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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 12 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
With the season reaching the halfway point, a few players are getting a chance to shine in new roles.
Waiver Wire Forwards and Centers to Add
Glen Davis: Since returning from an early-season injury, Davis has been surprisingly consistent this season. He has scored in double figures in 15 of his last 16 games and has posted three double-doubles in that time. Davis has also taken advantage of Nikola Vucevic’s injury concerns to earn himself over 33 minutes a game over the past two weeks. Another surprising stat from the big man is his 1.1 steals per game, which are uncommon from the power forward position. Even though he is currently struggling shooting from the floor, Davis has been a productive player recently and should continue to see big minutes for the lowly Magic.
Danny Granger: Even though Granger is no longer the 25-point-per-game star he once was, he can still be a productive fantasy player. In his first start of the season on Wednesday, he posted 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block and 1 steal. He got the start in place of an injured Lance Stephenson, but prior to this game had still scored over 10 points in six straight games. Granger is currently only getting 25 minutes a game over the past two weeks, so his 11.6 points, 4 rebounds and 1.1 three pointers per game are good numbers. If he can prove to the Pacers that he is in fact fully healthy, the minutes and production should only continue to improve.
Mike Dunleavy: Dunleavy stands to benefit the most from the Luol Deng trade. He is likely to move into the starting lineup given his track record throughout his career. In 28 minutes a game this year, he has scored 10.2 points a game on the strength of 1.4 three-pointers per contest. With only rookie Tony Snell there to push Dunleavy for minutes, don't be surprised if he starts to push over 30 minutes a game. Assuming he gets the minutes, averages of 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 three-point shots per game is not out of the question. Consider him a very valuable pickup in any league.
Waiver Wire Forwards and Centers to Keep an Eye On
Michael Beasley: The über-talented Beasley has seen sporadic playing time this year, but many think it’s part of Miami’s plan to keep him under wraps. In the past week, he has only managed to play 16 minutes a game but has still scored 9 points and pulled down 4.3 rebounds a game. If he can find his way onto the floor for 25+ minutes a night, he will certainly be worth a fantasy look.
Andrei Kirilenko: The Swiss Army Knife of the NBA, Kirilenko has struggled with injury this season. He has only played in five games so far this year, and Jason Kidd has kept him on a minutes limit. With the injuries piling up in Brooklyn, the shackles may need to be taken off soon. If that happens, don’t be surprised if Kirilenko can get back to last year’s numbers of 12.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks a game, making him a great fantasy option.
