Christian Wood

Despite a disappointing finish for the Mavericks, Wood was actually quite productive in his lone season with Dallas last year, averaging 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.6 made three-pointers in 26.0 minutes per game across 67 appearances (17 starts). Overall, the UNLV product posted 51.5/37.6/77.2 shooting splits. Across his 17 starts, Wood was even better, averaging 20.4 points (52/37/81), 9.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.3 blocks in 33.1 minutes per game. However, it was clear that his fit with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving wasn't going to get it down from a competitive standpoint, and head coach Jason Kidd didn't seem to trust Wood. After wearing out multiple welcomes around the Association, Wood had to wait until early September to land a new deal, joining the Lakers on a two-year, $5.7 million contract. The Lakers made a run to the Western Conference Finals last year on the backs of solid secondary performances from Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves. Plus, they've added Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince, Jaxson Hayes and now Wood this offseason, marking this an incredibly crowded rotation. Wood figures to compete with Hayes for a backup role behind Anthony Davis in the frontcourt, capable of playing both center and power forward. With that said, LeBron James and Davis will continue to run the show. With so many secondary and tertiary options, it's going to be difficult for anyone else to provide consistent fantasy value, even if they're playing well. It is worth mentioning that James and Davis have often been injured over the past few years and will likely have sporadic rest days throughout the year. When the superstars are sidelined, it'll open up more opportunities for Wood and others, though fantasy managers will have to be astute with their decisions on when to deploy them.

The 2021-22 season marked Wood's second season as the Rockets' starting center. Though his points per game (17.9) decreased compared to the previous year, he increased his rebounds (10.1) and assists (2.3) while maintaining efficiency from the field (50.1 FG%) and from three (1.9 makes on 39.0%). His free-throw percentage (62.3%) remains a concern, though he's shot better in prior seasons -- as high as 74.4 percent in 2019-20 with the Pistons. During the offseason, Wood was traded to the Mavericks, and he'll be pairing up with superstar Luka Doncic. With Jalen Brunson out of the picture, Wood will, in theory, be a candidate to become Dallas' No. 2 option, competing mainly with Tim Hardaway for that role. However, oddly, both are expected to come off the bench. Given that Wood has managed to be efficient despite being on bad teams, fantasy managers can expect the big man to see more open looks than ever before, which could increase his field-goal percentage. Wood's ability to play both power forward and center due to his three-point shooting should help keep him on the court for a Mavs team that's not particularly deep, even if he's beginning the year as a reserve. Last season, he ranked 74th in per-game fantasy production, so he's a great option for managers who need a mid-to-late-round frontcourt boost.

Wood had an excellent start to his tenure with the Rockets, averaging 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.8 steals across 32.3 minutes per game -- all career-highs. The 25-year-old shot 51.4 percent from the field, 37.4 percent from three-point range and 63.1 percent from the free-throw line. Although he struggled from the charity stripe, there is optimism that he can bounce back as he shot over 73.0 percent during each of his previous three seasons. Houston used the 16th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft to select Alperen Sengun, a scoring center out of Turkey, but he shouldn't have a large impact on Wood's bottom line. The key for the UNLV product is staying healthy. Wood played in only 41 games during his first season with the Rockets after playing in all but four games with Detroit during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 campaign. During his only season with the Pistons, Wood finished 88th overall in fantasy scoring. Last year with the Rockets, he finished 137th overall. However, on a per-game basis, the 6-foot-10 forward finished 61st in fantasy scoring during the 2020 campaign. If he can stay on the court, Wood is a threat to be one of the more consistent fantasy producers next season. He could put up similar averages as last year and easily finish inside the top 100.

Wood had a solid start to the 2019-20 campaign, and through his first 49 appearances (one start), he averaged 10.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in 18.0 minutes. However, with Andre Drummond being dealt away at the trade deadline and Blake Griffin unavailable due to injury, Wood took on an expanded role late in the year. During his final 13 appearances, he drew 11 starts and averaged 22.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 threes and 1.8 combined steals-plus-blocks. Over that stretch, he shot an impressive 56.2 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from three and 75.7 percent from the charity stripe. This season, Wood signed a contract to join the Rockets, where it seems likely that he'll start at center. It wouldn't be surprising if he saw 30-plus minutes per game, though with James Harden, John Wall and Eric Gordon on the roster, it will be tough for Wood to score 20-plus points per night. Still, he has the upside to be one of the better centers in fantasy.

Wood will join the Pistons after Detroit picked him up off waivers. He flashed dominant abilities in the G League and during a very brief stint with New Orleans last season, going for 16.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 23.6 minutes across eight games with the Pelicans. Wood hasn't caught on with any of the four teams he's played for in his three-year career, but he continues to show big upside which landed him a roster spot with the Pistons for the 2019-20 season. He's averaged 17.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per 36 minutes in his career, and significant playing time could put Wood on the fantasy radar. He'll have a tough time seeing the court with Thon Maker, Sekou Doumbouya and Markieff Morris all vying for a backup role in the frontcourt. Wood is probable safe to go undrafted in all but the deepest of leagues.

Undrafted out of UNLV last season, Wood split his rookie year between the 76ers and their D-League affiliate in Delaware. In 17 games for the Sixers, Wood averaged 3.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, with most of his minutes coming in garbage time. He unsurprisingly fared much better in the D-League, posting averages of 17.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in just under 29 minutes per game. The 6-foot-11 Wood knocked down 52.9 percent of his field-goal attempts but struggled to convert at a meager 25.3 percent clip from beyond the arc. After signing a two-year deal with Charlotte in July, Wood has some short-term stability, though the second year of the contract is a team option. The 21-year-old will likely again spend considerable time in the D-League in 2016-17, where he'll look to prove he's developed enough to warrant a consistent bench role at the NBA level.

Wood surprisingly went undrafted this year even after averaging 15.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.3 steals, and 2.7 blocks in 33 minutes per game through 33 contests at UNLV. After not getting a call on draft night, Wood agreed to sign as a free agent with the Rockets. Wood measures at 6-11, 216 pounds and has a wingspan of 7-3. While the Rockets frontcourt will be stacked this season (Dwight Howard, Terrence Jones, Donatas Motiejunas, and Montrezl Harrell), general manager Daryl Morey must see something in the skinny, interesting prospect, and he could develop into something special if given the time. Until then, however, Wood doesn't appear to have much fantasy value this season unless a lot of the other options for the Rockets go down with an injury first.