Fantasy College Basketball Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week

Time to get the new year started off right with some pickups that could help lead your squad to a championship down the road. This week focuses on a number of players that offer elite defensive category production. 

Guards

Tyler Harris (USF):

Harris started 29 games in his first four years between Memphis and Iowa State. He got off to a slow start in his first two games with USF, but in the 12 games since he has not scored fewer than 10 points. During that stretch Harris is putting up 16.9 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.1 three-pointers per contest. He is hitting from deep at a 43 percent clip as well and will continue to fire as AAC play continues. 

Darius Johnson (UCF): 

Johnson missed the first five games of the season with an undisclosed issue, but has been excellent since returning to the lineup. Over the last eight games, the sophomore is averaging 13.6 points, 4.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 1.3 three-pointers. Johnson is going to hound opposing guards in AAC play and hopefully his shooting percentages continue to climb. 

Desmond Cambridge (Arizona State): 

Cambridge averaged at least 15.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.5 3PM, and 1.0 SPG in each of his first four seasons with Brown and Nevada. Now, he has become a difference maker for Arizona State and coach Bobby Hurley. He had a recent five-game stretch where he put up 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.4 three-pointers, 2.6 steals, and 2.4 assists per contest. If you needed any evidence how important Cambridge is to the Sun Devils just look at the San Francisco game on Dec. 21 in which he missed with an illness and ASU lost by a whopping 37 points. 

Devin Carter (Providence): 

Carter has been a strong addition to coach Ed Cooley's squad this season after he spent one campaign with South Carolina as primarily a bench option. Carter's last three games have resulted in his three highest scoring outputs of the season. Over that stretch Carter is putting up 21.0 points, 4.0 steals, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.3 three-pointers. 

Max Shulga (Utah State): 

Shulga has been a do-it-all guard this season for Utah State and he is producing at a very consistent clip. After playing just 6.8 minutes per game as a freshman and 13.6 MPG as a sophomore, Shulga is getting 29.5 MPG as a junior where his averages are 12.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 three-pointers, and 0.9 steals. Those numbers across the board are something any manager can get behind. 

Forwards

K.J. Adams (Kansas): 

Adams did not reach double figures in any of the first seven games, but has scored 10+ in each of the last six and is putting up 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks over that stretch. Adams is a 6-7 forward that has played as Kansas' center for most of this season. While there are some talented bigs on the bench in Lawrence, Adams' recent play suggests he is going to continue to see heavy minutes through the Big 12 schedule. 

Derek Fountain (LSU): 

Fountain was a role player off the bench for the first eight games where he averaged 5.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per contest. He was inserted into the starting lineup on Dec. 10, and in the five games since, he has been averaging 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in 29.4 minutes per contest. Fountain should continue to start at power forward alongside KJ Williams in the Tiger frontcourt. 

Ed Croswell (Providence):

Croswell was a key piece off the bench for coach Ed Cooley in Providence's run to a Big East regular season title last year. This season he steps in as the starter alongside Bryce Hopkins in the frontcourt. While Hopkins is the more dynamic player, Croswell's numbers the last few weeks are nothing to push to the side. The fifth-year senior is putting up 15.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks over the last six contests. 

Nae'Quan Tomlin (Kansas State):

Tomlin is a JUCO transfer who has been an impact player in his first season in Manhattan. The 6-10 forward has been turning it on as of late, averaging 15.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 1.0 three-pointers over the last six games. Tomlin is going to be a matchup problem for a lot of bigs in the Big 12 due to his length and quickness. 

Centers

Qudus Wahab (Georgetown):

Wahab was a bit inconsistent in the first part of the season, but he is starting to put everything together. Over the last six games, Wahab is averaging 12.3 points and 10.0 rebounds on 47.3 percent shooting. Wahab averaged 12.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks back in the 2020-21 campaign in his first stint with the Hoyas, so there's optimism he can raise his block output this season and become an even more well-rounded fantasy asset. 

Jalen DeLoach (VCU):

DeLoach has been really coming into his own the last couple weeks. Even despite a minor illness in that stretch, DeLoach is putting up 15.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 2.0 steals over the last six games. The sophomore has been a key cog on both sides of the ball for VCU during its five-game winning streak, and he will need to continue to be that for his team to challenge in the A-10. 

Trey Jemison (UAB):

Jemison has started every game during his time with UAB in now his third season with the team. The 6-11 big man is averaging 6.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, and 1.2 steals over the last five games. You're not going to get a lot of scoring production from Jemison, but he's going to play around 25 minutes a night for a talented UAB team that plays at one of the fastest paces in the country. Jemison will give fantasy managers elite defensive category production and offers high rebounding upside.