Brandan Wright, Golden State Warriors
Currently, Brandan Wright is in the starting lineup for the Warriors. Though that can change at any moment, Wright has shown a high amount of talent. That talent in a run and gun offense could spell big fantasy value if he becomes a long term answer in Don Nelson’s starting lineup.

Kevin Ollie, Minnesota Timberwolves
Although Kevin Ollie isn’t exactly a name that enters many fantasy basketball owners minds, he’s starting now for the T’Wolves and he’s putting up pretty good numbers. If you need another point guard, going with Ollie is better than banking on a backup point guard.

Aaron Gray, Chicago Bulls
Starting three straight games at center, Aaron Gray has been impressive at times for the Bulls. He has the size and strength that the Bulls are lacking. Gray’s strong suit is rebounding and he’s not a bad scorer if he gets the touches.

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Kris Humphries, Toronto Raptors
With new coach Jay Triano now in charge of the Raptors after Sam Mitchell got fired, there’s some rumblings that Kris Humphries could see his minutes rise. Andre Bargnani isn’t defending well and Humphries could be the next in line for bigman minutes. His high PER suggests that he could do a good job if asked to take on a bigger load.

Matt Bonner, San Antonio Spurs
Matt Bonner has a good PER and is now starting at center for the Spurs. If he continues to get enough minutes, Bonner is helpful mostly due to his ability to make three-pointers from the center position. He’s also not a bad rebounder and he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes with the ball.

JJ Hickson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Although JJ Hickson is still a raw player, he has produced when the Cavs have put him on the floor. He’s a very good athlete at the power forward position who can score, rebound and block shots. If minutes open up due to injury or poor play, Hickson could step through the door and explode onto the scene.

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Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers
This one is rather obvious. Although the Blazers are purposely monitoring Greg Oden’s minutes, it’s no secret that he’s a stud in the making. Now would be a good time to buy low on Oden before he takes over the starting job and really explodes onto the scene. The only risk regarding Oden is an injury risk, although that risk is definitely worth the reward at this point.

Ryan Anderson, New Jersey Nets
No one is really talking about Ryan Anderson. If you think of Nets bigman rookies, you are going to think of Brook Lopez first. However, if you look at the stats, Anderson is producing quite nicely. Once the Nets really start losing and start trying to get as many ping pong balls as possible, expect Anderson to get plenty of minutes.

Brandan Wright, Golden State Warriors
Brandan Wright had very good per minutes stats as a rookie. His per minute stats are even better as a sophomore. Although the Warriors have some good bigman options, Wright could eventually find himself in the starting lineup. This becomes even more likely if the Warriors are able to find a trade partner to ship out Al Harrington.

Marreese Speights, Philadelphia 76ers
Although Marreese Speights doesn’t get many minutes, his PER statistic makes him look like a potential fantasy basketball sleeper. The problem for Speights will be minutes. Playing behind Elton Brand, there won’t be many minutes at power forward for the Sixers. If there is an injury on the Sixers frontline, picking up Speights would be the smart move.

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JaVale McGee, Washington Wizards
With the Washington Wizards struggling to win games early in the season, there have been some whispers about moving JaVale McGee into the starting lineup. If that happens, he instantly becomes a fantasy viable center. But even if it doesn’t, McGee is starting to put up very nice numbers. We’ve been calling him a sleeper since preseason and he looks like he’s going to transform from a sleeper to the real thing pretty soon.

George Hill, San Antonio Spurs
Now that Tony Parker is out at least one month, rookie George Hill has taken over at point guard. While his first two starts haven’t been overly impressive, he’s going to get a good opportunity. As long as he keeps getting minutes, he’s a player who can help your fantasy basketball squad in points, assists, rebounds and steals. Overall, he’s still raw but the potential is definitely there.

Anthony Tolliver, San Antonio Spurs
A second Spur on this list, Anthony Tolliver is an unknown quantity with most NBA fans. But with the Spurs struggling to get production from the bigmen next to Tim Duncan, Tolliver has emerged as a legit option. It wouldn’t be too surprising if he eventually becomes a starter next to Duncan. Tolliver is a center who can hit three-pointers and hand out assists. Those unique talents for his position could make Tolliver an interesting fantasy basketball option.

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Nick Young, Washington Wizards
In only 23.7 minutes per game, Nick Young is averaging 15.7 points. The Wizards knew he could score but he’s off to an unbelievable start. He is shooting 50% from the floor and has hit all 15 of his free throw attempts. While his other stats outside of the scoring column aren’t eye popping, Young is showing superstar level potential. If he can continue to produce at a high level, Washington will have to find even more minutes for him.

Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trail Blazers
Rudy Fernandez isn’t quite a star in the NBA but he is definitely showing he’s very good on a per-minute basis. It’s only a matter of time that he’ll start playing 30+ minutes per game. When he does, he could quickly become a very valuable fantasy basketball option. He has a lot of competition on the Trail Blazers for playing time but he’s too good to sit long.

Trevor Ariza, Los Angeles Lakers
Although he comes off the bench and only plays 22 minutes per game, Trevor Ariza is already a decent fantasy basketball player. If his minutes rise, he has the potential to be a stud. His points, rebounding, blocks, steals and shooting percentages are all improved. In fact, Ariza has added a three-point shot to his repertoire which has made him an even more dangerous player.

Gerald Green, Dallas Mavericks
In summer league, Gerald Green was extremely impressive. He also mixed in a few impressive preseason games. Even though he’s played extremely limited minutes, his PER is extremely impressive. The Mavericks have tried a bunch of different players in their starting shooting guard position. If Green gets a shot and proves to be a starter, he has the talent to be a scoring machine.

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Walter Herrmann, Detroit Pistons
Although few fantasy basketball owners expected much out of Walter Herrmann this season, he’s been amazing in the first two games for the Detroit Pistons. In 19.5 minutes per game, Herrmann is averaging 13 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists. If he can carve out an even bigger role, Herrmann could become fantasy relevant once again like he was a few years ago on the Charlotte Bobcats.

Zaza Pachulia, Atlanta Hawks
While it seems like Zaza Pachulia has been around forever, this bigman from the Republic of Georgia is only 24-years-old. Since he’s been relegated to a bench role behind Al Horford, he’s been all but forgotten in the fantasy basketball community. That said, he’s playing very well so far this season and if he can move up into the starting lineup, Pachulia has already proven he could average around 12 points and eight rebounds per game.

Roger Mason, Jr., San Antonio Spurs
When with the Washington Wizards in recent years, Roger Mason, Jr. was a one-dimensional scorer. So far this year with the Spurs, he’s looking like a legit NBA player who could have a bright future. He’s on fire shooting the ball very well and is doing a better job in terms of racking up assists and rebounds. It’s actually quite likely that Mason could supplant Michael Finley in the starting lineup for San Antonio.

Ronnie Brewer, Utah Jazz
Ronnie Brewer is hardly a secret. But so far this season, he’s been playing outstanding basketball. If he’s on your league’s fantasy basketball waiver wire, it’d be a good idea to pick him up. His per minute stats are off the charts and he’s a player who could blossom into an almost All-Star level player if given enough minutes.

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Michael Beasley, Miami Heat
Most league pundits expect Michael Beasley to put up decent stats. But don’t forget that this sleeper was just a certified beast as a freshman in college. If he can adapt quickly to the NBA, he could end up the year as a top eight power forward in fantasy basketball.

Emeka Okafor, Charlotte Bobcats
Emeka Okafor is coming off of a season to forget. His progress seemed to stall and he just wasn’t as good as he was in previous years. With Larry Brown now in the fold to push him on a consistent basis, look for Okafor’s production to rise across the board.

Jermaine O’Neal, Toronto Raptors
Over the last few years, Jermaine O’Neal has been been slowed significantly by injuries and a bad environment. Now that he’s in a new situation, there’s a chance that he could return to his former self and be a fantasy basketball game changer.

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