Tony Wroten, Philadelphia PG/SG - If you're desperate and need a pick-up, I would first take a look at Wroten. He's been a phenomenal all-around guy this season, despite the Michael Carter-Williams' shadow drowning him. He can rebound, score, assist, and steal the ball, all great stats from a point-guard. Just make sure he'll be playing if you decided to pick him up - he has missed a few games with an ankle injury.
Henry Sims, Philadelphia C - Previous to his last three games, Sims posted some pretty nice double-doubles against New York and Chicago. However, he's slowed down in his last three. He's worth a gamble if you're desperate, but I wouldn't rely on him for all four games.
Well, that's all I got for you today. Best of luck in the championship round of fantasy basketball!
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