C Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons
It seemed like Ben Wallace’s career was over. In the last few seasons, he did next to nothing. But he’s starting for the Pistons at center and he’s putting up stats. It might not last but he’s valuable for the time being.

PF Marreese Speights, Philadelphia 76ers
Although Marreese Speights might not get many minutes on a consistent basis, his per-minute numbers have been very good so far in his NBA career. If there’s an injury to the front line, his value would skyrocket. As it is, he holds a decent amount of value.

SF Danilo Gallinari, New York Knicks
If you are in a league that values three-point shooting, Danilo Gallinari is a player you should get on your team. Playing for Mike D’Antoni in New York, Gallinari is sure to hoist a ton of threes this season.

Danilo Gallinari - New York Yankees (Image: Zuma Press)

SG Rasual Butler, Los Angeles Clippers
Although he’s coming off the bench, Rasual Butler has a steady role so far for the Clippers. He’ll help you in three-pointers made and he can pick up stats in a variety of categories. Not a great fantasy option but he’s a solid filler with upside.

PG Jason Williams, Orlando Magic
It’s difficult to roster a backup point guard in most fantasy basketball formats, but if it makes sense in your situation, go ahead and pickup Jason Williams. He could put up very good per-minute stats playing with a talented Orlando squad. He’s averaging nearly ten points and seven assists in his first two games of the 2009-10 NBA season.

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C Channing Frye, Phoenix Suns
If you go back to his rookie season, Channing Frye looked like a star in the making. But since that point, the outside shooting bigman has struggled. That said, he’s now on the Suns and could very well be a starter. If he finds some of his lost magic, he’s definitely a player that can help your fantasy basketball team.

PF DeJuan Blair, San Antonio Spurs
In preseason play, DeJuan Blair has been outstanding. He’s scoring, rebounding and even mixing in a few assists. If he gets playing time, he’ll be a worthy fantasy basketball addition.

SF Chase Budinger, Houston Rockets
The Rockets will need someone to pick up the scoring slack and Chase Budinger might be one of those who is able to shoulder the load. He’s shooting extremely well and could make an impact right away.

SG Carlos Delfino, Milwaukee Bucks
Don’t forget about Carlos Delfino. He left to Europe for a year but now he’s back and he’s stepping into a situation in Milwaukee where he could earn a lot of minutes. His tough style should mesh well with Scott Skiles’ coaching — which could earn him a healthy amount of minutes.

PG Sergio Rodriguez, Sacramento Kings
The Kings look like they have tired of Beno Udrih at point guard. While Tyreke Evans is probably ahead of Rodriguez, the Spaniard could earn a lot of playing time if the Kings eventually move Evans to shooting guard.

DeJuan Blair could be a major fantasy basketball steal (Image: Zuma Press)

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C Darko Milicic, New York Knicks
We promise, this is the last chance we will give Darko Milicic. The historic bust was traded to the Knicks in the offseason and he has a chance to earn plenty of playing time under Mike D’Antoni. He has enough skill to be a good fantasy basketball backup center.

PF Anthony Randolph, Golden State Warriors
While Anthony Randolph is quickly becoming a household name, he makes this list because he has superstar potential. He was awesome in summer league and if he can translate to the NBA, watch out!

SF Andres Nocioni, Sacramento Kings
After getting traded to the Kings last season, Andres Nocioni put up impressive stats. This year, there’s no reason for that to stop. Nocioni should play a lot of minutes and he’s talented enough to really help your fantasy squad.

SG Courtney Lee, New Jersey Nets
With the Magic last season, Courtney Lee showed glimpses of fantastic ability. This year, he’ll probably get tons of PT with the Nets. If that happens, you can expect him to produce.

PG Tyreke Evans, Sacramento Kings
Even though he’s a rookie, Tyreke Evans will likely win the starting point guard spot in Sacramento. His offensive game still needs work but he can really get to the line, which will help out your fantasy basketball team.

Anthony Randolph - Watch Out For Him! (Image: Zuma Press)

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Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee Bucks – 19.98 PER
With Michael Redd out for the season, the door has opened for Charlie Villanueva. He’s starting now and should get plenty of minutes and plenty of shot attempts. He’s shown All-Star type ability at times in his career and he’ll get a chance to become a fantasy basketball star.

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves – 17.59 PER
Early on in the season, Kevin Love looked like a draft bust. But as of late, he has really turned it around and now should be rostered in every fantasy basketball league on the planet. In January, he’s averaging 12.6 points and 10 rebounds in only 24 minutes per game. That is simply disgusting. If he plays starters minutes, he could become a star overnight.

Mickael Pietrus, Orlando Magic – 15.86 PER
In his first game back from injury, Mickael Pietrus put up 27 points, ten rebounds and four assists. And while he won’t do that every game, his impressive PER tells us that he’s a capable starter in the NBA. Pick him up on your fantasy team if you want to take a flyer on a player who could blossom as the season progresses.

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Nick Collison, Oklahoma City Thunder
Although Nick Collison isn’t an exciting fantasy player, he should be solid for the rest of the season. He’s playing consistent and with the Thunder playing better basketball, Collison could average close to a double-double for the rest of the year.

Von Wafer, Houston Rockets
Having scored in double figures in seven straight games, it’s starting to look like Von Wafer is for real. And with Tracy McGrady chronically injured, Wafer could find minutes as the offensive spark the Rockets desperately need. Pick him up if you have room to find out if this hot stretch can last.

Jerryd Bayless, Portland Trail Blazers
With Steve Blake sidelined, Jerryd Bayless is finally getting consistent minutes in his rookie campaign. While his overall numbers are ugly, he had a big game on Thursday night in which he finished with 23 points off the bench. Most impressive? His 11-for-11 shooting from the line in the game.

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Marreese Speights, Philadelphia 76ers, 20.68 PER
Throughout the season, Speights has had a high PER. The fact that he’s consistently led all rookies means that he’s probably the real thing. For every 40 minutes he plays, he’s putting up 40 points and 10 rebounds. Keep an eye on any spike in minutes played because he has shown star potential.

Brandan Wright, Golden State Warriors, 19.14 PER
Wright had a high PER last year as a rookie and now as a sophomore has an even higher PER. He’s recently been starting for the Warriors, which is very good for his fantasy basketball potential this season. If he can consistently get 30 minutes per game he could become a very solid fantasy option.

Carl Landry, Houston Rockets, 18.34 PER
A lot like Wright, Landry is a sophomore who is once again putting up a high PER. Showing that his rookie year was no fluke, Landry has been doing a lot on a per minute basis. If the Carl Landry trade rumors have any legs, he could bust out onto the scene once given ample playing time.

Leon Powe, Boston Celtics, 17.17 PER
With the Celtics stumbling down the Eastern Conference standings, they might have to re-work their rotations. One option is to give Leon Powe more playing time. Powe has done well but he’s only playing 15.2 minutes per game. If he can up that to 25 minutes, Powe could become fantasy viable.

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Courtney Lee, Orlando Magic
With news that Mickael Pietrus broke his rest and is out for an indefinite amount of time, Courtney Lee should see an upshoot in playing time as a result. The rookie shooting guard can shoot, score and provide decent complementary stats. If he can move into the starting lineup, that’d be a big boost for his fantasy worth.

Amir Johnson, Detroit Pistons
Amir Johnson is back into the starting lineup. He began the year as a starter before falling out of favor and falling out of the rotation. However, it should be noted that he’s starting mostly due to an injury to Richard Hamilton. Only start Johnson as long as Hamilton is sidelined.

Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors
The Great Tease is at it again. Filling in for an injured and sick Jermaine O’Neal, Andrea Bargnani had a big game. This followed a series of uninspired performances off the bench. When he’s going right, Bargnani is a center who can score, hit three pointers, block shots and chip in with a few rebounds.

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Brandan Wright, Golden State Warriors
Currently, Brandan Wright is in the starting lineup for the Warriors. Though that can change at any moment, Wright has shown a high amount of talent. That talent in a run and gun offense could spell big fantasy value if he becomes a long term answer in Don Nelson’s starting lineup.

Kevin Ollie, Minnesota Timberwolves
Although Kevin Ollie isn’t exactly a name that enters many fantasy basketball owners minds, he’s starting now for the T’Wolves and he’s putting up pretty good numbers. If you need another point guard, going with Ollie is better than banking on a backup point guard.

Aaron Gray, Chicago Bulls
Starting three straight games at center, Aaron Gray has been impressive at times for the Bulls. He has the size and strength that the Bulls are lacking. Gray’s strong suit is rebounding and he’s not a bad scorer if he gets the touches.

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Kris Humphries, Toronto Raptors
With new coach Jay Triano now in charge of the Raptors after Sam Mitchell got fired, there’s some rumblings that Kris Humphries could see his minutes rise. Andre Bargnani isn’t defending well and Humphries could be the next in line for bigman minutes. His high PER suggests that he could do a good job if asked to take on a bigger load.

Matt Bonner, San Antonio Spurs
Matt Bonner has a good PER and is now starting at center for the Spurs. If he continues to get enough minutes, Bonner is helpful mostly due to his ability to make three-pointers from the center position. He’s also not a bad rebounder and he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes with the ball.

JJ Hickson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Although JJ Hickson is still a raw player, he has produced when the Cavs have put him on the floor. He’s a very good athlete at the power forward position who can score, rebound and block shots. If minutes open up due to injury or poor play, Hickson could step through the door and explode onto the scene.

Photo credit: Newscom

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Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers
This one is rather obvious. Although the Blazers are purposely monitoring Greg Oden’s minutes, it’s no secret that he’s a stud in the making. Now would be a good time to buy low on Oden before he takes over the starting job and really explodes onto the scene. The only risk regarding Oden is an injury risk, although that risk is definitely worth the reward at this point.

Ryan Anderson, New Jersey Nets
No one is really talking about Ryan Anderson. If you think of Nets bigman rookies, you are going to think of Brook Lopez first. However, if you look at the stats, Anderson is producing quite nicely. Once the Nets really start losing and start trying to get as many ping pong balls as possible, expect Anderson to get plenty of minutes.

Brandan Wright, Golden State Warriors
Brandan Wright had very good per minutes stats as a rookie. His per minute stats are even better as a sophomore. Although the Warriors have some good bigman options, Wright could eventually find himself in the starting lineup. This becomes even more likely if the Warriors are able to find a trade partner to ship out Al Harrington.

Marreese Speights, Philadelphia 76ers
Although Marreese Speights doesn’t get many minutes, his PER statistic makes him look like a potential fantasy basketball sleeper. The problem for Speights will be minutes. Playing behind Elton Brand, there won’t be many minutes at power forward for the Sixers. If there is an injury on the Sixers frontline, picking up Speights would be the smart move.

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