Effective big men have been hard to find early in the season. There are a lot of big men who are brought in off the bench just to grab boards and cause chaos in the line. Teams would rather have their less-skilled big men go out there and play more physically, thus causing more fouls and keeping other better players out of foul trouble. Early on, the stats can be a bit deceiving, but make sure you are checking the game logs because it’s very easy to miss seeing a big man’s minutes trending upward. Points and boards can be found, but you have to dig!

Justise Winslow F MIA-27% Ownership: Winslow is one of the best defenders on the Heat, especially from the perimeter. With James Johnson still out for the foreseeable future, Winslow will continue getting heavy minutes. He’s played at least 30 minutes in his last four games. Winslow hasn’t been as consistent in double-digit scoring since returning from injury, but he’s been helpful with boards, steals and assists. He’s had three multi-steal games in his last four. Winslow is good at reading screens and has a big body and uses his length to shut down the lane. Winslow has grabbed 5.7 rebounds per game and he should be able to grab a ton of long rebounds with his length. He hustles and fights for boards more than most on the Heat. When Winslow gets the ball at the elbow, he’s been helpful at finding the cutter and that’s bolstered his assist numbers. He’s dishing four dimes per game. He’ll provide minimal help with blocks. His playing time and spot in the rotation is safe and secure even when Johnson eventually returns.

Terrence Ross SG, SF ORL-12% Ownership: Ross has seen a bump in minutes and production with Jonathan Isaac hurt. He’s played 30-plus minutes in two of his last three games. He’s been a shooting threat from beyond the arc. Ross has scored in double figures in four and has made multiple three pointers in four of his last five games. While Ross will provide a tiny bit of rebounding help, he’ll grab steals on the perimeter. He’s stolen the ball in four of his last five games. Isaac had a lot of trouble with his Ankle last year and he could be out for more games. The Magic don’t have too much mid-court depth and he’ll even have time to facilitate the offense a bit. He hasn’t been too productive with assists, but just like with rebounding, he’ll provide minimal dimes. Throughout his career, Ross has been a perimeter to elbow guy. He helps rotate the ball around the perimeter and set up the open man. He’ll be used a good amount as a bailout shooting option.

Tristan Thompson PF, C CLE-39% Ownership: With Kevin Love and Sam Dekker sidelined, the Cavs are running out of options. Tristan Thompson will be forced to play extended minutes and he’s had double-doubles in his last two games. Thompson doesn’t have much offensive ability, but he’ll help with put-backs and he’s good at rolling to the basket after setting the top of the key screen. Thompson hitting double-digits in scoring in four of his last five games is very encouraging. What works in Thompson’s favor is that Larry Nance Jr. isn’t much better than he is offensively. Nance will be needed right outside the paint and that will give Thompson more room to post up. He’s grabbing 10.1 boards per game this season and he can be trusted until Love comes back. He’ll randomly help with blocks and steals, but we haven’t seen consistency.

Malik Monk SG CHA-27% Ownership: Monk has shown that he deserves more love in the Hornets rotation, but with Kemba Walker , Tony Parker , Jeremy Lamb and Nicolas Batum all in the mix for shots and playing time, Monk is held back a bit. Monk has been playing steadily in the 20’s the season. He’s been a very helpful scorer in his last four games. He scored 20 or more in two of those four games. Monk will set up at the arc a lot, but then will step inside to try to keep plays alive. Monk’s assist numbers have shown a bit of life over the last two games. He’s contributed at least five dimes in both of his last two games. He’s also recorded steals in two of his last three games. Monk will also shift up to SF at times when the Hornets are going small and that will keep him in the game. Expect him to see low to mid 20’s when it comes to playing time for now. He’s scored 13.4 points per game this season and with the minutes consistency we’ve been saying, he’s safely in the Hornets rotation.

D.J. Augustin PG ORL-34% Ownership: As noted above, the Magic don’t have a lot of backcourt depth and even when/if Augustin performs poorly, he’s really the only guy in town when it comes to point guards. Augustin has scored in double figures in three of his last four games and he’s dished at least seven dimes in two of his last three games. Augustin will continue to see minutes in the late 20’s and even eclipse 30 minutes. Augustin has played the role of spot up shooter and facilitator throughout his career and the veteran is needed to keep the offense moving at a high pace. Expect him to knock down three’s consistently. Augustin’s rebounding statistics have been creeping up in his last few games. He’s grabbed at least three boards in three of his last four games. Augustin is a safe final guard off the bench because he does have playing time security on his side. He’ll help out with steals inconsistently.

Trey Lyles PF DEN-11% Ownership: We’ve seen what Lyles can do when he’s not in as much competition for minutes. Paul Millsap is the prioritized PF for the Nuggets, but Lyles has shown enough grit over the last few years to earn his keep in this rotation. Lyles is playing over 21 minutes per game and for the most part, he’s shown consistency in effective scoring as he’s hit double-digits in six of his last eight games. Lyles will fight for boards and with the amount of time Nikola Jokic spends on the perimeter, Lyles serves as a good compliment when on the floor with him and will do the dirty work in the paint. Lyles has grabbed six or more boards in four of his last five games. He’s also stolen the ball in five of his last seven games and blocked shots in four of his last five games. He could end up being a short-term pickup with Millsap still the priority player, but he’s been making noise as an impactful producer off the bench and is sticking with the Nuggets rotation.

Rodney Hood SG, SF CLE-27% Ownership: Hood’s intangibles make him an intriguing player for fantasy. He’s scored 12.3 points per game this season. His sweet spot to shoot from is the top of the key, but he will step inside the arc and shoot high-percentage jumpers. Hood is a very smart player and will often keep the ball moving around until the Cavs find the open player. Expect Hood’s steals numbers to improve. He’s a strong perimeter defender and the Cavs, now down two big men, need all the help they can stopping the bleeding on the defensive side. Hood has grabbed at least three boards in five of his last six games. Hood will also contribute a bit with assists. Expect mainly scoring from him for now, but his playing time is safe. He’ll continue to play games in the 20’s and 30’s. George Hill being a bit banged up should give Hood more room to breathe in the Cavs rotation.

Boban Marjanovic C LAC-36% Ownership: Even though Marjanovic has only played 13 minutes per game, those minutes are rising and Marcin Gortat doesn’t get as many minutes. Marjanovic has recorded double-doubles in two of his last three games and played over 20 minutes in both of those games. In his previous game, he was one rebound away from securing a third straight double-double. Tobias Harris can rotate between the forward spots, but the Clippers need a lot of help at center and Montrezl Harrell can’t do it all by himself. Marjanovic has been producing in volume. Marjanovic has four multi-block games in his last five. All signs are pointing to Marjanovic picking up more minutes over the next few weeks. He’s been quicker running the floor than Gortat and he can do more with the ball. He’ll have the ball outside the paint and work his way inside. He’s still a bit raw offensively with his moves, but he’s good at finding positioning in the lane.

Patrick Beverley G LAC-20% Ownership: Beverley’s ability to run the floor as quick as he does will keep on the court and he should start to see more games in the 30’s. He’s proven he can stay healthy this season. Beverley doesn’t score in double figures as consistently, but he will provide enough help with boards and dimes to keep him fantasy-relevant. The Clippers have a lot of guards, but Beverley is the most aggressive of the bunch, especially when driving. He’s grabbed 4.7 rebounds per game and dished 4.3 assists per game. Beverley will hustle on the defensive side of the ball and he’s grabbed steals in two of his last three games. As he continues to shake off the rust from last season, expect his scoring to be a bit more consistent. He can hit shots from the outside and seeing him play 30-plus minutes in two of his last three games is very encouraging that he’ll become even more involved in the Clippers rotation.

WILDCARD PICKUP: Patty Mills PG SAS-13% Ownership: With Derrick White back, Mills could be looking at a reduction in minutes. Consider Mills a short-term pickup for now. Mills has scored in double figures in five of his last six games and hit four three-pointers in each of his last three games. He’ll be a priority scorer with especially the Spurs backups and his playing time is safe for now. Expect him to play in the late 20’s consistently once White is fully healthy. The knock on Mills when it comes to his fantasy value is that he’s shown he’s a one-category producer. He’s grabbed 3.3 boards this season and that is also a good sign. He recently grabbed eight boards in a game. He’s been more helpful with boards than assists this season. Mills is a good change of pace player. He’ll lead the transition and pull up for an open long-range shot if he sees the defenders fall back into the paint. He’s safe for now if you need the scoring boost, but watch his minutes over the next couple of weeks.