Jaxson Hayes (C, NOP) - Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups

New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes is a worthy consideration as a fantasy basketball waiver wire pickup heading into Week 3 of the NBA season.

BALLER MOVE: Add In 14-Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 14% of leagues

ANALYSIS: While the last two games of Jaxson Hayes haven't gone the same way his first one did -- he had 19 points on 9-for-11 shooting in that one -- he's still worth a roster spot in a 14-team or deeper league at this point based on his upside.

Rookie centers are tough to trust in fantasy because of the ups and downs, but with the Pelicans struggling and Derrick Favors injured, there's room for Hayes to get minutes with New Orleans. A decent rebounder and passer (for a center), where Hayes will really help you is with field goal percentage, as he's taken 16 of his 18 shot attempts this year at the rim. He's hitting 81.2 percent of those shots at the rim with 12 of those baskets coming off assists.

Basically, Hayes is going to get easy baskets off pick-and-rolls with New Orleans, and if his offense remains just that, he'll be a huge help in deep leagues with that field goal percentage. I do understand that Hayes hurts you in some ways as well, but why not take a chance on a bouncy, rolling big? Who knows -- maybe he'll start collecting some blocks soon, seeing as he had 71 of them in 32 games at Texas last year. He also shot 72.8 percent in college, so this current efficiency doesn't seem like an illusion.