Willie Cauley-Stein (C, SAC) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add for REB/BLK/FG%

OWNED:  34% of Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Leagues

ANALYSIS: Willie Cauley-Stein entered his 2015-2016 rookie campaign seemingly off the fantasy radar. Though Cauley-Stein was the #6 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, his early role and apparent offensive limitations were major question marks for fantasy owners. Sacramento played their rookie big man only 8 minutes in their season opener, forcing many to believe he had not yet earned Head Coach George Karl’s trust and further cementing his status as nothing more but an intriguing name to keep an eye on throughout the season. However, the Kings shook up their starting lineup this weekend, giving the rookie big man consecutive starts at center. Cauley-Stein responded in a big way, averaging 12.5 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and even 2 steals while shooting a remarkably efficient 77% from the floor in just under 27 minutes.

While it might be unrealistic to assume Cauley-Stein will continue to stuff the stat-sheet like he did this weekend, his arrow is clearly pointing in the right direction for two major reasons that make him worth an add: minutes and schedule.

DeMarcus Cousins is already hurting, and the Kings might be careful with their franchise player in the early going.  This could lead to a significant uptick in minutes, and if Cousins were to miss any significant time,  Cauley-Stein becomes a must-own asset. Coupled with the Cousins's injury concerns is the fact that his primary competition for minutes at center comes in the form of uninspiring veteran Kosta Koufos, who provides nice depth for the Kings but does not present a serious threat to keep Cauley-Stein on the bench.

Fantasy owners will benefit from a friendly upcoming schedule for the Kings, who will have back-to-back 4-game weeks to start the month of November, providing Cauley-Stein with ample opportunities to cement his role as a contributor in the Kings lineup and in fantasy lineups.

Bottom Line: Expect him to provide you with strong contributions in the rebounding, shot-blocking, and field goal % categories. Inconsistency due to offensive limitations is quite possible, but Cauley-Stein offers upside that warrants an early-season flier with potential season-long dividends.