C Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers
In Game 7 against the Rockets, Bynum had his best game of the playoffs. He’ll be needed if the Lakers are to beat the Nuggets.

PF Ben Wallace, Cleveland Cavaliers
Wallace has struggled with injuries and he hasn’t done much in the playoffs so far. That said, he could see a lot of time in hopes of slowing Dwight Howard.

SF Mickael Pietrus, Orlando Magic
Over the last few games, Pietrus has been playing at a high level. Against the Cavs, he’s in line to see plenty of minutes.

SG Dahntay Jones, Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets will likely put Jones on Kobe Bryant early and often. In those extra minutes, Jones could emerge as a fantasy basketball sleeper.

PG Jordan Farmar, Los Angeles Lakers
Derek Fisher is struggling and Farmar is playing at his highest level of the last few months. It would surprise no one if he saw his minutes spike going forward.

Andrew Bynum, Fantasy Basketball Sleeper (Image: Newscom)

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In the fantasy basketball world, Fisher hasn’t been much of an asset in the 2009 NBA playoffs. In seven postseason games, the point guard is averaging 9.6 points, 2.9 assists and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 42.9% from the floor and 26.1% from beyond the arc.

The aspect that has hurt Fisher’s fantasy production the most is his three-point shooting. In the regular season, he drained 120 threes and shot 39.7% from downtown. Until he starts hitting from behind the three-point line, his fantasy value will remain limited.

In Game 3, expect the Lakers to play Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar at point guard. Brown is the player with a higher ceiling. So far in the playoffs, he’s averaging 6.4 points in only 16.1 minutes per game while shooting 51.7% from the field. Farmer is only shooting 36.4% in the postseason and is averaging 2.5 points in seven minutes per game.

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You can use PER in fantasy basketball to locate sleepers. If a player has a high PER but doesn’t average that many minutes, that could tell you that if the player’s minutes increase, they could become a very good player in the league. Here are five players who average less than 25 minutes per game but have an impressive PER:

23.7 – Louis Williams, Philadelphia 76ers
Williams is 15th in the entire NBA in PER. He’s ahead of such superstars as Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson. While the season is still early, this high PER number for Williams reinforces his sleeper status. If you have roster space, pickup Williams now off of your league’s waiver wire in hopes that his minutes increase.

22.5 – Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers
If you’ve watched Bynum play, it’s no surprise that he’s ranked this highly in PER. Bynum looks like he’s going to be a great player. Now that he’s starting, don’t be surprised if his numbers go through the roof.

20.1 – Jordan Farmar, Los Angeles Lakers
Farmar is another sleeper who is currently on the Lakers bench. His PER of 20.1 puts him in the top ten for point guards, ahead of players like Deron Williams and Jason Kidd. If he starts to play more minutes, quickly pick him up.

19.3 – Jose Juan Barea, Dallas Mavericks
Barea is more of a long shot due to the packed roster of the Mavs, but he could be a player you look to add in a dynasty league. His PER is very good so far this season and Barea has played well in summer league and while in the D-League. In a couple years, he could be a very nice piece to a fantasy team.

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Andray Blatche, Washington Wizards
Blatche busted out in a big way on Tuesday. Against the Philadelphia 76ers, Blatche had 26 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a block. Equally impressive was his shooting – 12-of-14 from the field, including 1-for-1 from three-point land. Brendan Haywood turned an ankle during the game, which could spell more playing time for Blatche. Pick him up if you have the chance.

Kenyon Martin, Denver Nuggets
If you watch Martin play, you would never guess that he has had to undergo two microfracture surgeries. He’s still explosive and can attack the rim as aggressively as anyone. While the Nuggets have been cautious as they bring him back, expect Martin to play more and more. Now might be a good time to pickup Martin and the wait for his minutes to increase.

Jordan Farmar, Los Angeles Lakers
Rarely are backup point guards overly valuable in fantasy basketball, but Farmar has looked really good lately. He’s in great shape and his athleticism seems improved from last year. He’s had a string of good games and it’s not inconceivable that Farmar could replace Derek Fisher as a starter at some point in the season.

Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee Bucks
Villanueva was horrible to begin the season. However, now he’s started to turn it around for the Bucks. He’s still coming off the bench but his production has been much better. He’s had 13, 17 and 17 points in his last three games, respectively. He has immense talent and is certainly a player to keep an eye on.

Antoine Walker, Minnesota Timberwolves
Don’t look now but Walker may be inching his way back to fantasy relevancy. In the beginning of the season, Walker wasn’t getting much playing time. In the last three games for the T’Wolves, Walker has played at least 24 minutes and has double figures in all three games. If Minnesota keeps playing him, Walker could quickly become a really nice fantasy option.

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