This article is part of our Centers of Attention series.
Not only is 2019 finally here, but the next two weeks will also put us past the halfway point in the NBA season. If you need to make up ground in your head-to-head fantasy basketball league, time is running out. We have a bit of a crazy schedule upcoming, so let's examine the impact it could have on some of the big men across the league.
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: There are few players in the league, let alone other centers, who can provide the type of all-around production that Jokic does. His 25.7 percent usage rate is the highest mark of his career, although he has struggled to shoot just 31.3 percent from behind the arc. It's hard to really complain about him, though, since he's averaging 18 points, 9.9 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.5 steals and one three-pointer per contest.
Jokic has the potential to be a league-winner in Week 13 with the Nuggets playing five games. No other team plays more than four times. His schedule isn't as favorable with three games in Week 14, but that should still leave him with more than enough opportunities to be a difference maker. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons: Drummond ascended to another level in fantasy last year because of his improved shooting from the charity stripe and assist totals. He's regressed in both categories this year, shooting 52.4 percent from the free throw line and averaging 1.3 assists per contest. Luckily, he's helped offset that some by averaging 14.9 rebounds to go along with a career-high 17.1 points per game. Add in his 1.5 steals and 1.8 blocks a night and he's still ranked 40th on Yahoo.
The Pistons get the benefit of playing four games each in Weeks 13 and 14, leaving Drummond with tons of value. To top it off, four of their eight opponents during that stretch are in the top-eight in the league in pace of play. It's easy to envision him having an extremely dominant run here with his only really tough matchup coming against Rudy Gobert and the Jazz in Week 14.
Luke Kornet, New York Knicks: Surprise! The Knicks have made yet another change to their starting five, inserting Kornet at center in place of Enes Kanter. The move didn't help their record any since they lost all three contests, but Kornet at least played well in all three games. He logged at least 27 minutes in each game and averaged 18.6 points, five rebounds and 3.7 assists.
It's hard to gauge what the Knicks are going to do on a nightly basis, but it seems like they want to see what they have with Kornet at the moment. That's great news for his fantasy upside in Week 13 since the Knicks will play four games. He's also still available in 73 percent of Yahoo leagues, making him a great option to add if you need a boost at center. However, make sure to make other arrangements for Week 14 since the Knicks will only play one game.
Thomas Bryant, Washington Wizards: This season might be approaching the halfway point, but it's pretty much over for the Wizards with regards to making any noise in the Eastern Conference. They currently sit at 15-23 and will be without John Wall (heel) for the rest of the season. If they do find a way to squeak into the playoffs, they likely won't be around for too long.
Wall is just one of the main injuries that the Wizards have suffered so far. Dwight Howard (back) hasn't played since the middle of November and Markieff Morris (back) has also missed the last three games. Bryant was already starting with Howard out, but the injury to Morris has left him with even more playing time. He hasn't disappointed, averaging 16.3 points, 11 rebounds and one block during that three-game stretch. Still available in 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, Bryant is set up with four games in Week 13. However, you'll need to bench him in Week 14 with only one game on the schedule.
Willy Hernangomez, Charlotte Hornets: Cody Zeller (hand) had managed to stay healthy this season after playing just 33 games last year. He didn't get a ton of playing time at 25 minutes a game, but he continued to start and take opportunities away from Hernangomez. Now that he's broken his hand, the door is open for Hernangomez to finally receive significant playing time.
Hernangomez has shown flashes of being a productive player during his career, but opportunities for him to succeed have been few and far between. He played well as a starter Wednesday against the Mavericks, scoring six points to go along with 10 rebounds and a block despite logging just 18 minutes in a blowout loss. Across three games in which he has logged at least 20 minutes this season, he's averaged 14.7 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks. The Hornets play seven games across Weeks 13 and 14, leaving Hernangomez a prime target on waivers who is available in 75 percent of Yahoo leagues.
