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In our weekly look at the waiver wire in fantasy basketball, RotoBaller Brad Leibfried gives us some in-depth NBA analysis about which forwards and centers to target off the waiver wire, and which forwards and centers to continue scouting. Fantasy owners would do well to check out Brad's Week 11 Guards Pickups, as well. RotoBaller covers the best fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups each week, so stay tuned!
Waiver Wire Pickups at the Forward and Center Positions
Waiver Wire Must-Add Forwards and Centers
Miles Plumlee: In case anybody in your league dropped Plumlee with his slide to start December, you need to take advantage and add the Suns' big man. Since December 15, Plumlee has put up seven games of double-digit rebounds while blocking over 2 shots in six of those games. Additionally, over the past two weeks he has shot an amazing 60% from the floor. Plumlee, like many bigs, struggles to contribute anything in terms of assists, steals or free-throw percentage, but for a player averaging a double-double over the past two weeks, that is not an issue. With almost no depth at center, Plumlee should continue to see solid minutes and there is no reason he shouldn't keep putting up great numbers.
Terrence Jones: Another player who has frustrated fantasy owners with spotty play has been Jones. The former Kentucky standout can have games like he had on Christmas where he put up 21 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks, but then he follows it up with a 2-point and 9-rebound stinker against the Thunder on December 29. Jones does seem to bring consistent effort on the defensive end, as he pulled down 8+ rebounds in four of his past five while also blocking 13 shots in that five-game stretch. If Jones can continue his 54% shooting, he should see plenty of time next to Dwight Howard as a stretch four in the Houston offense. At this point, his upside is too much to let sit on the waiver wire.
James Johnson: After seeing little-to-no playing time to start the year, Johnson has found his way into the Grizzlies rotation. The defensive minded forward has provided exactly what the team needs, a player whose focus is on defense and three-point shooting. Johnson is one of the few players in the league to average over one 3 pointer, one steal and one block per contest. Even though he scores just 9.4 points and pulls down 5.3 rebounds a game, his peripheral stats make him a sneaky play, especially in rotisserie formats. Should he be able to find more than his current 26 minutes a game, he will move into must-start status in a quick hurry.
Waiver Wire Forwards and Centers to Keep an Eye On
Mirza Teletovic: Teletovic has rotated in and out of the starting lineup since Brook Lopez’s injury. He has been a bit inconsistent, but has scored in double figures in eight of his past ten games. The problem with Teletovic is that he provides very little in other categories, including two games of zero rebounds in the past few weeks. If he can provide a little rebounding and a few blocks, he may be worth a roster spot.
Marvin Williams: The veteran small forward has started to find his groove as of late, posting solid scoring numbers of the past week. He also had his first double-double of the year on December 30 with 13 points and 10 rebounds. He also provides a rare mix of blocks, steals and three pointers made. Monitor his minutes-- if he can manage to stay in the rotation, he can be a very underrated fantasy player.
Check out Brad's Week 11 Guards Pickups, and be sure to come back next week as RotoBaller will continue to look at the best fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups for you to own and scout.
