Fantasy Forecaster: Feb. 25-March 3
By Neil Tardy | Special to ESPN.com
Here's another reason fantasy hoops is awesome: It makes the just-completed NBA trading period seem interesting.
Don't get me wrong. The NBA trade season as a whole was, of course, a dud of Mark Eaton standing proportions. (This as opposed to Eaton sitting.) The biggest deal -- Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors -- went down three weeks ago. And of course many fantasy owners are understandably disappointed that, after all the empty speculation, Paul Millsap and Derrick Favors are still on the same team, and Eric Bledsoe still isn't a starting point guard somewhere.
Nevertheless, as fantasy owners, the recent roster machinations do give us things to talk about, and things to think about. To us, they are at least mildly interesting. For instance, how much of a hit in value does J.J. Redick take with his move to the Milwaukee Bucks? Can Jordan Crawford regain fantasy relevance with the Boston Celtics?
And finally, are the Houston Rockets serious?
Thomas Robinson, just acquired by the Rockets from the Sacramento Kings, is starting to attract attention in ESPN.com leagues. The fifth overall pick is now rostered in close to 15 percent of leagues. But here's the thing: That starting lineup the Rockets rolled out the other night when they rallied past the Oklahoma City Thunder? The one with Carlos Delfino (at least technically) at power forward? It sounds like that's going to stick.
The Houston Chronicle offers a succinct explanation of what the team sees in the James Harden/Jeremy Lin/Chandler Parsons/Omer Asik/Delfino five-some. Also keep in mind that, even if his professional development was inhibited by the Kings' dysfunction, Robinson is still considered something of a project.
Naturally, things could change, but at this moment I'm thinking that Delfino -- 40.9 percent shooting and all -- is the Rockets player worth adding now that the trade deadline has passed. As of Friday, he's available in nearly 90 percent of ESPN.com leagues.
[h=3]Week 18 at a Glance[/h]
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</tbody>"R" matchup ratings are based upon a scale from 1 (poor matchup) to 10 (excellent matchup), and are calculated using a formula that evaluates the team's year-to-date and past 10 games' statistics, their opponents' numbers in those categories, and their performance in home/road games depending on where the game is to be played. The column to the right lists the team's total number of games scheduled ("G") as well as home games ("H"), and lists the overall rating from 1-10 for that team's weekly schedule ("R").
By Neil Tardy | Special to ESPN.com
Here's another reason fantasy hoops is awesome: It makes the just-completed NBA trading period seem interesting.
Don't get me wrong. The NBA trade season as a whole was, of course, a dud of Mark Eaton standing proportions. (This as opposed to Eaton sitting.) The biggest deal -- Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors -- went down three weeks ago. And of course many fantasy owners are understandably disappointed that, after all the empty speculation, Paul Millsap and Derrick Favors are still on the same team, and Eric Bledsoe still isn't a starting point guard somewhere.
Nevertheless, as fantasy owners, the recent roster machinations do give us things to talk about, and things to think about. To us, they are at least mildly interesting. For instance, how much of a hit in value does J.J. Redick take with his move to the Milwaukee Bucks? Can Jordan Crawford regain fantasy relevance with the Boston Celtics?
And finally, are the Houston Rockets serious?
Thomas Robinson, just acquired by the Rockets from the Sacramento Kings, is starting to attract attention in ESPN.com leagues. The fifth overall pick is now rostered in close to 15 percent of leagues. But here's the thing: That starting lineup the Rockets rolled out the other night when they rallied past the Oklahoma City Thunder? The one with Carlos Delfino (at least technically) at power forward? It sounds like that's going to stick.
The Houston Chronicle offers a succinct explanation of what the team sees in the James Harden/Jeremy Lin/Chandler Parsons/Omer Asik/Delfino five-some. Also keep in mind that, even if his professional development was inhibited by the Kings' dysfunction, Robinson is still considered something of a project.
Naturally, things could change, but at this moment I'm thinking that Delfino -- 40.9 percent shooting and all -- is the Rockets player worth adding now that the trade deadline has passed. As of Friday, he's available in nearly 90 percent of ESPN.com leagues.
[h=3]Week 18 at a Glance[/h]
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<center></center> | Team | <center> Mon 2/25 </center> | <center> Tue 2/26 </center> | <center> Wed 2/27 </center> | <center> Thu 2/28 </center> | <center> Fri 3/1 </center> | <center> Sat 3/2 </center> | <center> Sun 3/3 </center> | <center></center> |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta HAWKS | @DET R: 5 | OFF | @UTA R: 5 | OFF | @PHX R: 6 | OFF | @LAL R: 5 | G: 4 H: 0 R: 8 |
| Boston CELTICS | @UTA R: 4 | OFF | OFF | OFF | GS R: 6 | OFF | OFF | G: 2 H: 1 R: 1 |
| Brooklyn NETS | OFF | @NO R: 4 | OFF | OFF | DAL R: 7 | @CHI R: 2 | OFF | G: 3 H: 1 R: 3 |
| Charlotte BOBCATS | OFF | @LAC R: 1 | OFF | OFF | @UTA R: 3 | OFF | @SAC R: 6 | G: 3 H: 0 R: 2 |
| Chicago BULLS | OFF | CLE R: 7 | OFF | PHI R: 2 | OFF | BKN R: 3 | @IND R: 1 | G: 4 H: 3 R: 5 |
| Cleveland CAVALIERS | OFF | @CHI R: 2 | TOR R: 5 | OFF | LAC R: 4 | OFF | OFF | G: 3 H: 2 R: 2 |
| Dallas MAVERICKS | OFF | MIL R: 9 | @MEM R: 2 | OFF | @BKN R: 4 | OFF | @HOU R: 7 | G: 4 H: 1 R: 8 |
| Denver NUGGETS | LAL R: 10 | OFF | @POR R: 10 | OFF | OKC R: 10 | OFF | OFF | G: 3 H: 2 R: 9 |
| Detroit PISTONS | ATL R: 7 | OFF | @WSH R: 4 | OFF | @NO R: 5 | OFF | @SA R: 3 | G: 4 H: 1 R: 7 |
| Golden State WARRIORS | OFF | @IND R: 1 | @NY R: 4 | OFF | @BOS R: 5 | @PHI R: 4 | OFF | G: 4 H: 0 R: 6 |
| Houston ROCKETS | OFF | OFF | MIL R: 10 | OFF | @ORL R: 8 | OFF | DAL R: 10 | G: 3 H: 2 R: 9 |
| Indiana PACERS | OFF | GS R: 9 | OFF | LAC R: 6 | @TOR R: 5 | OFF | CHI R: 5 | G: 4 H: 3 R: 9 |
| Los Angeles CLIPPERS | OFF | CHA R: 10 | OFF | @IND R: 2 | @CLE R: 9 | OFF | OKC R: 9 | G: 4 H: 2 R: 10 |
| Los Angeles LAKERS | @DEN R: 7 | OFF | OFF | MIN R: 7 | OFF | OFF | ATL R: 7 | G: 3 H: 2 R: 6 |
| Memphis GRIZZLIES | OFF | OFF | DAL R: 8 | OFF | @MIA R: 4 | OFF | @ORL R: 6 | G: 3 H: 1 R: 5 |
| Miami HEAT | OFF | SAC R: 10 | OFF | OFF | MEM R: 6 | OFF | @NY R: 5 | G: 3 H: 2 R: 6 |
| Milwaukee BUCKS | OFF | @DAL R: 7 | @HOU R: 7 | OFF | OFF | TOR R: 5 | OFF | G: 3 H: 1 R: 5 |
| Minnesota TIMBERWOLVES | OFF | @PHX R: 6 | OFF | @LAL R: 6 | OFF | @POR R: 6 | OFF | G: 3 H: 0 R: 5 |
| New Orleans HORNETS | OFF | BKN R: 3 | @OKC R: 5 | OFF | DET R: 5 | OFF | OFF | G: 3 H: 2 R: 3 |
| New York KNICKS | OFF | OFF | GS R: 8 | OFF | @WSH R: 4 | OFF | MIA R: 5 | G: 3 H: 2 R: 4 |
| Oklahoma City THUNDER | OFF | OFF | NO R: 10 | OFF | @DEN R: 10 | OFF | @LAC R: 8 | G: 3 H: 1 R: 8 |
| Orlando MAGIC | OFF | @PHI R: 1 | SAC R: 8 | OFF | HOU R: 6 | OFF | MEM R: 2 | G: 4 H: 3 R: 7 |
| Philadelphia 76ERS | OFF | ORL R: 4 | OFF | @CHI R: 1 | OFF | GS R: 5 | @WSH R: 2 | G: 4 H: 2 R: 5 |
| Phoenix SUNS | OFF | MIN R: 5 | @SA R: 3 | OFF | ATL R: 5 | OFF | OFF | G: 3 H: 2 R: 3 |
| Portland TRAIL BLAZERS | OFF | OFF | DEN R: 6 | OFF | OFF | MIN R: 5 | OFF | G: 2 H: 2 R: 1 |
| Sacramento KINGS | OFF | @MIA R: 1 | @ORL R: 3 | OFF | @SA R: 2 | OFF | CHA R: 8 | G: 4 H: 1 R: 6 |
| San Antonio SPURS | OFF | OFF | PHX R: 9 | OFF | SAC R: 10 | OFF | DET R: 8 | G: 3 H: 3 R: 8 |
| Toronto RAPTORS | WSH R: 4 | OFF | @CLE R: 7 | OFF | IND R: 1 | @MIL R: 5 | OFF | G: 4 H: 2 R: 7 |
| Utah JAZZ | BOS R: 7 | OFF | ATL R: 7 | OFF | CHA R: 10 | OFF | OFF | G: 3 H: 3 R: 7 |
| Washington WIZARDS | @TOR R: 2 | OFF | DET R: 4 | OFF | NY R: 2 | OFF | PHI R: 2 | G: 4 H: 3 R: 4 |
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<center> Ratings color scale </center> |
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