This year, RotoBaller is separating its waiver wire recommendations by position a little differently. In our three position breakdowns, we'll be separating players into GUARDS, including point guards (PG), shooting guards (SG), and combo guards (PG/SG); WINGS, including small forwards (SF), swing men (SG/SF), and small ball fours (SF/PF); and BIGS, including power forwards (PF), centers (C), and bigs who play both front court spots (PF/C).
Today we are looking into some potential Week 9 waiver wire pickups for power forwards and centers who might fit well with your team and are sitting on the waiver wire in about a half or more of the Yahoo! leagues. So if you're in the market for a big to help your team fill out it's needs, one of the players from this article might just be what you're looking for.
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Standard League Waiver Wire Big Adds
Cody Zeller PF/C, CHA (45% Owned)
Although the Hornets' frontcourt is crowded with Roy Hibbert, Frank Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes all in the mix, Cody Zeller made room for himself by playing pretty well. With Hibbert playing just 16 minutes per game and Hawes sitting out four of the last five, it seems obvious that Cody Zeller is the number one option for the center position in Charlotte.
In four games last week Zeller has averaged 11.0 PTS on 51.4 FG% and 750 FT%, 7.5 REB, 1.0 AST, 0.8 STL and 1.8 BLK. Those are some killer stats. His steals, blocks, boards and field goal percentage along with double digit scoring are deserving of a standard league team. He is set as the primary big in Charlotte and if he keeps playing like he is at the moment, no amount of competition is going to change that. Him being owned in less that half the leagues is going to change quickly so if you're in need of boards and defensive stats with efficient FG percentage go and scoop up Zeller, before one of your rivals wises up!
JaMychal Green PF, MEM (43% Owned)
JaMychal Green has been starting at the power forward spot for Memphis from the start of the season. And even though his minutes may have been increased due to the injury bug that has plagued the Grizzlies, he still has value and deep league owners are lucky to have him on their roster.
He is playing 30 minutes per game this season and averaging 9.0 PTS with 0.5 3PM on 44.4 FG% and 79.7 FT%, 8.0 REB, 1.2 AST, 0.8 STL and 0.7 BLK and 1.3 TO a night. He is also getting his owners a double double every fifth game he plays, for those of you who are keeping count. The rebounds and defensive stats contribute a lot and can help his owners win matchups. Green also contributes with some threes and assists from the PF slot which is also nice.
Now Chandler Parsons is returning from his injury soon, and that might decrease Green's playing time a bit. But Memphis is an old team with a lot of injury issues. Their five arguably best players, Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Chandler Parsons and Tony Allen, are all 28 or older. Apart from Gasol, who had season ending surgery on his foot last season but didn't miss a game yet this year, the rest already missed 29 games between them this season.
Now although Green is overwhelming, and his per minute stats don't make your heart race, he is a contributor and with a healthy Memphis being very unlikely Green should be getting enough minutes to make him worth owning in, at the very least, more than half of Yahoo! fantasy leagues.
Standard League Honorable Mentions: Dario Saric (43% owned), Jon Leuer (37% owned)
Deep League Waiver Wire Big Adds
Larry Nance Jr. PF, LAL (23% Owned)
Larry Nance Jr. is a big part of the young Lakers rotation. He is the backup power forward behind Julius Randle and, baring an injury, that is not going to change anytime soon. That is the main reason he is sitting on so many waiver wires.
But Larry is a decent contributor to any fantasy team that values defensive stats. He is getting his owners 1.1 steals and 0.6 blocks in just 22 minutes per game so far this season. He is also scoring 6.9 PTS, grabbing 5.6 rebounds and assisting his teammates 1.3 times a night along with hitting 57.6% of his field goal attempts.
Now even though his FT% is at a lowly 72.0, him hitting on that mark with just 0.9 free throws a night won't hurt you much, and neither will his 0.7 TO. On the other hand, his rebounds, FG%, blocks and especially his steals can make the difference. So if you're in a deep league, and Larry Nance Jr's strengths play to your advantage, don't leave him sitting on the waiver wire for too long.
Deep League Honorable Mentions: Frank Kaminsky (19% owned), Patrick Patterson (19% owned)
By popular demand, RotoBaller has aggregated all of our fantasy basketball NBA waiver wire pickups into a running list of NBA waiver options, so bookmark the page and check back often for updates.