Fantasy Related but good info.......
Feeble Floor Generals
History has a way of repeating itself, and no one realizes how much truth is in that age-old cliché than Stephen Curry and Devin Harris owners.
In case you missed the two biggest news items from Thursday, let's get you caught up:
1. Stephen Curry's MRI revealed no torn ligaments in his right ankle. Rather, he suffered a recurrence of the sprain that sidelined him for two games at the beginning of the season, and he is considered doubtful to play in Friday's tilt with the Heat. There's a reasonable chance that he could play Monday in Utah given that Golden State is off for the weekend, but considering that this is the fourth time that he has suffered an ankle sprain, owners should expect the Warriors medical staff to recommend a prolonged period of rest. It wouldn't be a shock to see Curry play on Monday, but it also wouldn't be a shock to see him sit out for the next week or more for precautionary reasons alone.
www.miamiheat.ws
2. Devin Harris left in the first quarter of Thursday's game with a sprained left shoulder and did not return. The extent of the injury isn't known at the time of this writing.
The wheelchair reports should feel familiar for owners of either point guard, who have been put through similar crisis-management routines earlier in the year. For each situation, the standard operating procedure is the same: claim the backup, and hope for a swift recovery.
Curry owners – or anyone, for that matter - will want to consider using Reggie Williams as a spot-starter. Monta Ellis will shift to the point, which leaves a vacancy at shooting guard that head coach Keith Smart will use Williams to fill. Williams can be explosively productive if given the opportunity. Use Wednesday's game at San Antonio as "Exhibit A" when he dropped 31 points on 11-of-16 shooting, which included eight three-pointers, in 31 minutes as Curry's replacement. He won't provide much else, but he'll do the job in the interim.
Harris owners know the drill. They found Jordan Farmar useful when Harris missed time earlier this month with a strained knee, and he again figures to be a must-own player if the sprained shoulder turns out to be something more severe. In two games as Harris' replacement, Farmar totaled 44 points and 19 assists.
Meeks' owners shall inherit the earth
Since 76ers head coach Doug Collins inserted Jodie Meeks into the starting lineup four games ago, Meeks has validated Collins' decision with consistently strong play, particularly his shooting from three-point range. Since becoming a member of the starting five, he has knocked down 17 treys, which includes Thursday's 4-of-4 from downtown, and is averaging 20.3 points over his last three contests. Meeks is basically a higher-upside version of James Jones right now, in that he contributes little else but has more opportunity on a younger team that spreads the scoring load pretty evenly over several players. He is worth scooping up in most leagues.
James in, Outlaw on the run
Rookie Damion James drew his first career start on Thursday, replacing Travis Outlaw in the starting lineup. The move to bring Outlaw off the bench looks like it has a chance to be permanent, but James didn't do anything to solidify his place in the first five either, scoring just four points with one rebound, one assist, one steal and three turnovers. Troublesome Terrence Williams, who is superior to both players in terms of talent and upside, continues coming off the bench, but that won't last if James continues to falter. If and when head coach Avery Johnson realizes that Williams is the team's answer at small forward, it would be a fantasy floodgate.
Magic on the mend
After flu-like symptoms ran rampant through the Magic locker room and caused Dwight Howard (among others) to miss time, he posted his best line of the season, scoring 39 points with 15 boards in his second game back. Jameer Nelson, who missed the last three contests with the bug, wasn't as sharp in his return to the court, going 4-of-14 to score 10 points with five assists.
Chandler back after flu bout
Tyson Chandler, who missed the team's last game due to illness, returned to the court on Thursday and was understandably sluggish, scoring just two points on 1-of-5 shooting with five rebounds and a steal in 22 minutes. But more importantly, he started the game and sent Brendan Haywood back to the bench, so everything looks status quo in the Dallas frontcourt. Another fun Mavs stat from Thursday: Jose Juan Barea - or, the "Puerto Rican Pistol" - tallied a career-high 13 assists.
Favors out of action
Derrick Favors was inactive on Thursday after sustaining a bruised thigh in Tuesday's game against the Hawks, but head coach Avery Johnson is optimistic that the rookie will be able to suit up on Sunday. The fantasy fallout from this is minimal, although it's worth pointing out that Favors logged 27 minutes on Sunday and 24 minutes on Tuesday, which is up from the 12-16 range he was seeing in the previous week. Johnson also said that he will become a starter at some point before the season reaches the halfway mark, so Favors is now a strong stash candidate if your league offers enough roster flexibility.
Fodder for Friday
Tyreke Evans (foot) and his owners will await the results of an MRI on Friday. At the moment, his injury is being called plantar fascitis, but whatever it is, it's clearly bothering him. The second-year player is averaging 17.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game – all averages that fall short of last season's rookie marks – and is not meeting the expectations of those who expended as high as a second-round pick on him.
John Wall (foot), is officially listed as doubtful for Friday's game versus the Knicks. If he is forced to miss his eighth game of the season, Nick Young will continue shouldering more of the scoring load.
After tearing ligaments in his left wrist in July, Warriors rookie forward Ekpe Udoh, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2010 draft, is set to make his debut against the Heat on Friday. What should you expect? The most probable answer is nothing, but there's a chance he could have fantasy utility in deeper formats before the season is over. Reggie Williams offers his scouting report from what he has seen from Udoh in practice: "He's long, and he blocks everything."
