Welcome back to another week of Fantasy basketball. Adrian is off eating smoked meat in Montreal this week, so once again the Troll will be penned by your trusty editor, RotoRob. It’s All-Star weekend: the perfect chance for you to catch leaguemates napping while you raid the wire for a big finish.

This week, the cold war between Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant has continued on the All-Star stage; Draymond Green backpeddled on his comments about Knicks’ owner James Dolan; and the NBA has put Texas on notice for its controversial “bathroom bill” that targets transgender people.

And now onto this week’s Fantasy basketball waiver wire recommendations…

GUARDS

D.J. Augustin, PG, Orlando Magic (ESPN: 1 per cent; CBS: 5 per cent): Other than an 11-point showing a week and a half ago, Augustin has been fairly quiet lately. So why the Fantasy nod? Rumours suggest he’s on his way to Detroit in a deal that would send Reggie Jackson to the Magic and open up PG time in Motown. Augustin, who has spent plenty of time starting this season, could nab the job, but even if he’s coming off the bench, he should see a boost in PT, making him an interesting player to stash in deeper formats. He’s shown a great shooting touch — at least in the virtual world (see video below).

Ish Smith, PG, Detroit Pistons (ESPN: 16.1 per cent; CBS: 37 per cent): Of course, the other dude that stands to benefit from Jackson being shipped out is Smith. Given that he’s got a long-term contract, Smith might be handed the keys to the offense in Detroit, but again — either way — he’s in line for a boost in PT. Even as the backup, he’s developed some nice chemistry and at times has done a better job than Jackson of running the Piston attack. Smith has put up double-digit scoring efforts in four of the last five games despite getting over 21 minutes of action just once. That’s efficiency, people. So imagine what he’d do with a consistent 25 to 30 minutes.

FORWARDS

Jeff Green, SF/PF, Orlando Magic (ESPN: 3.6 per cent; CBS: 11 per cent): Green is another player rumoured to be heading to Detroit in that trade, but in his case, it may not be such a good thing given the Pistons’ frontcourt depth. However, if he stays put, that may be just fine given that he was moved into the Magic starting lineup last game, responding with a second straight double-digit scoring effort. Green has struggled from downtown this season, but if he continues to start, he’ll be worth a pickup in deep leagues.

Bobby Portis, PF, Chicago Bulls (ESPN: 1.1 per cent; CBS: 7 per cent): With Nikola Mirotic (back) out, Portis has again been flashing his potential, scoring 16 points with six boards on Sunday and then a season-best 19 points with eight boards (including an impressive seven off the defensive glass) on Thursday. Portis is a solid defender, but the fact he’s shown a sweet offensive touch in two of the last three games is what’s really got us excited. He could be worth a short-term add to see how this plays out.

CENTRES

Alex Len, Phoenix Suns (ESPN: 25.2 per cent; CBS: 48 per cent): Len has now racked up four straight double-digit scoring games, flirting with double-digit boards in each of them while pitching in with some blocks. Phoenix is a shit show this season, but his recent effectiveness has been a bright spot. Len certainly has the size to be a dominant NBA centre, but his speed and post skills are not considered elite. He’s sinking more buckets so far in February, but has not gotten to the line as much as we’d like to see this season. If that changes, he’ll have a better chance of breaking out offensively.

Kevin Seraphin, Indiana Pacers (ESPN: 0.9 per cent; CBS: 1 per cent): Injuries in Indiana have forced Seraphin into the starting lineup, and while he hasn’t exactly exploded, he’s definitely worth considering in very deep formats as he’s seeing enough minutes to produce. His touches are down this season, but the 17th overall pick from 2010 is getting a lot more looks now, and he tends to shoot at a fantastic clip (especially lately with a 65.7 per cent mark over the last five games). Once upon a time, Seraphin looked like the future of the Wizards; now, he’s getting a second chance in Indy, so perhaps it’s worth tracking him to see if he can grab it and run.

Now it’s your turn. Let us know in the comments below who your favourite Fantasy basketball waiver wire pick of the week is.

Save $1 on the 2016 Fantasy Baseball Guide

Buy the 2017 Fantasy Baseball Guide online, use promo code Rob17 and save yourself a buck. Do it. Do it now.

Barea has been able to score in double figures in six of his last seven games including a big 22-point performance on Wednesday in which he led Dallas to victory over the Jazz. He’s likely not worth a pick up on a long-term basis, however he’s a great handcuff to Rondo. more

Ingles is a dude that quietly fills up the stat sheet and is earning more minutes because of it. For example he had a game recently in which he appeared to do nothing and when you looked at the final stats he had eight points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Ingles is not a must-own yet, but as he gets more and more comfortable in the NBA he could be worth something in all formats. more

Nelson stepped in and had 23 points and seven assists as it turns out that Lawson was arrested on Friday morning on suspicion of DUI. With Lawson’s situation unclear, Nelson is a great plug and play moving forward and might be worth a long-term pick up if Lawson ends up missing a long period of time. more

Mozgov is still very much an NBA work in progress, but he has started three straight games, averaging 9.3 points, 8.3 boards and 1.3 blocks during that time. If you’re in a very deep league, Mozgov should provide modest help with big-man stats in the short run, but he carries a great deal of risk to go with his modest upside. Grab him if you think he can help, but keep the bait knife close at hand. more