Well, All-Star Weekend has come and gone, however, the debate on the “Superman” dunk (was it a dunk or not?) still rages on. As fantasy basketball players, we have bigger concerns on our mind. For one, what are the fantasy effects of all of the blockbuster deals this season? Also, are there any second-half sleepers out there to help you in your league’s stretch run? Here is a look at those questions and more.

Trade Fallout – The Winners:

Kurt Thomas – Power Forward/Center – Spurs – Thomas moves to a team that needs his services in the post. He should get the majority of minutes over Fabricio Oberto and may contribute a double-double statistical line with strong percentages and decent defensive numbers. He has very limited upside. But, you could do worse for a short-term filler at center.

Beno Udrih – Point Guard – Kings – Udrih resumes his role as the Kings starting point guard with Mike Bibby going east to the Hawks. Just in case you forgot, he is averaging 14 points and 5 assists as a starter this season.

Marcus Williams – Point Guard – Nets – The good news, Jason Kidd has left town. The bad news, Devin Harris has arrived in town. Harris will be out a couple of weeks recovering from injury. That will give Williams ample time to audition for the starting point guard job.

Antoine Wright – Shooting Guard/Small Forward – Mavericks – Wright has two things to be grateful for. One, he no longer has to compete with the uninspired duo of Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson for minutes. Two, he is out of New Jersey. Wright could contribute in steals, assists, and rebounds if given 28 to 30 minutes a night. That is not as far fetched as it sounds as the Maverick may start to save the aging legs of Eddie Jones and Jerry Stackhouse for the playoffs.

Trade Fallout – The Losers:

Andris Biedrins – Center – Warriors – Biedrins’ stock is not affected by a trade, but the signing of Chris Webber. Biedrins has not only lost his starting gig to Webber, but some playing time as well. He is really foul-prone, so the drop in his value can not all be attributed to the Webber signing. He is also very young and is a nice buy low candidate for keeper leagues.

Josh Boone – Power Forward/Center – Nets – The Nets have been in search of good big men since the days of Derrick Coleman. While the lot of “bigs” they have now do not have the talent – or nearly the waistline – of Coleman, there are a lot of them. Adding DeSagana Diop to Boone, a recovering Nenad Krstic, the recently acquired Stromile Swift, and rookie Sean Williams makes the front line rotation pretty crowded. There is a large possibility that there will be an open audition at the four and five spot in New Jersey for the rest of the season. If that is the case, then all involved will have diminished fantasy value.

Boris Diaw– Power Forward/Center – Suns – If Shaquille O’Nealcan stay healthy and if he can play 30 minutes a night, then Diaw role and minutes will be minimized for the Suns. But those are some pretty big “ifs”. Diaw’s steals and assists from the center spot can be value. However, his production is too volatile to rely on.

Jarrett Jack – Guard – Blazers – Why is Jack on this list? He has not been traded, has he? The Blazers have not made a trade, right? Well, there is the problem. Jack would have benefited greatly by a move out of Portland. He has moved into the starting lineup recently, at the two-guard spot, at least on a part-time basis. His shooting is too inconsistent to play big minutes at the off guard spot and there are too many options on the bench for Jack to be worthy of a roster spot right now.

Acie Law – Guard – Hawks – Using simple math, you can deduce that Law has a chance of more playing time. Two point guards leave (Tyronn Lue and Anthony Johnson) and one came back in a trade (Mike Bibby). However, beating out Lue and Johnson for minutes is different than beating out Bibby. Law may see some gain in value, but loses a chance to become a truly viable fantasy option.

Second-Half Sleepers

Randy Foye – Guard – Wolves – I have been tooting this guy’s horn for a while. Foye is good. How good? Well, that has yet to be determined, but Minnesota has nothing better to do this season but find out what exactly what they have in Foye. His shooting has been awful this season – currently sitting at 36%. Considering that he shot 43% from the field and 37% from three point range last season, he should raise his field goal percentage considerably the rest of the way.

Luis Scola – Power Forward/Center – Rockets – Scola got off to a slow start this season as he got acclimated to the league. His February numbers: 11 points and 6 rebounds – not eye popping, until you see that he is shooting 63% from the field. He should continue to put up better numbers as he gets more comfortable with the NBA style of play. Averages of 13 points and 7 rebounds is very possible.

Rodney Stuckey – Guard – Pistons – In case you have not noticed, Stuckey has February averages of 11.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in just 22 minutes. Logic tells us that he should see his minutes continue to rise as they ready him – a rest the aging starters – for the post-season. Put Stuckey on the Timberwolves or the Clippers, he would be a top candidate for the Rookie of the Year award.

Louis Williams – Guard – Sixers – Like Randy Foye, Williams should have plenty of opportunity the rest of the way to prove his wares. Williams has a multitude of skills and appears that he will be a fantasy star someday. The question that you should be asking is: will he turn those skills into production this season. He is, at least, worthy of a spot on your watch-list, if not your reserve team. However, I have a little more optimistic outlook for Williams. He could be good for 12.5 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals the rest of the way on 45% shooting, up from his current 41% shooting.

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.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

Just as the dust settled on a couple of blockbuster deals last week, we may have another one on our hands if the Nets and Mavericks can sort out Devean George’s contract in a deal that would send Jason Kidd back to Dallas. The next week that leads up to the trading deadline appears to not only be attention-grabbing, but it could have a major shake up in your fantasy league as well.

It is important to remember when analyzing a deal to not only look at the players involved in the trade, but also who is going to fill the void of the player traded away. An example is in Memphis with the much criticized, and rightfully so, deal with the Lakers. Pau Gasol landed in Los Angeles, however, who is going to pick up the slack that he left behind with the Grizzlies? We will examine that question as well as look at some other players worth noting in this week’s Stock Watch.

On the Rise

Darko Milicic – Power Forward/Center – Grizzlies – Have you come over to the “Darko Side” yet? I can not blame you if you are a little hesitant. He has been a disappointment of historic proportions and one of the very few mistakes that Joe Dumars has made in running the Pistons. However, since Pau Gasol was shipped westward, he has actually been pretty darn good. His numbers since the deal: 11 points, 9 boards, and 1.6 blocked shots a game on 46% shooting. Still, with all of the other options out there at power forward and center, Darko should still only be used if you really need his rebounds and blocked shots and can stand the sub-60% from the line.

Andre Miller – Point Guard – Sixers – Miller has been rumored on his way out of Philadelphia from the moment he arrived last season in the deal that sent Allen Iverson to Denver. But a funny thing happened . . . Miller has played great basketball for the Sixers. So much so, that now management is beginning to think of him as a piece to build the franchise on, especially considering his role in the recent hot steak the team is on. Miller does turn 32 next month, so it is difficult for me to believe that he will be able to contribute much when their young stars such as Louis Williams, Thaddeus Young, Jason Smith, and Shavlik Randolph (just kidding) are hitting their prime. Fantasy owners should just sit back and enjoy the big time numbers that Miller is producing on a team that needs his scoring just as much as they need his assists.

Jameer Nelson – Point Guard – Magic – The Carlos Arroyo Experiment finally came to a crashing halt this week in Orlando. Nelson was inserted back into the starting rotation after languishing on the bench and even earning a couple DNP – Coach’s Decisions along the way. The fire appears to be back in Nelson’s game. His last two games, he is averaging 19.5 points and 6.5 assists on 48% from the field. It is now safe to insert him back into your fantasy lineup for the foreseeable future.

Chris Wilcox – Power Forward/Center – Sonics – Like Jameer Nelson, Wilcox had to earn his way back into a starting role. He did so about three weeks ago and has been very good ever since. He has really stepped up his game in February. His averages for the first four games of the month: 17.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2 assists per game on 58.5% shooting. The downside is that he has struggled with his free throw shooting this month, even more than usual.

On the Way Down

Andris Biedrins – Center – Warriors – Biedrins has the potential to be a fantasy star. However, to realize that potential, he really has to avoid getting into foul trouble. His foul trouble has became so much of an issue that the Warriors brought in Chris Webber to start at center and to, hopefully, alleviate some pressure on Biedrins. This month, he has only gotten over 24 minutes in a game once – a 12 point, 18 rebound effort in a loss against the Bulls. You have to keep him active for those big rebounding nights. However, it appears that you are going get plenty of inconsistent play to go along with those boards.

Linas Kleiza – Shooting Guard/Small Forward – Nuggets – Klieza proved that he could be an offensive force and a reliable fantasy player while replacing Carmelo Anthony in the starting lineup. However, Anthony is back and Kleiza returns to his reduced role off the bench. He is a skilled enough offensive player to still put up a big night every now and then, even if his minutes are down. But do not expect helpful fantasy numbers on a game-to-game basis from him unless injuries strike again or if he is involved in a trade to a non-contending team.

Kyle Lowry – Guard – Grizzlies – Lowry did not fair extremely well in his brief time as the starting point guard with Damon Stoudamire in San Antonio and Mike Conley injured. Well, that is not entirely true, here are his splits in his six starts: first three game averages – 19 points, 3 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals and in the second three games – 7.3 points, 4 assists, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.3 steals. Those numbers have the look of a guy that you can plug in occasionally, but do not want to be the man for very long – in other words: a back-up. That is not what you want in a fantasy option.

Jason Terry – Guard – Mavericks – Terry was expected to take on a larger role for the Mavericks with Devin Harris out with injury. He has struggled with the extra workload. In the first eight games that Harris has missed, Terry is just shooting barely over 40% from the field, much different than his 46% season average. With Jason Kidd likely on his way back to Big D, Terry might just get a spark back in his fantasy value.

Skimming the Free Agent Pool

Mark Blount– Center – Heat – Okay, I just threw up a little in my mouth just typing the name. As a long time Celtics fan, I have seen Blount go from a hungry, energy player to an overpaid prima donna during his time in Boston. But personal feelings aside, Blount appears to be a beneficiary of the deal that sent Shaquille O’Neal to Phoenix. His main competition now for minutes at the center position is Pat Riley wanting to go small – it is hard to imagine Earl Barron or the undersized Joel Anthony much competition at all. He is having his best month of the season so far in February with averages of: 15.8 points and 6.3 rebounds. Blount’s 18 points and 13 rebounds – yes, amazingly, “Blount” and “13 rebounds” in the same sentence – against the Nuggets this week give us a glimmer of hope that the hungry, hustling player might just reemerge.

Nenad Krstic – Power Forward/Center – Nets – If you have a roster space, you might want to go out and grab Krstic. He is beginning to get back into game shape after taking some extra time off to recover from last season’s knee surgery. He is a big part of the Nets future and should receive an increased role as soon as he can prove that he can handle it. In his last game, he scored 10 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in just 15 minutes. It would not surprise me at all if he averaged 14 points and 8 boards in March.

Thabo Sefolosha – Shooting Guard/Small Forward – Bulls – There is one thing, and one thing only keeping Sefolosha from being a sure fire fantasy starter. That one thing is playing time. He has gotten plenty of run since being inserted into the starting lineup in mid-January. His numbers this season as a starter in over 33 minutes a game: 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals. However, he may be the odd man out when, or if, the Bulls ever get back to full strength. In the meantime, he is worth a spot on your fantasy roster, especially if Luol Deng and Ben Gordon continue to miss time due to injury.

Hakim Warrick – Forward – Grizzlies – The trade that rattled the Western Conference, left a huge hole in Memphis’ rotation. Warrick seems like a good candidate to help fill that hole. He was good last season replacing the injured Pau Gasol, averaging 15 points and 6.5 rebounds as a starter last year. With that track record and the 28 point, 13 rebound effort in a win against the Kings this week, Warrick may be just worth taking a shot on.

The Deep End

Thaddeus Young – Forward – Sixers – The talented rookie has been a roll lately. Young is averaging 11.8 points and 6.3 rebound while shooting a 59.6% field goal percentage in six February games. With him being a rookie, you should not get too excited, as there are sure to be more ups and down this season for his numbers. However, if you are in a deep keeper league, his performance is definitely worth noting.

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.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

Pau Gasol is now a Laker. Shaquille O’Neal is a Sun and Shawn Marion is a member of the Heat. This week’s transactions may have just shifted the powers in the Western Conference. One thing it definitely has done is give us plenty to talk about. But what affect do these deals have on the fantasy basketball landscape, if any? Let us look at the fall out of those deals and other goings on around the league that could help your team up to and beyond the All-Star break.

On the Rise

Andrea Bargnani – Power Forward/Center – Remember this guy? He was a big-time sleeper pick, if you can call a former number one overall draft pick a sleeper, going into this season. He rewarded those who drafted him with an awful December, averaging only 5.3 points and 2.1 rebounds on 30% shooting. However, he finished the month of January strong, posting averages of 13.8 points and 5.5 rebounds with 2 three pointers a game in his last four games last month. In his first two games in February, he has been outstanding, scoring 25 points a game on 56% from the field. It appears that he has finally shaken his first half shooting woes and is now worth a spot on your roster.

Josh Childress – Shooting Guard/Small Forward – In case you missed it, there is not a hotter player right now than Childress, at least when it comes to shooting percentage. He has hit 23 of his last 29 shoots from the field over his last three games – both Atlanta wins. No way is he going to keep up this pace, although his career field goal percentage is over 50%. However, it is a good indicator that he should be in line for solid minutes for the foreseeable future. He is a good rebounder and great free throw shooter as well.

Pau Gasol – Power Forward/Center – Lakers – The Lakers seem like the big winners in a trade in which they received Gasol from Memphis – at least in the short term. Gasol’s fantasy teams should also benefit from his move to Los Angeles. Despite having his friend Juan Carlos Navarro on board, Gasol was unhappy with the Grizzlies as the years of losing finally began to wear on him. The move to the contending Lakers should rejuvenate the talented Spaniard and his statistics. He should also benefit by playing next to a suddenly more team-oriented Kobe Bryant.

Troy Murphy – Power Forward/Center – Pacers – Similar to Andrea Bargnani, Murphy can be a great source of three pointers from a center eligible player. And similar to Bargnani, Murphy had his shooting troubles this season, posting a field goal percentage of under 40% in November and in January. He has started to get warm, shooting 48% in his last five games averaging 15.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2 three pointers during that span. Murphy is a streaky player, but he is talented enough to maintain averages around 14 points, 7 boards, and 1.5 three pointers for the rest of the season.

Shaquille O’Neal – Center – Suns – A team in contention would not give up a talented all-around player like Shawn Marion unless they planned on using whatever they got back in return. O’Neal is clearly on the downside of his Hall-of-Fame career and has battled injuries all season. However, he still can be a force when healthy and properly motivated. He is not a top option at center due to his well documented trouble at the line, but he can still help with several categories including field goal percentage, points, rebounds, and blocked shots.

Josh Smith – Forward – Hawks – Smith has improved his scoring in every month so far this season. However, that does not begin to approach the sensational development of his game. He neared his second triple-double game twice this month with 19 points, 9 assists, and 9 blocks against the 76ers and 17 point, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists with 5 blocks against the Lakers. In other words, this guy is really good. It will probably require a first round pick to get him in next year’s fantasy draft if he stays healthy.

On the Way Down

LaMarcus Aldridge – Power Forward/Center – Blazers – Aldridge was a fantastic draft day find as he came out of the gate red-hot. However, we have seen his scoring average and shooting percentage decrease in each month this season. The last time that he scored more than 20 points in a game was the last day in December. His decent, but not great, rebounding has stayed fairly steady all season and he has actually gotten a little better at blocking shots lately, posting his only 4 block games this season in 2008. Aldridge is still putting up good enough numbers and is a talented enough player not to give up on. Nevertheless, he has not played lately like the superstar that he seemed on the path to be earlier this season.

Anthony Johnson – Point Guard – Hawks – Johnson was a popular free agent pick up in mid-December, especially for those teams that need some help in the assists category. He has lost time recently to the disappointing rookie Acie Law and the underrated veteran Tyronn Lue. Johnson’s decreased minutes have caused his statistics to be reduced to the point below fantasy consideration, including averaging only 4 assists over his past five games. The most frustrating part of this five game cold streak is that it came on the heels of a 12 point, 11 assist game against the Blazers.

Jason Maxiell – Power Forward/Center – This one breaks my heart a little. All indicators this pre-season pointed to a breakout season for Maxiell. However, someone forgot to tell Flip Saunders, as Maxiell has managed to play just over 22 minutes a game. It is not as though he has not produced when he is on the court, putting up 11.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks on 56.5% shooting in six games as a starter. The problem is that the Pistons play their starters a ton of minutes, leaving only scraps on many nights for bench players like Maxiell.

Jason Williams – Point Guard – Heat – Williams is a likely loser in Shaquille O’Neal/ Shawn Marion deal, because Miami also received Marcus Banks in the deal. Williams has been terribly inconsistent this season, playing a position that demands a steady hand. He was already having trouble beating out Chris Quinn for playing time, now you put the quick, defensive minded Banks in the mix. One thing that is in Williams’ favor is his ability to not turnover the ball a bunch.

Skimming the Free Agent Pool

Jarrett Jack – Guard – Blazers – Jack has been a disappointment this season. So much so, that his name has been mentioned in trade rumors, including a three team trade involving the Nets and Jason Kidd. The Blazers have been waiting for his adjustment to his role and inconsistent minutes coming off the bench. It appears that it is finally starting to happen. In his first two games in February, Jack has averages of 14.5 points, 7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 three pointers on 53% shooting. Granted, this is just two games, but they were two very, very good games. They definitely have my attention.

Kyle Korver – Small Forward – Jazz – When Korver has been worth having around, it has been for one reason – his three point shooting. He is not going to give you regular production in much of anything else. After shooting a un-Korver like three point percentage in the mid-thirties for most of the season, he is starting to get his three point stroke back. He has connected on two-thirds of his attempts in his first three February games.

Bostjan Nachbar – Small Forward – Nets – Following a nine game losing streak, the Nets turned to Nachbar for an offensive spark. He has played well enough to see his minutes increase in four of his last five games. That is the kind of positive trend that should have caught the attention of the fantasy basketball world. During those five games, he has put up 13.4 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.6 three pointers a game. The most impressive part of this run is the fact that he has done all of this with Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson still healthy and active.

Charlie Villanueva – Forward – Bucks – Villanueva has done this before, right? He has tempted and teased us with his immense basketball talent. And then, when you think that he has finally put it all together and is on the road to become a fantasy star, his statistics all but disappear from the box scores. So what is different now? Probably nothing. But Yi Jianlian has not put together a very good game since mid-January and is out for a few games with a bum shoulder. So perhaps he is worth a gamble if you happen to have a roster spot available.

The Deep End:

Marcus Banks – Guard – Heat – Call me an idealist or maybe just nostalgic. But I remember back a few years, when the Celtics had high hopes that Banks would run the point for them for the next decade. He struggled to get consistent minutes partly due to his shooting and turnover problems in his two plus years in Boston. He was finally given a longer leash after being traded to Minnesota during the 2005-06 season. In over 30 minutes a game, Banks posted averages of 12 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals for the Timberwolves. He was buried on the depth chart behind Steve Nash and Leandro Barbosa in Phoenix over the past year and a half. Banks could get another opportunity to be a starter in Miami. He is still only 26 years old, so there is plenty of upside to his 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.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

We are at the point of the season when most coaches have settled on their rotations and most players have settled into their roles. As a result, there are not many players who are going to shock us with a dramatic change in their production level, unless an injury or trade plays a role. Nevertheless, let’s take a look at some of the movers and shakers of the fantasy basketball world.

On the Rise

Gilbert Arenas – Guard – Wizards – Word is that Arenas has started more extensive workouts in preparation of a return shortly after the All-Star break. This may be the time to see if you can grab him at a bargain from an owner that is getting impatient.

Kirk Hinrich – Guard – Bulls – Although the statistics did not show it, Hinrich was starting to get his stroke back some before missing some game is month with back spasms. He exploded for 38 points on Wednesday night against Indiana. With Luol Deng and Chris Duhon sidelined for a while, there should be more big nights on the way for Hinrich. A word of caution, though, back injuries scare me some because they tend to linger.

Wally Szczerbiak – Guard/Forward – Sonics – If you were like me, you did not give Szczerbiak a chance to have much of a fantasy impact this season. First, he was coming off of an injury-filled season in Boston. Second, he was traded to a team in full-blown rebuild mode at age 30. This month, he has definitely been worthy of fantasy consideration. Despite being marred in an 0 for 11 January, the Sonics are playing Szczerbiak over 25 minutes a game. In that time, he is averaging 16.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 three pointers. The downside is that he does not give you much else outside of great percentages.

Al Thornton – Forward – Clippers – Thornton was a sleeper pick for Rookie of the Year going into this season. He started out extremely slow, averaging only 6.3 points in November and 8.1 points in December. Not only was he having trouble getting acclimated to the league, he was also loosing the confidence of the coach. In January, he is gaining that confidence by posting 13 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.7 blocked shots per game. It is probably too little, too late to be in the running for the R.O.Y award. Still, if he can continue this type of production, he could make the first team of the All-Rookie Team, helping your fantasy team along the way.

On the Way Down

Larry Hughes – Guard – Cavaliers – What happened to this guy? He used to be a solid fantasy starter and borderline fantasy star. He is still young enough to be in the prime years of his basketball career at age 29. Regardless, his numbers have gotten progressively worse each of the past four seasons. His production has hit a concerning low in January. His 8.3 points, 2.3 assists, and 36% field goal percentage should have him nailed to your bench until, or even if, he finds his groove.

Yi Jianlian – Forward – Bucks – Yi is going to be good someday, many agree, but he is not quite ready to be counted on for consistent fantasy production yet. He can frustrate fantasy owners with games of 29 points and 10 rebounds and then have 8 points and 5 rebounds the very next game. Part of the problem is that Yi gets himself into early foul trouble too often. His 8 point, 5 rebound January averages do not merit a spot on your fantasy team right now.

Jamaal Tinsley – Point Guard – Pacers – Tinsley enjoying a re-birth of his fantasy value earlier this season. He has struggled so far in 2008 thanks to injuries and inconsistency with his jumper, shooting a woeful 34% from the field and an even worse 6% from three point range. The positive side here is that he is keeping up with his assist totals, despite his horrid shooting. He has some bounce back ability, but you may be better off trading the Pacers point guard to a team desperate for assists.

Martell Webster – Guard/Forward – Blazers – Webster has huge upside as an offensive player. His production has yet to match his potential in his first two and a half years in the league. Although his statistics are up this season from the previous two seasons, he is not showing enough consistency and is constantly getting lost in the shuffle of the young emerging talent in Portland. His seven single digit scoring games and eight games with five rebounds or less in eleven January games suggest that he is a long way from helping your fantasy squad. Still, Webster is worth watching closely, he is not that far away from being a fantasy force.

Skimming the Free Agent Pool

Maurice Evans – Guard/Forward – Magic – Evans has taken over for Keith Bogans as the starting shooting guard in Orlando. His numbers as a starter this season in nine games (eight with the Magic, one with the Lakers): 11 points, 3 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and a three pointer per game on over 50% from the field. The numbers do not blow you away by any means, but he could help if you are hurting for points and three pointers.

Linas Kleiza – Guard/Forward – Nuggets – Kleiza is an offensive force. His problem is that he plays on a team with two other offensive forces in Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. However, Kleiza has proven when given an opportunity he can light up the scoreboard. His 41 point performance against Utah was a display of what this guy can do. He filled in for an injured Anthony the past two games and averaged 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 three pointers in those games. Anthony is not expected to be out an extended period of time. However, Kleiza has proven that he can still be produce in limited opportunities, just not as consistently.

Kendrick Perkins – Center – Celtics – You have to love Perkins, the forgotten man on the Celtics starting five. His job is to rebound, play defense, and stay out of the way on offense. Nevertheless, Perk does have some ability to put the ball in the hole. He does not have many plays called for him. Instead, he has to rely on put-backs and passes from double-teamed teammates. There seems to be more of those opportunities lately as he is averaging: 7.4 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks on 59% shooting from the field in January. The warning here is that he shoots under 60% from the line for the year. Perkins is worthy of a pick up if you need short term help at the center position.

Luke Ridnour – Point Guard – Sonics – Ridnour has struggled through an injury plagued season in Seattle. He is back in action and playing pretty well in limited minutes off the bench. In his last six games, he is averaging 8 points and 6.2 assists despite not playing over 28 minutes in any of those games. His production is still under that of starter Earl Watson, but you may see the Sonics go to Ridnour more often to showcase for a trade.

The Deep End:

Nenad Krstic – Forward/Center – Nets – Krstic may be back from his prolonged rehab in a week or so. He has a couple of battles ahead of him: the injured knee and the fine play of youngsters, Josh Boone and Sean Williams. If Krstic is healthy, which is yet to be determined, when he returns, he is at the very least worth a reserve spot. The payoff could be huge. Remember, he was averaging 17 points and 7 boards on 52% shooting before going down with the injury last season.

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.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

On the Rise

Samuel Dalembert – C – 76ers
Dalembert is not a gifted scorer. His value lies in what he can give you on the boards and in the shots that he blocks. In his past 10 games, he has provided plenty of value in those categories, averaging 11.2 rebounds and 3.3 blocks a game. Dalembert is also solid from the field (54%) and you could do worse from a center at the line (71%). The Sixers do not have a great number of scoring options, so he will throw in an occasional 20 point scoring night as well.

Kenyon Martin – PF – Nuggets
Martin came out of the gates slowly this season. His recovery for the leg injury that sidelined him most of last year seems complete. His December numbers through six games: 14.8 points, eight rebounds, and 2.3 blocks while shooting a robust 64% from the field. The points and rebounds are around his career averages, so there is no reason to believe that he can not maintain those numbers – barring injury, of course.

Travis Outlaw – F – Trailblazers
Outlaw started the season with pretty ordinary numbers and it looked as though this was going to be another season of promise not yet fulfilled. However, he has turned up the heat in December, averaging 18.6 points and 6.8 rebounds while maintaining a field goal percentage of over 50% in the first eight games of the month. Outlaw seems like a great fantasy play despite his role off the bench.

On the Way Down

Andrea Bargnani – F/C – Raptors
Bargnani appeared to be on pace to have a fantastic second season after finishing off his rookie season strong. He has been great from outside the arc, but has shot a putrid 37% from inside the three point line this season. He has not shown the defense prowess that he did last season or an improvement in his ability to rebound. This has kept his playing time way down. His December numbers through five games: 2.8 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists with no steals and no blocks – yuck! He seems to be a like a bad fit with Chris Bosh on the Raptors frontline, so I do not anticipate things turning around for Bargnani anytime soon.

Randy Foye – G – Timberwolves
Foye was about a week away from returning when it was learned that he will be delayed for another three to four weeks. The much anticipated start to the talented guard’s second season, his first as a full-time starter, will have to wait just a little longer.

Damien Wilkins – G/F – Sonics
What started out as a dream season for Wilkins – including a 41 point, nine rebound game, has turned to a pretty average one for him statistically. He is only averaging 7.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in eight December games while shooting only 36% from the field. Now is probably the time to move on if you still are holding on to Wilkins.

Skimming the Free Agent Pool

Dan Dickau – PG – Clippers
Don’t look now, but the Clippers’ point guard situation is in shambles. Sam Cassell is hurt and old, Shaun Livingston may come back eventually, but it will not be this season, and Brevin Knight has not shown that he deserves to play big minutes. So they have turned to the journeyman point guard Dan Dickau to carry some of the load at the point. Dickau scored in double figures in three of his last four games and managed to notch five assists in two of those games. He is not a top option, but if you need some scoring and three-pointers at your point guard spot, Dickau may be your guy.

Kris Humphries – F – Raptors
What do Al Jefferson and Josh Smith have in common besides being emerging fantasy stars? They both were taken in the 2004 NBA after Humphries. Humphries was a superb scorer and rebounder in his only year at the University of Minnesota. I tell you all of this to point out that the guy has some ability. With Andrea Bargnani first injured then struggling, Humphries has really stepped up his game. His December statistics: 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in just over 22 minutes a game. Humphries is not the most graceful of athletes, but he is a big strong guy that can rebound and score around the hoop. Also, he seems to be a better fit on the floor with Chris Bosh than Bargnani.

Luke Ridnour – PG – Sonics
The Sonics’ starting point guard job is all but settled. Earl Watson has done a nice job playing defense, but is a liability on offense. Watson’s weaknesses seem to be Ridnour’s strengths. Ridnour has scored in double figures in his last three games and is shooting 57% from the field for the month of December. He is also a couple years younger than Watson, which is important on a team in rebuild mode. Ridnour will probably never be a fantasy star, but could be a very good addition if ends up with the majority of minutes as the Sonics’ point man.

Craig Smith – F/C – Timberwolves
Smith appears to be having a break-out season in his second out of Boston College. He has muscled his way into the starting lineup and does not appear to be giving it up anytime soon. His December numbers: 16.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in eight games. The downside here: Smith does not do much outside of scoring, rebounding, and shooting well from the field. Also, he does not have the consistency that you want from a fantasy starter. In one stretch, he scored 36 points and followed that up with games of eight points, three points, and then another stellar game of 30 points. Smith is still worth grabbing, but temper your expectations going forward a little.

DeShawn Stevenson – G – Wizards
Stevenson has always been a decent scorer. However, it seems that he has turned his game up a notch lately, especially from three-point range. In his last three games, he has buried 15 three pointers, which is five threes per game! He has also averaged 19.7 points and five assists during that span. He should see increased opportunities with the ball in his hands more due to injuries to Gilbert Arenas and Antonio Daniels. Stevenson is still a risky pick; he hasn’t scored in four games this season. But, his recent hot streak should take most fantasy owners take notice.

Rookie Review

Corey Brewer – G/F – Timberwolves
There is little doubt that Brewer is going to be a good NBA player someday. So far in his rookie year, he has been inconsistent, just like every other rookie. Brewer has played big time minutes lately, but has not done much with those minutes to help your fantasy team. As a starter, Brewer is grabbing almost eight rebounds a game and scoring 6.5 points a game. He is a better shooter than the 30% that he has put up so far, so his scoring should improve as the season goes on. He has the ability put up great steal and blocked shot numbers, too. The potential that he possesses has not turned into real numbers yet; however, there are signs that a break-through is not far away, including an 18 rebound game. Brewer is still not worth grabbing yet, but you should keep a real close eye on how he progress throughout the season.

A Friendly Fantasy Tip

If you notice a great performance from a guy that normally does not put up great numbers while looking over basketball box scores, remember to look at those key players that missed the game. A role/bench player may have turned his big minutes into a great game. However, if he was just filling in for a player that is missing a game or two due to injury or suspension, that surprising performance may not help your fantasy team long- term. He may not have an opportunity to repeat his performance when the key player returns. It is good to note the performance in case the situation changes for a longer-term due to a severe injury or trade.

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Post from: Expert Fantasy