In the first two games of the season, Harris had 30 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds. However, his fantasy basketball value was limited because he shot only 32.3% from the field, missed all four of his three-point attempts and hit just 71.4% of his free throws.

With Harris out, the fantasy basketball point guard sleeper on the Nets becomes Rafer Alston. Like Alston showed last season, he’s a very capable fill-in starter.

Players who will pick up the scoring slack for Harris include Chris Douglas-Roberts, Courtney Lee and Terrence Williams. If you have Harris on your fantasy basketball team, the best idea is to say a prayer at night and wish him back ASAP. Either that or pickup Alston as a stopgap.

Devin Harris Injury Info - New Jersey Nets (Image: Zuma Press)

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After the refs checked the video of the shot, the concluded that Harris got off the halfcourt heave just in time. Watch the Devin Harris video of his halfcourt game winner at the end of this entry.

The last shot was one of many good plays on Harris for the night. He finished the game with 39 points and eight assists in 42 minutes of action. The 39 points were the most Harris has scored since he put up 41 points in the middle of December.

On the whole, Harris’ fantasy value was the highest at the beginning of the season. As the season has progressed, his production has waned. But over the last week, he has appeared to be re-energized and his play has improved.

Watch this video to view Devin Harris hit a game-winning half court shot:

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Dirk Nowtizki, Dallas Mavericks
If you have Dirk Nowitzki on your fantasy team, you have to love what he does for you at the free throw line. Not only does he get there often, he also is hitting over 90% from the charity stripe. Since he’s the Mavericks’ number one option offensively, he’ll have no trouble getting to the line this season.

Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors
Chris Bosh is second in the NBA in free throws mad and is currently hitting over 83% at the line. So far this season, Bosh has been arguably the best fantasy power forward in the game. A part of the reason is his ability to get to the line and convert.

Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns
His free throw numbers are a lot like Bosh’s, although Stoudemire has more of a history of getting to the line. And with his public comments recently about wanting the ball more, that should lead to even more free throw attempts.

Devin Harris, New Jersey Nets
For a point guard, Devin Harris gets to the line an insane amount of times. He’s also connecting on his free throws this season — shooting higher than 80%. Of any guard in fantasy basketball, Harris will help you the most in the free throw category.

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With just over a month left in the season, the fantasy landscape is all but settled. We are still seeing effects of some of the blockbuster deals, two-plus weeks after one of the busiest trade deadlines in years. Also, injuries and players coming off injuries are shaking up lineups and rotations across the league.

And at this point of the season, it is usually hard to improve your fantasy basketball team. However, things are not all bleak this year. There are still viable candidates that may just be worthy of a free-agent pickup and could make a difference in the stretch run in your league. We will even look at a former Bobcats’ castoff that is making a fantasy difference in the country’s heartland in The Deep End.

On the Rise

Devin Harris – Guard – Nets – Just coming off an injury and being dealt to a new team, Harris has had no problems making an impact for the Nets. In his first two games back, he is averaging 21 points, 3 rebound, 3.5 assists, and an amazing 3.5 three pointers a game. He will not be able to keep up the three point production or probably even the scoring pace, but, he seems to be thriving away from the demanding coaching style of Avery Johnson.

Larry Hughes – Guard – Bulls – The Bulls have a stable of guards, but it does not seem to bother Hughes much. He has absolutely thrived since arriving in Chicago. He is producing his best numbers since his time in Washington. In his first five games, he is averaging 19 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.

Chris Paul – Point Guard – Hornets – Paul has been incredibly good lately, even adding a more reliable three point shot. The scary thing is that he is only 22 years old, so we probably have not seen the best he has to offer yet. It may just take a top three pick to get the Hornets’ rising star in next season’s draft.

On the Way Down

Al Harrington – Forward/Center – Warriors – Harrington has been yanked in and out of the starting line-up all season. His minutes have also resembled a yo-yo this season. However, this latest move to the bench was in favor of up-and-coming rookie Brandan Wright. Harrington still has some fantasy value, but no longer seems like a sure-fire starter.

Andrei Kirilenko – Forward – Jazz – Even before this latest hip injury, Kirilenko had been struggling lately. His February averages of 9.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists does not inspire much.

Marvin Williams – Forward – Hawks – It seems as though Williams is reverting to his inconsistent 2006-07 form. In the fourteen games since February 1st, he has scored in single-digits in half of those games and managed seven or more rebounds three times. Williams still has a bright future ahead of him, but you may want to sit him until he breaks out of this current funk.

Skimming the Free Agent Pool

Travis Diener – Point Guard – Pacers – Diener has been thrust into the starting role for the Pacers due to the lingering knee injury to Jamaal Tinsley and has done more than hold his own. As a starter this season, he is averaging 10.8 points, 6 assists, 1.4 three pointers, and almost a steal a game. He has been especially effective in his last three games, putting up averages of 15.7 points and 8.3 assists.

Desmond Mason – Guard/Forward – Bucks – Mason is beginning to look like a serviceable option lately. Since returning from injury in February, he is averaging 11 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and almost a block a game. More importantly, he is shooting well over 50% from the field.

Kendrick Perkins – Center – Celtics – Though not very graceful, Perkins is one of the hardest workers in the league. He benefits greatly from playing off of the three Celtics’ superstars and a pass-first point guard. He is a risk to get into foul trouble on an almost nightly basis and P.J. Brown may steal some of his playing time. But, Perk seems like a solid play, especially for rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentage.

The Deep End:

Kareem Rush – Shooting Guard – Pacers – Despite being a first round pick in 2002 by the Lakers, Rush never really fit in with Los Angeles. He then spent a couple of decent but unspectacular years in Charlotte. The Bobcats released him after the 2005-06 season after he was tagged with the “locker room cancer” label. He resurfaced this season in Indiana. He has made the most of his second chance and has even become a decent fantasy option. If you are in need of three pointers, go out a grab Rush. Since the All-Star break, he has notched 2.6 three pointers, along with 12.9 points and 3.4 rebounds a game.

FantasyFanatics.com is a premier fantasy sports community. Need help deciding who to sit and who to start? What about help with a big trade? Chat with the fantasy basketball experts on FantasyFanatics.com.

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With Kidd in Dallas, expect an increase in efficiency from all the players on the Mavericks. Kidd is still a great point guard who is arguably the best in the game at making players around him better. Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Jason Terry will now find themselves open more than ever before.

Kidd himself could be in line for a rebirth. He was hating life in New Jersey and will no doubt play with fire now that he’s back in Dallas. There’s no reason why he can’t continue putting up triple-doubles for the Mavs like he was doing for the Nets. You can also expect his shooting to get better now that the teammates around him are better.

The Nets basically received only two players with fantasy potential – Devin Harris and DeSagana Diop. Harris will take over for Kidd as the Nets’ point guard. If Harris is given free reign to play as he sees fit, he may have a lot more success than he did in Dallas in their structured offense. Diop is a shotblocker and rebounder who could possibly put up stats if given extended playing time at center.

To put it bluntly, in fantasy basketball this helps everyone associated with the Mavs. On the other hand, it’s difficult to predict how this will affect the Nets. Chances are they’ll be a massive transitional period before we figure out how all the pieces will fit with Kidd gone.

Jason Kidd Mix …

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If this trade goes down, Jason Kidd owners would have to be happy. Kidd would be motivated and happy once again. In the NBA, never underestimate the power of happiness. While Kidd’s stats are pretty good right now, expect his stats to be much better on the Mavs.

Also for the Mavs, you can expect improved play from Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Jason Terry. Kidd is a great point guard and would automatically become the leader of the team. He’ll get the stars around him easy shots, like he always does.

In New Jersey, the outlook isn’t as pretty. Harris at best would put up the same stats he’s averaging now. Although, it’s likely that his stats would go down. Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter also won’t be helped by losing Kidd. DeSagana Diop would likely not be a major part of this trade, however he might get a look at center for the Nets.

Overall, this trade is good news in the fantasy world for Kidd and everyone on the Mavs. For the Nets, this is bad fantasy news. As a fantasy basketball owner, look to buy players on the Mavs and sell players on the Nets. If you do it now before others see how it will play out, you might be able to get good value.

At this point, the trade has hit a snag thanks to Devean George but we’ll see how this plays out in the next day or so.

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