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The 2020-21 NBA season is hardly underway but there are already a few players who stand out as quality waiver wire targets at the point guard position. We’ve identified three players rostered in less than 50 percent of ESPN league. Here’s who you should keep an eye on if you need help in the backcourt.
Tyus Jones, Memphis Grizzlies
Ownership percentage: 5 percent
Ja Morant is expected to miss 3-5 weeks with a grade 2 ankle sprain and Jones is the next man up. The Duke product logged 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in 35 minutes against the Brooklyn Nets earlier this week and could get starter minutes for a month or more. He won’t blow you away with gaudy numbers but can do a little bit of everything and is easily worth a utility spot in 12-man leagues.
Elfrid Payton, New York Knicks
Ownership percentage: 24.7 percent
New York’s backcourt has been ravaged by point guard and Payton is really the only viable point guard the Knicks have at this point. He got off to a slow start but is beginning to pick up momentum. He wasn’t far off from a triple-double in his last outing and should get around 30 minutes per contest for the foreseeable future.
Monte Morris, Denver Nuggets
Ownership percentage: 6 percent
Morris has been more productive than Will Barton so far this season and ranks sixth in minutes per game among Nuggets players. The sixth man’s performance could be linked to Jamal Murray’s struggles but he’s efficient when he does get the time and looks like the Nuggets’ second-best passer for now while Nikola Jokic hoards all the assists for himself. Morris runs the second unit and plays with starters.