If you're looking for help on the waiver for the next couple of weeks, it's slim pickings. Injuries have taken their toll on the position across the league, leaving many viable candidates already scooped up in a lot of leagues. With that being said, here are four big men who are still available in a majority of Yahoo leagues who could provide value based on their schedules for Weeks 7 and 8.
Mo Bamba, Orlando Magic (77 percent available): If there is one big man who can be had on waivers that I like the most, it's Bamba. The Magic suffered a crushing blow when Nikola Vucevic went down with an ankle injury that could sideline him for up to four weeks. He's the anchor of their team, averaging 17.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists a night while recording a 25 percent usage rate.
The player who has taken Vucevic's place in the starting five is Khem Birch, not Bamba. However, Birch has averaged only six points and 5.3 rebounds across three games. Meanwhile, Bamba has averaged 10 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and two three-pointers. Even if Bamba continues to come off the bench, he has significantly more fantasy appeal than Birch. With the Magic set to play three times in Week 7 and four times in Week 8, Bamba could provide a lot of help up front if you need it.
Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers (51 percent available): Howard might have found himself in an ideal spot with the Lakers. After it looked like he was going to struggle to find a job for this season, the Lakers brought him in after DeMarcus Cousins (knee) went down. Anthony Davis would have seemed like a perfect fit at center, but he prefers to play at the four, so the Lakers needed to sign someone to provide depth at center behind JaVale McGee.
Although McGee has been starting, he's averaged only 17 minutes a game compared to 20 minutes a night for Howard. With opposing teams having to focus their efforts on stopping Davis and LeBron James, Howard has been able to fly under the radar and average 6.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks a game. Even though those numbers aren't overly impressive, they are enough to make Howard a viable waiver target since the Lakers will be playing a total of seven times across the next two weeks.
Moritz Wagner, Washington Wizards (67 percent available): I've had Davis Bertans in this section before, but he's not eligible anymore since he is rostered in over 50 percent of leagues. That's not a surprise considering how well he has played and the Wizards lack of depth up front. That dearth of talent also makes Wagner worth discussing.
If you just look at his playing time, Wagner's average of just 19 minutes a game might scare you away. However, with the Wizards playing at the fourth-fastest pace in the league and Wagner posting a 22.5 percent usage rate, he's been able to average 12.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 three-pointers a game. On top of that, he's shot 64.5 percent from the field and 81.5 percent from the charity stripe. The Wizards will play four times in Week 7, making Wagner a viable waiver wire target. However, he's only worth starting that week since the Wizards play just two times in Week 8.
Mason Plumlee, Denver Nuggets (93 percent available): I didn't forget about those of you who play in deep leagues. In 10 or 12 team leagues, Plumee isn't someone to roster. He's stuck behind one of the best centers in the league in Nikola Jokic, who is off to a slow start by his standards with an average of 16.1 points a game. Still, he's logged 31 minutes a night, which doesn't leave Plumlee with many opportunities to shine.
Even with his limited role, Plumlee has averaged 7.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.8 blocks across 17 minutes a game. He's also shot 58.2 percent from the field, which is no surprise considering he is a career 60.6 percent shooter. The Nuggets play four times in each of the next two weeks, which should give Plumlee added opportunities to provide value. They might also want to cut back on Jokic's minutes some since they will play two back-to-back sets and have two stretches with three games in four nights.
