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Fantasy Forecast | Three Big Men Who Have Surprised This Season

Big men in the NBA have become a rare commodity. There’s a reason why mediocre big men get big contracts every offseason. There are very few of them.

It’s a little bit like in the MLB and how the best pitcher in the offseason sets the market. Sometimes the market is led by a guy like Max Scherzer. Sometimes it’s set by someone like Ted Lilly. Either way, that guy is going to get paid.

For the, well, inconsistent play among big men in the NBA this season, that also leads to unreliable centers in fantasy basketball. If you’re in a league and don’t have Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love or Anthony Davis, you’ve probably been making more moves than the wife in Gone Girl.

There have been three centers, though, that have surprised fantasy owners and if you were lucky enough to pick them up before January, you were ahead of your fellow fantasy nerds.

Gorgui Dieng, Minnesota Timberwolves

This is Timberwolves.com so of course we have to have a player from Minnesota on the list. It’s actually in our Fantasy Forecast contract.

Maybe Dieng isn’t a surprise considering he had two 20-point/20-rebound games last season as a rookie. And it’s not like Nikola Pekovic getting hurt was out of the realm of possibilities either considering his history.

Dieng has gotten the opportunity, which is half the battle. He’s made the most of that opportunity, which is the other half. So much so that Saunders has slid Dieng to the power forward position, making him eligible for both PF and C in your leagues.

His numbers aren’t gaudy, but they’re consistent. He’s averaging 9.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 blocks per game. He’s also a guy who will help you with FG% and FT%. He’s shooting 50.2 percent from the field and 80 percent from the charity stripe, which is extremely impressive for a big dude.

 As long as he continues to get 25-30 minutes for the club, he’ worth a roster spot. He’s probably not available in your league. If you’re reading this and have him on your roster, go get yourself a cookie. You're a fantasy mastermind! 

Jusuf Nurkic, Denver Nuggets

First off, Nurkic isn’t just a big. He’s a BIG. The dude is 6’11, 280 pounds. His dad, though, still has that “dad strength” and could probably give Nurkic a run for his money in a wrestling match.

His dad is (OMG) 7'0, 400(!) pounds. That's insane.

Nurkic is only 20 years old, so if you’re in a keeper league, you probably struck gold – especially with the Nuggets trading Timofey Mozgov to the Cavaliers. And being so young, is it possible he's still growing?

The probably with big, bad Jusuf is keeping him on the floor. The big fella is averaging 3.1 fouls in 15.4 minutes of play and 7.3 per 36 minutes. That’s horrible, but when he is on the court, he’s been good.

He’s averaging 6.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, which doesn’t blow you away, but in his nine starts, his rebounds jump up to 7.8 per game.

He’s not a guy who is going to make or break your fantasy team, but he is a guy who can help you in a few categories here and there. 

Alex Len, Phoenix Suns

After last season, I was convinced this guy was a bust. He played in just 42 games, and most of his appearances were in garbage time.

He’s proven us wrong in 2014-15, and while he’s not Hakeem out there, he has become a player who has made the team at least think about if they can get away with trading fellow center Miles Plumlee.

The former University of Maryland star is averaging 11.3 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per 36 minutes. The thing is just making sure he gets those minutes. Keep an eye on what General Manager Ryan McDonough does with Plumlee. That trade will open the door for Len to get some more playing time.

He probably won’t see 30 or more minutes per game at any point this season when you consider his injury history, but even five more minutes per game puts him right around 25 and that equals out to about half block and two rebounds more per game.