With a 6-19 record, the Dallas Mavericks are having a bad season with Dirk Nowitzki (Achilles) out and no end in sight for his absence. In terms of fantasy basketball relevance Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews are leading the way on the Mavericks’ roster, but point guard Deron Williams has stepped up recently.
A nagging calf issue had Williams in and out of the lineup early in the season. But he has now played 11 straight games for Dallas, while playing at least 31 minutes in each of the last seven contests. That increase in playing time has coincided with the presumption of good health, backup J.J. Barea‘s absence with a calf injury and the calendar flipping to December.
Over eight December games, Williams is averaging 14.5 points, 8.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game. He has scored at least 14 points in six of those games, with at least six assists seven times. Williams’ field goal percentage is not great over the last eight games (37.9 percent), but he has helped offset that by making all 26 of his free-throws over that span.
At 32 years old and with less than 70 games played in five of six seasons prior to this one, durability is an ongoing concern attached to Williams. But the Mavericks are playing him heavy minutes, at least until Barea returns to action, and solid counting stats will follow as long as Williams is healthy himself. Fantasy owners seem to slowly be taking note in season-long leagues, but Williams is still widely available and he’s an under the radar waiver wire add. He should be firmly on the radar as a DFS play too.
Deron Williams ESPN Ownership Rate: 45.9%
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