Stephen Jackson of the Golden State Warriors picked up his 16th technical foul of the season to earn a one-game suspension from the NBA. Jackson’s suspension will keep him out of Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Recently, Stephen Jackson has been a very good fantasy basketball player. Over his last five games, Jackson is averaging more than 23 points, more than nine assists and nearly six rebounds. Additionally, he’s shooting well from both the field and from the free throw line.

If you have Jackson on your team, obviously you should sit him for Tuesday’s game if you have the chance. While the Warriors have a lot of players who can replace his production, the leading candidates include Monta Ellis and Corey Maggette. If you want to role the dice, you could pick up Kelenna Azubuike or Anthony Randolph and hope for a big game with Jackson out.

Although Don Nelson has indicated that he may rest some of his veteran players down the stretch, Jackson remains a must start in virtually every format. He turns the ball over and he can be streaky from the perimeter, however he’s too explosive and too productive to sit.

Source: Newscom

Corey Maggette decided to leave the Los Angeles Clippers to sign a five-year, $50 million to join the Golden State Warriors. Maggette, who was the best unrestricted free agent on the market, had previously been linked to teams such as the San Antonio Spurs and the Boston Celtics.

In the world of fantasy basketball, this is both good news and bad news for Maggette. The bad news is that his stats in the short-term will likely be worse than we saw last year with the Clippers. Last season, Maggette was one of the few scorers on the Clippers roster so he got as many shots as he wanted. On the Warriors, Maggette will be one of many scorers.

On the other hand, Maggette joins a team that plays at a much faster tempo. Maggette should get plenty of shot attempts and should average close to his career scoring average. Rebounding wise, he should improve because he’s sure to be in a lot of small ball sets.

It’s not unfathomable to see Maggette start and play 35 to 38 minutes a night next year. If that’s the case, he’ll be a very solid fantasy player. He gets to the line a lot and hits for a high percentage, which can help any team — both fantasy and reality.

Here is a Corey Maggette Highlight Video:

According to multiple reports, the San Antonio Spurs are in the lead when it comes to possibly signing Corey Maggette. Maggette, formerly of the Los Angeles Clippers, has generated a huge amount of interest around the NBA.

Since the Clippers are signing Baron Davis, that leaves Maggette without a home. Along with the San Antonio Spurs, other teams that have shown interest include the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic. The Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors have enough cap room to offer Maggette more money than the Spurs.

While it’s far from a sure thing, Maggette would be a great addition for the Spurs. During the 2007-08 season, the Spurs routinely had trouble scoring the ball. Maggette is a very good scorer and is also a player who gets to the line a whole lot. Bringing those skills to San Antonio would make him a fantastic addition.

Fantasy basketball wise, Maggette’s stats would likely go down while with the Spurs. He’d probably start and play a healthy amount of minutes, but he’ll have to share touches with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

With Elton Brand out with an injury, the Clippers are a difficult team to get a read on. It’s even more difficult that whatever read you get, it could be turned upside down once Brand returns (there is talk of brand returning as early as January).

As it stands, here’s a look at each of the Clippers with fantasy appeal:

Corey Maggette
Maggette is back as the main offensive threat for the Clippers. He’s had a couple rough years in which he clashed with coach Mike Dunleavy, but appears to finally be in the coach’s good graces. With Maggette being a main option, he can score, get the foul line, rebound and usually shoots for respectable percentages.

Chris Kaman
With Brand out, the middle now belongs to Kaman. Kaman has had a fast start to the season and is already playing much better than he did last season. He has the talent to be a top five center in the NBA. If he can piece everything together, he could be a very good fantasy player.

Cuttino Mobley
Mobley comes off the bench but he gets plenty of minutes and plenty of shots. He’s a bit of a streak player but when he’s on, he can get red hot. Mobley has played some point guard in his career so there are games in which he can rack up the assists. Overall, he’s a nice piece that can fit virtually any fantasy team.

Tim Thomas
Thomas is a very interesting player, both in fantasy and real life. Thomas has a great amount of natural talent and can do a lot on the court, however he’s always been a player who has seemed to lack motivation at times. When he’s fully motivated, he’s an extremely effected fantasy player. He can score, rebound, hit three pointers and gets you decent stats in other categories.

Sam Cassell
Cassell is old but with playing time, he still produces pretty well. He’s not as prolific as he used to be but he’s still a solid fantasy player. In smaller leagues, he’s a good emergency point guard. In larger leagues, he’s definitely a rosterable fantasy player.

Quinton Ross
Ross starts at shooting guard for the Clippers but he’s not much of a fantasy option. His specialty is man-to-man defense, which doesn’t show up in the fantasy world. In a huge league, he’s a decent emergency player because he’ll at least play consistent minutes.

Al Thornton
Thornton is a fantasy sleeper for this season. He had a great preseason where he scored very well. On a team that misses Brand’s offense, he could be asked to pick up some of the slack. Watch to see if he starts getting playing time because if he does, this rookie is a player to pick up.

Ruben Patterson
After a very good season with the Milwaukee Bucks last year, Patterson came to Los Angeles to provide a bench force for the Clippers. With minutes, Patterson has always produced in the NBA. He can score, rebound and he plays extremely hard whenever he’s on the court.

Brevin Knight/Dan Dickau
Knight, along with Dan Dickau, are the backup point guards for the Clippers. He came into camp out of shape but he’s now playing better. He’s always been a guy who can get assists in bunches. Dickau is much the same, except he’s a bit of a better scorer and not as good of a playmaker.

Paul Davis/Josh Powell/Aaron Williams
Davis, Powell and Williams are the backup bigmen for this squad. None of the three are viable fantasy players as is because the minutes simply aren’t there. If that changes, Davis is the one with perhaps the largest upside as he’s shown some glimpses of production.

Photo credit: Yahoo

Here’s a look at an underrated fantasy player at each position.

C Andris Biedrins, Golden State Warriors
People don’t realize how much of a stud this guy is and how good he can become. He’s only 21 years old and last year he averaged over nine points, nine rebounds and nearly two blocks. The most exciting part is he did all that in under 30 minutes per game. Biedrins is still a baby as far as his NBA development and he has the potential to take his game up a few notches. If he does and gets added minutes, he’s a player you want on your side this season.

PF LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers
Although he didn’t get much love last year when it came time to talk about the best rookies in his class, there’s a good chance Aldridge will become the best player of the 2006 draft. His potential should start to be realized this year as the Blazers’ offense should go through him. He’s a guy who could easily average 18 points, 8 rebounds and over a block a game. Don’t sleep on him.

SF Marvin Williams, Atlanta Hawks
Williams has been great in preseason for the Hawks and is on schedule for a breakout year this season. Through eight exhibition games, he’s averaging 17.1 points and over five boards. His numbers are going to take a jump in each area this season and he’s a lock to be a starter all season. For being such a young player, Williams is actually a very solid pick in a fantasy draft. He’s going to produce for you night in and night out.

SG Corey Maggette, Los Angeles Clippers
This is a contract year for Maggette, meaning there’s a good chance you’ll get his best effort. He has always been a mega talent but hasn’t always played with fire. With his contract expiring, you shouldn’t have to worry about that this year. Plus, with Elton Brand sidelined, Maggette suddenly becomes the team’s go-to scorer in some situations. The good thing about Maggette is not only does he score but he also rebounds and gets to the free throw line.

PG Deron Williams, Utah Jazz
I wrote about Williams a while ago but he’s worth writing about again. Williams is going to have a monster season. He took a giant step from his rookie year to his sophomore year and I expect another big step this year. He has few weaknesses in his game and he’s quickly becoming Utah’s best player. He should be one of the first point guards off a draft board but for some reason he’s not. If you can get Williams around his average draft position, he’s a fantastic pick.