Cody Zeller (PF/C, CHA) - Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups

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OWNED IN: 15% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Cody Zeller's hair line may be receding like it's running from something really, really scary, but that doesn't mean that he hasn't been going to work in the Charlotte frontcourt to start the season (and put up a highlight-reel posterization in the process). As far as bigs go, "The Big Handsome" isn't exactly a prototypical producer of blocked shots (or even steals for that matter). He also averages just 1.6 assists per game and while he converted on his only three-point attempt so far in 2018, it has marathons to go before it is a consistently deployed aspect of his game. So what is the value in Cody Zeller?

First off, Zeller has already proven to be one of the top rebounders on the roster, and he has taken the appropriate share. He currently ranks second on the Hornets squad in total rebounds (42) to Nicolas Batum even though he has played 88 fewer minutes, while he ranks first on the team in boards off the offensive glass (17) and rebounding percentage (14.6%) among players with more than 78 total MP. While his PPG of 9.4 currently ranks fifth on the team, his effective field goal percentage of .616 is best among the top-five scorers in Charlotte, and this high level of efficiency actually gives Zeller the highest offensive win share (0.6) on the team out of anyone not named Kemba Walker. Over the last three games, in just 67 minutes on the floor, Zeller has put together an impressive string of performances to average 13.3 points and six rebounds per contest. There are plenty of forwards and centers on the Hornets roster that may stand in the way of an increased role and more playing time, but even in his 21.6 minutes per game, Cody Zeller's efficiency from the field and on the glass insure that he makes the most of his opportunity.