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Week 13 Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Tiago Splitter

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By @IanClarkMcEwan

Tiago Splitter Fistpump

Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

NBA champion and San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter is hardly a big name in today’s NBA. He isn’t a high flier and he doesn’t block shots into the third row, which seem to be the only two qualifications the average NBA fan wants to hear about when discussing big men. Yet Splitter is worthy of fantasy players’ attention.

While his rebounding is down from previous seasons, he’s outpacing his production in assists and blocks by wide margins this season. His assists have gone from 1.5 last season to 2.0 per game this season, a 25 percent increase. His blocks have gone from 0.5 to 0.9, a 44 percent increase. He shoots a high percentage from the field of 53 percent and won’t kill you at the free-throw line, where he shoots 70 percent. So, the question is: Should you add Splitter to your fantasy basketball team?

Like all players of this caliber, the answer is “it depends”. What sort of qualifiers should you use to make that decision? Well, for starters, if your team is short on assists and you’re looking for a way to supplement those, or at the very least to keep from losing ground when you dig into your bench, Splitter can help. His nearly two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio suggests that he is capable of making plays, and while this ratio is by far the best of his career, the fact he is now 30 years old and plays for a franchise that is built on passing lends credibility to the production. If that’s why you decide to add Splitter, you’re running very little risk of losing those dimes.

Splitter can also help a team looking to add some blocked shots. A 0.9 average is certainly significant. While the block and assists numbers won’t blow you away, remember that he’s doing these things without dramatically hurting you in any other area, something other bigs like Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan simply cannot say.

Splitter is certainly not a fantasy All-Star. His production is limited when compared to cornerstone players, as are his minutes and role. However, if your team simply needs steady production from a big man, Splitter is a guy who may be available on your waiver wire; and even if he isn’t, he shouldn’t be untouchable in a trade. For the right team, he could make a big difference.

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