Fantasy related but good info....
Wired: E.J.'s Not OK
With news that Eric Gordon could be sidelined indefinitely with a bone chip in his wrist, Randy Foye is right back where he was four days ago, holding significant fantasy value. Gordon went down in a nasty fall last night, landing on his back and wrist. X-rays were negative and it's possible he could pull a Tony Parker and return quickly from the injury, but that sounds like a long shot at this point. So with that grim introduction, let's get to another edition of Waiver Wired.
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Aaron Bruski
Matt Stroup
Adam Levitan
Ryan Knaus
Guards
Randy Foye – Clippers
Foye was a must-own player when Gordon was out for the last several weeks and is now a must-own player again. We don't know exactly how long Gordon is going to be out, but Foye should be grabbed in every league until we know more. Eric Bledsoe had one of his best games of the season on Saturday night, and while it was Gordon-related, I don't trust Bledsoe at all. But in deeper leagues where Foye was already being held, Bledsoe might be worth a shot. Mo Williams is starting at point guard and playing well, which will hold Bledsoe back for the time being.
Baron Davis – Cavaliers
Davis had a breakout game in his debut for the Cavaliers Friday, going for 18 points, four 3-pointers, five assists and some other goodies. I still don't trust him much at all, but as long as he's healthy, he should be in fantasy lineups. Just be prepared to deal with the occasional headache as long as you own him.
Kirk Hinrich – Hawks
Hinrich scored 21 points with four 3-pointers and three dimes on Friday, finally breaking out for the Hawks. He's locked and loaded in the starting point guard spot for Atlanta and while he's not going to be a double-double guy, he's nearly a must-own in all fantasy leagues.
Marcus Thornton – Kings
Thornton started at shooting guard on Saturday night, replacing Jermaine Taylor, and had 22 points and three 3-pointers on 8-of-21 shooting. If he can stick in the starting five there are some very big lines coming his way. Thornton, who many of us drafted way too early this year, should be ready to fully blow up now that he's out from under the evil reign of Monty Williams. The only thing that can stop Thornton would be a return of Tyreke Evans from his foot problems, but I'm not even sure that will stop Thornton at this point.
James Harden – Thunder
Despite coming off the bench and playing behind Kevin Durant and Thabo Sefolosha, Harden is cruising right now, hitting double figures in scoring over his last seven games, averaging 16 points, a steal and more than a 3-pointer per game over that stretch. He comes off the bench for the Thunder, but is putting up numbers like he is a starter.
Others to consider: Chase Budinger, Anthony Morrow, Leandro Barbosa, Landry Fields, Toney Douglas, Mickael Pietrus, Mike Miller, Gary Neal and Courtney Lee.
Forwards
Samardo Samuels – Cavaliers
Samuels became a hot pick up earlier in the week when he exploded for 23 points and 10 boards in his first start for the Cavs. Antawn Jamison's season is essentially over due to a broken finger, while Samuels is now locked and loaded as the team's starting power forward, alongside J.J. Hickson. Byron Scott has recently been comparing Samuels to Kevin Love, and while I'm not sure I'm buying that, I am buying Samuels wherever I can.
Francisco Garcia – Kings
Garcia finally returned on Saturday night from a calf injury and had 18 points, four 3-pointers and two steals in just 23 minutes. Garcia is one of those guys who never seems to live up to the hype, as he's usually thwarted by injuries or lineup changes that don't work in his favor. Donte Greene started at small forward last night and it really shouldn't be that tough for Garcia to take over, or at least average the most minutes for the Kings at small forward. He might not be a must-own player as of today, but he's pretty close to it after last night's surprising performance.
Tyrus Thomas – Bobcats
Thomas is set to return any day now and people are getting excited about it. I'm not really holding my breath or running out to pick him up, although he is intriguing. He's coming off a major injury and has never been a guy to average 30 minutes per game, so I think expectations need to be kept in check. The Bobcats are also loaded at PF, although Boris Diaw's awful play will work in Thomas' favor. Feel free to grab him if you've got room on your roster, but don't be surprised if it takes him some time to get back into a groove.
Tyler Hansbrough – Pacers
Hansbrough is still coming off the bench for the Pacers and had a nice double-double in Saturday's horrendous showing against the Rockets. He's averaging 14 points and 7.5 rebounds in four March games, and while I'd love him more if he were starting, but he's still getting 27 minutes off the bench. He's a fan favorite in Indy and the Pacers have to play him, which is good news for his owners.
Anthony Randolph – Warriors
Randolph is far from a must-own player at this point, but the fact he had 19 points and 10 rebounds on Wednesday was pretty exciting. He played 27 minutes on Friday and had 12 points and two blocks, and then backed that up on Saturday with six points, five rebounds and three blocks. Keep in mind Darko Milicic was out for personal reasons, and that he plays the same position as a 20-20 machine named Kevin Love. Randolph is a guy who could absolutely go off in the final weeks of the season, but is also a player that should only be added by owners of strong teams in deeper leagues. Holding onto him should be more of a luxury than a necessity.
Jeff Green – Celtics
Green has been struggling for the Celtics, but finally broke out on Friday when he had 21 points, mostly thanks to an injury to Glen Davis. Green didn't do much else on the night and will still struggle to see enough opportunities once Davis is healthy again, but could be a nice short-term option for fantasy owners.
Others to consider: Ed Davis, Thaddeus Young and Carl Landry
Centers
Darko Milicic - Timberwolves
Darko! has missed about a week due to the birth of his son, but is due back on Monday. The week off likely did wonders for his health and there's a good chance he comes back and goes on a mini-tear for the Wolves. I dropped Darko in a few leagues, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone on that one. If he's available in your league and you need a center, get him, but be prepared to be disappointed by his Darkoness.
Nenad Krstic - Celtics
Krstic has been playing pretty well for the Celtics, hitting double figures in three straight games while grabbing between four and six rebounds a night. Shaquille O'Neal (and Jermaine O'Neal) will eventually return and limit Krstic, but until it happens, he looks like a serviceable center.
Larry Sanders – Bucks
Sanders is getting minutes for Scott Skiles with Andrew Bogut, Drew Gooden, and other players hurting. He's a nice shot blocker, but will also be very inconsistent. In his two starts since Bogut went down, he's totaled four blocks, 12 points, 13 boards and 11 fouls. Bogut could return to action on Sunday, but he's also a serious shutdown candidate this season. And if he is shut down, Sanders will be the guy you want to grab.
Brendan Haywood – Mavericks
Tyson Chandler has missed a few games with a sprained ankle, and while he could return on Monday, it's not set in stone. Haywood is not a must-own player, as he will be rather useless as long as Chandler is healthy. But if Chandler is going to miss any more games in the upcoming week, Haywood should be a nice fill in.
Ekpe Udoh – Warriors
Udoh appears to be the new starting center for the Warriors, replacing Andris Biedrins. He's made two starts, but it's been rough going, as he's averaged just three points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. He's bound to get better and will have some big games if he continues to start, but is only worth owning in deeper leagues right now. But expect him to be a popular pick up once he finally has that breakout game. My guess is it's coming this week.
Jared Jeffries – Knicks
He's going to get plenty of run at center for the Knicks, but the bottom line is that he's still Jared Jeffries. He's played solid minutes over the last two games, the last of which was a start, but has scored just one point. Keep an eye on him, but only grab him if you're in a very deep league.
