Ante Zizic (C, CLE) - Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: In just 32 games played at a clip of 6.7 minutes per appearance, Ante Zizic didn't generate a whole lot of clout last season in his rookie campaign with the Cavaliers. This time around, while he's only been averaging 6.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in 34 total games, he has found himself in the starting lineup with much more prominent playing time recently in the injury-plagued Cleveland front court. With Tristan Thompson being the latest Cavs big to fall prey to injury issues, Zizic has been stuffing his stat line, particularly since the January 16th match-up against Portland. Over that six-game span the 6-11 Croatia native has averaged a stout 16.2 points and 8.3 rebounds a night in anywhere from 26.5 to 34.5 minutes, while also accumulating five blocked shots.

Zizic also measures up as one of the more efficient Cavaliers in adjusted-time production, which has helped him to flourish as Larry Drew's newly minted starting center. In terms of average over 36 minutes of floor time, Zizic ranks fifth on the roster in points (16.0), third in rebounds (10.9), and he ranks third on the defensively plush Cavaliers in blocks (0.9) behind only Larry Nance Jr. and Deng Adel (who has played in only four games). Zizic is certainly not a well-rounded option, even as far as the center position goes. He can put up a solid volume of points and rebounds every night he sees plenty of hardwood, with the potential bonus of one or two blocked shots looming, but he isn't taking any shots from downtown or reaching any Jokic-like assist totals. Even with the returns of both Thompson and Kevin Love on the horizon, Ante Zizic is a concrete option at center for fantasy basketball managers moving into the next couple of weeks.