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Week 17 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Tony Snell

Tony Snell

Rob Mayer – USA TODAY Sports

According to ESPN.com, Tony Snell is owned by 8.1 percent of owners in fantasy basketball leagues. This obviously means he is likely available in your league, so here is some background on whether it would be smart or not to pick him up.

First, rumors have come out that Snell is a player the Chicago Bulls would be likely to trade if they can acquire a perimeter shooting-guard. He has played well lately and is only a second-year player, so I’d be surprised if he was dealt. But based on where he goes, if anywhere, the thought process on whether to pick him up or not could change. For sake of consistency, I will talk about Snell as if he will continue to play for the Bulls.

The Bulls have had some injuries lately to Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy and Kirk Hinrich. Butler and Hinrich are still out, but Dunleavy and now Doug McDermott are back. This doesn’t bode well for Snell with less minutes to go around.

In the month of February (four games), Snell averaged over 18 PPG on about 70 percent shooting (60 percent from three). Those are pretty solid numbers in the small sample size, and the big key is he played over 36 minutes in those games. The most recent two games he put up almost the same exact game (22 points, 9-of-11 FG, 4-of-6 three-pointers and 24 points, 9-of-11 FG, 4-of-6 from three). Based on these numbers, Snell is definitely an intriguing pickup for your fantasy team until the Bulls get some players back from injury.

As you know, the upside for Snell is his perimeter scoring. If you are desperate for some points and three-pointers, he could be a solid pickup. The downside for Snell is his lack of productivity anywhere else. He might get you a steal once in a while, but he has had over five rebounds and two assists only once this season, separately. Also, he has six blocks all year.

You know what you’re getting with Snell, and I would suggest only adding him if you desperately need it. With Butler being out for the time being, Snell can benefit your team, but don’t expect him to be a consistent contributor.

Brian Brennan is a Portland Trail Blazers writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @b2brennan.

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