RADIO
The NBA is back! RotoBaller will be addressing waiver adds with season-long value at center, forward, and guard throughout the season.
Rule number one for the first week (or even month) of the NBA season is that teams will change. A lot. So don't think too highly or freak out too much about what happens after just four or five games. That said, give Curry the MVP and the Knicks are making the playoffs. Jokes aside, one thing you can get out of the early games are some answers to the rotation and minutes questions we had about guys filling new roles their teams. Below are four centers that will be flying off waiver wires because of their high usage during the first week.
Position Eligibility & Ownership Rate Based on Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Player List
NBA Week 2 Waiver Wire: Centers
Willie Cauley-Stein (SAC, PF/C) - 43% Owned
Cauley-Stein is that other Kentucky center that got drafted very high last year (if for some reason Karl-Anthony Towns isn't owned in your league, then stop the madness and go get him). Cauley-Stein is no longer shackled by the restrictions of college ball and is once again playing alongside a dominant big man. He's been one rebound shy of double-digits in two of his first three games and has looked every bit as quick and atheltic as when he was a Wildcat.
Cauley-Stein looks like the kind of guy who might have no points but 14 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 4 steals in a game. It is obviously a small sample size but Cauley-Stein looks so comfortable being the "other" big guy who does a little bit of everything. With Boogie Cousins getting most of the attention and wreaking havoc with his ball-dominant game, there will be a lot of chances for the other young Kentucky star to shine in supporting areas where he is comfortable if he continues to get consistent minutes.
Amir Johnson (BOS, PF/C) - 64% Owned
After six seasons in Toronto, Johnson finds himself as a Boston Celtic. He's part of a deep big man rotation that also includes David Lee, Tyler Zeller, and Jared Sullinger. Johnson's getting about 20 minutes per game and putting up 13 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1 three, and 1 block in that time. That is an incredibly efficient and productive stat line for that amount of playing time (over 36 minutes Johnson would average 24 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks per).
These numbers might be a little high for Johnson to keep up throughout the season but in this young Celtics lineup I do expect the 28 year old to get consistent time. Because the East is so awful the Celtics should be a part of the playoff hunt until late, and some people are already calling for Tyler Zeller to be benched for the short-term good of the team, which could further boost Johnson's value. A healthy Amir Johnson should be a good addition to your team's big man depth especially in bigger leagues.
Note: While his ownership rate is quite high on Yahoo! now, it is significantly lower on other sites, so we are making an exception to our rule of only listing players owned in under 50% of leagues.
Kyle O'Quinn (NYK, PF/C) - 31% Owned
In three games for New York, O'Quinn has one double-double and was two points away from another. O'Quinn is basically the direct back up for rookie Kristaps Porzingis. This is the first time in his career he's being given a set part of the rotation and he should put up career numbers. During his three seasons in Orlando, he shot 50% from the field while putting up 5 points and 5 boards over 15 minutes. As a solid 20 minutes a night guy in New York he should be closer to 10 points and 7 or 8 boards plus a block. The Knicks gave O'Quinn four year deal and seem keen on him being a long term contributor off the bench.
Ian Mahinmi (IND, C) - 28% Owned
In Mahinmi's first three seasons in Indiana he consistently came off the bench and got 17 minutes where he put up 4 points, 4 rebounds, and a block. In his first three games without Roy Hibbert on the team anymore, his numbers have jumped to 26 minutes, 9 points, and 7 rebounds. Basically, he's the full-time starter now and he is going to be getting full-time starter opportunities. The only problem with Mahinmi is that he's not a very good basketball player. Luckily for fantasy purposes, both his size and opportunity are big enough that they will sometimes accidentally result in a double-double, making him a decent add in deeper leagues.
