Alex Len (PF/C, ATL) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add In 12-Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 15% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Though his 19.4 minutes per game this year for the Atlanta Hawks is his lowest volume of playing time since the 2013-2014 season with the Phoenix Suns, the 2018-2019 NBA campaign has been, in many ways, a year of substantial growth for former Maryland Terrapin Alex Len. The former fifth overall pick from the 2013 NBA Draft has started in 24 out of his first 64 games with the Hawks, and though he has seen a reduction in playing time, has been averaging a career-high figure in points per game with 10.1, while also averaging 5.5 rebounds and 0.9 blocks a night. The 7-1 Ukrainian has been especially hot over the last six games while a few Atlanta big men have been dealing with health issues such as Alex Poythress, Miles Plumlee, and Dewayne Dedmon.

Since the March 1st showdown of Eastern Conference bottom-dwellers between the Hawks and Bulls, Len has impressively averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.0 blocked shots in approximately 28.5 minutes per contest. His ability to exploit the opportunity of additional playing time should come as no surprise, as he has been among team leaders in efficiency across the statistical categories that he excels in. In terms of production per 36 minutes on the floor, Len ranks fifth for the Hawks in points (18.8), fourth in rebounds (10.2), and second in blocked shots (1.6). Additionally, several of the players that rank above Len in these categories are either hurt, or are no longer with the team such as Jeremy Lin and Tyler Zeller. The cherry on top of the sundae is the fact that Len has greatly expanded his potential area of danger on the court, namely, by stroking a career-high 0.7 three-pointers out of 2.1 attempts per game for an eyebrow-raising success rate of 33.3%. While a return by Dedmon and the continuously phenomenal play of John Collins threaten Alex Len's role with the Hawks for the remainder of the season, his high-efficiency scoring and rebounding paired with his consistent rim protection and improved shooting from downtown make him a well-rounded front court asset for fantasy basketball managers looking directly forward to the postseason.