RADIO
The third week of the NBA season is about to get started. Through two weeks, the center position has been dominated by a lot of newcomers. Rudy Gobert has played well while still not fully living up to the preseason hype. Karl-Anthony Towns and Hassan Whiteside have both proven they will be forces in the league both this year and for years to come. Rising superstars Andre Drummond and Derrick Favors are having some of the most productive and efficient starts for any big men in the league.
Meanwhile, veterans like Al Horford, Chris Bosh, and Greg Monroe have shown they can still put up big numbers and will be interesting pieces for trades as the season progresses. Finally, true superstars Blake Griffin and Anthony Davis are doing exactly what you would expect them to do and should only perform better as the season goes on. These and other big guys will be taken in your league, but you should always be looking at trade opportunities and undervalued guys that you might be able to steal away from an unsuspecting league mate.
There are still two widely available big men worth considering on the waiver wire this week at the center position. Both are rotation players who are productive in the minutes they play, but their opportunities will be based on their coaches' feelings and how guys in front of them are playing.
Position Eligibility & Ownership Rate Based on Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Player List
NBA Week 3 Waiver Wire: Centers
Standard League Adds
John Henson (PF/C, MIL) - 21% owned
Henson has played in three games this season as he is eased back into the rotation coming off an achilles injury. Like Jabari Parker, Henson is an extremely talented young big man the Bucks are looking to incorporate into their playoff caliber roster. In his last two games he logged 22 pts, 5 rebs, 3 blks in one and 4 pts, 5 rebs, 1 blk in the next. These Jekyll and Hyde stats will probably continue until Jason Kidd figures out exactly where Henson fits in. If you're willing to wait for this, Henson's talent and upside make him worth the bench add in bigger leagues.
Taj Gibson (PF/C, CHI) - 19% owned
Remember when Taj Gibson was really good off the bench for the Bulls and everyone would ask, why isn't this guy starting? It seems so long ago. Now Gibson is fighting for minutes with Doug McDermott and rookie Bobby Portis. Gibson has logged a pretty consistent 20 minutes, but it hasn't been enough to put up any kind of consistent production. Nikola Mirotic has taken all of the shots Gibson might have taken in the past and now he's used mainly as a "glue" and hustle guy as opposed to a genuine sixth man, let's-run-some-offense-through-you option. Picking up Gibson would be a desperate move, but because the Bulls haven't really figured themselves out yet, there is still hope he becomes a more consistent part of the offense.
Deep League Adds
Finally, a list of big men that are available in most leagues and who might be able to get you a double-double if they get hot or have an injury open up something for them. These guys have low ceilings, but their production is better than you might expect.
Frank Kaminsky (PF/C, CHA) - 29% owned
Another upside addition -- similar to, but a step down from Henson and Gibson -- Kaminsky hasn't gotten a chance to fully showcase himself in Charlotte, but it is obvious that he is their most skilled big not named Al Jefferson. He should get a lot more playing time as the season goes on.
Joffrey Lauvergne (PF/C, DEN) - 5% owned (10.7 pts, 6.3 rebs, 2.0 ast)
Joffrey Lauvergne was getting more playing time because of the injured Jusuf Nurkic. But now the young French player has also manage to get hurt himself. He's played well when he's been on the court, but there is so much unknown between his health and ability to stay on the floor that I am waiting and seeing with Lauvergne.
Kosta Koufos (PF/C, SAC) - 35% owned (9.6 pts, 7.7 rebs, 1.1 blk)
Koufos is playing behind DeMarcus Cousins so when Boogie plays you can forget bout Koufos. But when Boogie is out, Koufos can get you boards and blocks.
Luis Scola (PF/C, TOR) - 10% owned (7.3 pts, 7.1 rebs)
Scola is really old and everyone in Toronto expects Patrick Patterson to take Scola's minutes. Patterson simply hasn't played well enough to deserve them. There's no telling how this situation will eventually sort itself out, but until he gets some credible competition for minutes Scola is going to keep doing decent things in Toronto.
Jordan Hill (PF/C, IND) - 18% owned (9.2 pts, 8.5 rebs)
Hill is the back up power forward to small-ball starter Paul George in Indiana. As the Pacers figure themselves out, Hill should be a reliable bench option for them. He could average double figure scoring while putting up 7-9 boards a game. If the Pacers let Hill play more, he will become one of the hotter waiver wire commodities.
