NBA Fantasy News 2011/2012

[HacheMan]

Dose: The Injury Report

The NBA is back! After what seemed like an eternity, the four-day All-Star break is over and we have nine games on the docket tonight. Most of you have to set lineups by 7:00 tonight, so here’s a look at some of the key injury news heading into Week 10. The season is only 18 weeks long this year, and Week 18 is a short one, meaning the playoffs are right around the corner. Here’s what you need to know.



Kobe Bryant – I re-watched the end of the All-Star Game on Monday night and am baffled by Kobe’s late efforts in that game. He has a broken nose and (possibly) a mild concussion, but was still out there getting it done, talking trash and playing as if it were a regular game. He’s going to be iffy for Wednesday, but my guess is he’ll play in all three of the Lakers’ games this week, starting tomorrow against the Timberwolves. Whether or not he has a concussion is up for debate, but the fact the latest reports say he does not have one further increase his chances of playing. I’d start him this week if I owned him.



Stephen Curry – Curry missed Monday’s practice and is very iffy for tonight’s game at Indiana with a sprained deltoid ligament in his right foot. The Warriors have four games this week and I am leaning toward rolling the dice on him, in hopes that he’ll play in three games, and possibly all four. Curry always seems to come back sooner than he should from his injuries, but starting him this week is a true roll of the dice. Hopefully you’re in a daily league and can play it by ear until we know more. The latest news is that he plans on testing his foot in Tuesday’s shootaround, but it sounds like the training staff will make the call on whether or not he plays tonight. Consider him a true game-time decision for Tuesday at Indy.



Andrew Bynum – Bynum left the All-Star Game early due to a sore knee and the fact he received a Synvisc injection on Friday. He says he will play on Wednesday against Minnesota and I have no reason to doubt him. If you own him, he looks like a solid start with three games, and my guess is he plays in all three of them.



Carmelo Anthony – Melo’s groin injury is no longer an issue and he looked good in the All-Star Game. But if you play in a weekly league, put him on your bench as the Knicks only have two games this week. I’m starting Nicolas Batum over him in League Freak, and am hoping that Melo makes all of this season’s misery up to me/us with a strong run after this week. This was not the year to own Melo, at least in the first half of the season, and he could be a nice buy-low for the second half. But make sure you don’t overpay.



Joe Johnson – Johnson missed a couple games heading into the break but has had plenty of time to rest his right knee tendinitis. He sounds good to go for Wednesday against the Warriors and the Hawks have three games this week. If that number works for you, go ahead and run him out there.



Rajon Rondo – Rondo played in the All-Star Game and his two-game suspension has run its course. The Celtics play four times this week and Rondo should be in most fantasy lineups for the rest of the season.



Ty Lawson – Lawson’s ankle is still a minor concern, but the kid has had eight full days to rest the injury and sounds very likely to play against the Blazers on Wednesday. The Nuggets only play three games this week, so make sure Lawson is your best bet before playing him. Also beware that Lawson’s return should negatively impact Andre Miller, who should move back to the bench.



Nene – Nene has missed seven straight games with a calf injury and while he should be back “soon,” I need to see him in uniform before playing him in fantasy. We don’t know if he’ll be fully healthy again this season, but he’ll at least be startable once he’s back in action. The nuggets only have three games this week, so make sure he’s still on your bench if you have other options.



Danilo Gallinari – Gallo has missed 10 straight games with a severely sprained ankle and while he might return at some point this week, he needs to be on fantasy benches until we get a specific target date on his return.



Corey Maggette - Maggette is dealing with right knee inflamation and missed Monday's practice. He's constantly injured and while he's been playing well, he's still a big injury risk going forward. If he's out on Wednesday, Reggie Williams could get the start and have a nice game.



Gerald Henderson - Henderson is due back on Wednesday from a hamstring injury after missing nine games, but will come off the bench. If Maggette is out, look for Kemba Walker and Reggie Williams to start for the Bobcats. But once Henderson and Maggette are healthy, the starting five in Charlotte should be D.J. Augustin, Henderson, Maggette, Boris Diaw and Bismack Biyombo.



Zach Randolph – Randolph has a full-contact practice in his future, but until you hear a specific date for when he’ll play for the Grizzlies again, keep him on your bench. Especially since they only go three times in Week 10.



Lamar Odom - Odom remains out indefinitely on a personal leave, but wasn't offering much fantasy value when he was playing. You can probably find a better option on the wire.



Roddy Beaubois - Beaubois practiced on Monday and should be good to go this week for four games. He's a risky play as long as Jason Kidd is healthy, but keep in mind the Mavericks play five games next week, meaning Beaubois will be worth grabbing in some leagues if he shows signs of life this week.



Kris Humphries – Humphries sounds like he’s good to go tonight at Dallas after missing Wednesday’s game with a minor calf injury. The Nets only have three games this week, but if you want to start Humphries, it sounds like he’s good to go.



Ekpe Udoh – Udoh is dealing with a sore knee and is also coming off the bench, but he was able to finish his last game and Mark Jackson says he’s going to get heavy minutes going forward. The Warriors play four games this week and if you want to put Udoh into a center slot, he should rack up some boards and blocks, but his offensive game is lacking.



The Bucks – Mike Dunleavy (ankle) and Stephen Jackson (hamstring) are both hurting for the Bucks, and even if they were fully healthy, I wouldn’t start either one of them in most leagues. Carlos Delfino is getting all the small forward minutes right now, and Jackson missed Monday’s practice and remains in Scott Skiles’ doghouse. However, Dunleavy wasn’t mentioned in the injury report by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and appears to have practiced on Monday. If you’re desperate for a decent four-game option in a deep league, he’s worth considering.



Drew Gooden practiced on Monday and sounds like a go on Tuesday after missing the last four games with a ligament tear in his wrist. He could have a setback, but all indications are that he will play tonight, making him a decent option at center with four games this week. Jon Leuer missed practice due to an illness, but has no fantasy value – especially with Gooden on his way back.



The Hornets - Emeka Okafor is expected back “soon” from his knee injury and could very well play Tuesday night against the Bulls. The Hornets have four games this week and Okafor might be worth a go if you need a center. His return might limit Chris Kaman’s production some, but he still looks like a solid fantasy play as well. Jason Smith is due back from a concussion this week but my guess is Gustavo Ayon will continue to get solid minutes at power forward, while Carl Landry’s status is still up in the air as he recovers from a sprained MCL. It’s going to get crowded up front again once they’re all healthy. Eric Gordon remains out indefinitely with his cartilage issue in his knee and I’m not sure he’ll even play this season. Marco Belinelli remains a decent option, along with Trevor Ariza, as long as Gordon is out.



Jameer Nelson – Nelson missed Thursday’s game due to a knee injury but participated in the Shooting Stars event in Orlando over the weekend. Given that he was healthy enough for a meaningless event over All-Star Weekend, he should be good to go Wednesday at Washington.



Elton Brand – Brand practiced on Monday and should be a go for Tuesday at Detroit. The Sixers go four times this week and while Brand could suffer a setback with his thumb at any time, he’s a decent play this week.



Spencer Hawes – Hawes is expected to miss a couple more weeks due to his Achilles injury and I’m losing all patience with him. I have to hang onto him in my 30-team league, and am also still holding him in another deep league, but all the promise he was showing early has been wiped out after missing the last nine games. He’s played in just two of his last 21 games and there’s probably no reason to hold him in most leagues.



Wesley Matthews – Matthews has already been dealt a serious fantasy blow by the emergence of new starter Nicolas Batum, and is dealing with a sprained left ankle that forced him from Tuesday’s game. We’re awaiting a new update on his status, but with three games, I’d try to find someone else to start this week.



The Spurs – Manu Ginobili’s lost season continues and it sounds like he’s due to miss another couple weeks with his strained oblique. Gary Neal should see some solid run in his absence, but Gregg Popovich is simply too unpredictable for any Spurs reserves to be relied upon. Kawhi Leonard (calf) and Tiago Splitter (calf) missed the All-Star Weekend festivities with their injuries and aren’t worth starting in fantasy for now. Splitter will likely have some value once he’s back from his injury, but with three games this week and two games in Week 11, you can probably find more value on your waiver wire.



Linas Kleiza – Kleiza practiced on Monday and is expected to play for the Raptors Tuesday after missing three games with a sore knee. The Raptors have four games this week and Kleiza is probably worth a roll of the dice if you’re holding a guy like Stephen Jackson. He’s averaging nearly 16 points, five boards, a steal and two 3-pointers over his last five games, but it’s hard to say how he’ll do coming off the injury.



this link for the entire injury report. Additionally, I anticipate a lot of updates today as practices and shootarounds resume, so hit that refresh button on the player news blurbs to keep up with all the news heading into gametime. Good luck in Week 10!

 

[HacheMan]

On the Defensive

Who will get the minutes? It’s a simple question that rarely has a simple answer.

Coaches are constantly tinkering and toying with their rotations. Sometimes it has to with injuries and in other instances, it’s a result of ineffective play from a certain player. The impact this has on minutes played and thus statistical production is where we come in.

Every Tuesday for the rest of the season, I’ll explore a certain aspect of half the league’s rotations while attempting to get inside coaches’ heads. The idea isn’t to tell you what Kevin Love and LeBron James are going to do -- it’s to decipher how much burn fringe players are going to get.

Here’s last week’s look at the West. Let’s kick this week off in Toronto, where a defensive stopper is earning trust.

RAPTORS
Position: Small forward
The eventual return of Andrea Bargnani (calf) is going to really cramp things for a lot of people here. Bargnani was emerging as one of the better players in the league and will push for 35-37 minutes once 100 percent.

However, James Johnson is one player that should be safe. Since getting promoted into the starting five on Jan. 18, Johnson has started 19 straight games. During two of those games, Bargnani was active -- yet Johnson still played 36.9 minutes per night.

Coach Dwane Casey loves defense, loves guys that work hard and therefore loves Johnson. He recently said Johnson was “close” to becoming a part of his core.

“He’s getting there. He has developed more trust,” Casey said. “The first part of the year he was trying to discover America with the ball, but he has done a much better job of simplifying his game and playing much more under control.”

Over those last 19 games, Johnson is playing 27.1 minutes. That’s a sustainable number, and so are the 1.5 blocks and 1.4 steals that come with it.

BOBCATS
Position: Center
Am I crazy, or are the 4-28 Bobcats about to have a pretty talented roster now that they‘re healthy? D.J. Augustin, Gerald Henderson, Corey Maggette, Boris Diaw and Bismack Biyombo are all very legit NBA players. A bench that includes Kemba Walker, Reggie Williams, Byron Mullens and Tyrus Thomas isn’t too shabby either.

When we see a depth chart that has 8-9 players with similar talent levels, it usually spells trouble. Since shifting to a reserve role three games ago, Walker has averaged 28.2 minutes per game. Now that Henderson (groin) is back, there’s an even tighter short-term ceiling on the explosive rookie. Williams was getting 31.0 minutes per game as a starter. He’s going to dip to 20. Thomas isn’t good at basketball and coach Paul Silas said as much, meaning he’ll need a trade to regain any upside.

The point is that the backcourt and wing spots are suddenly very crowded. The center spot, however, is wide open. Biyombo has started nine straight games, averaging 26.8 minutes during that span. The Bobcats’ sudden health won’t affect his position and Silas is on the record saying part of his job in the second half is to develop the young talent. No one needs game experience more than the ridiculously raw Biyombo. Those 2.3 blocks and 8.0 boards over the last nine are here to stay.

Editor’s Note: For exclusive columns, chats, pickup advice, weekly rankings and much more, check out the Season Pass!

BUCKS
Position: Power forward
The question marks here aren’t really question marks. Andrew Bogut (ankle) is out at least another month and probably more. Stephen Jackson is a strong bet to get traded by March 15 and is unusable in the meantime. Drew Gooden is going to play through his wrist injury a la Kobe Bryant and Luol Deng.

And slowly but surely, we’re getting one less question mark. Ersanity has taken over. First of all, we need to look at Ersan Ilyasova’s talent level. His per-36 extrapolations this season are 14.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 0.9 3-pointers. That’s bordering on something special for the 24-year-old Turkish product, and coach Scott Skiles knows it.

Over the last 12 games, Ilyasova is earning 30.3 minutes per game. That’s the key with Skiles -- you have to earn it every night on the court, or you’re coming out. Ilyasova has the talent to sustain Skiles’ trust and thus hover around the 30-minute mark the rest of the way.

CAVALIERS
Position: Center
In the final game before the break, Semih Erden was benched due a lack of effort. Coach Byron Scott admitted that he was thinking about tweaking his starting five, leading to speculation that Tristan Thompson could finally get his break. Nope.

Erden will start at center in Tuesday’s game against the Celtics, but the situation will be evaluated on a game-to-game basis.

At some point before Anderson Varejao (wrist) returns, Scott is going to have to make a move. Even if Thompson doesn’t start, he’s earned significant burn. Check out these numbers for the No. 4 overall pick since Varejao went down: 6.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in just 21.6 minutes. Thompson can’t be trusted to top 20-24 minutes yet, but he’s a stash with upside while we wait for Erden and Bonus: Shooting guard
Anthony Parker (back) is healthy and back in the starting five, meaning we can safely move on from Daniel Gibson. In 16 games off the bench this year, Boobie is playing just 24.5 minutes and getting 7.1 points per night.

CELTICS
Position: Center
The Celtics went into the All-Star break at 15-17. No changes in terms of rotation or deadline moves can be ruled out.

The most obvious move is at center, where Chris Wilcox’s per-minute production has been far greater than Jermaine O’Neal’s. In four starts this year, Wilcox is averaging 11.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 0.5 blocks. O’Neal is at 5.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in his 24 starts.

Making a switch would allow O’Neal to preserve his body off the bench while also keeping Position: Point guard
The Hawks seem likely to make a trade at the March 15 deadline. They have Kirk Hinrich’s expiring contract and an allegedly disgruntled Marvin Williams to dangle. A big man should be the target -- Zaza Pachulia is logging 30.6 minutes per game over the last 12 and the Hawks are 4-8 over that span.

A Hinrich trade would certainly be a boost to Jeff Teague. In the first 18 games of the year, Teague averaged 35.0 minutes per game. Since Hinrich debuted, he’s topped 30 minutes in just three of 16 games.

Still, it’s not just the minutes that should have Teague owners concerned. He’s started at point guard and played 28.1 minutes over the last 12 games, yet is averaging just 2.8 assists during that span. It’s a sign that there isn’t special talent here.

<!--RW-->

KNICKS
Position: Guards
In the three games since Carmelo Anthony came back from his groin injury, Jeremy Lin is averaging 34.3 minutes per game. In the previous seven without Anthony, Lin averaged 38.2 minutes.

It’s an extremely small sample size, but the four-minute decline is real. In order to keep Lin playing at a high level, he can’t be pushing 40 minutes nightly while running Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo, point-guard reliant offense. It’s also worth noting that Baron Davis is a below-average NBA player, but is getting 12.4 minutes in his first three games back.

As discussed here two weeks ago, look for Lin to settle in around 31-35 minutes nightly. If only the rest of the Knicks guards could be so lucky.

Now that Anthony is back and J.R. Smith is in town, this rotation is crazy-deep. If Steve Novak stays hot, he’ll get 15-18 minutes. Once healthy, Iman Shumpert (knee) needs 20 minutes thanks to his defensive abilities. Landy Fields remains locked in as the starter, while Position: Shooting guard
It’s really, really hard to explain why the Magic signed a 30-year-old (now 31) Jason Richardson to a four-year, $25 million contract in December.

In 27 starts this year, Richardson is averaging 12.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 28.5 minutes.
In nine starts this year, J.J. Redick is averaging 13.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 32.0 minutes.

The problem is that Richardson has stunted Redick’s growth. When J-Rich has been active this year, Redick is playing just 23.5 minutes per game. It’s only enough for him to be a strict handcuff or reserve in most formats.

NETS
Position: Small forward
It makes sense that the Nets have locked back in a now-healthy MarShon Brooks to a massive role as the starting shooting guard. He’s among the most impressive rookies in the game. What doesn’t make sense is their insistence on starting DeShawn Stevenson.

Stevenson has started 16 of the last 18 games that he’s appeared in. Here are his numbers in those 16 games: 3.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 3-pointers in 22.8 minutes. Anthony Morrow has started 18 games this year: 16.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.7 3-pointers in 32.7 minutes.

It’s unexplainable why Stevenson continues to start, but we can’t realistically expect a change. Complaining about Avery Johnson won’t help. All we can say is Morrow is playing 26.0 minutes per game off the bench in his last six. That’s the reality going forward.

PACERS
Position: Guards
Coach Frank Vogel loves to talk about how X guy has a chance to unseat Y guy. Chalk it up as good, solid coaching. Telling George Hill he has no shot to win a starting job wouldn’t be wise, just like telling Darren Collison he’s safe the rest of the season would be silly. Vogel likes to keep his players on edge.

Therefore, we can safely ignore all the talk about Hill coming in and stealing the starting job from Collison or Paul George. The Pacers have played 33 games this year. They’ve won 21 of them, with Collison and George serving as the starting backcourt every single time.

PISTONS
Position: Sixth man
The power forward spot has gone about how we expected over the last two weeks. Jonas Jerebko has played just 21.6 minutes off the bench over the last 10 games. Jason Maxiell is locked in next to Greg Monroe up front.

The backcourt situation has taken shape as well. Brandon Knight and Rodney Stuckey have started 19 straight games together, logging heavy minutes and producing. Over the last 11 games, the Pistons are actually 7-4. Ben Gordon hasn’t toped 28 minutes in any of those games and will likely need an injury to reach anything more than 21-25 minutes the rest of the way.

SIXERS
Position: Center
Nikola Vucevic can really play and Spencer Hawes (Achilles) is out at least two more weeks. Sounds simple, right?

Well, not so much. Coach Doug Collins doesn’t like to start two rookies together on the front line, so anytime Lavoy Allen starts Vucevic is a bench player. Also, Collins thinks Vucevic has good chemistry with the “night shift” aka second unit of Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams and Evan Turner. And finally, the Sixers’ organization as a whole has concerns over the rookie’s defense. The bottom line is that Vucevic does not project as a starter anytime soon.

That has led to a meager 18.8 minutes per night over the last 12 games for Vucevic, even though Hawes has appeared in just two of those. We can see Vucevic’s upside in his 8.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks during that span, but the trust isn’t there quite yet.

Perhaps that will change as the Sixers’ offense struggled to a brutal 83.2 points per game during their current five-game skid. Vucevic would certainly help the offense and is therefore someone to put on watch lists. For now, anywhere from 18-26 minutes based on matchups and game flow is all we can expect.

WIZARDS
Position: Power forward
Andray Blatche (calf) is expected back at some point in the next couple weeks. Does he deserve to get his starting job back from Trevor Booker? Definitely not. Will he get it back anyway? Probably.

Blatche is 25 years old and in the middle of a ridiculous $35 million contract. The Wizards are shopping him, but no one is going to take his cancerous attitude on. The only solution to try to squeeze out the sizable talent he has. Starting him is step one.

Although Blatche was brutal as a starter earlier this year en route to 11.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 38.3 percent shooting, there is upside here. He started 63 games last year, averaging 16.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 blocks and 44.6 percent shooting. There’s enough ceiling with Blatche as an eventual starter to stash him in most formats.

 

[HacheMan]

Target small-market stars

By Tom Carpenter
Special to ESPN.com

A few weeks ago during my weekly chat (Tuesdays at 11 a.m. ET), a reader asked why the San Antonio Spurs get no publicity, even though they're typically among the NBA's best teams. At the time, they had won five straight and, as it turned out, were going to win five more before losing to the Portland Trail Blazers last Tuesday. I didn't get around to answering that question, but I continued to ponder it. The answer I came up with is that they're in a small market and are boring to watch, which is not a good combination for getting publicity.


I don't say that to be mean, I say it because I've been in their shoes, at least as a fan. When my beloved Detroit Pistons exploded on the scene last decade by playing hard-core defense on their way to a surprise championship, they were the darlings of the NBA. The Pistons had a great storyline, because they didn't have a star, played like the ultimate team were portrayed as cartoon characters and everyone "feared (Ben Wallace's) fro!"


Unfortunately, once that initial buzz wore off, all we were left with was an incredibly boring team to watch, because the Pistons were a small-market club that had no offensive stars and played ridiculous team defense. The end result was that even when they were cranking out 10-game winning streaks like the Spurs have this season, nobody cared because the team was so boring even its fans could barely watch, and the Pistons' market share was too small to garner any other interest.


This brings me to this week's GTR topic: good players on small-market teams that are boring to watch. What does that have to do with fantasy trades? Good players on boring, small-market teams will cost you less in a trade than good players on teams that are fun to watch or get a lot of pub. In other words, image is everything in determining the trade value of a player. Other owners will almost always prefer to acquire a player who is getting a lot of press or who plays for an exciting team to watch. With that in mind, let's examine some ballers you should be able to acquire on the cheap because their teams are running under the radar.


Kyle Lowry, PG, Houston Rockets: His team is a respectable 20-14, the same as the Los Angeles Lakers, and seventh in the NBA in scoring, but the Rockets still aren't getting much read in the national press. Lowry is emblematic of that, because even though he's sixth overall on the Player Rater, based on averages, he isn't generating the same buzz as guys he ranks above -- guys like Russell Westbrook, Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose. Under coach Kevin McHale, the Rockets' style is not that exciting to watch, and Lowry's 15.6 ppg and 41.7 percent shooting aren't going to make any fantasy owner's eyes pop open. Nevertheless, Lowry's the kind of player who can bump up on a triple-double on any given night and will chip in quality 3-pointers (1.8 per game) and swipes (2.0). He's comparable to Stephen Curry in what he delivers, but Curry plays on an exciting team and gets more press than Lowry, so the Rockets point guard should come cheaper in a fantasy trade.

Mike Conley, PG, Memphis Grizzlies: This season, the Grizzlies are averaging just 93.5 points per game, of which Conley is chipping in just 13.2. Toss in an unenticing 42.8 percent mark from the field and you won't see a ton of interest in the young point guard. Still, he's at the top of the NBA with 2.5 steals per game. That he averaged 2.7 steals in 17 January games and 2.5 steals in 13 games this month implies that he's capable of maintaining a pace well above 2.0 spg the rest of the season. Since you can get Conley at a discounted rate compared to other swipers, such as Ricky Rubio, Chris Paul and Westbrook, he makes for a an excellent trade target if you need steals.


Andrea Bargnani, C/PF, Toronto Raptors: We should preface any discussion of Bargs by noting that it remains unclear when he will return from his severely strained calf muscle. It sounds like he could be back this week, but that's not a timetable we can bank on, so you can probably already get him at a discount. Even when healthy, though, the NBA's only team north of the border rarely generates press south of that border. Combine his injury, location and that the Raps are 10-23 and are averaging the third-fewest points (89.2) in the Association, and you have a terrific high-end trade target.


James Harden, SG, Oklahoma City Thunder: I almost didn't include Harden in this list, because even though the Thunder are in a small market they're really fun to watch and are getting plenty of pub because of their stellar record and superstars Kevin Durant and Westbrook. Still, the star power of Durant and Westy, and even the freakish nature of Serge Ibaka's game, draw so much attention that a sixth man like Harden doesn't get noticed often. That shouldn't be the case, though. Harden is a stud already and his career arc is still headed upward. I expect a strong finish from him in the second half, so don't sleep on him.


Marcus Thornton, SG, Sacramento Kings: Only the New Orleans Hornets have a worse record in the West than the Kings, so no one is paying attention to this team. It can also be difficult to watch because it is so young and all over the place as it develops as an NBA squad. That's fine for those of us trying to get a good deal on a player like Thornton, though. He likes to chuck it often, which has led to an average of 18.2 points and 2.2 3s per game. And while his propensity for chucking more than six 3-pointers each game has left him with a poor 41.5 percent mark from the field, he makes up for it by being aggressive on defense, averaging 1.5 steals per game. Overall, you can acquire a guy who can score, swipe and bomb 3s at a reasonable price.


David Lee, Golden State Warriors: Looking for a perfect example of how press biases can play a role in the perception of how well a player is playing? Look no further than Lee. Remember the 2009-10 season? That was Lee's final campaign with the New York Knicks, and he was a nationwide sensation. Aside from his free throw shooting, the rest of his production this season is comparable to what he churned out that final season in New York, the media capital of the world. Lee, despite being in a big city now and playing well on an exciting team, just isn't getting the same nationwide interest as he was in the Big Apple. It's no surprise, but it's definitely an advantage for fantasy junkies who can now acquire him in a trade far cheaper than they would if he was still cranking out these numbers under the bright lights of NYC.


Paul George, SF/SG, Indiana Pacers: Averaging just 12.1 points per game, George probably wouldn't be generating any noise in the national press regardless of where he was playing. However, I think the 43.6 percent from the field, 1.7 3s per game, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals are just a starting point for what we should expect from the youngster in the second half of the season. I won't be surprised in the least if he averages at least 15 points, 2 3s and 2 steals and shoots 45 percent in the final 4-6 weeks of the season. He's a terrific second-half sleeper, and I guarantee the national press will be late to the party on this one. Go get him before he kicks it into gear.

 

[HacheMan]

Daily Dose: Basketball is Back

I’ve been on multiple assignments so here is a reiteration of the blurbs, in case you didn’t read them already.



Follow me on Twitter here.



Brandon Bass (back) returned and scored 12 points with seven boards, two steals, and a block.



Chris Wilcox (groin) returned and scored five points with 11 rebounds.



Rajon Rondo returned from a two-game suspension and missed all six of his shots, but finished with 11 assists and five turnovers.



Kyrie Irving banged his funny bone and it wasn’t a big deal.



Tristan Thompson had 13 points, 10 boards, and two blocks in 27 minutes, and he’s a must-own player in 12-team leagues in my book, despite some risks. Those risks include being crowded by Antawn Jamison and Anderson Varejao, and the combination of his late-game foul shooting issues with Byron Scott’s toughness on rookies. My gut just tells me he’ll work through those issues somehow as the season goes on.



Gustavo Ayon only scored five points with four boards, but did have two steals and three blocks. I wonder if folks might have jumped the gun on Emeka Okafor’s (knee) return, but I have no information to support that. I’m just holding in 12-team leagues until it’s clear that Ayon’s value is going to be hampered, and that moment isn’t right now.



Chris Kaman has a neon green light right now and scored 17 points with 11 boards, five assists, and a block.



Jarrett Jack came off the bench and saw more time than Greivis Vasquez, scoring 10 points with four rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes. Vasquez had 12 points and three assists in 21 minutes, and I know we blurbed that Jack is the favorite to start – and by recent play I’d agree. But I can also see a scenario where Vasquez continues to start and Monty Williams rides the hot hand, potentially deferring to Jack more now than he will later in the year. They’re both holds at this point.



Richard Hamilton (groin, leg) returned to a 17-minute workload, scoring five points with two boards and five assists. He’ll return to his low-end producing ways and is worth a serious look if he’s available in your 12-team format.



John Wall was not benched, while Nick Young and JaVale McGee were both sat for the usual reasons. Trevor Booker somehow made the list, too, but he’s in a different boat than Young and McGee, who routinely commit every basketball sin in the book. McGee is the one in real jeopardy, here, as he’s making national news for being a self-absorbed idiot every other week now. Owners shouldn’t make any snap judgments and let the situation play out. Booker had a season-high 20 points and 11 boards, and as I’ve said many times I’m not writing him off when the third stooge, Andray Blatche, returns as soon as Saturday. I’m selling Chris Singleton’s big night, at least for now. Jordan Crawford has been worth a pickup in 8-cat formats and especially in any format that his FG% doesn’t work against you. Barring an injury to a volume-shooting guy, and maybe two when Blatche returns, a move to the starting lineup isn’t a game-changer for Crawford, but a bump nonetheless.



I’m not adding Mike Dunleavy after his 28-point line because he plays for Scott Skiles and we’ve seen this movie many times. I’m holding Carlos Delfino no matter how odd his high-minute, low-volume performances seem, because the upside is there and, at least for now, so are the minutes. Ersan Ilyasova is trucking along.



James Johnson scored 16 points with eight boards, three assists, three steals, and a block and I’ve had him as a must-own in 12-team leagues for a while now. This is just further confirmation. His upside is tremendous. I’m giving Jerryd Bayless this week to evaluate his short-term outlook. With Jose Calderon the source of many, many trade rumors I have yet to drop him under normal circumstances. Linas Kleiza hit 3-of-10 shots for seven points and while this type of rust could be an issue as he periodically rests his knee throughout the year, after the All Star break is a bad time to evaluate him. That, as you can see, is a trend throughout yesterday’s action.



Kyle Lowry scored 26 points with a full line. Kevin Martin hit 3-of-15 shots and still played big minutes, and Samuel Dalembert played 27 minutes en route to 10 points, three boards, and two blocks. I’ve held Sammy throughout the mess because my sense is that everybody will eventually get it together.



Brook Lopez scored a season-high 38 points with six rebounds and no blocks. Does it get anymore Brook Lopez than that?



Kevin Love left last night’s game with a rib contusion and did not return. Derrick Williams and Michael Beasley both scored 27 points and the order of operations if the injury is serious goes Beasley, Williams, and Anthony Tolliver, with it being anybody’s guess how it actually plays out. The Wolves have a big reason to showcase Beasley right now, while Tolliver is trusted more by Rick Adelman than the both of them. Williams is the high draft pick that needed a kick in his pants early for entering the year a bit too high on himself.



Devin Harris might have gotten whatever little man was in his head out of his head, and scored 18 points with seven assists last night. I’d peg his chances as better than even that he plays like a low-end value for the rest of the year. Would I bet my dog on it? No way.



Brendan Haywood had a nice night with 18 points, 10 boards, and three blocks, but is nowhere near a must-add player or anything but a flier at this point. Check his game log if you need more.



Paul Millsap bruised his left heel and did not return last night. Derrick Favors is a speculative add, but based on year-to-date results he’s no guarantee to produce and make headway toward retaining value whenever Millsap would theoretically return, if he misses time. Gordon Haywood could go to the bench, and with the way the Jazz offense has turned into a double-post extravaganza it might not be a bad thing. Of course, betting on him in fantasy leagues from the bench is dicey, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility for it to help. Ersan Ilyasova is the most recent example that comes to mind. Haywood’s versatility and ball-handling could be nice if he’s the initiator or second-touch in the offense.


<!--RW-->
Isaiah Thomas had another slow start but had another great finish last night. 18 points, eight assists, two threes, and a steal later he had the Kings crowd on their feet. If I had to choose between him and Jeremy Lin for my reality basketball squad right now, I’d take Thomas (marketing deals aside, of course). Thomas’ skills and intangibles are lottery-level talents, with his height being the only reason he fell out. What GMs didn’t know is that his strength and leaping ability would cover up that deficiently greatly, and the Kings look like a different team with him on the floor. He’s not going anywhere, and congrats to those that were early adopters.





Zach Randolph (knee) is nearing a return, but he’s tiptoeing through the awkward stage between non-contact and contact work. Put a gun to my head and I’d guess (read: guess) he’ll be back in 16 days.



Andrea Bargnani (calf) is swimming and doing light on-court work, which is more week-to-week than day-to-day, and he’s in the same boat as Z-Bo.



Iman Shumpert (knee) participated in practice yesterday, and will return to a clogged situation in New York. He’ll be ahead of J.R. Smith in the pecking order, as the duo will join Steve Novak at the wing slots on the team’s backup unit. I don’t own Shumpert anywhere anymore in 12-team leagues, as the signing of Smith was a death blow to his value.



Tyson Chandler sounded concerned about his wrist on Tuesday, but he is expected to play through the pain.



Manu Ginobili (oblique) was a partial participant in practice yesterday, and he’s about to enter the second week of his 1-2 week timetable to return. Tiago Splitter (calf) practiced, and is in the second week of his two-week timetable.



Joe Johnson said his knee “felt great” and that’s a great sign for owners as he heads into a game-time decision tonight against the Warriors.



Corey Maggette (knee) and Gerald Henderson (hamstring) both practiced and will play on Wednesday, with Henderson coming off the bench. Henderson will start eventually and move Reggie Williams back to the bench, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Williams ultimately step in for Maggette once he gets injured.



Wilson Chandler’s situation is a headache for all involved, but the good news is that we’ll likely get some resolution soon with the deadline for teams to make offers to restricted free agents on Thursday. From there, he will either play for Denver or for nobody at all (in the NBA). The problem is that if Denver signs him for the remainder of the season, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent next season. If they don’t sign him, he’ll be an RFA next year. If you’re holding Chandler you’ll probably want to see how things roll this week, because I don’t think the Nuggets will want to wait to get him on the court if they can indeed come to a deal with him. Right now, both sides are waiting for the deadline to pass, albeit for opposing reasons.



Danilo Gallinari (ankle) said that he could be back by the end of the week, and told an Italian website that he would be back in 10 days starting yesterday or thereabouts. Owners of anybody not named Ty Lawson and Nene, who is struggling, are sell-high candidates in Denver with Chandler and Gallinari threatening to crash the party.



Jermaine O’Neal is trying to avoid surgery on his left wrist and met with a specialist yesterday, but as of last night we were still waiting on the results.



Andray Blatche (shoulder) could be targeting Saturday’s game according to beat writer Craig Stouffer, which would give him Thursday and Friday to practice and prove his health.



Jameer Nelson (knee) practiced in full yesterday and will be a full go for tonight’s game. He should be owned in all 12-team formats, and I’ll be watching to see if he can recover PG duties from Hedo Turkoglu. My guess is that the pair meets each other halfway, so plan accordingly.



Kobe Bryant did indeed suffer a concussion to go along with his broken nose from the All Star game. He needs to go 24 hours without symptoms with testing for symptoms after physical activity, too. There’s no telling when that clock started and his status is in doubt.



Stephen Curry (foot) did not play last night and is very iffy for tonight’s game, but a report emerged early last night indicating that a one-week timeline was established last Tuesday. If he doesn’t go tonight, Friday is a very real possibility.



Andrew Bynum (knee) did everything but scrimmage yesterday, and aside from being expected to play tonight I haven’t seen anything other than precautionary business, here.



Ty Lawson (ankle) practiced on Tuesday and appears good to go for Wednesday. His ankle is slowly heading toward Steph Curry territory, though Lawson’s ankle has the appearance of a nagging, minor injury, rather than the scary, career-altering type that Curry’s has the potential to be. Rudy Fernandez (back) practiced and is ready to clog up the gears in Denver, too.



Gordon Hayward could end up coming off the bench when Raja Bell (adductor) returns.



Dorell Wright hit just 1-of-8 shots for two points, and is an awful slump right now and there’s trouble in Oaktown. Brandon Rush played well on the stat sheet (14 points, 6-of-11 FGs), but nobody in a Ws uniform played well last night. I can live with folks dropping Wright for a higher upside guy or a guy with better consistency, but this particular game would not be the one that I would use to make the decision with.



Drew Gooden took a hard fall last night, which is regrettable since his wrist injury appeared to be handling its first test. Gooden finished with 15 points and 10 boards and will be questionable on Wednesday.

 

[HacheMan]

Daily Dose: Wednesday Recap

It’s busy times around these parts so let’s get right to it. Let us know if you like the new format.



NEWS OF THE DAY #1



Rodney Stuckey scored 29 points and is back on the right track. Marco Bellinelli scored 20 points and added seven boards, but don’t get used to the boards.



Carlos Delfino is getting his minutes, and posted eight points with eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks. If he ever starts hitting his shot he’ll look pretty good now, heh?



Jarrett Jack and Greivis Vasquez did the same thing they did last night, with Jack outplaying Greivis off the bench.



Rajon Rondo made up for yesterday’s scoreless game with 15 points, 11 boards, and 10 assists.



Kevin Garnett was not so bad himself with 25 points and 10 boards. Ersan Ilyasova scored 25 points with 10 rebounds and he is pretty hot right now.



NEWS OF THE DAY #2



Jerryd Bayless was an afterthought last night, scoring just five points in 15 minutes of action. He did have five assists, and I’m probably going to down on the ship with him. The trade deadline is right around the corner and as far as his short-term value goes I was giving him this week to get things ironed out, anyway.



Brandon Jennings hit 2-of-11 shots and is too good to cut in most cases. Drew Gooden started after a scary fall to his back and had 23 points and eight rebounds and all things considered he’s had a great week. He’ll have wrist concerns for the rest of the year, but for now things are heading in the right direction.



Leandro Barbosa scored 15 points and since he’s on the trade block it wouldn’t be surprising to see him keep it up.



NEWS OF THE DAY #3



Greg Monroe just missed a 20/20 line as the good times roll on.



Kemba Walker had a disastrous night and I’m staying patient with him unless I am in a win-now situation. The Bobcats are a mess but Rick Bonnell wrote an extensive piece last night about Paul Silas not being held responsible for the mess. We’ll see. The Bobcats are going to be in a short-term funk at a minimum.



Linas Kleiza scored 21 points and is becoming one of the more consistent borderline guys when his knee is healthy.



Devin Harris left last night’s game with nausea and did not return. JaVale McGee played 16 minutes and had nine points, six boards, and one block. As one famous quote goes, ‘you can’t fire the players.’ McGee may be the stupidest player in the NBA, but he’ll need to top himself before he gets thrown off a fantasy cliff. Just hold and hope for the best.



NEWS OF THE DAY #4



Nick Young came off the bench and scored five points. Just bench him for now.



Jordan Crawford is a must-own player in 8-cat, 12-team formats and is worth a long look in 9-cat formats.



Hedo Turkoglu scored 11 points with seven rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks, and Jameer Nelson had 12 points, five boards, and four assists. Ryan Anderson had 23 points and 15 boards, and owners have to be happy with that.



Dirk left last night’s game with lower back tightness and did not return, but says he’ll play Friday. Bismack Biyombo left last night’s game with a shoulder injury and did not return. Hopefully he’s okay because he was set to have a nice second half.



Chris Wilcox came off the bench and had seven points, 13 boards, two steals, and a block. Brandon Bass had a nice night too, and both are worth a look.



NEWS OF THE DAY #5



Joe Johnson returned from knee tendinitis and did pretty good, with 18 points and a full stat line. Jeff Teague had a nice night with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals, a block, and two threes, and might have had more assists if the Hawks didn’t shoot so badly. Zaza Pachulia played through a calf injury and scored 13 points with 16 rebounds and two blocks. Give him a look if you need a big man.



Stephen Curry was used as a decoy but is on the same timetable. That Mark Jackson is a tricky guy. Nate Robinson had 10 points and five assists. Ekpe Udoh had 12 points, eight boards, three steals, and three blocks, and I hope owners took to heart the comments I made about waiting until now to evaluate him. This isn’t his breakout moment, but one more successive good game probably will be.



Dorell Wright is a maddening fantasy player, and had seven points, five rebounds, a block, and a three.

 

[HacheMan]

Wizards of Dysfunction

The Wizards are 7-28 and an unmitigated disaster. Credit interim coach Randy Wittman for actually trying to do something about it.

On Tuesday night, Wittman benched JaVale McGee for the majority of the second half. On Wednesday, he started Kevin Seraphin in place of McGee at center and also benched Nick Young in favor of Jordan Crawford.

McGee was asked if he understands what he’s supposed to learn from the benchings?

“I can’t say I do, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out sooner or later,” McGee said in typical McGee fashion.

That’s probably not the response that Wittman was looking for, but the bottom line is that McGee’s raw talent is something that the lackluster Wizards’ roster needs. They can’t just give up on a 24-year-old true 7-footer with a high ceiling. Look for McGee to get his starting job and 27-minute role back sooner rather than later. Hang on tight during the bumpy ride.

As we drive down the rest of the depth chart, however, we have even tougher questions.

* Andray Blatche (calf) practiced Thursday and is on track to return for Saturday’s game against the Cavs. Will he immediately regain his starting power forward job from rugged Trevor Booker? Probably not.

Blatche had gotten benched even before his injury due to performance and has since missed 15 straight games. Look for a timeshare at first, with Blatche getting eventually getting the starting nod if he keeps his head on straight. Wittman has to give the $35 million man a chance. The upside here is pretty high: Blatche averaged 16.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks in 63 starts a year ago.

* As mentioned above, Nick Young came off the bench Wednesday. He also bruised a knee and it was sore enough that he needed an MRI. The results came back negative, but it’s another strike against Young in his position battle with Jordan Crawford. Over the last 14 games, Crawford is averaging 15.4 points and 1.5 3-pointers per game while playing 27.8 minutes. Look for him to run with the starting gig over Young, who is set to walk in free agency after the season.

NEWS OF THE DAY #2
As mentioned in Rotating Rotations earlier this week, the Bobcats rotation is a mess everywhere except for center. That’s what made Bismack Biyombo’s Wednesday night shoulder injury such a gut-buster.

However, owners got a nice piece of news Thursday afternoon when an MRI revealed a strain and no tear. The Bobcats didn’t reveal the grade of the strain, but have listed him as day-to-day. Consider the rookie a strong hold as he’s a good bet to ramp back up to 26-30 minutes once 100 percent.

Editor’s Note: For exclusive columns, chats, pickup advice, weekly rankings and much more, check out the Season Pass!

NEWS OF THE DAY #3
Here’s a piece of news hidden in the Jermaine O’Neal wrist injury: Coach Doc Rivers was going to start Brandon Bass over O’Neal even before J.O. went down.

“I actually like this lineup," Rivers said of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Bass and Kevin Garnett. "I was thinking about doing it regardless, if you want me to be honest.”

So even if/when O’Neal gets back from his injury, Bass is going to have some nice upside. In seven starts this year, Bass is averaging 11.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks.

NEWS OF THE DAY #4
Coach Monty Williams finally gave us some idea of what he’s thinking at point guard, where Jarrett Jack has come off the bench in six straight games. The Hornets are trying to manage Jack’s minutes thanks to his knee issues and Williams also likes the way Jack can score on an otherwise inept second unit.

“Some people may think because we’re winning games, I’m sticking with the lineup,” Williams said. “That’s not the case. I think the balance that we have with Jarrett being with that group helps us.”

Over the last five games, Jack has averaged 30.2 minutes while starter Greivis Vasquez Is at 26.2. That’s the timeshare we can expect going forward, even if Jack eventually takes back that starter’s tag.

THURSDAY NIGHT GAME THOUGHTS
Russell Westbrook tweaked an ankle during yet another dominant performance, but it didn’t appear serious. He’s day to day. … Serge Ibaka only played 23 minutes because he’s a bad matchup against both Dwight Howard and Ryan Anderson. … Kevin Love (flu, ribs) returned and logged 40 minutes. He’s fine. … Luke Ridnour’s last eight games: 11.1 points, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals. Not too shabby. … J.J. Hickson took a hard fall on his back and didn’t return. Yawn. … Not worried about Isaiah Thomas’ awful game. In the five before Thursday’s dud he was averaging 19.2 points, 6.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds. … With Chris Bosh (personal) out the next two games, Shane Battier got the start. But if we’re reaching for deep spot-starts INJURY FAST BREAK: GUARDS
Manu Ginobili (oblique) is a game-time call for Friday. Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard (calf) is doubtful. … Kobe Bryant (neck/nose) missed practice Thursday, but will start Friday. … Nene (calf) is not expected to play Friday. … Stephen Curry (foot) is listed as day-to-day after being used as a decoy for three seconds Wednesday. … INJURY FAST BREAK: FORWARDS AND CENTERS
Zach Randolph (knee) will not make his return this weekend. The Grizz are exercising extreme caution here. … Danilo Gallinari (ankle) is targeting Monday for his return. Corey Brewer remains a solid spot-start for two more games. … Spencer Hawes (Achilles) isn’t doing any running yet. The earliest he’ll be back is March 14. … Andrea Bargnani (calf) is not expected to play Friday or Sunday. … Dirk Nowitzki (back) fully plans to play Friday, but he’ll officially be a game-time call. … Paul Millsap (severe heel bruise) is day-to-day. … Emeka Okafor (knee) isn’t close. But Jason Smith (concussion) and Carl Landry (knee) are. DEPTH CHART FAST BREAK
Lamar Odom (personal) is going to spend a game or two in the D-League this weekend to get his legs back. … Richard Hamilton has been told that his minutes will be increased gradually over the next few weeks. He hasn’t topped 16 minutes since returning to action two games ago. … Stephen Jackson isn’t even traveling with the Bucks. … George Karl said he doesn’t see Kenneth Faried playing more than 25 minutes most nights, even when Nene (calf) is out.

 

[HacheMan]

The Week's Top NBA Pickups

The All-Star break is over and we’re heading into the stretch drive just before the fantasy playoffs start. If it feels like this season is flying by, it’s not your imagination. We’ll be wrapping things up before you know it and you’ll be dialed into your fantasy baseball teams in a few weeks (got your Draft Guide yet?). But until then, there’s still time for you to make moves and force your way into the playoffs in your hoops league. Here are some guys who can help make it happen. And if you haven't done so, check me out on Twitter.



Guards



Jordan Crawford Wizards – Crawford is owned in 84 percent of ESPN leagues, but that also means he’s still available in 16 percent of them. He’s not only starting over Nick Young (at least for the moment), but is averaging 22 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 2.2 3-pointers and shooting over 50 percent over his last five games.



Devin Harris Jazz – Harris is finally showing signs of life after being a serious first-half bust. He’s owned in 62 percent of leagues, and is averaging 14 points, 5.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 3-pointers over his last five games. He’s also scored in double digits in four straight games and should be fine, despite leaving his last game due to nausea.



Jason Richardson Magic - Richardson is averaging 12 points, four boards, two assists, a steal and two 3-pointers in his three games since returning from a chest virus and is available in about 30 percent of fantasy leagues. If he can stay healthy, he could have a big second half for the Magic.



Anthony Morrow Nets – Morrow, owned in about 45 percent of leagues, is averaging just nine points over his last five games and has been inconsistent coming off the bench. He has big-game potential and has scored 17 and 15 points in two of those five games, but had just two, four and nine points in the other three. He’s at 1.4 steals and 1.2 3-pointers over that stretch. Morrow isn’t a must-own player due to his inconsistency, but if your team needs a boost in 3-point shooting, he should be able to help.



Leandro Barbosa Raptors - Barbosa has hit double digits in scoring in four straight games and is averaging 13 points, two rebounds, two assists, nearly a steal and nearly a 3-pointer per game over his last five. He’s available in about 90 percent of fantasy leagues out there and appears to be heating up.



Others to Consider



Greivis Vasquez Hornets – He’s starting over Jarrett Jack and should continue to do so, although Jack will likely average more minutes per game than Vasquez. He’s available in about half the leagues out there and should be a serviceable starting point guard in deeper leagues. And if Jack is traded or injured, Vasquez becomes a must-own player.



Roddy Beaubois Mavericks – Roddy Buckets has played well over his last couple games and could be poised for a nice second half. Jason Kidd and Vince Carter are the starting guards for Dallas, but Beaubois should see a lot of minutes going forward, and should be considered a second-half sleeper. UPDATE: Roddy started over Vinsanity on Friday and if the move sticks, it will bump Beaubois into must-own territory pretty quickly.



Richard Hamilton Bulls – Hamilton is working his way back from a groin injury and the Bulls are going to baby him along. He’s not worth using in fantasy leagues right now, but if he fully heals and gets rolling, he’ll become a hot pickup.



Gary Neal Spurs – The clock might be ticking on Neal, who had a big game on Wednesday, but until Small Forwards




Hedo Turkoglu Magic - Turkoglu isn’t available in many leagues, but could be in yours. I dropped him in a league over the last couple weeks during his slump, which could come back to bite me at some point. He’s scored 11 points in three straight games and is averaging that number over his last five. He’s also at nearly four boards, four assists, a steal, a block and two 3-pointers over that stretch, and has hit 8-of-15 shots over his last two. His shooting is the wild card, but if he gets hot, and he might be doing so as we speak, he could put up some monster numbers.



Carlos Delfino Bucks - Delfino is still available in 30 percent of ESPN leagues and that number could be climbing if he doesn’t break out of the miserable shooting slump he’s in right now. He’s hit just 17-of-57 shots over his last five games, averaging a meager nine points. But he’s also averaging five rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.6 steals, 0.4 blocks and 1.8 3-pointers over that stretch. In other words, if he keeps getting 30-plus minutes from Scott Skiles and ever breaks out of the shooting slump, he could be a real beast.



Corey Maggette Bobcats – Maggette is still available in about 65 percent of the leagues out there, despite starting for Charlotte and averaging 16 points, three rebounds, an assist and 0.6 3-pointers over his last five games. He’s an injury waiting to happen and is constantly struggling with his legs, but plugging him into your lineup and riding him until he breaks isn’t a bad idea.



Josh Howard Jazz - Howard was only owned in three percent of fantasy leagues on Friday morning, despite starting several games in a row and playing well for the Jazz. It looks like he’s locked and loaded as the starting small forward in Utah and has scored between 12 and 19 points in each of his last four games. He’s also averaging nearly seven rebounds, two assists, more than a steal and 0.5 3-pointers over that stretch. Like Maggette, he’s an injury in waiting to happen, but I kind of like the idea of rolling with Howard right now.



Linas Kleiza Raptors – Kleiza, who is only owned in about seven percent of ESPN leagues, blew up for 21 points, four rebounds and five 3-pointers in his last game and now appears to be over the knee injury that kept him out for three games. He was really heating up prior to the injury and should be ready to pick up where he left off. He’ll be inconsistent coming off the bench, but should be a good source of three and boards going forward.



Steve Novak Knicks - Novak is on fire, hitting 20-of-36 3-pointers over his last five games, good for an average of four per contest, and is averaging nearly 14 points per game over that stretch. He’s a one-trick pony and will have to eventually cool off, but is currently one of the top 3-point shooters in the world. He’s also available in almost all leagues right now.



Wilson Chandler – We still don’t know when or where Chandler is going to show up, although Denver seems like the most probable choice. It’s going to be crowded there with guys like Arron Afflalo, Danilo Gallinari and Power Forwards




Brandon Bass Hornets - Bass is starting for the Celtics at power forward now that his back injury is behind him and is averaging 14 points, seven boards, a steal and a block in his two starts. Jermaine O’Neal’s season is in the balance as he contemplates wrist surgery, meaning Kevin Garnett should start at center, and Bass at power forward, until further notice. I like the idea of grabbing him right now.



Gustavo Ayon Hornets - Ayon is averaging nearly eight points, seven rebounds, two assists, 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocks over his last five games as the starting power forward for the Hornets. The problem is that Carl Landry is eventually going to return, but Jason Smith is now iffy to return this season from a concussion. Either way, in my opinion, Ayon needs to keep his starting job and continue to develop for the future. But whether the Stern-led Hornets agree or not is another matter. He's not a must-own player just yet, but is edging his way into that territory.



Amir Johnson Raptors – Johnson is owned in less than 40 percent of leagues and is starting (for now) for the Raptors. He’s averaging nearly nine points, eight rebounds, two assists, 0.6 steals and two blocks over his last five games, but will likely take a hit when Andrea Bargnani returns, which should happen next week.



Andray Blatche Wizards – Blatche is available in about 70 percent of fantasy leagues and is due back from a calf injury on Saturday. He’s averaging 10 points, seven boards, a steal and 0.7 blocks in 17 games this season, but it remains to be seen what his role will be for Randy Wittman when he returns. You can expect him be worked back into the mix slowly, as well as come off the bench, but the talent level is too good to sleep on. I’m not rushing out to pick Blatche up, but do have him on my radar.



Kenneth Faried Nuggets - Faried is still not owned in most leagues despite averaging nearly eight points, eight rebounds, a steal and a block over his last five games. Nene will be back in the near future, but there’s still an outside chance the Nuggets could play him at center and allow Faried to keep his starting job. However, that scenario is probably unlikely. But until you see Nene play again, Faried is a decent add.



Jason Thompson Kings - Thompson is averaging eight points, eight boards and nearly a block per game over his last five, but has been very inconsistent. His up and down play is frustrating in fantasy, but a recent injury to Centers




Drew Gooden Bucks - In two games since returning from a wrist injury, Gooden is at 19 points, nine rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and a block per game. He’s available in roughly 20 percent of fantasy leagues and has been a beast nearly every time Andrew Bogut has been out. Consider him a must-own player when healthy.



Bismack Biyombo Bobcats - Biyombo is averaging five points, seven rebounds, 0.6 steals and 3.6 blocks per game over his last five, but will miss Friday’s game with a strained left shoulder. He left Wednesday’s game after just nine minutes with the injury, or his recent numbers would look better. He’s entering must-own territory, although the injury is a buzzkill. Once he’s fully healthy, the Bobcats should give him all the minutes he can handle.



Ekpe Udoh Warriors – With Biyombo hurting, Udoh now takes the lead as the hot, unknown pickup. He’s averaging nine points, five rebounds, a steal and 1.6 blocks over his last five games, despite some inconsistent run. He saw more than 30 minutes in two of those, but was limited in the other three. The Warriors have no reason to hold him back any longer, and even though he might not start, they simply have to give him 30 minutes per game going forward.



Zaza Pachulia Hawks - Pachulia has been filling in admirably for Al Horford and is surprisingly averaging seven points, 10 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals and a block per game over his last five. Horford’s not coming back anytime soon and Erick Dampier is not the answer. If you need a reliable, serviceable center, Zaza should fit the bill.



Tristan Thompson Cavaliers - Thompson is another young guy available in nearly every league and is averaging 9.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 0.6 steals and 1.2 blocks over his last five games. He’s scored double figures in four of those, but the biggest concern is what happens to his minutes when Anderson Varejao is back. Like some of the other players I’ve mentioned, the Cavs aren’t going anywhere this season and holding Thompson back would be a disservice to him and the organization. My guess is he’ll see between 25-30 minutes the rest of the way, one way or another.



Tiago Splitter/DeJuan Blair Spurs – Blair has been a hot pick-and-play over the last 10 days with Splitter out with a calf injury, but Splitter was back in action on Wednesday, when he had five points, four boards and a block in 18 minutes. Blair is at 14 points, 6.6 rebounds, a steal and 0.4 blocks over his last five, but in the end, these two are likely to cancel out each other’s potential. If I had to pick one of them to play going forward, Splitter would be the one – simply because he was the guy Gregg Popovich was rolling with prior to the injury.

 

[HacheMan]

Andray Blatche worth the gamble

By Josh Whitling
Special to ESPN.com

The relationship between fantasy owners' final roster spot and the waiver wire often resembles a carousel during the typical fantasy hoops season. Players on the bubble of fantasy relevance are added and dropped several times throughout the season, depending upon circumstances on both their teams as well as the fantasy teams of their potential owners. That being said, many of the players highlighted in this week's column have been recommended for pickup before but were short-term adds. Now, they're proving worthy of that final roster spot once again, and down the stretch utilization of games played and that final roster spot makes all the difference in your standings.
Additionally, there are several players who at one point in the season were owned in nearly all leagues but were widely dropped because of injury or poor play. These players break my rule of highlighting those owned in less than one-third of leagues, but I feel it's worth spotlighting them for those leagues in which they are available. Let's take a look at some of the top players to target on the waiver wire this week:
Devin Harris, PG, Utah Jazz (70.3 percent owned): After starting as perhaps the biggest bust of the season, with an average draft position of 66 and single-digit scoring with epic drop-offs in field goal attempts, free throw attempts and percentage and 3-pointers, Harris is worth owning again. He's averaging 14.2 points, 5.2 assists, 1.4 3-pointers and 1.6 steals per game in his past five, and although he'll need to explode for the second half to make it up to fantasy owners who spent a mid-round pick on him, he's ranked 15th on the Player Rater over the past 15 days and deserves a spot on all fantasy rosters.

Gerald Henderson, SG/SF, Charlotte Bobcats (37.2 percent owned): Despite his lack of impressive peripherals, it's difficult to find 15 points per game on the waiver wire, and that's what Henderson is capable of providing on a consistent basis. He missed nine games with a bum hammy and was widely dropped, but returned to the Bobcats' lineup Wednesday and promptly hoisted 13 shot attempts and will provide much needed offense for the floundering Bobcats. His lack of 3s limits his value, although the fact he doesn't hurt your field goal percentage (46.4 percent from the floor), as well as the 0.9 steals per game he offers, make him worth owning in any league if you need scoring.
Andray Blatche, PF/C, Washington Wizards (32.6 percent owned): Blatche's mercurial nature is maddening to fantasy owners who see his stats from last April -- 23.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.1 steals, 1.3 blocks, 50.3 percent from the floor -- and expect so much more than he consistently provides. He's set to return from a calf injury that's kept him sidelined since Jan. 28, and even though he's frustrating to own he's worth it when healthy because of his high ceiling. The distribution of playing time in Washington is as erratic as the personalities of many of its players, and Blatche has the tools to step in and immediately average 18 points and nine rebounds for the rest of the season if things are clicking. Don't expect him to do that, but he'll put up roster-worthy numbers, has eligibility at power forward and center and has too much upside to be unowned when healthy.
Brandon Bass, PF/C, Boston Celtics (31.2 percent owned): Bass is the classic example of a player on the bubble who is worthy of owning when he's healthy but difficult to hang onto if he's going to miss time. He was dropped in most formats when he missed six games in mid-February with a knee injury, then he came back to a gift-wrapped gig in the starting lineup with Jermaine O'Neal sidelined indefinitely with a wrist injury. With Bass it's all about percentages, and with career marks of 49.6 percent from the floor and 82.0 percent from the stripe, he's the rare 50/80 percent player who helps significantly in both categories. He doesn't provide much, other than double-digit scoring and percentages, but his 0.7 blocks and 0.4 steals per game are just enough that he's not a complete sinkhole in the defensive categories. He's averaging career highs across the board, and now that he's back and starting he is worthy of a spot on any team that needs help in percentages.
Gustavo Ayon, PF, New Orleans Hornets (10.2 percent owned): Ayon is good for defensive stats only but averaged 7.1 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 1.3 steals in 25.6 minutes per game in February and appears entrenched as the starting power forward in New Orleans. In Europe last season, he averaged 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks per game in 23.0 minutes, so his ability to contribute in three categories is legit, and he has nowhere to go but up. He was dropped in many leagues after a string of four consecutive single-digit scoring efforts, but he remained solid in the defensive categories during that stint, and that's what you own him for. Feel free to spend a roster spot on Ayon if you're set in offensive stats but need help in boards, steals and blocks.

Nikola Vucevic, PF/C, Philadelphia 76ers (5.7 percent owned): Spencer Hawes is out for at least another two weeks, so Vucevic will continue to see decent minutes off the bench. He boasts legitimate back-to-the-basket ability and averaged a respectable 7.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 0.5 steals while shooting 53.3 percent from the floor in 18.8 minutes per game in February. Last season at USC, he averaged 17.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 0.5 steals and even 0.9 3s per game then averaged 16.8 points per game in Europe. He flashed some of that ability on Feb. 22, with 18 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes, and the Sixers are committed to developing him after spending the 16th overall pick on him. If you need decent boards, blocks and field goal percentage, he's worth a deep-league spot at least while Hawes is out.
Brendan Haywood, C, Dallas Mavericks (3.4 percent owned): Haywood's got a window to establish some value with Dirk Nowitzki questionable for Friday's game with a tweaked back and Lamar Odom away from the team for the next few games. He has played well recently, too, averaging 9.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 0.8 steals per game in his past five. He's worth considering only if you're desperate for a center, but he's scored in double figures in consecutive games, the first time he's done so since 2010.
Mike Dunleavy, SG/SF, Milwaukee Bucks (2.7 percent owned): He's definitely not flashy, but Dunleavy scores with consistency, notching double digits in eight of his past 12 games with February averages of 11.1 points and 1.3 3s per game. He doesn't kill your shooting percentage with a 44.7 percent clip, but he shoots better than 80 percent from the stripe and averages just 1.0 turnover per game, so even though he doesn't provide steals or blocks he gives you consistent double-digit scoring without hurting you anywhere. He's coming off a 28-point, five 3-pointer effort on Tuesday and is a cheap source of scoring who does nothing to instill excitement in fantasy owners but provides help in a category that is scarce on the waiver wire.


Brandon Rush, SG/SF, Golden State Warriors (2.4 percent owned): Rush's value is markedly higher in turnover formats, as he quietly averaged 1.2 3s, 0.7 blocks and 0.8 steals per game with just 0.3 turnovers in February. Given the fact that Dorell Wright has been all over the place this season and seen his minutes fluctuate accordingly, Rush provides some stability and will continue seeing significant minutes for the Warriors. Players who average more 3s, steals and blocks than turnovers are rare, so if you need a bump in a few statistical areas but can't stomach any added turnovers, Rush provides just that. Don't expect consistent scoring, but if you need some peripheral stats and a player who doesn't hurt you anywhere (48.5 percent from the floor, 77.3 percent from the stripe, 0.9 turnovers per game), Rush is nice glue at the guard position in turnover leagues.
Daniel Green, SG, San Antonio Spurs (1.5 percent owned): On the surface, Green is more appealing with Manu Ginobili sidelined. However, in the four games that Ginobili played between injuries, Green played at least 21 minutes in each and has scored in double figures in three of the four contests, so he should retain his value even when Ginobili comes back. He's experienced the typical ups and downs that occur when a player sees big playing time for the first time in his career, but he's been performing well lately, averaging 10.8 points, 1.6 3s and 1.2 steals per game in his past five. My favorite aspect of Green's game is his 0.7 blocks per game, which is backed by his 1.3 blocks per game as a senior at UNC and the fact he's establishing a reputation as a stout defender. It's difficult to get blocks from the guard position, so if you're engaged in a tight swats race, Green provides them from an atypical position and shouldn't see his numbers affected much upon Ginobili's impending return.

 

[HacheMan]

Holy Rajon Rondo!

Monday's Dose, as usual, takes a quick team-by-team trip around the league, as the injury-fest has finally slowed down a bit. If you want to check out the entire Injury List, click on this link, and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.



Atlanta 4 Games – Joe Johnson’s knee is the big story in Atlanta, as he missed his last two games due to tendinitis. No new information is available, but we should have an update on Monday. The Hawks are at Indy on Tuesday. Josh Smith is rolling and Zaza Pachulia has become a serviceable fantasy center.



Boston 4 – Rajon Rondo recorded his second triple-double in his last three games on Sunday with a monstrous line of 18 points, 17 rebounds and 20 assists. The Celtics aren’t trading him and he should obviously be in all starting lineups going forward. The last player to record a triple-double with at least 17 in each category was Magic Johnson, who had 24 points, 17 assists and 17 rebounds in 1989. And the last player to exceed Rondo’s performance in each category was Wilt Chamberlain, who had 22 points, 25 rebounds and 21 assists in 1968. Maybe the Celtics should float his name in trade rumors more often. Brandon Bass tweaked his left ankle, but it sounds like he’s OK, making him worth a look if you need a PF. Paul Pierce also posted a big line on Sunday, while Kevin Garnett could be the Celtics’ starting center for the rest of the season if Jermaine O’Neal isn’t able to return from his wrist injury.



Charlotte 4 – Corey Maggette is healthy and on fire, Gerald Henderson is coming on, and Bismack Biyombo hopes to return from his shoulder injury on Tuesday. D.J. Augustin, Boris Diaw and Kemba Walker all deserve fantasy consideration, but have all been pretty inconsistent lately.



Chicago 4 – Derrick Rose is rolling, Joakim Noah is finally playing well on a consistent basis and the Bulls now have the best record in the league. Richard Hamilton is back and starting, but still hasn’t gotten it going. Keep an eye on him, and make sure Rose and Noah are in your lineup, along with Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer.



Cleveland 4 – Kyrie Irving is over his illness and good to go, Antawn Jamison continues to play at a very high level, and Tristan Thompson continues to be maddeningly inconsistent as a rookie. Irving and Jamison are must-start players, but until Anderson Varejao returns from his wrist injury (2-3 more weeks), they’re the only must-starts in Cleveland.



Dallas 5 - Dirk Nowitzki’s slump is a distant memory after his 40-point party on Saturday, while Lamar Odom missed a trip to the D-League and actually returned for that game, and played fairly well. Roddy Beaubois got us all excited after starting on Friday and posting a big number, but then went back to the bench on Saturday and only had three points. With five games this week, Dirk, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry, Vince Carter, Roddy B, Brendan Haywood, and even Odom deserve a look if games played matter in your league. Delonte West should be back from his finger injury in a week or two.



Denver 4 – Timofey Mozgov went down after re-spraining his left ankle on Sunday and it didn’t look good. Al Harrington should pick up the slack for him if he’s out, along with Kenneth Faried and Chris Andersen. Danilo Gallinari and Nene are both due back from their injuries soon, and could play on Monday. Ty Lawson had one of the best games of his career on Sunday and is a must-start player, while Gallinari, Nene, Harrington, Arron Afflalo, Faried and Andre Miller are all worth a close look. Rudy Fernandez is also due back soon, but I’d only consider him in very deep leagues.



Detroit 3 – With three games, only Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey deserve consideration, but Monroe is the only must-start in my book. Ben Gordon is dealing with a sprained ankle, so I’d find another option if possible.



Golden State 4 – Stephen Curry (foot) missed his fourth straight game on Sunday, leaving him very iffy for the upcoming week. I think you have to bench him in weeklies unless we get a positive report on Monday. Ekpe Udoh started at center on Sunday and while he wasn’t great, is worth owning in most leagues. Dorell Wright was horrible again on 1-of-9 shooting, and should also be on benches, while only Monta Ellis and David Lee qualify as must-start Warriors.



Houston 4 – Samuel Dalembert vowed to become more aggressive and came through with 17 points, 12 boards, a steal and three blocks in Sunday’s game, and it was the first time he played over 30 minutes since Jan. 25. And not coincidentally, he also double-doubled in that one. We’ll have to see if Kevin McHale continues to give him minutes, but Sammy D is worth a pickup if he was dropped in your league. Kevin Martin hit just 6-of-22 shots but posted a solid line, and should remain in starting lineups despite the inconsistency, along with Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola. Chandler Parsons can also be used in a pinch, but is far from a must-start player.



Indiana 4 – Coming off back-to-back two-game weeks, it’s time to get Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert, David West, Paul George and Darren Collison back in your lineups. George Hill and Tyler Hansbrough are worth keeping an eye on, but are not worth starting in most leagues.



Clippers 4 – Chris Paul is in beast mode, while Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Caron Butler, Mo Williams, Randy Foye and Kenyon Martin are all worth a fantasy look this week. Jordan has been highly inconsistent, but did have eight points, 11 boards and a block on Sunday after disappearing on Friday. Owners of these guys have to be pleased with the schedule gods, as the Clips play five times in Week 12, and then four games every full week from here on out.



Lakers 4 – Kobe Bryant, or the Masked Mamba, is rolling for the Lakers and remains one of the better fantasy options around. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are also good to go, and Metta World Peace was actually effective for the first time in a while on Sunday. But I’d try to find another option in fantasy, as MWP has just been too ineffective for most of the season.



Memphis 3 – With just three games you’ll need to weight options carefully, but Mike Conley has been very hot, while Marc Gasol and Rudy Gay should be starting in most instances. Tony Allen, O.J. Mayo and Marreese Speights are all worth a look, but aren’t great options with just three games. Zach Randolph may or may not be back on Wednesday from his knee injury, but I’d leave him on your bench until you see him play in a game.



Miami 3 – Dwyane Wade was complaining of a head injury after Sunday’s game and said the lights were bothering him. Uh oh. I’m leaving him in my lineups, but if he has concussion symptoms, he may have to pass the same test Kobe Bryant did before playing this week. My guess is he’s good to go, but it’s just a guess. LeBron James is good to go, while Chris Bosh should be back from his personal leave on Tuesday after missing three games after the death of his grandmother. Bosh cost me a win this week, and might have cost the Heat one on Sunday. Despite three games, those three are must-starts until you hear differently, but Mario Chalmers can be benched if you have a four-game player as an option.<!--RW-->



Milwaukee 4 – Carlos Delfino has been a disaster for two weeks, but could break out of his funk at any time. Brandon Jennings, Drew Gooden and Ersan Ilyasova look like must-starts, while Delfino and Mike Dunleavy are worth a look. If you’re still holding Stephen Jackson, just keep him benched (or drop him) until further notice.



Minnesota 4 – With four games, Kevin Love, Nikola Pekovic and Ricky Rubio are must-starts, while Luke Ridnour and Michael Beasley deserve consideration. Derrick Williams is also worth a look, but I’d be hesitant to start Ridnour, Beasley and Williams if other options are available.



New Jersey 4 – Deron Williams blew up for an NBA season high of 57 points on Sunday, hitting all 21 of his free throws in the win. MarShon Brooks has really cooled off with the return of Brook Lopez, but the big man went down with a sprained right ankle on Sunday night, leaving the arena on crutches. Avery Johnson acknowledged he had X-rays taken, but wouldn’t say if they were negative. Lopez is expected to travel with the team to Miami for Tuesday’s game, but is very iffy for that one. We should know more on Monday afternoon. Williams, and maybe Kris Humphries, are the only must-starts in New Jersey right now, while Brooks, Lopez, Anthony Morrow and Shelden Williams are worth a look in some leagues.



New Orleans 4 – We still don’t know when Emeka Okafor, Carl Landry or Jason Smith will be back for the Hornets, while Trevor Ariza missed his last couple games with an illness. Ariza should be back on Monday at Portland, while guys like Jarrett Jack, Greivis Vasquez, Gustavo Ayon and Chris Kaman all look startable in fantasy.



New York 4 – Jeremy Lin and the Knicks are coming off a two-game week, so it’s time to get them back in your lineup. Lin, Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler are must-start players, and Steve Novak is hitting enough treys to be in lineups right now. But I’d be hesitant to use Iman Shumpert, Landry Fields or J.R. Smith as long as the stars are all healthy. Chandler’s wrist remains a concern, and owners have to hope he keeps powering through the problem.



Oklahoma City 4 – Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden should all have another big week, but they’re the only guys in OKC worth starting, along with Serge Ibaka. Westbrook is dealing with a swollen ankle, but I’m planning on using him unless we hear differently on Monday. Thabo Sefolosha is nearing a return from a foot injury, but is iffy for the week.



Orlando 4 – Dwight Howard, Ryan Anderson, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Jameer Nelson are all worth starting in most leagues, and are all healthy for now. J.J. Redick might also be worth a look, but is a shaky option as long as JRich and Turk are healthy.



Philadelphia 4 – Jrue Holiday’s assists are still down, but he’s playing well enough to be used in most fantasy leagues. Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand, Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young should also be in most lineups, while Nikola Vucevic can be used by owners desperate for a center. Spencer Hawes (Achilles) is targeting a March 14 return, but Vucevic should be serviceable until Hawes is on the court.



Phoenix 3 – The Suns are suddenly hot, winning five of their last six and three straight games. Steve Nash and Marcin Gortat are must-starts, while Grant Hill, Jared Dudley and Channing Frye are all worth a look in some leagues. I’d bench them this week, but all become likely must-starts in Week 12, when the Suns go five times.



Portland 4 – Nicolas Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge, Gerald Wallace and Jamal Crawford are all must-starts this week, while Marcus Camby, Wesley Matthews and Raymond Felton can be used in fantasy leagues, depending on options.



Sacramento 4 – Isaiah Thomas has cooled off, but is still a decent option with four games, while Marcus Thornton, DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans all looks like must-start options. Jason Thompson, Francisco Garcia and Donte Green are all worth a look in deeper leagues, but are too inconsistent to be relied upon. Cousins threw a wild elbow after being popped in the nose on Sunday, so make sure he’s not suspended for Monday’s game at Denver before rolling with him.



San Antonio 2 – DeJuan Blair left early on Sunday after banging knees with another player, but I doubt the injury is too serious. What is serious is that Tiago Splitter is back and will ruin Blair’s recent value, along with the fact the Spurs have just two games this week. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan are worth a look, but you can probably do better in leagues where games played matter. Manu Ginobili returned from a strained oblique and had eight points in 24 minutes, but should be benched in this short week.



Toronto 4 – Jose Calderon has been quiet lately, but is still worth rolling out there, along with DeMar DeRozan. Amir Johnson, James Johnson, Leandro Barbosa, Linas Kleiza and Ed Davis are all worth a look with four games, and I may play Kleiza in a deeper league. Kleiza was averaging 16.5 points, 5.5 boards and 3.5 3-pointers in his two games coming into Sunday, but played just 14 minutes and hit 2-of-9 shots for four points and four fouls in that one. Barbosa is averaging 15 points and 1.4 threes in his last five games. Andrea Bargnani (calf) is due back soon, but is very iffy for Monday. In weekly leagues, I would bench him if you have options.



Utah 4 - Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Devin Harris and Josh Howard look like very solid plays this week, while Gordon Hayward, C.J. Miles and Derrick Favors deserve consideration in deeper leagues. The big news for the Jazz is that they play five times in the following week.



Washington 3 – With three games, a red-hot Jordan Crawford becomes an iffy start in many leagues, along with John Wall and JaVale McGee. Trevor Booker, Chris Singleton and Andray Blatche also deserve some consideration, but only Wall is a must-start player. The Wizards play five times in Week 12, which will mean Wall, Crawford and McGee will all be must-starts for that one. Rashard Lewis has missed three straight games with a knee injury, so I’d leave him on the bench, while Nick Young has been demoted and has missed time with a knee injury, but could return on Monday. As long as Crawford is starting, I’d leave Young on your bench if you have options. Blatche had nine boards in his return to action on Saturday and could be a must-start player for five games after this week, depending on how things go with him and coach Randy Wittman.

 

[HacheMan]

Holy Rajon Rondo!

Monday's Dose, as usual, takes a quick team-by-team trip around the league, as the injury-fest has finally slowed down a bit. If you want to check out the entire Injury List, click on this link, and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.



Atlanta 4 Games – Joe Johnson’s knee is the big story in Atlanta, as he missed his last two games due to tendinitis. No new information is available, but we should have an update on Monday. The Hawks are at Indy on Tuesday. Josh Smith is rolling and Zaza Pachulia has become a serviceable fantasy center.



Boston 4 – Rajon Rondo recorded his second triple-double in his last three games on Sunday with a monstrous line of 18 points, 17 rebounds and 20 assists. The Celtics aren’t trading him and he should obviously be in all starting lineups going forward. The last player to record a triple-double with at least 17 in each category was Magic Johnson, who had 24 points, 17 assists and 17 rebounds in 1989. And the last player to exceed Rondo’s performance in each category was Wilt Chamberlain, who had 22 points, 25 rebounds and 21 assists in 1968. Maybe the Celtics should float his name in trade rumors more often. Brandon Bass tweaked his left ankle, but it sounds like he’s OK, making him worth a look if you need a PF. Paul Pierce also posted a big line on Sunday, while Kevin Garnett could be the Celtics’ starting center for the rest of the season if Jermaine O’Neal isn’t able to return from his wrist injury.



Charlotte 4 – Corey Maggette is healthy and on fire, Gerald Henderson is coming on, and Bismack Biyombo hopes to return from his shoulder injury on Tuesday. D.J. Augustin, Boris Diaw and Kemba Walker all deserve fantasy consideration, but have all been pretty inconsistent lately.



Chicago 4 – Derrick Rose is rolling, Joakim Noah is finally playing well on a consistent basis and the Bulls now have the best record in the league. Richard Hamilton is back and starting, but still hasn’t gotten it going. Keep an eye on him, and make sure Rose and Noah are in your lineup, along with Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer.



Cleveland 4 – Kyrie Irving is over his illness and good to go, Antawn Jamison continues to play at a very high level, and Tristan Thompson continues to be maddeningly inconsistent as a rookie. Irving and Jamison are must-start players, but until Anderson Varejao returns from his wrist injury (2-3 more weeks), they’re the only must-starts in Cleveland.



Dallas 5 - Dirk Nowitzki’s slump is a distant memory after his 40-point party on Saturday, while Lamar Odom missed a trip to the D-League and actually returned for that game, and played fairly well. Roddy Beaubois got us all excited after starting on Friday and posting a big number, but then went back to the bench on Saturday and only had three points. With five games this week, Dirk, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry, Vince Carter, Roddy B, Brendan Haywood, and even Odom deserve a look if games played matter in your league. Delonte West should be back from his finger injury in a week or two.



Denver 4 – Timofey Mozgov went down after re-spraining his left ankle on Sunday and it didn’t look good. Al Harrington should pick up the slack for him if he’s out, along with Kenneth Faried and Chris Andersen. Danilo Gallinari and Nene are both due back from their injuries soon, and could play on Monday. Ty Lawson had one of the best games of his career on Sunday and is a must-start player, while Gallinari, Nene, Harrington, Arron Afflalo, Faried and Andre Miller are all worth a close look. Rudy Fernandez is also due back soon, but I’d only consider him in very deep leagues.



Detroit 3 – With three games, only Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey deserve consideration, but Monroe is the only must-start in my book. Ben Gordon is dealing with a sprained ankle, so I’d find another option if possible.



Golden State 4 – Stephen Curry (foot) missed his fourth straight game on Sunday, leaving him very iffy for the upcoming week. I think you have to bench him in weeklies unless we get a positive report on Monday. Ekpe Udoh started at center on Sunday and while he wasn’t great, is worth owning in most leagues. Dorell Wright was horrible again on 1-of-9 shooting, and should also be on benches, while only Monta Ellis and David Lee qualify as must-start Warriors.



Houston 4 – Samuel Dalembert vowed to become more aggressive and came through with 17 points, 12 boards, a steal and three blocks in Sunday’s game, and it was the first time he played over 30 minutes since Jan. 25. And not coincidentally, he also double-doubled in that one. We’ll have to see if Kevin McHale continues to give him minutes, but Sammy D is worth a pickup if he was dropped in your league. Kevin Martin hit just 6-of-22 shots but posted a solid line, and should remain in starting lineups despite the inconsistency, along with Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola. Chandler Parsons can also be used in a pinch, but is far from a must-start player.



Indiana 4 – Coming off back-to-back two-game weeks, it’s time to get Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert, David West, Paul George and Darren Collison back in your lineups. George Hill and Tyler Hansbrough are worth keeping an eye on, but are not worth starting in most leagues.



Clippers 4 – Chris Paul is in beast mode, while Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Caron Butler, Mo Williams, Randy Foye and Kenyon Martin are all worth a fantasy look this week. Jordan has been highly inconsistent, but did have eight points, 11 boards and a block on Sunday after disappearing on Friday. Owners of these guys have to be pleased with the schedule gods, as the Clips play five times in Week 12, and then four games every full week from here on out.



Lakers 4 – Kobe Bryant, or the Masked Mamba, is rolling for the Lakers and remains one of the better fantasy options around. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are also good to go, and Metta World Peace was actually effective for the first time in a while on Sunday. But I’d try to find another option in fantasy, as MWP has just been too ineffective for most of the season.



Memphis 3 – With just three games you’ll need to weight options carefully, but Mike Conley has been very hot, while Marc Gasol and Rudy Gay should be starting in most instances. Tony Allen, O.J. Mayo and Marreese Speights are all worth a look, but aren’t great options with just three games. Zach Randolph may or may not be back on Wednesday from his knee injury, but I’d leave him on your bench until you see him play in a game.



Miami 3 – Dwyane Wade was complaining of a head injury after Sunday’s game and said the lights were bothering him. Uh oh. I’m leaving him in my lineups, but if he has concussion symptoms, he may have to pass the same test Kobe Bryant did before playing this week. My guess is he’s good to go, but it’s just a guess. LeBron James is good to go, while Chris Bosh should be back from his personal leave on Tuesday after missing three games after the death of his grandmother. Bosh cost me a win this week, and might have cost the Heat one on Sunday. Despite three games, those three are must-starts until you hear differently, but Mario Chalmers can be benched if you have a four-game player as an option.<!--RW-->



Milwaukee 4 – Carlos Delfino has been a disaster for two weeks, but could break out of his funk at any time. Brandon Jennings, Drew Gooden and Ersan Ilyasova look like must-starts, while Delfino and Mike Dunleavy are worth a look. If you’re still holding Stephen Jackson, just keep him benched (or drop him) until further notice.



Minnesota 4 – With four games, Kevin Love, Nikola Pekovic and Ricky Rubio are must-starts, while Luke Ridnour and Michael Beasley deserve consideration. Derrick Williams is also worth a look, but I’d be hesitant to start Ridnour, Beasley and Williams if other options are available.



New Jersey 4 – Deron Williams blew up for an NBA season high of 57 points on Sunday, hitting all 21 of his free throws in the win. MarShon Brooks has really cooled off with the return of Brook Lopez, but the big man went down with a sprained right ankle on Sunday night, leaving the arena on crutches. Avery Johnson acknowledged he had X-rays taken, but wouldn’t say if they were negative. Lopez is expected to travel with the team to Miami for Tuesday’s game, but is very iffy for that one. We should know more on Monday afternoon. Williams, and maybe Kris Humphries, are the only must-starts in New Jersey right now, while Brooks, Lopez, Anthony Morrow and Shelden Williams are worth a look in some leagues.



New Orleans 4 – We still don’t know when Emeka Okafor, Carl Landry or Jason Smith will be back for the Hornets, while Trevor Ariza missed his last couple games with an illness. Ariza should be back on Monday at Portland, while guys like Jarrett Jack, Greivis Vasquez, Gustavo Ayon and Chris Kaman all look startable in fantasy.



New York 4 – Jeremy Lin and the Knicks are coming off a two-game week, so it’s time to get them back in your lineup. Lin, Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler are must-start players, and Steve Novak is hitting enough treys to be in lineups right now. But I’d be hesitant to use Iman Shumpert, Landry Fields or J.R. Smith as long as the stars are all healthy. Chandler’s wrist remains a concern, and owners have to hope he keeps powering through the problem.



Oklahoma City 4 – Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden should all have another big week, but they’re the only guys in OKC worth starting, along with Serge Ibaka. Westbrook is dealing with a swollen ankle, but I’m planning on using him unless we hear differently on Monday. Thabo Sefolosha is nearing a return from a foot injury, but is iffy for the week.



Orlando 4 – Dwight Howard, Ryan Anderson, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Jameer Nelson are all worth starting in most leagues, and are all healthy for now. J.J. Redick might also be worth a look, but is a shaky option as long as JRich and Turk are healthy.



Philadelphia 4 – Jrue Holiday’s assists are still down, but he’s playing well enough to be used in most fantasy leagues. Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand, Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young should also be in most lineups, while Nikola Vucevic can be used by owners desperate for a center. Spencer Hawes (Achilles) is targeting a March 14 return, but Vucevic should be serviceable until Hawes is on the court.



Phoenix 3 – The Suns are suddenly hot, winning five of their last six and three straight games. Steve Nash and Marcin Gortat are must-starts, while Grant Hill, Jared Dudley and Channing Frye are all worth a look in some leagues. I’d bench them this week, but all become likely must-starts in Week 12, when the Suns go five times.



Portland 4 – Nicolas Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge, Gerald Wallace and Jamal Crawford are all must-starts this week, while Marcus Camby, Wesley Matthews and Raymond Felton can be used in fantasy leagues, depending on options.



Sacramento 4 – Isaiah Thomas has cooled off, but is still a decent option with four games, while Marcus Thornton, DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans all looks like must-start options. Jason Thompson, Francisco Garcia and Donte Green are all worth a look in deeper leagues, but are too inconsistent to be relied upon. Cousins threw a wild elbow after being popped in the nose on Sunday, so make sure he’s not suspended for Monday’s game at Denver before rolling with him.



San Antonio 2 – DeJuan Blair left early on Sunday after banging knees with another player, but I doubt the injury is too serious. What is serious is that Tiago Splitter is back and will ruin Blair’s recent value, along with the fact the Spurs have just two games this week. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan are worth a look, but you can probably do better in leagues where games played matter. Manu Ginobili returned from a strained oblique and had eight points in 24 minutes, but should be benched in this short week.



Toronto 4 – Jose Calderon has been quiet lately, but is still worth rolling out there, along with DeMar DeRozan. Amir Johnson, James Johnson, Leandro Barbosa, Linas Kleiza and Ed Davis are all worth a look with four games, and I may play Kleiza in a deeper league. Kleiza was averaging 16.5 points, 5.5 boards and 3.5 3-pointers in his two games coming into Sunday, but played just 14 minutes and hit 2-of-9 shots for four points and four fouls in that one. Barbosa is averaging 15 points and 1.4 threes in his last five games. Andrea Bargnani (calf) is due back soon, but is very iffy for Monday. In weekly leagues, I would bench him if you have options.



Utah 4 - Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Devin Harris and Josh Howard look like very solid plays this week, while Gordon Hayward, C.J. Miles and Derrick Favors deserve consideration in deeper leagues. The big news for the Jazz is that they play five times in the following week.



Washington 3 – With three games, a red-hot Jordan Crawford becomes an iffy start in many leagues, along with John Wall and JaVale McGee. Trevor Booker, Chris Singleton and Andray Blatche also deserve some consideration, but only Wall is a must-start player. The Wizards play five times in Week 12, which will mean Wall, Crawford and McGee will all be must-starts for that one. Rashard Lewis has missed three straight games with a knee injury, so I’d leave him on the bench, while Nick Young has been demoted and has missed time with a knee injury, but could return on Monday. As long as Crawford is starting, I’d leave Young on your bench if you have options. Blatche had nine boards in his return to action on Saturday and could be a must-start player for five games after this week, depending on how things go with him and coach Randy Wittman.

 

[HacheMan]

Nicolas Batum continues rise in ranks

By Brian McKitish
Special to ESPN.com

With February in the books, it's time for another game of fun with numbers, this time focusing on recent trends and monthly splits for some of the big movers in this week's rankings update.


The Top 130

Note: Brian McKitish's top 130 players are ranked for their fantasy value from this point forward in the 2011-12 NBA season. Previous rank is indicated in parentheses.
1. LeBron James, SF, MIA (1)
2. Kevin Durant, SF, OKC (2)
3. Chris Paul, PG, LAC (3)
4. Kevin Love, PF, MIN (4)
5. Dwyane Wade, SG, MIA (5)
6. Russell Westbrook, PG, OKC (6)
7. Dwight Howard, C, ORL (7)
8. Kobe Bryant, SG, LAL (8)
9. Deron Williams, PG, NJ (9)
10. Derrick Rose, PG, CHI (10)
11. Josh Smith, PF/SF, ATL (11)
12. Al Jefferson, C/PF, UTAH (12)
13. Pau Gasol, PF/C, LAL (13)
14. LaMarcus Aldridge, PF/C, POR (15)
15. Dirk Nowitzki, PF, DAL (16)
16. Monta Ellis, PG/SG, GS (17)
17. Kyle Lowry, PG, HOU (18)
18. Stephen Curry, PG/SG, GS (14)
19. Andrew Bynum, C, LAL (19)
20. Marc Gasol, C, MEM (20)
21. John Wall, PG, WSH (24)
22. Blake Griffin, PF, LAC (21)
23. Rudy Gay, SF, MEM (22)
24. Marcin Gortat, C, PHO (23)
25. Greg Monroe, PF/C, DET (25)
26. DeMarcus Cousins, PF/C, SAC (27)
27. Ty Lawson, PG/SG, DEN (28)
28. Steve Nash, PG, PHO (29)
29. Paul Millsap, PF, UTAH (26)
30. Paul Pierce, SF/SG, BOS (31)
31. Rajon Rondo, PG, BOS (32)
32. Carmelo Anthony, SF, NY (33)
33. James Harden, SG, OKC (34)
34. Marcus Thornton, SG, SAC (35)
35. Ricky Rubio, PG, MIN (30)
36. David Lee, PF/C, GS (36)
37. Ryan Anderson, PF, ORL (40)
38. Roy Hibbert, C, IND (37)
39. Danny Granger, SF, IND (39)
40. Jeremy Lin, PG, NY (43)
41. Kyrie Irving, PG, CLE (45)
42. Nicolas Batum, SF/SG, POR (65)
43. Brandon Jennings, PG, MIL (41)
44. Andre Iguodala, SF/SG, PHI (42)
45. JaVale McGee, C, WSH (38)
46. Serge Ibaka, C/PF, OKC (44)
47. Tyreke Evans, PG/SG/SF, SAC (46)
48. Tony Parker, PG, SA (47)
49. Mike Conley, PG, MEM (49)
50. Luol Deng, SF, CHI (52)
51. Chris Bosh, PF/C, MIA (50)
52. Joakim Noah, C/PF, CHI (54)
53. Gerald Wallace, SF/PF, POR (53)
54. Joe Johnson, SG/SF, ATL (48)
55. Kevin Garnett, PF/C, BOS (67)
56. Kris Humphries, PF, NJ (55)
57. Carlos Boozer, PF, CHI (56)
58. Kevin Martin, SG, HOU (57)
59. Tyson Chandler, C, NY (58)
60. Amare Stoudemire, C/PF, NY (51)
61. Danilo Gallinari, SF/PF, DEN (60)
62. Nikola Pekovic, C, MIN (59)
63. Jose Calderon, PG, TOR (61)
64. Jrue Holiday, PG, PHI (62)
65. Paul George, SF/SG, IND (63)
66. Jamal Crawford, SG/PG, POR (70)
67. DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC (64)
68. Manu Ginobili, SG, SA (105)
69. Brook Lopez, C, NJ (80)
70. Antawn Jamison, PF, CLE (72)
71. Jason Terry, SG, DAL (68)
72. Ray Allen, SG, BOS (69)
73. Nene, C/PF, DEN (71)
74. Jeff Teague, PG, ATL (74)
75. Jarrett Jack, PG/SG, NO (75)
76. Drew Gooden, PF, MIL (84)
77. Al Harrington, PF, DEN (77)
78. Tim Duncan, PF/C, SA (79)
79. Lou Williams, PG/SG, PHI (81)
80. Luis Scola, PF, HOU (78)
81. MarShon Brooks, SG, NJ (82)
82. Jared Dudley, SF/SG, PHO (83)
83. Channing Frye, PF/C, PHO (85)
84. Isaiah Thomas, PG, SAC (86)
85. David West, PF, IND (87)
86. Ersan Ilyasova, SF/PF, MIL (104)
87. Jordan Crawford, SG, WSH (117)
88. Dorell Wright, SF, GS (66)
89. Darren Collison, PG, IND (89)
90. Brandon Knight, PG/SG, DET (90)
91. DeMar DeRozan, SG/SF, TOR (91)
92. Chris Kaman, C, NO (103)
93. Zach Randolph, PF, MEM (100)
94. Caron Butler, SF, LAC (76)
95. Mo Williams, PG, LAC (93)
96. Wesley Matthews, SG/SF, POR (94)
97. Arron Afflalo, SG, DEN (98)
98. D.J. Augustin, PG, CHA (95)
99. Wilson Chandler, SF/SG, RFA (96)
100. Rodney Stuckey, PG/SG, DET (97)
101. Andre Miller, PG, DEN (99)
102. Jason Richardson, SG, ORL (102)
103. Gerald Henderson, SG, CHA (108)
104. Andrea Bargnani, C/PF, TOR (101)
105. Mario Chalmers, PG, MIA (106)
106. Devin Harris, PG, UTAH (125)
107. Elton Brand, PF, PHI (110)
108. Andray Blatche, PF, WSH (NR)
109. Jameer Nelson, PG, ORL (112)
110. Trevor Ariza, SF/SG, NO (107)
111. Jason Kidd, PG, DAL (109)
112. Hedo Turkoglu, SF, ORL (114)
113. Kemba Walker, PG, CHA (73)
114. Samuel Dalembert, C, HOU (111)
115. J.R. Smith, SG/SF, NY (92)
116. Boris Diaw, PF/SF/C, CHA (115)
117. Thaddeus Young, SF/PF, PHI (NR)
118. Randy Foye, SG/PG, LAC (118)
119. James Johnson, SF/PF, TOR (119)
120. Anderson Varejao, PF/C, CLE (121)
121. Kenneth Faried, PF, DEN (NR)
122. Shawn Marion, SF/PF, DAL (123)
123. Carlos Delfino, SF/SG, MIL (122)
124. Iman Shumpert, PG/SG, NY (NR)
125. Nick Young, SG, WSH (88)
126. Tayshaun Prince, SF, DET (127)
127. Luke Ridnour, PG, MIN (NR)
128. Raymond Felton, PG, POR (116)
129. Tony Allen, SG, MEM (128)
130. Bismack Biyombo, PF, CHA (129)




5.7: Steals plus blocks plus 3-pointers per game for Portland's Nicolas Batum in February. Taking advantage of increased minutes, Batum has averaged 17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 1.6 blocks and 2.5 3-pointers in 12 February games. There simply aren't many players in the league who can offer this type of multicategorical goodness. In fact, Batum and Kevin Durant are the only two players who are averaging 1/1/1 in steals, blocks and 3s on the season.


7: Double-doubles for Kevin Garnett in his past nine games. Who would have thought that aging players like KG, Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash would be so productive in this 66-game condensed season? Garnett looks as healthy as he's been in years, and his trademark intensity is as high as it's ever been. With their lack of frontcourt depth, the Celtics will need KG to continue to play at this pace to move up in the Eastern Conference standings, unless they want to match up with Chicago or Miami in the first round of the playoffs. Adding to his value, fantasy owners should also take note that Garnett just recently became center-eligible in ESPN.com leagues.


.336: Ricky Rubio's shooting percentage in 15 games during February. Rubio still managed to stay incredibly useful as a fantasy player with averages of 10.0 points, 7.7 assists, 2.4 steals and 0.9 3-pointers on the month, but his shooting woes are a real concern for his owners. While there is a possibility that Rubio has hit the dreaded rookie wall, now is as good a time as any to jump on the opportunity to buy low on the 21-year-old.


.439: Amare Stoudemire's field goal percentage in his past 10 games. I was holding out hope that Jeremy Lin would help Amare get back to his old ways, but the more I see him taking shots from the free throw line extended, the less hopeful I become. With 5.9 of his 15.0 shots per game coming from 16-plus feet away from the basket, Stoudemire is going to have a hard time getting back to his old scoring ways, even with Lin running the point. What's particularly concerning about Amare's shot selection is that he's simply not very efficient from that distance, shooting well below 40 percent for the season.


.385: Dorell Wright's shooting percentage in the month of February. Here we go again. Between Wright, Channing Frye and Samuel Dalembert, I'm not sure who's been the most frustrating fantasy player this season. After averaging 11.2 points, 1.1 steals and 2.0 3-pointers in January, Wright slumped to the tune of 9.9 points, 0.6 steals and 1.6 3-pointers in February. I don't blame owners for dropping Wright given the way he's been playing, but keep in mind that he's a streaky player and he'll likely get hot again before the end of the season.


21.3: Minutes per game for Kemba Walker in three games since Gerald Henderson's return. Walker was able to maintain much of his value when D.J. Augustin returned, but he hasn't been as lucky now that Henderson is back in action. With so few minutes, Kemba is going to have a hard time producing for fantasy owners at the moment, but not all hope is lost. With a 4-31 record, odds are that the Bobcats will want to give Walker increased minutes toward the end of the season.


19: 3-pointers for Jordan Crawford in his past 10 games. With Nick Young struggling (and now on the shelf with a knee injury), Crawford has caught fire to average 18.4 points, 0.8 steals and 1.9 3-pointers in his past 10 contests. For now, it appears that Crawford has won the starting shooting guard spot in Washington even after Young returns, but let's not get carried away with Crawford's value. He's a similar player to Young in that he'll score and hit his 3-pointers, but his fantasy value won't extend much further than points and 3s.


4.9: Offensive rebounds per game for Ersan Ilyasova in February. Ilyasova has always been a terrific rebounder, but he's finally getting his first real audition with extended minutes in the NBA. With Andrew Bogut likely lost for the season, Ilyasova should continue to earn 30-plus minutes per game for the Bucks. He's averaged a versatile 11.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 0.6 steals, 0.5 blocks and 0.6 3-pointers in 17 starts this season, but has been even more impressive as of late, and he looks primed for a big finish to the season.


56.5: Percent of free throws Andre Iguodala made in February. Iguodala was once a solid free throw shooter earlier in his career, but his three-year trend of declining free throw percentages is quite alarming. Now shooting 60.6 percent on the season, AI2 is becoming a major liability in the free throw department. Thankfully, he still averaged a versatile 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.1 3-pointers in 15 February games.


4: Double-doubles for Nuggets rookie Kenneth Faried in his past eight games. With 10.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.1 blocks over his past 10 games, Faried has taken advantage of injuries to Nene and Danilo Gallinari to become a force in the Nuggets' frontcourt. His game reminds me a lot of a young Paul Millsap, and while his value will undoubtedly suffer once Nene returns to action, Faried definitely has a bright future in the league.


15: 3-point field goal attempts for Miami's Dwyane Wade on the season. After averaging 1.9 3-point attempts per game for his career, Wade has almost exclusively moved his offensive repertoire inside the 3-point line this season. Just a 29.0 percent shooter from downtown for his career, fantasy owners shouldn't mind the lack of 3s, as his field goal percentage should remain near 50 percent, which is obscenely high for a shooting guard.
http://search.espn.go.com/brian-mckitish/

 

[HacheMan]

Dose: Brook Lopez Shutdown

Monday was filled with plenty of surprises and the injury list is growing again. Here’s a look at the big injury news, along with the game news that could impact your fantasy leagues.



Injury Report



As I posted on Twitter on Monday, he’ll miss four games per week in Weeks 11, 12 and 13, and could return for the season’s final four full weeks. And unfortunately, the Nets go 4-4-3-3 down the stretch. Lopez is not guaranteed to return at all, as the Nets’ season is basically over, and if we don’t see him again, he’ll finish the season with a grand total of 18 rebounds in five games. Ouch. As for this affecting a trade for Dwight Howard, as long as he truly just has a sprained ankle, I doubt it would be enough to stop a trade from going down if both teams were motivated to make it happen. And yes, the absence of Lopez should mean good things for Kris Humphries and MarShon Brooks.



Anderson Varejao (wrist) will be evaluated again later this week and it sounds like he could return at some point next week. If you want to drop Lopez for Varejao, it might make sense. Cleveland’s season ends with a healthy 4-4-4-5-4 weekly schedule.



Andrea Bargnani is getting closer to returning from a calf injury, but there’s still no target date available. Maybe he’ll play for the Raptors this weekend, but I wouldn’t count on it. Amir Johnson got a DNP on Monday due to a sore knee. He’s day-to-day, but should also take a hit once Bargnani is back.



Joe Johnson could be out for the Hawks until Sunday as he deals with knee tendinitis. I benched him in my weekly leagues, and am glad I did so. Kirk Hinrich is the guy with the best chance to see a boost in his absence.



Zach Randolph (knee) went through a full-contact Grizzlies practice on Monday, so it makes sense that he plays at some point this week. Stay tuned.



Tyson Chandler says he will play through his wrist injury the rest of the way for the Knicks, as long as he can handle the pain. Keep him in your lineup.



Nikola Pekovic was a surprise scratch for the Wolves on Monday due to a sore foot, and the news hit late enough that most of us (me included) had him locked into lineups. He’s day-to-day and we can only hope he shows up on Wednesday against Portland. Darko Milicic started in his place and actually played pretty well, but Pekovic’s injury would have to take a wild downturn for me to consider grabbing Darko.



Brendan Haywood, who was in a couple lineups of mine with five games this week, left on the first play of Monday’s game and didn’t return due to a sprained left ankle. He could miss a couple games and Ian Mahinmi now becomes the man in the middle, as he had 13 points, five boards, two steals and a block or the Mavericks. Vince Carter failed to score in just 10 minutes, while Roddy Beaubois had nine points and a solid stat line in 21 minutes. So far, the five-game week for the Mavs has been more curse than blessing.



Devin Harris left Monday’s game with a sprained right knee and will be re-evaluated by the Jazz on Tuesday. Earl Watson replaced him, but finished with just five points and one assist in 23 minutes. Harris has been playing well, but tonight’s injury could end up being quite a setback.



Game Headlines - Good News




Kevin Love blew up again for the Wolves with 39 points, 17 rebounds and five 3-pointers, and became the first NBA player in history to go for at least 35 points, 10 rebounds and five 3-pointers in back-to-back games. In case you missed it, he had 42 points, 10 boards and five 3-pointers on Saturday. If there was one guy I was wrong about this year, it was Love. Sure, I thought he’d have a nice season, but didn’t think he’d completely blow up and make last year’s monster season an afterthought. Derrick Williams was also nice on Monday with 15 points, nine boards and three 3-pointers, but is just too inconsistent to buy-in on fully right now.



Stephen Curry returned from a foot injury that caused him to miss four games, but played just nine minutes off the bench. He hit 5-of-7 shots and two 3-pointers for 12 points, and while this game wasn’t great, I imagine he’ll be back in the starting lineup Wednesday against Memphis. I’m putting him back into lineups.



Danilo Gallinari quietly returned from his sprained ankle for the Nuggets, who dominated Monday’s news with injury returns and monster lines. Gallinari had just four points and a 3-pointer in 18 minutes, but the story is that he played. He should be back to form by next week. Nene also returned from his calf injury and had six points, four boards, a steal and two blocks in 16 minutes. Like Gallinari, it might take him a few games to get back in a groove, but at least he’s playing again.



Arron Afflalo blew up for a career-high 32 points with two steals and four 3-pointers on 9-of-20 shooting. It only took a couple months, but Afflalo finally delivered on all the hype he got in the offseason. Ty Lawson’s strong run continued, as he hit the game-winner in overtime to finish with 16 points, 13 assists, two steals, a block and two 3-pointers. He’s averaging 19.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.8 3-pointers over his last five games. As someone said on Twitter on Monday, they should just call him Ty Awesome. And finally, Kenneth Faried stayed hot, going for 20 points, 12 rebounds, a steal and two blocks in the win for Denver. He’s averaging nearly 13 points, nine boards, a steal and block over his last five. He’ll have to take a hit once Nene and Gallinari are at full speed, but deserves to be in lineups until he cools off.



Ekpe Udoh, who was on my bench for Haywood last night, had 17 points, six rebounds and a block for the Warriors. Mark Jackson is ready to turn him loose and give him all the minutes he can handle, and Udoh should be picked up in all 12-team leagues.



Gordon Hayward was demoted to a bench role on Monday and responded by hitting 8-of-11 shots and two 3-pointers on his way to 23 points, four rebounds, five assists and a steal. I doubt he plays this well every night, but playing with the second unit should make him the focal point of the offense with that group.



Alonzo Gee had 15 points, three 3-pointers, four rebounds, three assists and a block, and is averaging 9.2 points, 3.6 boards, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steal and 0.8 3-pointers over his last five. I’m not sure why the Cavs just don’t make him the permanent starter at shooting guard, but he’s been fairly effective off the bench, especially over his last two games. Keep an eye on him.



Nick Young returned from his knee injury and blew up for 25 points and four 3-pointers on 9-of-14 shooting, while sitting on nearly every fantasy bench in existence, and coming off the Wizards' bench. Jordan Crawford was terrible, hitting just 2-of-13 shots for five points, and it appears that Young’s presence is messing with Crawford's mind. I’m not ready to give up on Crawford by any means, but if Young takes over for JC at shooting guard, it’s going to be tough for Crawford to be consistent. The timing couldn’t have been worse, as Crawford had scored 21, 12, 21, 20, 32, 19, 18 and 31 points in his last eight games. Stay tuned.



James Johnson had 13 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals, a block and a 3-pointer for Toronto on Monday and I’ve been riding him in several leagues all season. He is a key member of my playoff-bound 30-team league and I’m hoping he can carry me to a title. He’s averaging 12.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks over his last five games, and while he could take a hit once Bargnani is back, his confidence level is growing and he should be locked into a starting job the rest of the way. I’m keeping him. Aaron Gray is another guy I picked up in my 30-team league a couple weeks ago, and while he’s not for everyone, he did have 11 points and 11 boards on Monday. Just keep an eye on him if you’re in a deep league and always looking for a serviceable center.



Staying in Toronto, Jerryd Bayless had 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and two 3-pointers last night. Jose Calderon would need to get hurt or be traded for Bayless to fully blow up, but he’s a guy worth keeping a close eye on now that he’s healthy again. Bayless is averaging nine points and four assists over his last five, but those numbers could be on the rise as he is starting to get heavy minutes from Dwane Casey. Leandro Barbosa played just 18 minutes on Monday, and that could become a trend if Bayless can stay healthy.



Marco Belinelli scored 18 points with five boards and a 3-pointer on 8-of-14 shooting for the Hornets on Monday. Eric Gordon isn’t coming back anytime soon and Belinelli could be a great play in Week 14, when the Hornets play five games. Jarrett Jack started for the third straight time on Monday, but was awful, while Greivis Vasquez wasn’t great off the bench, either. As long as Jack is starting, he’s the guy to own, despite last night’s three-point effort. He had 18 points in his previous game, and last night looks more fluke than trend. Trevor Ariza returned from a two-game absence due to illness, but had just four points, five boards, three steals and a block on 1-of-4 shooting in 32 minutes. The good news is that he’s back, so get him back in your lineups.



Thaddeus Young is another guy on my 30-team squad and has been very nice for the Sixers. He started the second half on Monday, although I don’t expect that to happen often, and finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, two steals and a block. He’s having a solid season and is one of the most underrated fantasy players in my book. Evan Turner actually started for the Sixers tonight, sending Jodie Meeks to the bench, and had two points, 12 rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block, hitting just 1-of-12 shots. I doubt Turner becomes a full-time starter, but it’s possible. Just keep a close eye on him going forward.



Raymond Felton returned to a starting role for the Blazers on Monday and looked revitalized, finishing with 11 points, 10 assists, two steals and a 3-pointer in a win over the Hornets. If he was dropped in your league and you need a point guard, it’s time to grab him.



Game Headlines - Bad News



Hedo Turkoglu missed all six of his shots and failed to score for the Magic on Monday. He had been playing better, which means he was probably in a lot of fantasy lineups for this dud. He should bounce back Tuesday at Charlotte, so don’t do anything drastic.



Caron Butler was also scoreless (for the Clippers), with Mo Williams (19 points) and Bobby Simmons (7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 threes) picking up his slack. Butler played just 19 minutes, but this just looked like an off night and I doubt he’s in jeopardy of losing his job.



Carlos Delfino started for the Bucks again, but hit 1-of-7 shots for two points in 21 minutes. He’s been absolutely awful ever since I picked him up and started rolling with him a few weeks ago, but the good news is that I’m about to cut him across the board. And when I do, you can probably safely bet he starts going for 20 points and four 3-pointers on a regular basis again.



Isaiah Thomas has really quieted down for the Kings and had just seven points, one rebound, four assists, three steals and zero 3-pointers on 2-of-8 shooting last night. He played 23 minutes, but I’m pretty sure that number would have been higher if he was playing better. I’m not giving up on him, but I will think twice about starting him again until he gets it turned around. DeMarcus Cousins avoided a suspension after throwing a wild elbow on Sunday, but finished Monday’s game with just five points, five rebounds, five assists and two blocks on 2-of-5 shooting in 23 minutes. Cousins is fine, and should remain in starting lineups until further notice.



Jamal Crawford returned to his bench role for the Blazers and saw just 19 minutes and five points on Monday. With Nicolas Batum in cruise control at shooting guard and Felton back as the starting point guard, minutes and inconsistency will likely be a problem for Crawford. Don’t cut him, but don’t be surprised to see him struggle over the next several games until Nate McMillan comes up with an answer for a messy rotation, that also has Wesley Matthews coming off the bench.



Roy Hibbert got into early foul trouble and finished with just two points, seven boards and three blocks for the Pacers, as they were blown out by the Bulls. I fully expect Hibbert to bounce back on Tuesday when they host the Hawks.



May your Tuesday night in fantasy hoops be surprise-free!

 

[HacheMan]

Oodles of Udoh

Who will get the minutes? It’s a simple question that rarely has a simple answer.

Coaches are constantly tinkering and toying with their rotations. Sometimes it has to with injuries and in other instances, it’s a result of ineffective play from a certain player. The impact this has on minutes played and thus statistical production is where we come in.

Every Tuesday for the rest of the season, I’ll explore a certain aspect of half the league’s rotations while attempting to get inside coaches’ heads. The idea isn’t to tell you what Kevin Love and LeBron James are going to do -- it’s to decipher how much burn fringe players are going to get.

Here’s last week’s Position: Center
The only question left here is what in the world took coach Mark Jackson so long?

Andris Biedrins started 29 games this year, averaging 2.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 16.7 minutes. Biedrins started 55 games last year, averaging 5.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 24.3 minutes. Ekpe Udoh has started three games this year, averaging 14.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 32.3 minutes. The talent gap here is severe and Jackson knows it.

Jackson said Monday night that Udoh will start for the rest of the season “unless he completely falls off the map.”

Here are Udoh’s per-36 minute extrapolations for this season: 9.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.2 steals. Now that he’s locked in as the starter, we can safely expect 26-31 minutes nightly. There’s plenty of upside here in a 24-year-old developing raw talent that’s playing in an uptempo offense. Udoh’s elite shot-blocking ability keeps the floor high.

CLIPPERS
Position: Shooting guard
For a take on DeAndre Jordan that still holds, bang it here for the Feb. 24 Dose.

For reasons why Randy Foye is struggling, look no further than his talent level. Simply put, Foye has had plenty of chances to be an average shooting guard in this league. He just hasn’t been able to do it.

In 20 starts this year, Foye is averaging 10.7 points, 3.1 assists and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 36.9 percent and playing 29.6 minutes. Over the last four games, coach Vinny Del Negro has seen enough. Foye is playing 21.8 minutes while Mo Williams is at 30.7. The Clippers are also rumored to be interested in starting shooting guards at the trade deadline. Owners are going to have to wade through a ton of duds to get to Foye’s handful of big games.

Editor’s Note: For exclusive columns, chats, pickup advice, weekly rankings and much more, check out the Season Pass!

GRIZZLIES
Position: Shooting guard
We all know what‘s going to happen as soon as Zach Randolph (knee) gets cleared: Marreese Speights will fall almost completely off the radar.

What’s more interesting is the way Tony Allen has seized and ran with the starting shooting guard job. He played 20.5 minutes in three December games, 24.9 minutes in 18 January games and then 30.3 minutes in 11 February contests.

While other Grizzlies players will take a hit in attempts and minutes once Randolph returns, Allen doesn’t have to worry about that. He gets his 10.6 points per game without any plays being run for him and almost all his fantasy value lies in his steal rate. Deep-leaguers using Allen as a glue guy shouldn’t be concerned.

HORNETS
Position: Power forward
Chris Kaman is among the players most likely to be traded by March 15. Jason Smith’s concussion has lingered long enough that it can be considered severe. Emeka Okafor’s knee injury is being described as a “strange situation.” Carl Landry (knee) is a bench player. In other words, the party is far from over for Gustavo Ayon.

In 14 starts this year, Ayon is averaging 8.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks while playing 28.8 minutes. As long as the Kaman deal doesn’t net a useful big man, that’s sustainable usage. Deep-leaguers need to hold on.

Bonus position: Point guard
I thought that coach Monty Williams might be willing to use Greivis Vasquez at shooting guard once Jarrett Jack got back up to speed. After all, when the Vasquez plays 25 minutes or more, the Hornets are 6-10. When he plays less than 25 minutes, they are 3-19. Apparently, that doesn’t matter to Williams. I was wrong.

Since Jack returned to the starting lineup three games ago, he’s averaging 33.9 minutes. Vasquez is 21.1. Additionally, Vasquez hasn’t topped 24 minutes in any of his last five games. We’re entering mere handcuff territory here.

JAZZ
Position: Small forward
Gordon Hayward played his way out of a starting job due to a lack of aggression on the offensive end. In his last 10 starts, he averaged 6.3 field-goal attempts per game. For a starting swingman of Hayward’s pedigree and caliber, that’s unacceptable.

Of course, coach Tyrone Corbin looks like a genius after Hayward went for 23 points, five assists and four rebounds in his first game off the bench Monday night. I’m not buying it. Hayward was dominant, making 8-of-11 field goals Monday -- and he still only played 27 minutes. That’s just not enough burn to sustain consistency and the minutes will take a hit when he isn’t on fire.

Meanwhile, Josh Howard is locked in as a starter until he gets hurt. The veteran is averaging 12.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.4 3-pointers in that role this year. There’s not much upside, but the floor is decent.

KINGS
Position: Point guard
The Kings have lost four straight games, but three of those came in tough road spots and the fourth was a home loss to the Clippers. Isaiah Thomas should not be taking the blame here. The reasons that he took over the starting point guard job nine games ago still hold true. Tyreke Evans isn’t a point guard and John Salmons is a bench player at this point.

Is the league starting to get a book on Thomas, like they are on Jeremy Lin? Probably. They are making him go right more and closing out airspace on 3-pointers. Still, there’s a defined role for Thomas here and he’s still getting 28.3 minutes over the last four games. I’m riding the rookie until the wheels fall off.

LAKERS
Position: Small forward
Yes, Metta World Peace has been hot over the last week or so. No, it’s not going to continue and it shouldn’t stop the Lakers from shopping hard for a small forward at the trade deadline.

Over the last two games, World Peace is averaging 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 3-pointers while playing 35.1 minutes. In his previous 13 games -- all starts -- he averaged 5.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 0.8 3-pointers while playing 24.8 minutes.

This Lakers depth chart is a good bet to get shaken up by March 15. They’ve been linked to Michael Beasley, Raymond Felton, Ramon Sessions and Rajon Rondo over the past few weeks. The first three would get a major boost if they land next to Position: Shooting guard
It’s really strange that coach Rick Carlisle just popped up and randomly started Roddy Beabuois against the Hornets last Friday. The Hornets are known to have interest in trading for Beabuois and the Mavs have reportedly taken the “untradeable” tag off him. That theory garnered more steam as Roddy B played just 20 minutes on Saturday and 21 minutes on Monday.

Position: Power forward
Coach George Karl didn’t intend to use Kenneth Faried as a workhouse. Here’s what Karl said about his energetic rookie just five days ago, on March 1.

“I go into every game thinking 15-20 [minutes]. But if he keeps playing like he’s playing, it might be 20-25.”

Since that quote, Faried has played no less than 29 minutes and is averaging 31.3 minutes. The Nuggets have gone 3-0, including solid wins at Houston and at San Antonio. In other words, Faried has forced Karl to play him more with his outstanding play on the court. The rookie is getting 15.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks while shooting 62.1 percent over the last three.

By earning minutes rather than getting them out of desperation, Faried has thrust himself into the starting lineup conversation even as the Nuggets regain health. We know that Nene is going to start and get his 30 minutes, but it’s very possible that Faried sticks at power forward, thus sending Timofey Mozgov (ankle, day-to-day) to the bench. Chris Andersen is on the trading block and Al Harrington is a clear bench scorer. Danilo Gallinari will take his minutes at the expense of Corey Brewer. There’s enough room here for Faried to hover around 25 minutes the rest of the way.

ROCKETS
Position: Shooting guard/center
Coach Kevin McHale really started to calm his rotation down on Feb. 15. Since then Kevin Martin has played at least 30 minutes in seven of the last nine games. Samuel Dalembert has gotten 25 minutes in six of the last nine and Luis Scola has reached 30 minutes in seven of nine. Although the Rockets are currently riding a three-game skid, they are 5-4 during that span.

As mentioned both two weeks ago and Position: Power forward
Channing Frye seemed to be in the clear as he made 45.7 percent of his shots in 14 February games. Therefore, he played 28.3 minutes during that span.

But over the last two games, Frye is shooting a brutal 5-of-30. Yes, 16.6 percent. To be fair, one game means literally nothing to me. Two games still means just about nothing. But when we’re talking about Frye, a guy that is prone to shooting slumps -- and whose playing time depends solely on his ability to make shot -- there’s some concern here.

Remember that when Frye was making 38.6 percent of his shots in 16 January games, he managed just 21.9 minutes. The good news for Frye owners is that Markieff Morris is 8-for-46, or 17.3 percent, over his last six games. The Suns have also won five of their last six and Frye is rebounding the ball better than he has in ages. Frye should have a longer leash this time.

SPURS
Position: Shooting guard
When Manu Ginobili returned from his wrist injury on Feb. 11, he played just 17 minutes In his first game back. He didn’t top 24 minutes in any of his first four games.

But when he returned from his oblique injury on Sunday, Ginbobili logged 23 solid minutes. Afterward, he confirmed that he felt much better this time than the that early-February return. Look for a semi-regular rotation to settle in on the wings here.

Although Ginobili is a good bet to stick in a bench role, we can safely expect 24-30 minutes nightly as long as he sustains health. Danny Green is the placeholder as the starting shooting guard, Gary Neal is the shooter and Position: Point guard
Before we get to the Raymond Felton/Jamal Crawford mess, I feel obliged to simply list Nicolas Batum’s starts in his 11 starts this year: 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.2 3-pointers, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals. Wowzers. As mentioned two weeks ago, he has top-10 fantasy potential.

OK, let’s move on. Coach Nate McMillan says that he sat Felton prior to the All-Star break in order to let his starting point guard clear his head. Maybe that’s true. But if Jamal Crawford hadn’t gone 1-3 as a starter, or if McMillan had any other true point guard options on his roster, would Felton already have his job back? I don’t think so. It’s also not surprising that Felton’s name is popping up in trade rumors.

Remember that Felton played 31.6 minutes per game for the Nuggets a year ago and managed just 11.5 points to go with 6.5 assists. He’s playing 31.3 minutes for the Blazers this year and is averaging 9.7 points and 6.2 assists. That sample size is too large to ignore.

WOLVES
Position: Sixth man
Derrick Williams has been insisting all along that he can play the small forward spot. Coach Rick Adelman wasn’t buying it. But over the last five games, Williams is proving that he can be an asset on the wing. During that span, he’s averaging 14.6 points and has made 10-of-19 3-pointers while playing 24.2 minutes per night.

With Michael Beasley a prime candidate to move at the deadline, Williams could be given even more room to breathe. He’s a watch candidate as Wesley Johnson’s woes (5.8 points in 21.6 minutes per game this year) continue.

 

[HacheMan]

Six players to trade for

By Tom Carpenter
Special to ESPN.com

Last season, the Miami Heat played their 40th game of the season on Jan. 12. Right now in this condensed 2011-12 season, they have played 38 games. So while it may seem that we're entering the midpoint of the season, we are actually entering the stretch run of this 66-game campaign. That means we're also rapidly approaching next Wednesday's noon ET deadline for making trades in standard ESPN fantasy hoops leagues.


In the dozens and dozens of fantasy leagues in which I've played over the past decade and a half, I can probably count on one hand the number of teams I've seen win a fantasy league without making any trades. It can happen, but the odds are tiny. So if you have intentions of holding the hardware at season's end, you had better make some moves before the deadline passes.


If you are in a head-to-head league, you should target players who will give you some extra games in the playoffs. The NBA scheduled nearly every team to play 17 or 18 games over the course of the scheduled fantasy semis and finals, but the Charlotte Bobcats and Cleveland Cavaliers have 20 games during that stretch, including five games in the first week of the finals and three in the second week, when most teams play one or two. The Memphis Grizzlies have 19 games during the playoffs, including a five-game week in both the semis and finals.


I also recommend targeting injured guys like Andrea Bargnani, Zach Randolph and Danilo Gallinari, because all three have tremendous upside for the stretch run and should come at a discounted price due to their respective injuries. I expect them all to be solid fantasy plays once they get back up to full speed.


There are a number of players I like, but who come with various flaws like fighting for minutes or touches, bad percentages, still learning to play at the pro level, or they aren't going to improve much beyond where they are. This group includes Tristan Thompson, Jerryd Bayless, Ricky Rubio, Paul George, Greg Monroe, MarShon Brooks, Jarrett Jack, Brandon Jennings, Marcin Gortat and Louis Williams. These are guys I'll be targeting, either directly or as a toss-in on a bigger deal. All of them have solid upside despite their risks or flaws.


As for players I think have little risk of failing and carry tremendous and well-rounded fantasy upside for the final weeks of the season, here are my top six trade targets as the deadline approaches:


John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards: Hopefully, you bought in on Wall when he was slumping during the first month of the season and his price was as low as it's going to get, because he picked up steam last month and he won't come cheap now. Just because you can't get Wall on the cheap doesn't mean you should ignore him, though. He's been top seven on the Player Rater during the past month and with good reason: Wall averaged 19.2 ppg, 8.6 apg, 4.8 rpg, 1.4 spg, 81.6 FT% and 48.0 FG% in February, and 24.0 ppg and 9.5 apg in the four games since the All-Star break. That 48 percent mark from the field in February was by far the highest of his brief career, as the only time he topped 42 percent in a month with double-digit games was 42.1 percent in 12 games last February. There's a legitimate risk that his field goal percentage drops back down to the low-40s, but the rest of his game will carry him through in fantasy terms. Expect big scoring, diming and stealing from the former No. 1 overall pick, because the Wiz have little else in the cupboard to lean on.

Josh Smith, PF/SF, Atlanta Hawks: My man-crush on J-Smoove has gone on since he racked up 29 boards, 9 blocks and 9 steals over a stretch of three games in January of his rookie season. It waned some in recent years as the Hawks got deeper on talent and his role changed, which reduced the epic steals and blocks totals he had posted in the past. However, the door is wide open for Smoove to finish the season in a big way. With Al Horford still out for the foreseeable future and Joe Johnson slowed (and currently out) with a sore knee, the Hawks have no choice but to turn Smith loose on offense. Shaky percentages (44.7 FG%, 56.8 FT%) have kept him down on the Player Rater (39th on the season, 23rd over the past month), so that will help keep his trade value down a bit. While I expect both percentages to rise some during the stretch run, you won't be trading for Smith to bump you in those categories. But if you need scoring, dimes, blocks and steals, Smoove is going to be your man the rest of the way.


Kyrie Irving, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers: All rookies come with questions about their ability to play at the next level. Irving was somewhat different, though, because the only serious concern coming out of college was whether he could stay healthy. After all, he played just 11 games for Duke due to damaged toe ligaments. However, if you saw him perform in any of those games, you witnessed a kid who had the talent to hang with the big boys of the NBA. So far, Irving has not appeared to be frail and has lived up to the hype of being a No. 1 overall pick. On the season, he's shooting 48.3 percent from the field, a ridiculous number for a first-year point guard. He hit only 42.2 percent of his field goal attempts last month, though, so a realistic expectation as the season winds down might be in the 44-46 percent range. Overall, he's in a terrific situation to light it up as the season winds down. The Cavs are bereft of scorers beyond the aging Antawn Jamison, so while that will limit Irving's dime production, it will keep his scoring up (18.9 ppg in Jan., 19.3 in Feb.). And since he can bomb from 3-point range (1.6 per game in February), rebound (3.8 per in Feb.), dime (5.6 per in Feb.) and hit free throws (95.4 percent in Feb.), Irving's fantasy arc is aiming straight up.


Marcus Thornton, SG, Sacramento Kings: Remember a couple of years ago when Darren Collison, a rookie first-round pick, was doing his best imitation of Chris Paul (who was hurt)? That didn't last once he went to the Indiana Pacers. Do you remember who was running alongside Collison for that stretch with the Hornets, piling up huge offensive numbers? That's right, Thornton, a second-round pick. Unlike Collison, Thornton has proved capable of maintaining that level of production away from New Orleans. He has a secure role with the Kings as a scorer who can steal balls and bang down a ton of 3s. Last month, Thornton averaged 20.4 points, 2.4 3s and 1.5 steals, production I think he'll exceed in the closing weeks of the season.


Ty Lawson, PG/SG, Denver Nuggets: Lawson kind of let the secret out of the bag in the last week, as he tallied at least 11 dimes in each of his past three games, while averaging 20 points over that stretch. He's not going to crank out two-plus 3s per game, but aside from that, you can trade for Lawson with visions of Stephen Curry in mind, because Lawson can score, pass, steal, hit (some) treys and maintain excellent percentages. So long as Lawson is focused, Andre Miller won't limit him, and I expect a stellar finish to the season from the younger point guard.


Nicolas Batum, SF/SG, Portland Trail Blazers: If Batum played for a team that was bereft of scorers, like the Cavs, he'd be a fantasy star. After all, despite coming off the bench for 25 of the Blazers' 36 games this season, he has managed to average 14.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 3s, 1.1 steals, 1.1 blocks, and shoot 46.3 percent from the field and 83.2 percent from the line. Meanwhile, in eight starts at shooting guard, Batum has averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 3s, 1.3 steals, 1.5 blocks, and shot 49.2 and 86.2 percent, respectively. That displays his incredible upside. There's some risk involved in acquiring Batum, because his role could change (specifically, there's always the chance he could head back to the bench behind Wesley Matthews). But I believe that during the final seven weeks of this season we are going to witness Batum securing his rightful place as a reliable stud in fantasyland for years to come.

 

[HacheMan]

Dose: Bismack Biyombo!

Tuesday night was somewhat quiet, with just six games, but there were overtimes, a breakout game from Bismack Biyombo, a 29-point explosion from Corey Maggette, an injury to Dwyane Wade, and the benching of Top Stories from Tuesday



Down Goes Wade




Dwyane Wade went down at the end of the first half of Tuesday’s blowout win over the Nets with a sprained right ankle and didn’t play in the second half. The score was so lopsided, Wade’s minutes would have been limited in the second half anyway. He says his ankle injury isn’t bad at all, and he’s fully expected to play on Wednesday against the Hawks. I would be shocked if Wade misses tonight’s game, so keep him in your lineup unless we get bad news later on Wednesday. Crisis (apparently) avoided.



Centers of Attention



Bismack Biyombo returned from a shoulder injury and blew up for 10 points, 15 rebounds, a steal and SEVEN blocks on Tuesday, against Dwight Howard, of all people. The Bobcats are going to give Biyombo all he can handle the rest of the way (they have just five wins), and he’s shown enough over the past couple weeks that he’s become a must-own player. He’s also had recent lines of nine points, 10 boards and six blocks, and eight points, 13 boards and seven blocks in his last five games played, and it’s time to move on him. Stop reading, and go pick him up if he’s still available.



Ekpe Udoh and the Warriors were off on Tuesday, but Udoh had 17 points, six rebounds and a block in a start for the Warriors on Monday. Like Biyombo, Udoh is going to get a ton of minutes and looks like a must own player to me. Whether you should pick up Biyombo or Udoh is up for debate, but I can tell you that in weekly leagues, the Warriors have two upcoming five-game weeks, and no three-game weeks, while the Bobcats have one five-game week and a three-game week, which means something in those leagues. But the bottom line is that both players are worth owning in all leagues at this point.



Samuel Dalembert had 11 points, 17 rebounds and zero blocks for Houston on Tuesday in 41 minutes, and also had 17 points, 12 boards and three blocks in 36 minutes in his previous game. Dalembert might finally be out of Kevin McHale’s doghouse and is the third of a three-headed center in this trifecta. If you missed out on Biyombo and Udoh, Dalembert is a nice pickup if he was dumped in your league.



Zaza Pachulia had 12 points, 10 rebounds, a steal and a block on Tuesday and is averaging nine points and 12 boards over his last five games for the Hawks. Al Horford isn’t walking through those doors this fantasy season, making Zaza worth a grab if you need a starting center.



Brook Lopez could very well be done for the year with his severely sprained ankle. It’s attached to the foot he broke earlier in the season, and it looks like he could end the year with 18 total rebounds, or the number that Dwight Howard missed by one on Tuesday night, when he had 15 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks. If you’re still holding Lopez, I don’t see the point.



Anderson Varejao is still having trouble gripping a ball after his wrist injury, so he might not be as close as we thought for the Cavs. If you’re still hanging on and want to drop him for a hot free agent, I’m OK with that.



Nikola Pekovic is iffy for the Wolves on Wednesday, and given how late this news broke on Monday, he’s locked into a ton of fantasy lineups, mine included. Hopefully he’s a go on Wednesday, but the injury doesn’t appear to be severe. Don’t drop him.



Andrea Bargnani remains “close” to a return for the Raptors from a calf injury, but there’s still no telling if he plays this week or not. Keep him benched until further notice.



Diaw Down and Out?



Boris Diaw was benched last night on a coaching decision, breaking his streak of 384 straight games played in the NBA (he trailed only Derek Fisher). Diaw might have brought this upon himself by demanding to be traded or bought out by the Bobcats, and I’m guessing he’s pretty ticked off that his games-played streak is over. He wasn’t exactly killing it when he was playing, and the fact the Bobcats actually beat the Magic for their fifth win doesn’t help his cause. D.J. White started in his place and had eight points and not a single rebound, but has the talent to succeed if the Bobcats decide that Diaw has played his last game for the organization. Tyrus Thomas is still at the bottom of the totem pole, but could re-emerge in the near future if that’s the case. Keep an eye on White and Thomas, along with Reggie Williams, as all three could be ready for a big bump in minutes if Diaw’s done in Charlotte.



Bosh Is Back



Chris Bosh returned from a three-game personal leave and had 20 points, but just two rebounds on 9-of-14 shooting Tuesday. He looked great, and might have had more rebounds had LeBron James not hit nine of his 11 shots last night. If you had Bosh on your bench, get him back in your lineup, and look for more boards tonight against the Hawks.

<!--RW-->

Turk Lays an Egg



Hedo Turkoglu hit just 2-of-10 shots and is now just 2-of-16 in his last two games, scoring a total of six points. He was just starting to heat up before the meltdown, but I do feel better about foolishly dropping him recently. He’ll get it turned around soon, so think about grabbing him if he was dropped in your league.



Melo World Fail



Carmelo Anthony hit just 2-of-12 shots for six points, eight rebounds and one assist in 31 minutes of Tuesday’s loss to the Mavs, and was benched down the stretch for both his ineffectiveness, as well as lack of effort. He said later that he just had an off night, but it didn’t look like he had much lift in his legs. I reluctantly started him over James Johnson and Marcus Thornton this week, and deeply regret the move. Yes, you should generally start your studs in fantasy, but I’m just not sure Melo qualifies as such this season. Unless he makes a dramatic turnaround this week, I am planning on sitting him down next week, as I had to do the previous two weeks, as well as several other scoring periods this season. Chris Webber said on NBA TV last night that the Knicks need Melo badly, and while I agree, I’m just not sure he’s going to show up at full strength this season. I hope I’m wrong.



Metta World Fail



The artist formerly known as Ron Artest might have been a hot pickup after playing so well on Friday and Sunday, but he returned to form on Tuesday, missing all five of his 3-pointers and finishing with four points and six boards in a bad OT loss to the Pistons. I tend to think his last two nice games were flukes, and would not bother owning him in any leagues until he shows he can perform consistently in at least four straight games, instead of just a couple.



Stuckey on You



Rodney Stuckey went off for 34 points on 13-of-20 shooting Tuesday and was largely responsible for the Pistons taking down Kobe Bryant and his two masks last night. Kobe started the game in a black mask, and finished in a clear one, but hit just 8-of-26 shots on the night. Stuckey has averaged 25 points per game over his last four and should be owned in all leagues. Unfortunately for many of you/us, he was on fantasy benches with just three games this week. The Pistons finish out the season 4-3-4-4-4-4, so Stuckey is worth having in all leagues. Brandon Knight failed to show up, missing all six of his shots and finishing with zero points and three assists on Tuesday. He played 25 minutes and there are no reports of an injury, so I’d just keep playing him as you normally would going forward. He had a bad night.



Kidd’s Play & Roddy Buckets



Jason Kidd finally showed up offensively last night, hitting 4-of-9 shots and three 3-pointers on his way to a season-high 15 points. He also had four boards, six assists and a steal, and has three games left this week. If he was dropped in your league, grab him.



Roddy Beaubois scored 18 points with two 3-pointers last night, and looks like a solid bet for the rest of the week, despite getting just 21 and 20 minutes in his last two games. But once this week is over, trouble is brewing in weekly leagues, as the Mavs go 3-4-3 over their next three weeks.



Invisiblesanity



While Kidd and Roddy Buckets are coming on, Vince Carter has basically fallen off the map. He was 1-of-8 for three points, seven rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes on Tuesday, and failed to score in 10 minutes on Monday. If you want to cut him for a hot free agent, do it. With Brendan Haywood’s ankle injury causing him to miss two games this week, the five-gamer the Mavericks had has been more of a bust than anything else for most of the Mavericks. Ian Mahinmi was solid Tuesday with nine points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks, but Haywood could be back on Thursday at Phoenix, which would hurt Mahinmi.



Collison’s Disappearing Act



Darren Collison hit just 2-of-7 shots for five points and four assists on Tuesday, after going 0-for-6 for zero points on Monday for the Pacers. He’s still the starting point guard for the Pacers and has two games to right the ship this week, so don’t do anything drastic. George Hill has played well over his last three games, but my guess is Collison bounces back in his next one.



MarShon’s Story



MarShon Brooks got hot early on Tuesday, but cooled off and finished with just 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and two 3-pointers on 5-of-11 shooting in 28 minutes in a blowout loss to the Heat. I fully expect him to play better than this with Brook Lopez possibly done for the season, so I’m reluctant to cut him. Would I drop him for Biyombo? Possibly, but if you can pick up a hot free agent and keep Brooks on your bench, I’d do it.



Max 10



Jason Maxiell started again for the Pistons and had 10 points and 10 rebounds in 36 minutes. He’s averaging eight points, seven boards and a block over his last five games and might be worth a look in deeper leagues.

 

[HacheMan]

Underowned values on Player Rater

By Seth Landman | Special to ESPN.com

With the fantasy trading deadline fast approaching -- next Wednesday at noon ET -- a lot of people are focusing on getting whatever value they can in the trading market, but around this time of the season, I'm always reminded of the importance of finding players on the waiver wire. While it's true that guys like Jeremy Lin don't often show up, it is very possible to find guys on the waiver wire who will be solid fantasy options down the stretch.


The big thing to remember at this point in the season if you are in a standard non-keeper fantasy league is that you need to be bolder than you think in your trades. If you are sitting in the middle of the pack at this point in the season, with teams having played somewhere between 35 and 40 of their 66 games, you are not going to make a significant jump by sitting pat, and if you're not going to win your league, there's not much difference between coming in sixth and coming in ninth. It's time to take a risk. More importantly, you're not going to make a jump unless you somehow replace an inferior player with a superior one. The only way to do that is to find value where other people aren't seeing it.


So, here are some players who have been slowly climbing on the Player Rater recently and are available on the waiver wire in many ESPN leagues. These five players can help you pick up fantasy points in specific areas quickly, and should continue their ascension over the final third of the season.

Rodrigue Beaubois, PG/SG, Dallas Mavericks: Beaubois missed a huge chunk of time in February, but since he's come back, he's been an important part of the Mavs' rotation. So much so, in fact, that he has a top-50 ranking on the Player Rater over the past 15 days. Much of that ranking comes from the fact he's averaging 2.0 steals per game in that six-game stretch, a number that would put him fifth overall in the league were he able to do it for the entire season. He's so quick, and has long arms and good hands, so it makes sense that he'd be able to rack up steals, and the fact he's not playing starter's minutes might actually be a benefit in this area, since he doesn't have to fret too much about picking up fouls. He'll help you in other areas, too -- he gets up lots of shots while he's on the floor, and is making better than one 3-pointer per game during that stretch, as well. He's been picked up in a few leagues recently, but is still owned in just 16.9 percent of ESPN.com leagues, so he's there to be had, and can definitely help you out in the stretch run.


Metta World Peace, SF, Los Angeles Lakers: Try not to pay too much attention to the numbers World Peace has been putting up this season. Instead, focus on what he's been doing lately. For one thing, while he's averaging just 23.8 minutes per game on the season as a whole, he's up to 31.4 over the Lakers' past five games. That bump in minutes alone -- given his ability to grab steals -- is significant, but he's also playing much better basketball when he's out there. Over that same five-game stretch, he's shooting 46.3 percent from the floor, and while that's probably a little much to expect from a guy who is a career 41.8 percent shooter, it's also true that World Peace should be getting easier looks when you consider the caliber of guys, like Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, who are getting him his open looks. He's making 1.4 3s and shooting 88.9 percent from the line in those five games -- great numbers considering the way he struggled in those areas to start the season -- but the thing I'm most excited about is the 3.4 assists per game he's piled up during this stretch. That number would be fifth among small forwards if he could do it over the whole season. It's just part of his strong across-the-board fantasy numbers of late. Chances are he's an upgrade over at least one player on your roster.


Kenneth Faried, PF, Denver Nuggets: Faried has been a beast lately, averaging 12.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, 0.8 steals and shooting 65 percent from the floor in his past five games. Obviously, those numbers are great, and it doesn't take an expert to point that out; over the past 15 days, he's just outside of the top 50 on the Player Rater. He's been picked up in a lot of leagues over the past few days, but is still available in 57.5 percent of them, so it's certainly possible he's available in yours and should be picked up as soon as possible. Nene just returned from injury, and might cut into Faried's minutes (especially since Faried's recent numbers look a whole lot like Nene's usual production), but my guess would be that most of Nene's minutes come out of the minutes Timofey Mozgov has been playing. The way George Karl likes to play lots of guys means Faried's likely to keep getting somewhere in the vicinity of the 26.9 minutes per game he's been playing during this recent span. If you can replace a low field goal percentage player with Faried, you could definitely gain a couple of fantasy points over the remainder of the season in roto formats.

Steve Novak, PF, New York Knicks: Despite all the attention Novak's been getting lately as the sidekick to the whole Jeremy Lin phenomenon, he's still owned in just 27.7 percent of ESPN.com fantasy leagues. I realize, of course, that he does only one thing, but that one thing is important, and it means he's a pretty valuable fantasy player, but get this: he's actually been the most valuable fantasy guy on the Knicks over the past 15 days on the Player Rater. He's been more valuable than Lin himself, and far more valuable than Tyson Chandler or Amare Stoudemire or Carmelo Anthony. Obviously, that's not going to continue for the rest of the season, but I would maintain that it's because those other guys are likely to play better. Novak, meanwhile, continues to play more and more minutes while continuing to knock down a ton of 3s. It's significant to point out, as I've done before, that shooting 3s is all Novak does, so when you see that he's shooting 54.5 percent from the floor over his past five games, remember that that number is actually even more important than it originally seems because he's getting so much value out of every shot he takes. Clearly, if you're already dominating in 3s, you don't need a guy like Novak, but if you have any ground to cover in that category whatsoever, there's no fantasy player out there who can help you more than Novak.


Gustavo Ayon, PF, New Orleans Hornets: Ayon, strangely, has actually been dropped in quite a few leagues in recent days, and is currently owned in just 5.6 percent of them. Yes, his post All-Star break numbers have been a bit of a drop-off for him -- he's averaging 9.2 points and 3.6 rebounds over a five-game stretch, and those are the stats we probably pay the most attention to -- but really, he's still been quite good in the fantasy game. He's averaging 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks during that same span, and that combination is a tough one to match for anyone, not just for players on the waiver wire in most leagues. He's also shooting 54 percent from the floor during that stretch, and while that's actually a decline from his pre-All-Star break level, it's still a pretty great number. To me, however, the important thing to consider is the fact Ayon has been playing nearly 30 minutes per game recently, and that's a major leap from the 19.7 minutes per game he's averaging on the season overall. The Hornets are going to continue to play him, because he's one of the most promising players they have, and pretty soon he should start rebounding again with the fervor he's displayed on many occasions already this season. Pick him up while you still have the chance.

 

[HacheMan]

Dose: Last Second Madness

The last week or so has been interesting, as I’ve been assigned to cover the Kings arena story for ProBasketballTalk and a few other interesting things here for Rotoworld. Those that have followed along with me know that the Kings’ arena effort has been like an adopted child for me, and on Tuesday night the all-but deciding vote was cast to keep the team in town. Seeing the fans cheer after watching them tearfully refuse to leave the arena last year was a pretty nice payoff, and watching them organize en masse to save their team was compelling stuff.



In the meantime, the fantasy season is amazingly nearing the end and last night’s action may have been the best of the year. There were four game-winning shots, a ton of big lines, injury news, and the like. We’ve been kicking ideas around over here with the format, because on a night like Wednesday I could easily write a four-page Dose. The feedback is fairly split. Some of you want more and some of you want less. For now I’m going to keep the thing to two pages and you guys should send your feedback about what you’d like to see. And before I waste anymore space, away we go.



And for real-time news and fantasy information, which has become a must for the competitive fantasy player, CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER.



MARCH MADNESS



Out of 13 games last night, 10 of them were close, and the highlight shows probably ran out of space, too. Derrick Rose (30 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists) hit just 8-of-22 shots from the field, but was perfect in 14 attempts from the foul line and hit a game-winner with a filthy step-back crossover move on Brandon Jennings. If you didn’t like that, you can go to Jersey where the Clippers trapped a bit too early on Deron Williams and left Jordan Farmar (16 points, three treys) open for the game-winning 3-point shot -- released a good foot and a half behind the line. And if you like your game-winners Tyus Edny style here’s Kyrie Irving (18 points, five boards, eight assists, three steals) going full court to beat the Nuggets. Just issue him the first-year hardware right now. And lastly, for a bit of fantasy impact, if you don’t like Isaiah Thomas (12 points, 17 minutes) coming off an irrational benching to steal the ball and pass to a streaking John Salmons for the game-winner – then you don’t like Kings basketball*.



If there was ever a night to explain why fantasy basketball is on its way to passing baseball in terms of traffic and popularity, this was it.



*The story on Thomas is one of two things. Keith Smart said last night that he was concerned about Jarrett Jack’s size upsetting Thomas, which is pretty ridiculous when you consider that Thomas is stronger than Jack, more athletic, and can block his shot. If we take that at face value, it means that Thomas is subject to matchups, and he’ll mix slow nights in with the good ones. I’m not going to begrudge anybody for dropping him for a hot free agent, but I’m personally holding. My conspiracy theory is that Smart is giving his veterans run right now knowing that soon it will soon be time to put them out to pasture. Smart may look at the decision in different terms – but John Salmons as an “elite defender” isn’t paying the bills when the Kings’ offense bogs down. The IT department, on the other hand, will make the team fully operational. Off the court, Thomas showed up at the Kings vote Tuesday night and is about 100 times more popular in Sacramento than Jimmer, which is actually saying something.



COME AND GET YOUR PRIZE -- WEDNESDAY'S BEST



Kevin Love scored 29 points with 16 rebounds and three triples, making him the first NBA player since the advent of the 3-point shot to go for 25 and 10 with three or more treys in three straight games.



Trevor Booker went off for 18 points and a career-high 17 rebounds with a steal and a block in 38 minutes, and he simply needs to be owned in most formats until he proves he doesn’t belong. Andray Blatche (four points, two boards) played just 10 minutes and should be held in most cases throughout the week, but owners eyeballing a long-term value shouldn’t hesitate to make the drop.



I told folks on Twitter to run, don’t walk to grab Evan Turner (26 points, nine rebounds, two assists, one three) after he drew another start and Doug Collins said that he would start the rest of the way. Of course, I felt a little queasy saying that, because we know that Turner is inconsistent and that his shot is often dangerous to those standing near the hoop. We’ll learn about Collins’ motivations as we go, but my guess is that he knows Spencer Hawes (back, Achilles) can’t be counted on and that he needs some extra punch heading into the playoffs.



The only added punch he can get outside of a trade at the deadline is an increased role for both Turner and Nikola Vucevic (14 points, 12 boards, one steal, one block). The draw here for Turner is the versatility in his game, and the hope that the small steps forward he has taken this year will be augmented by the promotion. And when you’re hunting on the wire, you’re looking for upside like that. Vucevic was slated to start again, as well, but Thaddeus Young was a late scratch with the flu and Collins needed his scoring on the second unit.



Readers here are well aware that I’ve been chomping at the bit to pick him up, but the reality has been that Collins wasn’t ready to let the sweet-shooting 7-footer loose. I’m not going to sit here and predict consistency, but like Turner there is upside for Vucevic if Collins is indeed prepping him for the playoffs. Hawes cannot commit to playing next week and he’s damaged goods in my book, and it’s fair to wonder if his early production was as much the result of Elton Brand’s struggles as it was Hawes taking a step forward. I’d call Vucevic a stronger speculative add in 12-team leagues, and if Collins gives him the green light to shoot from distance then he’ll have good upside, too.



Jarrett Jack scored 25 points with three rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block in 33 minutes, and backup Greivis Vasquez also picked up the pace with 10 points, six boards, four assists, and a three in 23 minutes. I still like Vasquez as a stash that you can also plug in when you’re in a pinch, and Jack should obviously be owned and likely started in most formats. Trevor Ariza also took advantage of the Kings’ loose defense with 20 points, four rebounds, six assists, four steals, and a lucky three that would have been the game-winner had Isaiah Thomas not stolen his thunder. Chris Kaman continued to audition for a trade, scoring 18 points with 11 rebounds, eight assists, and two blocks. I don’t care what’s going on, he cannot be dropped.



Gerald Wallace had a very quiet 13 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists while hitting half his shots. But the bigger fantasy story was Raymond Felton scoring a season-high tying 23 points on 11-of-18 shooting with four rebounds, nine assists, and a three in his second game as the starter once again in Portland. I was feeling the heat for calling Felton a buy-low guy a few weeks back, but the team-wide implosion/most-recent indictment of media favorite Nate McMillan wasn’t on my radar. The Blazers are still scuffling, but for fantasy owners it’s not a bad situation for Felton. If he doesn’t improve, McMillan is going to be fired, and if that happens he’ll likely improve under the new coach that will push all the buttons that McMillan hasn’t.



The Thunder were a fantasy pinball machine last night, with three guys scoring 30 points and Serge Ibaka scoring 18 points with 20 rebounds and three blocks. Russell Westbrook scored 31 points with 10 assists, four steals, and three triples, James Harden scored a career-high 30 points on 8-of-12 shooting with four threes, two steals, and two blocks, and Kevin Durant had 30 points, three steals, and two blocks. And because the Thunder have installed the patented stand-and-wiggle offense, Durant was visibly frustrated during the game’s first half as his teammates took most of the shots. That’s a story for another time, but this team that should win multiple championships won’t get one until they figure out a simple post entry pass to somebody other than Kendrick Perkins.



Marcin Gortat kept things rolling and made good on his talk about blocks, with three total to go with his career-high 28 points, 11 rebounds, and one steal.



Joakim Noah scored 20 points with 10 rebounds and two blocks and I’ll certainly own my talk about him as a sell-high candidate. He bucked the pattern of trading off big games with Carlos Boozer and his early season struggles can barely be seen in the rear-view mirror.



Drew Gooden scored a season-high 27 points with six rebounds, two steals, a block, and two threes, making whatever wrist and back ailments he has look like blips on the radar. The bigger fantasy story, though, was Ersan Ilyasova’s career-high 32 points, 10 rebounds, two threes, and 14-of-18 mark from the field. He’s returning early round value and this is definitely as good of a time to sell-high as any, but I don’t know how Scott Skiles can justify not rolling with him going forward. His fantasy friendly game has finally come to fruition, and I’m exceedingly glad that I recommended him thoroughly while coming off the bench earlier in the year. He’s a game-changer for owners.



Chris Paul hit 7-of-11 shots for 22 points with six rebounds, 10 assists, five steals, and three triples, and there hasn’t been as much as a peep about his knee. I ranked him No. 3 on my draft list after he moved to L.A., but my concern about his knee might have deterred folks. I hope that wasn’t the case for you. Randy Foye finally busted out of his slump, hitting 8-of-18 shots (including five threes) for 24 points. The Clips will monitor how he does and may still bring in another shooting guard, but for now Foye should be owned in 12-team leagues that reward 3-point shooting. If he doesn’t fall off a cliff, he’s on his way toward moving his current 38.5 percent shooting mark to his 41.1 percent career average.



Alonzo Gee kept his foot on the gas with 19 points, seven boards, three assists, four steals, one block, and one 3-pointer last night. He hit 7-of-12 shots from the field and should be owned in most 8- and 9-cat formats, as he could easily start for the rest of the year and is averaging a similar line since he took over the job.



Kate Upton showed up at the Oklahoma City Thunder game, causing teams on her side of the floor to shoot 39 percent, while the other side they shot a more respectable 49 percent. Yes, this qualifies as fantasy analysis.


<!--RW-->
BREAK YOURSELF



Blake Griffin (knee) sent owners into a panic when his left knee came up gimpy, but the post-game reports indicated it wasn’t serious and he’ll take a sprained left ankle and “sore left knee” into Friday’s game, which Griffin says he’ll play in. The crisis was averted, and his 28 points, 17 rebounds, two steals, and one block were a nice diversion in the process.



Nene (calf) started, played 22 minutes, and posted a decent 13 and five line with two steals and a block. The Nuggets will play it safe but he’s on his way. Kenneth Faried (five points, nine boards, no steals or blocks) started but played just 20 minutes due to foul trouble, and as much as I’d like him to see him play 30 minutes a game he has a tough road to hoe ahead. He should be owned right now but if you’re staring at a hot free agent I’d make the move.



Danilo Gallinari (ankle) played 22 minutes off the bench and should be up and running soon. Selling high on Arron Afflalo (13 points) and Al Harrington (22 and eight) makes sense, though I’ll back off that a tad if Wilson Chandler and Rudy Fernandez keep playing the invisible game.



I have no idea why the Warriors didn’t just wait until Stephen Curry (foot) was fully healthy, but Mark Jackson thinks that because it’s his foot and not his ankle that the ‘Warrior’ code should be abided (no pun). Curry did look healthy and posted 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting with four boards and three assists, so Jackson unintentionally made the right call.



I’m starting to ignore the reports out of Atlanta because they’ve been overly optimistic about Joe Johnson (knee) over the past few weeks, but he might be targeting Sunday’s game for a return. Nobody has stepped up in his absence. Jeff Teague joined the injured with an ankle sprain during the game, but returned and finished with 16 points, four boards, and two assists. He had nine assists on Tuesday and has scored just fine, but 2.9 assists/game in February and 3.8 in March just aren’t cutting it. Running the offense through Smoove isn’t helping, either.



Andrea Bargnani (calf) may be targeting Sunday’s game for a return, but hasn’t had a contact practice yet and until that happens I’m taking any report with a grain of salt. Amir Johnson (knee) returned last night and scored 14 points with seven boards and three blocks in 29 minutes. Johnson hasn’t proven to be consistent, but when Dwane Casey isn’t messing with his minutes he tends to operate without influence from his teammates. Fouls are his biggest concern.



Gustavo Ayon (sore foot) has provided quiet late round value, and owners should stick with him while we send a carrier pigeon to New Orleans to ask how he’s doing. Otherwise, we may never find out.



DeMarcus Cousins (food poison, phallic photos) did not play last night. I have no idea if the allegations about improper photos are true, but it sure made for a great laugh during the city council meeting. As I tweeted, Brett Favre said it wasn’t a big deal. In fairness, that could have been anybody’s penis.



Nikola Pekovic told beat writers that his ankle injury wasn’t serious, and after noting the tattoo of piled up skulls on his shoulder each of them nodded their heads in agreement. He's still questionable for Friday's game against the Lakers.



Apparently Tyson Chandler's hamstring injury is enough to put his entire weekend and Monday in jeopardy, but the time off might be a godsend for his wrist injuries, anyway. Josh Harrellson went for eight and eight with a steal and block in 22 minutes, and might be a candidate for spot work.



Zach Randolph (knee) is targeting Tuesday’s game despite traveling with the team throughout the weekend slate of games. Marreese Speights destroyed – wait for it – David Lee for 18 points, seven boards, two steals, and a block, and is a risky candidate for spot-work until Z-Bo returns. He’s not going to see the same Lee-fence every night (puns not guns).



Dwyane Wade's Roethlisberger-like legend grows a little every day, and his ankle looked fine as he put up 18 points, nine boards, six assists, and three steals in 35 minutes.



James Johnson took a nasty knee to the leg from Samuel Dalembert and played just 17 minutes. His stat line (10 points, 3/3 FGs, two rebounds, two steals, a steal, and a block) was fine, though Linas Kleiza’s 19 points in 24 minutes and lack of a post-game report about Johnson make the situation murky. Give Kleiza a look while he’s hot, as usual, and don’t do anything rash with Johnson. His upside is tremendous.



BUT WHAT, THERE'S MORE (INJURY NEWS)



Richard Hamilton (shoulder) will be out “a bit,” and owners can make the drop. Who knows how safe the Bulls will play things. Ronnie Brewer is worth a short-term look after seven points, five boards, and five assists in 32 minutes. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (knee) did not play, and owners need to be ready to subtract 15-25 minutes from the Bucks’ pot when he returns. Thaddeus Young (illness) did not play, causing Nikola Vucevic to come off the bench. Young is quietly putting up a nice Roto campaign. Tony Parker has a sore left wrist and a tender right calf, but you wouldn’t know it by the 32 points and six assists he put up against Knicks bigs that can’t defend the P/R. J.J. Barea left last night’s game with an ankle injury, and Luke Ridnour got hot with 22 points, four rebounds, five assists, and three triples in 37 minutes. Ridnour should be owned in 12-team formats, despite being a fairly risky asset long-term. Ricky Rubio (eight points, four assists) is scuffling and Barea’s injury didn’t seem great. Despite all that, I’m selling Wes Johnson’s 19 points, two steals, and three triples. Maybe he’ll work out one day, but we’ve seen this flick before. Devin Harris (knee) played and put up nine points with four rebounds and four assists, and should still be owned in 12-team formats. Kyle Lowry played through the flu and scored 16 points with four assists. Nothing to see here. Manu Ginobili (oblique) is getting back on track, posting 17 points, four boards, six assists, a steal, and a block in 26 minutes. As Doc said in the blurbs, it’s not a bad time to think about selling high. Owners will think they’re getting an asset on the upswing and you’ll be unloading your risk. There’s value on both sides of the equation.



YOU JUST NEVER TELL ME HOW YOU FEEL



Go back and check out the player blurbs for more info, including updates on Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Jeremy Lin, Jared Dudley, MarShon Brooks, Caron Butler, DeAndre Jordan, Carlos Delfino, Jerryd Bayless, Leandro Barbosa, Shelden Williams, Iman Shumpert, Landry Fields, Baron Davis, Amare Stoudemire, Steve Novak, Samuel Dalembert, Wes Johnson, Derrick Williams, Gordon Hayward, Boris Diaw, Jordan Crawford, Nick Young, Corey Maggette, Kemba Walker, Byron Mullens, Kobe Bryant, Chandler Parsons, and Bismack Biyombo.



And while the massive amount of fantasy news tonight might have kept the analysis in this column to a dull roar, email me or contact us through the feedback channels and tell us what you think. If there’s enough feedback to support a longer column, surely my corporate overlords will aim to please. They’re cool like that.

 

[HacheMan]

If You're Hard-Core: Lottery tickets

25 notable players on non-contenders whose values could rise as season wanes


By John Cregan | Special to ESPN.com

If you're like me -- an NBA fanatic who also roots for a quarterback-parched franchise -- your Googling day is currently triangulated between "RG3," "Peyton Manning," and "NBA Trade Deadline" (I do occasionally throw in a "Wilson Chandler").


And while it's mandatory and addictive to speculate on all the various probabilities, our job as fantasy basketball enthusiasts is to project beyond the next week or so and anticipate what's going to happen after the trade deadline (and after the Redskins crap out and sign Kyle Orton.)


You obviously can't make any deals or waiver-wire acquisitions based on where players might go in an NBA trade. It's hard to justify making a fantasy move based on rumors. But, if you're into reading tea leaves (as I am) and want to start thinking about some players who could pop onto the fantasy radar over the next month, then turn your eye to the teams headed to the lottery.


Because as certain teams begin to count their current allotment of ping-pong balls -- as GMs begin to play around with Chad Ford's NBA Lottery Mock Draft, dreaming of Andre Drummond -- you'll start to see more and more franchises begin to "play for next year." A cynic could call that code for "tanking," but I prefer to look at it as "opening up new and exciting waiver wire opportunities."



By a date in the not-too-distant future (say, right around St. Patrick's Day), you'll be forced to improve your fantasy team via a single route: free agency. The problem is that teams pushing for playoff positioning will be shortening their benches, not giving that 10th guy with high upside 25 minutes a night. It's the hard-to-watch teams, the ones who have already started laying out their lucky charms, that will help you the most down the stretch.



These teams will start to shut down slightly dinged, more established players to see what they've got at the end of their bench. I guarantee you there will be five or six players owned in less than 25 percent of leagues who will help determine who wins or loses your league.



To help you out, I'm going to give you 25 players who could end up on that short list. (It's a little long, but I have next week off, so I wanted to give you something to really chew on in my absence.)


Records as of March 8

Charlotte Bobcats (5-32)



A 5-32 team should be positively percolating with late-season breakout candidates, but the cupboard is looking pretty bare. The backcourt's minutes are filled for the duration, so any shift will occur up front. Bismack Biyombo alternates nightly between being the next Dikembe Mutombo and the next DeSagna Diop. Look for his production-based schizophrenia to die down in the coming weeks, and for him to post a workable box score every three out of five games.


If Boris Diaw is traded or bought out, someone's going to have to fill his frontcourt minutes, and Byron Mullens has already shown some fleeting double-double capability. He has 46 points in his past three games, which is more than he had in his previous two seasons combined.

Cleveland Cavaliers (14-23)



The Cavaliers have been going through a bit of a market correction of late, taking some losses and going into rotation reshuffle mode. I think Kyrie Irving will finish strong, which should keep his teammates productive and in games. Tristan Thompson is the obvious choice here for increased production, but I think Alonzo Gee will be the big late bloomer over the last month of the season. He's done it in the past (never discount NBDL players in the right NBA situation), and has already put together a nice string of games.



Thompson will have to carve minutes from Antawn Jamison, who's currently leading the Cavs vets in a category I like to refer to as "caring." Still, Thompson has more upside than just about any other player on this list, and I love that he's already become a consistent shot-blocker. And Ryan Hollins could end up with a solid 25 MPG if Anderson Varejao (a huge shutdown candidate) doesn't come back.

Detroit Pistons (13-26)



There was once a time -- say, late January -- where it looked like Austin Daye was shooting his way back into fantasy consideration. His 28-point outburst back on Jan. 25 seemed to set the table for a nice little run of box scores. The problem is that he's behind Tayshaun Prince, who's having a nice second half, and the resurgent Jason Maxiell in Detroit's frontcourt rotation. And Charlie Villanueva is inching ever closer to a return. But Daye is precisely the kind of high-upside player who could come out of nowhere and string together a couple of hot weeks.

Golden State Warriors (15-21)



Even if Monta Ellis stays a Warrior beyond the trade deadline, I believe Klay Thompson only needs another five minutes a night to merit deep-league consideration. He's only a 3-point specialist at present, but I could see him bombing his way into more minutes over the last month of the season. For some recent evidence, consider his March 5 line against the Washington Wizards (18 points on 4-of-5 from downtown).


Brandon Rush and Dorell Wright have been locked in a slightly somnambulistic battle for Mark Jackson's favor all season, with Wright getting the nod to date. But Rush provides a rare commodity -- blocks with shooting guard eligibility -- that always leads me to hope he gets the upper hand. And if you're looking for the next Biyombo (who is, remember, supposed to be the next Serge Ibaka), may I remind you I've been pushing Ekpe Udoh for some time.

New Jersey Nets (13-27)



It's a roto-fantasy (Denver wouldn't let it happen), but Wilson Chandler would be an absolutely perfect late-season fit in this rotation. Short of that, Anthony Morrow (if he isn't dealt) is a solid heat-up candidate. He's streaky, so it's all about owning him at the right time.


If Morrow is dealt, and you want a deep name to think about, I'm going to submit Gerald Green for your consideration.



There was a phase early in his career where the uber-athletic Green was thought of as an up-and-comer in fantasy circles. He's still just 26 years old, and he's done well to play his way back into the league. If the Nets -- as they should -- signs him for the rest of the season, Green will play his way into deep-league consideration. It's a hunch, but an educated hunch.

New Orleans Hornets (9-30)



On the surface, the Hornets are even more talent-bereft than the Bobcats, but they're so deep in Lotteryland, and so banged up, that they've shown a refreshing willingness to try anything (and anyone) with their starting lineup. It's already resulted in Hard-Core fave Gustavo Ayon being snatched up in a few leagues, but with multiple shutdowns and trades looming, it's only a matter of time before a couple more names bubble to the surface. My money's on either Xavier Henry or Solomon Jones, but the Hornets could be the team that plugs in a D-League star out of nowhere. Keep a close eye on this team.

Phoenix Suns(17-21)



I didn't want to put the Suns on this list. The sentimentalist in me wants Steve Nash to guide this team of fantasy-friendly upstarts into the eighth slot in the Western Conference playoffs. But the realist in me looks at the standings and turns his hopes to seeing 28 minutes a night for Markieff Morris. Morris is in a shooting slump at present, but he's got potential and happens to play with a pretty fair point guard.


If you're not looking for youthful upside, but for inspirational feel-good fantasy comebacks, Michael Redd could fit the bill. Redd has produced when given the opportunity (he had 20 points in a rare start on Valentine's Day), but something will have to happen to Jared Dudley for him to get a real shot at extended playing time.

Sacramento Kings (13-26)



The Kings are sort of a poor man's Rockets; a team that's deep with high-upside youth but doesn't have enough minutes to give those players what they need to mean something in fantasy. The frontcourt situation is a sloppy nondescript miasma of frustration, but keep an eye on who gets the upper hand minutes-wise between Isaiah Thomas and Jimmer Fredette. Both of them have flashed ability at different junctures this season, and it makes sense to give them extended playing time as the Kings' season wheezes to a halt.

Toronto Raptors (13-26)



Andrea Bargnani's pending return means fewer frontcourt minutes for Ed Davis, but Davis' defensive potential (1.5 blocks, 1.3 steals per-36 minutes) keeps me hoping he won't need an Amir Johnson injury to stay relevant. The Davis/Johnson logjam produces a very high level of roto frustration, but at least Dwayne Casey had the sense to finally give James Johnson playing time. I've probably added James Johnson in about 20-25 times to various teams over the past year, waiting for his minutes to stick. If he is still unowned in your league, you need to make some more competitive friends.

Washington Wizards (9-29)



Andray Blatche is getting booed out of the District. With no trade to showcase him for, it's tough to justify giving him any minutes at the expense of Trevor Booker, who had a huge breakout line Wednesday (18 points, 17 rebounds, a block, a steal, and a 3-pointer) against the Los Angeles Lakers. If Rashard Lewis gets shut down for the duration, look for Chris Singleton and Jan Vesely to alternate turns on the fantasy radar. All three players are high-motor guys that Randy Wittman will need to play almost out of self-defense to keep up with the resurgent John Wall. Singleton is of particular interest due to his potential for 3s, blocks, and steals. Come to think of it, he's sort of like a certain James Johnson.

 

[HacheMan]

Dose: Turner's Turn

It’s rare that a coach just comes out and says a certain fringe player is going to start for the rest year, period. But in the last week, it’s happened twice.

On Monday, the Warriors officially promoted Ekpe Udoh to their starting center spot. I detailed his outlook in Rotating Rotations earlier this week, and the early returns are good. Udoh is averaging 11.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in his three starts this week.

On Wednesday night, coach Doug Collins similarly came out and said Evan Turner will start the rest of the way. Collins also said this:

“He needs the ball in his hands. When he has the ball in his hands, he's a totally different player. ... Evan’s a point guard. At the end of the day, he’s a point guard.”

That’s great and all, but there’s one problem: The Sixers already have a point guard in 21-year-old Jrue Holiday. Ummmm…

OK, here’s what Turner does well: He’s one of the best rebounding guards in the league. He has an impressive handle and passing ability for someone that’s 6’7/205. He can defend point guards, as he showed while shadowing Rajon Rondo on Wednesday.

Here’s what he doesn’t do well: Shoot the ball. Despite working with shot doctor Herb Magee in the offseason, Turner has one of the worst jumpers in the league. We can safely ignore Wednesday’s career-high 26-point outburst on 11-of-19 shooting as a fluke. In his career, Turner is a 42.3 percent shooter from the field and is at 29.0 percent from 3-point range. That will be the norm.

So what we have is a point guard that needs the ball to push and penetrate. That’s just what Holiday needs. Look for these two to both hover around 31-35 minutes, but the overlap is going to lead to inconsistency. Those expecting to get the Turner of Wednesday night going forward have another thing coming and there’s not much light at the end of the tunnel for Holiday.

NEWS OF THE DAY #2
It’s been a long haul for Andrea Bargnani owners this season. He burst out of the gate, averaging career-highs in points (23.5), rebounds (6.4), assists (2.1), field-goal percentage (47.6) and free-throw percentage (84.3). Oh, he was also making 1.4 3-pointers and blocking 0.7 shots. Bargnani was going to have a top-15 fantasy season with ease.

Then, Bargnani pulled his calf muscle and missed six games. He came back for two games, but then aggravated it worse than before. Owners have since been stashing the 2006 No. 1 overall pick for more than six weeks. We’re about to get the payoff.

Bargnani finally returned to a full practice Thursday and says he is 100 percent pain-free. He’s expected to play in one of the Raptors’ two games this weekend. While Bargnani will be eased in slowly at first, he shouldn’t have a problem ramping back up to his previous levels. Aaron Gray, Amir Johnson and NEWS OF THE DAY #3
Some owners might be panicking after Bismack Biyombo’s two-point, zero-block dud on Wednesday. Don’t. Coach Paul Silas is sick of players not playing hard, being out of shape, and not working out the right way. He slammed Boris Diaw publicly and is playing Eduardo Najera over Tyrus Thomas. Yeah, that NEWS OF THE DAY #4
Kyle Lowry’s groin was so sore and painful after Wednesday’s game that he needed an MRI. The test showed no significant damage, but the soreness is lingering. Lowry is also under the weather, leaving him very questionable for Saturday’s game against the Nets.

Normally, impressive backup Goran Dragic would be an auto-add as a handcuff, but he’s dealing with a bruised foot. Dragic is questionable for Saturday as well, leaving NEWS OF THE DAY #5
Check out my upcoming trade deadline preview for more on all the trade candidates, but I wanted to give Chris Kaman his own special spot here.

Reportedly, the Pacers have Kaman on top of their wish list. It remains to be seen if a deal can get worked out, but this highlights how much Kaman’s fantasy value could take a hit by this time next week.

Over the last 10 games, Kaman is averaging 34.2 minutes and 16.0 field-goal attempts for the injury-ravaged Hornets. In Indy, he’d be a mere reserve behind Roy Hibbert and THURSDAY NIGHT GAME THOUGHTS
Luol Deng complained about wrist pain after the loss to the Magic. He admitted he might have to take a couple games off, putting Kyle Korver back on the radar. … Jason Richardson rolled an ankle late. We all know what J.J. Redick can do when given a chance to start, make the add. … Brendan Haywood (ankle) didn’t play and remains day-to-day. … With the Mavs in the midst of a back-to-back-to-back, explosive INJURY FAST BREAK: GUARDS
Stephen Curry (foot) didn’t practice, instead undergoing a precautionary MRI. He’s not at 100 percent, but the Warriors say there has been no setback. .. Richard Hamilton (shoulder) is nowhere near a return. Complicating matters is the fact the damage is on his shooting side. … INJURY FAST BREAK: FORWARDS AND CENTERS
DeMarcus Cousins (illness) will be back Friday, returning Chuck Hayes to the bench. … … Blake Griffin (ankle, knee) says he’s going to play Friday. He’s officially questionable. … Nikola Pekovic (foot) practiced and is on track to return Friday. He’ll immediately get the starting gig back from Darko Milicic. … X-rays on DEPTH CHART FAST BREAK
Chris Kaman is reportedly still on top of the Pacers’ wish list at the trade deadline. He’d take a massive hit in fantasy value while playing behind Roy Hibbert and David West. … Mike Dunleavy is expected to remain a reserve although more changes to the Bucks lineup could be coming. … Coach Frank Vogel said slumping Darren Collison will remain the starter as George Hill is playing better at the two right now. … Josh Smith has reportedly requested a trade out of Atlanta yet again. It’s hard to see one going down. … Boris Diaw has likely played his last minute as a Bobcat.

 

[HacheMan]

The Week's Top NBA Pickups

First of all, I didn’t include Kemba Walker, Samuel Dalembert, MarShon Brooks, Jared Dudley or Ersan Ilyasova in this week’s column, mainly because they shouldn’t be available in your league right now. Just double check and make sure that’s the case.



Five Games Next Week



For those of you in weekly head-to-head leagues, where the number of games played per week matters, the Suns, Clippers, Jazz and Wizards all play five times in the upcoming week. That makes guys like Channing Frye, Jared Dudley, Grant Hill, Randy Foye, Gordon Hayward, Devin Harris, Trevor Booker, Jordan Crawford and Guards




Raymond Felton PG Blazers – Felton, who should be owned in all leagues by now, is back as the starting PG in Portland and had 23 points and nine dimes on Wednesday. He might get traded any day now, which would likely hurt his value, but he should be owned in all leagues at this point, now that he has his job back from Jamal Crawford. The Blazers weekly schedule is 4-4-4-4-4-3-2 the rest of the way.



Evan Turner SG Sixers – Turner blew up for a career-high 26 points to go along with nine rebounds, two assists and a 3-pointer on 11-of-19 shooting in 37 minutes on Wednesday. I have no idea how he’s going to look on a nightly basis, but it’s quickly become clear that he, and not Jodie Meeks, is the new starting shooting guard in Philly, and he’ll be in that role until the end of the season. I think he’s worth picking up in most leagues, if you can find someone to cut. Carlos Delfino, Dorell Wright and Brook Lopez are all guys I would dump to take a chance on Turner. The only problem is the Sixers schedule, which finishes up in ugly fashion at 3-4-3-4-3-4-3.



Jarrett Jack & Greivis Vasquez PG Hornets – Jack was terrible on Monday and had a nice game on Wednesday, when he had 25 points, four assists, a steal and a 3-pointer on 11-of-17 shooting. Vasquez keeps chugging along as Jack’s backup and had 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and a 3-pointer in 23 minutes in the loss to the Kings. Jack is must-own again, while Vasquez might be worth a shot in deeper leagues.



Isaiah Thomas PG Kings – A lot of folks have jumped off the Isaiah bandwagon, especially after he played just 17 minutes on Wednesday. However, he still managed 12 points, three assists, two steals and two 3-pointers despite the limited run, and is still the starting point guard for the Kings. Keith Smart appears to be afraid to use the little man against bigger point guards, which is going to be a problem in fantasy due to the minutes crunch, but it wasn’t too long ago that Thomas was killing it, either. I’m still holding him in most leagues, but understand if you want to cut him to get a more productive player. At this point, he’s not trustworthy enough to start in weekly leagues, but I will still argue that he should be held in case he gets hot again. If he flat-out loses his starting job, or starts playing less than 25 minutes per game consistently, I will cave and dump him.



Luke Ridnour G Timberwolves – I don’t claim to understand how, but Ridnour continues to play well for the Wolves. He had 22 points, four boards, five assists and three 3-pointers in 37 minutes Wednesday, and when you add in the fact Juan Jose Barea got hurt, and Ricky Rubio is struggling, Ridnour looks like a solid add. The Wolves finish up 4-4-4-3-4-4-1 in weekly leagues.



Nick Young & Jordan Crawford SG Wizards – Randy Wittman is back on board with Young, yet Crawford started again on Wednesday. JC was 6-of-19 for 14 points and five assists, and 0-for-6 from downtown, while Young was 7-of-19 for 19 points, six dimes, two steals, a block and a 3-pointer. Aaron Bruski is a Young guy, but I’m still in Crawford’s corner for now. Both should be owned, but as long as they’re sharing minutes, neither is a must-start as of now.



Roddy Beaubois G Mavericks - Roddy Buckets had nine points on Monday, bounced back with 18 points and two 3-pointers in 20 minutes on Tuesday, and then struggled on Thursday with five points on 2-of-9 shooting. If you started him this week it should work out, although it’s been a bumpy ride so far. The fact he got just 20, 21 and 22 minutes in his last three games is a concern. Vince Carter finally woke up on Thursday and Roddy is just too inconsistent to be relied upon going forward. The Mavs go 3-4-3-4-4-4-1 to finish out the season, so I’m not bending over backwards to own Roddy after this week ends.



Jason Kidd PG Mavericks - Kidd finally had an offensive explosion on Tuesday with 15 points, three 3-pointers, four rebounds, six assists and a steal on 4-of-9 shooting, and then scored 12 on Thursday, marking the first time all season he scored in double figures in back-to-back games this season. He’s recorded a steal in 15 straight games though, and despite a lack of offense, is still worth owning in almost all leagues.



Marco Belinelli SG Hornets - Belinelli is averaging 15.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 3-pointers over his last five games, but didn’t have a steal in any of them. Eric Gordon still doesn’t look close to returning, so Belinelli should be a solid option going forward, as long as you’re not looking for steals. The Hornets go 4-3-5-3-4-4-2 to finish out the season.



Iman Shumpert G/F Knicks – Shumpert started over Landry Fields on Wednesday, but laid an egg with two points, four assists and five fouls in another Knicks loss. I think he’ll be better on most nights and would drop Fields for him as of today. The Knicks finish up with a weekly schedule of 4-4-4-3-4-4-2, and Shumpert might get hot in the near future.



Goran Dragic PG Rockets – Kyle Lowry is dealing with a groin injury and was actually in the hospital on Friday, meaning he could miss a game or three. And as we’ve seen in the past, Dragic is nearly a must-own player whenever Lowry’s out. If you can pick him up now and use him for the rest of this week, do it.



Randy Foye SG Clippers - Foye broke out of a slump last night with 24 points and five 3-pointers on 8-of-18 shooting on Wednesday and should remain the starting SG in LAC until further notice. They play five games next week, adding to his intrigue, and the Clippers finish the season with a weekly schedule of 5-4-4-4-4-4-2.



Ben Gordon SG Pistons – Gordon had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists on Tuesday, but has only one 3-pointer over his last five games. He’s finally getting healthy again and could start scoring and hitting threes on a regular basis going forward. The Pistons finish up 4-3-4-4-4-4-2.



Gordon Hayward G/F Jazz – Hayward is now coming off the bench and had 23 points and two threes on Monday, followed up by eight points, six boards and four assists on Wednesday. He’s going to be hit or miss going forward, but might be worth adding in deeper leagues, as the No. 1 scoring option for Utah’s second unit. The Jazz finish up 5-4-4-4-4-3-3, which makes him worth owning for the upcoming week, at least.



George Hill G Pacers – Hill has hit double figures in three straight games as Darren Collison continues to struggle. I bet Collison gets hot again this weekend and Hill should be too inconsistent to use in most leagues. But if you’re in a deep league with a bare waiver wire, he might be worth adding to replace some dead weight on your roster. The Pacers finish up with a weekly schedule of 4-4-5-4-4-4-2 games played.



Jerryd Bayless G Raptors – Bayless has been a model of inconsistency, going for five, 18, five, 15 and five points over his last five games. He’s finally getting healthy again, but as long as Jose Calderon is starting in front of him, will just be too inconsistent to trust on a nightly basis. But stashing him in case Calderon gets traded makes sense in some leagues. The Raps finish at 4-4-4-4-4-3-2.



Klay Thompson & Brandon Rush G/F Warriors – Dorell Wright played just 10 minutes and failed to score on Wednesday, when Thompson went for 16 points, six boards and three 3-pointers, and Rush had 11 points, six boards and a 3-pointer. If Wright loses his starting job, both of these guys may enter must-own territory.



Jordan Farmar G Nets – Farmar had 16 points, three assists, two steals and three 3-pointers, including the game-winner, on Wednesday, despite playing just 19 minutes. He’s splitting time with Anthony Morrow, and is at least worth a look in most leagues. The Nets go 4-4-4-4-3-3-2 to finish out the season.

<!--RW-->

Forwards



Corey Maggette SF Bobcats – Maggette backed up his season-high 29 points with 25 points and seven boards on Wednesday. He’s on fire and while he remains a big injury risk, the sooner you pick him up and plug him in, the more he’s going to be able to help you before eventually shutting it down for the season with an injury. I picked him up on Monday and he’s carrying one of my teams this week in a highly competitive league. The Bobcats finish up at 4-3-4-4-5-4-3, and if he’s still healthy for that five-game week, he could help you win a championship. He should be owned in all leagues until further notice, and is averaging 21 points, 4.4 rebounds and a 3-pointer over his last five games.



Trevor Booker PF Wizards – Booker stayed hot on Wednesday with 18 points, a career-high 17 boards, a steal, a block and a 3-pointer. Yes, Rashard Lewis is out and Andray Blatche is getting limited minutes, but Booker has been too good for too long to be ignored any longer. And Blatche played just 10 minutes in his last game. The Wizards go 5-4-4-4-4-3-3 the rest of the way, making Booker look like a must-add player for the upcoming week.



Alonzo Gee G/F Cavs – Gee started at small forward for the third straight game on Wednesday and had 19 points, seven boards, three assists, four steals, a block and a 3-pointer in Cleveland’s win. In his three recent starts he’s averaging 17 points, five boards, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 3-pointers. Cleveland’s schedule is pretty good going forward at 3-4-4-4-5-4-3, and Gee looks like a very savvy pickup right now. I’d bench him for the upcoming three-game week, but after that, as long as he’s still starting, he looks good.



Josh Howard SF Jazz – If nothing else, Howard has been consistent and healthy lately, scoring between 10 and 14 points over his last five games, averaging 12 points, six boards and 1.6 steals over that stretch. He’s locked in as Utah’s starting small forward and is basically a must-own player as long as he’s healthy. The Jazz have five games in the upcoming week, and I’m rolling with Howard in that one. They finish up 5-4-4-4-4-3-2 to end the season.



Kenneth Faried PF Nuggets – I love Faried’s game, but am concerned about Nene and Danilo Gallinari getting healthy. He’s averaging nearly 13 points, nine boards, a block and a steal over his last five games, but had just five points, nine boards, zero steals and zero blocks in his last one, when he played only 20 minutes. If he keeps his starting job alongside Nene, and they bring Timofey Mozgov off the bench, Faried will be worth holding in all leagues. But if he moves to the bench, you can probably do better. The Nuggets go 3-4-4-3-4-4-2 to finish up the season.



Steve Novak F Knicks – Novak was on fire for eight straight games, but cooled off suddenly on Wednesday when he had just four points and one 3-pointer in 17 minutes. Novak could be yet another victim of Carmelo Anthony’s return, as he was consistently playing more than 20 minutes per game. In his five games before Wednesday’s stinker, he had scored between 12 and 17 points, draining 22 3-pointers. Points and threes are all he’s really good for, but he’s so good at them he’s worth owning in most leagues. At least on nights when he’s getting more than 17 minutes. I’m hoping for a bounce-back game against the Bucks on Friday.



Amir Johnson PF/C Raptors – Johnson is playing well again, but Andrea Bargnani will be back soon from his calf injury, which has to hurt Johnson. He’s averaging nearly 11 points, eight boards and three blocks over his last four games, but a move to the bench once Bargnani is back would hurt his value. Feel free to pick Johnson up if he’s available, but keep an eye on the starting lineup and rotation once Bargnani returns, which should happen on Sunday.



Jason Thompson PF Kings – Thompson is averaging 12.5 points and eight boards over his last two games, but one of those saw DeMarcus Cousins in street clothes due to food poisoning. The Kings finish up with a schedule of 4-4-3-4-4-5-3, and if your league uses that final full week of five games, Thompson could be a sneaky play.



Brandon Bass PF Celtics – Bass is averaging 12 points, four rebounds and a block over his last five games, but is also just getting healthy again after dealing with a left ankle injury. It’s still sore, but don’t be surprised if his numbers pick up a bit going forward. The Celtics remaining weekly schedule is 4-4-4-4-5-3-3-2.



Gustavo Ayon PF Hornets – Ayon is dealing with a foot injury, but is expected to play on Friday. In his previous four games, he’s averaging 10 points, 3.5 boards, two assists, 1.5 steals and nearly a block. The Hornets finish up 4-3-5-3-4-4-2, and Ayon will be especially valuable in that five-game week in some leagues.



Linas Kleiza F Raptors – Kleiza stepped up when James Johnson appeared to leave with a thigh injury and had 19 points, four boards, a steal, a block and a 3-pointer Wednesday. He’s been inconsistent, but could get hot and help fantasy teams now that he’s finally over his knee injury. The Raps go 4-4-4-4-4-3-2 to finish up.



Jason Maxiell PF Pistons - Maxiell had 10 points and 10 boards on Tuesday in another start, and is averaging eight points, seven rebounds and a block over his last five. He's simply worth a look, but Jonas Jerebko could come along and ruin his value at any time.



Derrick Williams & Wes Johnson F Timberwolves – Despite coming off the bench, Williams is averaging 11 points, seven boards and a 3-pointer over his last five games, giving him more value than Michael Beasley. And if Beasley gets traded, Williams becomes a must-own fantasy player. Johnson is also coming on after going for 19 points, four boards, two steals and three 3-pointers on 8-of-11 shooting Wednesday. But he had scored five or less in three of his previous four games (despite starting), which is a big reason why Williams has been playing well. Williams is the guy to own here, but just keep an eye on Johnson.



Chandler Parsons F Rockets – Parsons has been a fantasy tease all season, but has hit double figures in four straight games, capped off by Wednesday’s performance, when he had 19 points, four rebounds, two assists, a block, three steals and a 3-pointer. The Rockets go 4-3-4-3-4-5-1 to finish out the season, and Chandler might be worth using in deeper leagues on those four-game weeks.<!--RW-->



Centers



Ekpe Udoh C Warriors – Udoh had nine points, six boards, four assists and four blocks in 34 minutes on Wednesday. The minutes are the key here, and he’s going to get as many as he can handle the rest of the way. He struggled on Tuesday, but went off for 17 points, six boards and a block on Monday. Another thing working in Udoh's favor is that the Warriors have two five-game weeks remaining, and I think he’s a must-own player. The Warriors remaining weekly schedule is 4-5-4-4-4-5-2.



Bismack Biyombo C Bobcats – After dominating against Dwight Howard on Tuesday (10 points, 15 rebounds, seven blocks), Biyombo was dominated by Al Jefferson on Wednesday, finishing with just two points, nine boards and zero blocks before fouling out. The Bobcats have won a total of five games this year and there is no reason why they won't run BB out there for as many minutes as he can handle the rest of the way. Along with Ekpe Udoh and Samuel Dalembert, Biyombo should now be owned in every fantasy league out there. I wish I had a crystal ball and could tell you if Biyombo, Udoh or Dalembert will be the guy to own the rest of the way, but Biyombo seems to have the most upside. The Bobcats finish up with a schedule of 4-3-4-4-5-4-3.



Zaza Pachulia C Hawks - Pachulia has quietly been a stud lately and had 12 points, 10 boards, a steal and a block on Tuesday, and is averaging nine points and 12 boards over his last five games. If you missed out on Biyombo, Udoh and Dalembert, Pachulia is your next best bet.



Shelden Williams F/C Nets – With Brook Lopez possibly done for the season, Shelden looks like the starting center in Jersey for the foreseeable future. He had 15 points and 10 boards in 41 minutes, which is not normal for him, but makes him worth a look in deeper leagues. The Nets finish up with a weekly schedule of 4-4-4-4-3-3-2.



Aaron Gray C Raptors – Gray has been quietly been playing very well lately, averaging 7.4 points and 5.6 rebounds over his last five. I picked him up in my 30-team league, but with Andrea Bargnani due back Sunday, the window on Gray’s value should be closing soon.



Josh Harrellson F/C Knicks – Tyson Chandler could miss a couple more games with a hamstring injury and Harrellson should get decent minutes, even if he’s not starting. He had eight points and eight boards on Wednesday night, and is another potential deep-league special.



Byron Mullens C Bobcats – With Boris Diaw shutdown after making a trade/buyout demand, Mullens is suddenly becoming relevant again. He’s quietly averaged 12 points, eight boards and two blocks over his last three games. I think that’s a bit of a fluke, but I’ve been wrong before. If he does it again on Friday against the Nets, maybe I’ll change my mind, but keep in mind New Jersey starts freaking Shelden Williams at center.



Good luck this week and in getting to the playoffs!