Full disclosure: Joel Embiid came out atop this list, but he's played 25 less games than the others and took advantage of being absolutely underpriced given his unparalleled situation to start the season. Minutes restriction and all, he's been a freak, but for that reason I've eliminated him from this discussion.
DeMarcus Cousins is in a league of his own, in more ways than one.
| Player | Games | Games ≥ 4.5x | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeMarcus Cousins | 55 | 36 | 65.5% |
The Sacramento Kings' stud center is the only qualified player (of 22) to reach or surpass a cash-game rate of 65.5%. He also leads all others by 3 games with 36 contests at more than 4.5 times his salary.
Speaking of Boogie's cost, he's dissimilar from the other four players in that he's usually on the higher end of all centers. His salary has never been below $9,500 and has reached a maximum of $11,400 through 55 games.
At such a high price, how does Cousins provide consistent value? In a nutshell, because he's a point-center. In 34.4 minutes per game, Cousins is averaging 27.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game on a usage of 37.5%.
He gets his hands on the ball in so many ways, and when he does he knows what to do with it -- rack up fantasy points for your lineup.