This article is part of our Centers of Attention series.
Knowing the intricacies of the NBA schedule can give you a significant edge if you participate in a head-to-head fantasy basketball league. It's not always wise to just lock your best players into your lineup because you want to make sure you are maximizing the amount of games played during that time period.
Let's take a look at the center landscape for the next couple of weeks and highlight some players who are in favorable positions to be productive.
Jusuf Nurkic, Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum might be the two big names on the Blazers, but Nurkic should also get the recognition that he deserves for their success. His usage rate is down almost two percentage points from last year, but his improved shooting from the charity stripe has helped him average a career-high 14.4 points per game. He's been a monster on the boards with 10.1 rebounds per contest and he's also showed improved playmaking skills with 2.6 assists a night. Add in his contributions on the defensive end and Nurkic finds himself currently ranked 65th overall on Yahoo.
Nurkic only averages 27 minutes a game, but he'll be plenty busy with seven games over the next two weeks. Expect him to have a significant advantage in Week 11, specifically, since the Blazers are one of only two teams who play four games each. All of the other teams in the league play three of fewer contests.
Serge Ibaka, Toronto Raptors: The Raptors have changed things up under new coach Nick Nurse, alternating between Ibaka (knee) and Jonas Valanciunas (thumb) as their starting center based on matchups. However, with Valanciunas out for at least a month. Ibaka is now the unquestioned starter in the middle.
Ibaka has thrived when given the opportunity to start, averaging 18.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. He's also shooting 57.2 percent from the field as a starter compared to just 48.3 percent when he comes off of the bench. A knee injury did prevent him from playing Wednesday against Pacers, but initial reports don't indicate he's a candidate to miss significant time. The Raptors could certainly use him with three games in Week 11 and four games in Week 12.
Larry Nance Jr., Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavaliers can't seem to catch a break this year on the injury front. Kevin Love (toe) has missed the majority of the season, but Tristan Thompson (foot) stepped up big time in his absence. Now with Thompson on the shelf until possibly the middle of January, Nance is stands out as the top talent for the Cavaliers at center.
Despite having significantly more upside, the Cavaliers were hesitant add Nance to their starting give, allowing Channing Frye and Ante Zizic to make starts recently. That silly experiment finally ended with Nance started Tuesday against the Pacers and Wednesday against the Hornets. Not only did he log at least 33 minutes in both of those contests, but he thrived by averaging 12.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.5 steals and one block. The Cavaliers play three games in each of the next two weeks, setting Nance up to be a difference maker in fantasy.
Dewayne Dedmon, Atlanta Hawks: When Dedmon and John Collins were hurt to start the season, Alex Len had every opportunity to shine. Even when Dedmon first returned, he initially came back as a member of the second unit. However, Len wasn't able to capitalize on his chance and has not only been removed as the starter, but he's having a hard time cracking 20 minutes a game.
Dedmon might not fit into the long-term rebuilding plan for the Hawks since he will be 30 next season, but he's certainly their best option at center right now. He's been particularly hot of late, averaging 11 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals across his last seven games. The Hawks play three games in each of the next two weeks, so don't sleep on Dedmon.
Mason Plumlee, Denver Nuggets: Things couldn't get much worse on the injury front right now for the Nuggets with Will Barton (groin), Gary Harris (hip), Paul Millsap (toe) and Isaiah Thomas (hip) all out. The absence of Millsap has proven to be significant for Plumlee, who has actually started each of the last four games.
Being stuck behind Nikola Jokic had put a significant cap on Plumlee's upside, but Plumlee has averaged 29 minutes across four starts at his side. The added playing time has done wonders for his production, helping him average 9.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 blocks during that stretch. The Nuggets only play two games in Week 11, so it wouldn't be wise to start Plumlee even considering his new role. However, with Millsap set to be out for around another month, Plumlee has long-term upside. He's still available in 83 percent of Yahoo leagues, so don't hesitate to add him if you're hurting for help in the middle.
