Thankfully, the surgery was a success and doctors no longer fear that Dunleavy’s career is in jeopardy. That said, he’s going to be sidelined for a long time. At the very earliest, the Pacers expect Dunleavy back on the court in January of 2010.

After averaging 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 82 games last season for the Pacers, Dunleavy was only able to play 18 games this year in which he averaged 15.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

In the early part of his career, Dunleavy was considered a bust while playing with the Golden State Warriors. After a trade to the Pacers in the middle of the 2006-07 season, the change of scenery did wonders for Dunleavy’s game and last year he blossomed.

For fantasy basketball purposes, Dunleavy would be a very risky pick in 2009-10 fantasy basketball drafts. He could miss half the season or he could miss the whole season if Indiana opts to bring him back slowly. As it looks right now, it’d be best to allow another fantasy owner take the risk.

Mike Dunleavy Video:

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As a team, the Indiana Pacers are a hard bunch to figure out in regards to the fantasy basketball potential of their players. The only surefire player on their team is Danny Granger. Granger has remained a top-flight small forward fantasy basketball player. Although some of his stats are a little down, he’s made up for it with a big rise in points per game.

Beyond Granger, the best fantasy player on the team might be Marquis Daniels. Daniels is having a career year and is a fantasy guard who can help you out in scoring but really help you out in rebounds. He’s getting plenty of minutes so you can count on production from him on a regular basis.

TJ Ford’s stats aren’t what they used to be but he is a sleeper right now. Once he gets used to the system, there’s no reason why his stats won’t improve greatly. At the bigman positions, Murphy is once again a double-double machine and he’s also hitting threes at a good clip. That makes him a valuable fantasy basketball player.

Speaking of Troy Murphy, he’s the video of his game-winning tip-in for the Pacers against the Lakers:

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Fantasy basketball owners were high on Stoudemire entering the season and he has done nothing to change that perception. His stats right now are fantastic. Stoudemire is averaging nearly 26 points, nearly ten rebounds and is shooting nearly 70% from the field and nearly 85% at the foul line. He hasn’t nearly been phenomenal, he has been phenomenal.

At 25 years of age, Stoudemire is just now entering the prime years of his career. With Shaquille O’Neal next to him drawing attention and Steve Nash feeding him the ball, Stoudemire is in a perfect situation to have a gigantic season. The only thing that could possibly hold him back is injury but he is looking quite healthy this season.

If you have Stoudemire on your 2008-09 fantasy basketball team, you should be excited. If you don’t, trying to trade for him is always a good idea.

Here is the Amare Stoudemire dunk video of his slam on Jeff Foster:

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For the Raptors, O’Neal will give the team the perfect center to put next to Chris Bosh. The last Raptors have never had a very good center but if O’Neal can stay healthy, he can change all that. O’Neal is a very good center with a good low post game. In terms of fantasy basketball, a new start in Toronto is very good news for O’Neal.

The Pacers finally have a point guard. Ford should be able to step right in and produce at the lead guard position. Ford, who is also an injury risk, has been a very solid player in his career when he’s been able to stay on the court. For Ford, this is also good news in terms of fantasy basketball because he no longer has a backup who could eat away at his minutes like Jose Calderon in Toronto.

Nesterovic was a salary filler who might or might not see meaningful action for Indiana. With the 17th pick, expect the Packers to add a bigman.

Here is a video concerning the TJ Ford and Jermaine O’Neal swap:

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2) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James is probably the most talented and perhaps the best player in the NBA but his fantasy game isn’t as flawless. He’s no doubt a top three small forward, however he’s not as overwhelmingly dominant in fantasy basketball as he is in the NBA.

3) Caron Butler, Washington Wizards
At certain points this season, Caron Butler was the best forward in fantasy basketball. With his varied skills, Butler should be a very valuable fantasy player for a lot of years. He showed this year that he has superstar level skills.

4) Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers
In many fantasy circles, Danny Granger is an unknown man. But if you really look close at his stats, he’s a very valuable fantasy basketball player. He can play multiple positions and he helps your fantasy basketball team in multiple categories.

5) Rashard Lewis, Orlando Magic
While Rashard Lewis was a bit of a free agent bust, all things considered, he was a very good fantasy basketball player this year. His three-point shooting was especially helpful in the fantasy world and he also kept his turnovers to a minimum.

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Beno Udrih, Sacramento Kings
The Kings gave a lot of reasons for why they traded Mike Bibby, but perhaps the biggest reason was because the team thinks it has found a better point guard in Beno Udrih. Udrih is a player who can score, pass and play a little defense. His stats should remain good until the end of the season, considering he’s playing for a contract right now.

Travis Diener, Indiana Pacers
Travis Diener is filling in for Jamaal Tinsley and is filling in nicely. While he’s not much of a defender, that doesn’t matter in fantasy basketball. Diener produces a decent number of points, assists and three-pointers made. He also does a good job of not turning the ball over much.

Earl Watson, Seattle Supersonics
After struggling with his shot horrifically for a stretch of games, Earl Watson as seemingly found his jumper once again. With his jumper returning to his repertoire, he’s now a much better fantasy basketball player. While the Sonics have a number of point guard options, it’s obvious that Watson is their best option at the moment.

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Bobby Simmons, Milwaukee Bucks
Bobby Simmons has been starting most of the time in recent weeks and he has produced decent numbers. While he still isn’t as good as he was a couple of seasons ago, he still has a chance of reaching those lofty numbers of the past. With the Bucks suffering a lot of injuries, he could eventually move into a go-to player type role.

Shawne Williams, Indiana Pacers
Nobody has ever questioned Shawne Williams’ talent. The questions have always surrounded his character and maturity. With the Pacers, Williams seems to be on the verge of breaking out. While he hasn’t started many games this season, he’s had a good season. With his size and talent, Williams could easily turn into a fantasy stud down the road.

Kyle Korver, Utah Jazz
While Kyle Korver doesn’t get big minutes yet with the Jazz, he’s at least getting steady minutes. In those minutes, Korver provides good shooting and three-point buckets for your fantasy team. If Korver’s minutes continue to rise, he can once again become fantasy relevant.

Dorell Wright, Miami Heat
The Heat’s season is in the toilet. Their playoff hopes are done and the only things to play for right now are lottery balls. That said, Dorell Wright is a player who could reap the benefit of this situation. He’s a young player who could get big minutes for a horrible team down the stretch run of the season. He is a player who will give you adequate points, very good rebounding and a couple odd steals and blocks.

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Kareem Rush, Indiana Pacers
Rush has been a surprise for the Pacers this season. He has been in and out of the starting lineup but he has a chance of locking down a starting spot. He can really shoot it and his three-point shooting can help any fantasy team. He doesn’t give you much more than points and three-pointers but he’s good enough at those two facets to be rosterable.

Thabo Sefolosha, Chicago Bulls
Sefolosha is now starting for the Bulls and has turned his season around. He was horrible for much of the start of the season but now is putting up good stats. He can score, get rebounds, get assists and can even mix in a few blocks and steals. If he can continue his upward climb, he could become a nice fantasy option down the stretch run of the season.

JR Smith, Denver Nuggets
Smith is doing next to nothing for the Nuggets. He just doesn’t seem to fit into what George Karl wants. That said, Smith is on the trading block and is likely to be dealt. If he lands on a team that is desperate for scoring, Smith is the type of player who could all of a sudden begin to average north of 15 points per game. Keep an eye on him, especially if he changes teams.

Morris Peterson, New Orleans Hornets
Peterson is a solid veteran who has had a quiet season. The Hornets have so many other scoring options that Peterson usually gets lost in the mix. The good news for Peterson is he should get more comfortable as the season progresses. If the Hornets get hit with the injury bug, Peterson is fully capable of stepping up and filling a larger role.

Want more? Check out the Sleeper Point Guards.

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Earl Boykins, Charlotte Bobcats
As I talked about in this blog entry, Boykins has a chance to be a very sneaky pickup this season. Considering he’s available in most leagues, picking up Boykins is the type of move that can really bolster your team. Boykins right now is working his way back into shape but if he can lock down a starting job, look for him to become a point guard who can put up good stats.

Louis Williams, Philadelphia 76ers
The closer the trade deadline comes, the more likely that Andre Miller will be traded. Once Miller is traded, Williams is expected to become the team’s starting point guard. Lately, Williams has increased his production from off the bench. Pick him up now and reap the rewards when Miller gets traded.

Travis Diener, Indiana Pacers
With Jamaal Tinsley struggling with injuries and off court issues, Diener is a player who could end up starting on a long-term basis. Diener isn’t a hugely skilled point guard but he can shoot the three and he can rack up assists. He’ll never be a great fantasy player but he can definitely but rosterable.

Javaris Crittenton, Memphis Grizzlies
Although Crittenton has Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry ahead of him in the rotation, he’s going to get some playing time for Memphis. Since Crittenton has good size, he could even buy time at shooting guard, especially since the Grizzlies play small most of the time anyways.

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Kelenna Azubuike, Golden State Warriors
Some fantasy owners have begun to sour on Azubuike. He started the season off very good but has slowly started to see more pine time. However, the think to keep in mind is that Don Nelson loves to switch around his lineup. Before you know it, Azubuike could go back to the starting lineup.

Marquis Daniels, Indiana Pacers
Daniels has very good games but then will have a string of bad games. Part of the problem is inconsistent minutes. Another part of the problem is a sore knee that flares up. However, if Daniels can ever keep it going, he has a game that is very conducive to fantasy basketball. He can do it all and is pretty efficient when he’s playing well.

Juan Carlos Navarro, Memphis Grizzlies
Navarro is a chucker who can get point on the board in a hurry. He’s also showed some capabilities as a contributor on the glass and in the passing department. His biggest asset remains his shooting. If you need three-point shooting, Navarro is a great choice as long as he’s getting minutes.

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