Alex Len (PF/C, ATL) - Week 13 Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: After five seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Alex Len has begun his career anew as a member of the rebuilding Atlanta Hawks, and has gotten off to an excellent start despite his reduction in floor-time. Although Len ranks just eighth on the 11-27 Hawks in minutes per contest at 20.2 per game (his lowest volume of PT since his rookie campaign); he ranks fifth on the roster in points with 10.6, third in rebounds on the team with 5.5 behind only John Collins and Dewayne Dedmon, and is tied with Dedmon for first on the squad in blocked shots per game at 1.0. Not only that, his across the board efficiency has been top of the charts for Atlanta. Per 36 minutes of game play; Len is currently putting up 18.9 points (third on the team), 9.8 rebounds (third on the team), and 1.8 blocked shots (numero uno on the team).

On the other hand, Len has not been as dialed in on offense as he has been in years past. His free-throw percentage of 63.6% is so far the lowest figure of his career, while his effective field goal percentage of .527 and his true shooting percentage of .553 rank eighth and seventh for Atlanta respectively despite his high frequency of shots close to the basket. However, that's not to say that Len hasn't made any strides in his game this season from the offensive side of the court. So far through 34 games (and 20 appearances in the starting lineup) in the 2018-2019 season, the 7-1 former Maryland Terrapin has been nailing 0.6 shots out of 1.9 attempts per game (both of which being career-high figures by respective margins of 0.6 and 1.7) from downtown for a three-point percentage of 31.3%. On a bottom-dwelling Eastern Conference club, Alex Len will get plenty of playing time for the rest of the season (provided he remains healthy) out of the Atlanta Hawks front court. With well-rounded production in scoring, rebounding, shot-blocking, and above-average long-range shooting for a center, he is a safe acquisition option for fantasy basketball managers heading into the new year.