Round 5, Pick 1: Chris Kaman, C, Los Angeles Clippers

While the “looks” may have waved bye-bye to this guy quite some time ago, fantasy production is all about “opportunity.”  And what better way to increase a player’s opportunity than to increase his minutes per game by about 27%?  This is exactly what happened in Los Angeles, when former MAC big man Chris Kaman was given about 33 minutes a game last year.  One quick glance at his stats, and nothing crazy may jump out at you, but something tells me that Kaman may be one of the best second centers in fantasy basketball this season – if not a solid C1.

When this selection was made, one email that was sent through the grapevine was included something to the tune of “Kaman over Shaquille?”  Well, I guess this argument may seem fitting.  Afterall, Shaq is one of the most dominant big men in the game.  However, one thing he will not dominate is the “games played” statistic.  Since 2001, O’Neal has averaged only 66 games a season.  Now, I’m not sure about you, but I want my fantasy players to be productive, while being reliable.  A guard or forward may be easy to replace as needed… but a back-up center may not be as easy to find.  Just ask owners of Yao Ming or Jermaine O’Neal last season. 

In addition, if I would have drafted Shaquille O’Neal to this squad, my past few selections that were made to address my weaknesses would have been all for naught.  In any format, it pretty much comes down to my reluctance to take a player that will cause you to lose a certain category every single week in head-to-head, or cause you to finish near the bottom in roto – as O’Neal does with free throw percentage. 

Kaman’s work last season at the stripe netted him a 77% mark for the year… which is very solid for a center.  And while the field goal attempts may not be as high as most top fantasy big men, Kaman’s 52% from the floor is a nice addition to a team that already has 3pt shooters.  Add in the fact that he was top 10 in rebounds per game, ninth in total rebounds (where that whole “games played” deal comes in), and top 20 in blocks per 48 minutes.  Assuming Kaman continues to get the bulk of the minutes in L.A., owners will reap the benefits of all of these statistics.  Not only does Kaman add several benefits to this already solid squad, he complements the other four players very well.

Other team members:

1.1. LeBron James, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers
2.12. Amare Stoudemire, PF/C, Phoenix Suns
3.1. Vince Carter, SG, New Jersey Nets
4.1. Caron Butler, SF, Washington Wizards