After signing Elton Brand this offseason, re-signing Iguodala was vital if the Sixers wanted to be true Eastern Conference championship contenders. With Iguodala back in the fold, the Sixers can now aim to win at least 50 wins during the upcoming season.

While Iguodala will remain a very good fantasy basketball player, his production might slip a bit in the upcoming years. Brand will take a lot of his touches. Younger players such as Louis Williams and Thaddeus Young will also need touches. While Iguodala’s all-around game will no doubt remain solid, expect his scoring and assist numbers to plateau.

Here is an Andre Iguodala highlight video:

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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.

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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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Luke Ridnour, Seattle Supersonics
Ridnour isn’t a very good fit with the Supersonics. However, there’s rumors picking up steam that Ridnour could be on his way out of town. If he gets traded, Ridnour could find himself in a very good situation. He’s a good playmaker who is also a sneaky scorer. If he gets traded, pick him up.

Louis Williams, Philadelphia 76ers
Williams has been slowed as of late with a broken toe but he’s starting to play better. While his playing time is erratic because he comes off the bench, his stock will skyrocket if starter Andre Miller gets traded. And if the Sixers find themselves out of the playoff chase, there’s a real chance that Miller could be sent out as the team looks to rebuild.

Rafer Alston, Houston Rockets
Alston has been starting all year for the Rockets but hasn’t been much of a fantasy option to date. However, Alston has started to shoot the ball better, which is helping his fantasy stock immensely. In his last game, Alston had 18 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in one of his better games of the year.

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Andray Blatche, Washington Wizards
The injury to Arenas opened up a lot of doors, including one for Blatche. Blatche is seeing more time and most shots now that Arenas is out. Blatche has the added bonus of being a multi-positional player. Get him while his value is still relatively low.

Jamario Moon, Toronto Raptors
Moon is another player who should be added if he’s still available in your league. While he’s going to be a bit inconsistent, it appears as if he’s solidified his starting job with the Raptors. He produces all over the stat sheet in fantasy, which is always a plus.

Louis Williams, Philadelphia 76ers
It appears as if the Sixers are going to find more and more ways to get Williams into the lineup. Also, don’t be surprised if he ends up starting sooner rather than later – even if it means trading away Andre Miller to make room for him.

Marko Jaric, Minnesota Timberwolves
Jaric is getting plenty of playing time with the T’Wolves and is producing. The good thing about Jaric is he gives you production in literally every category. He’s not great at any one thing but his well roundedness is a very good aspect to his game.

Brent Barry, San Antonio Spurs
Barry is a fantasy role player. If your team needs three-pointers and needs to improve its shooting percentages, there aren’t many better options than Barry. He’s going to shoot for a good percentage and he’s also going to chip in with some assists and rebounds.

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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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Louis Williams, Philadelphia 76ers
Williams has looked really good in the playing time he’s gotten this year. With Andre Miller not looking as lively as he was last year, Williams could see more and more time. If he starts playing 25 to 30 minutes a night, Williams has enough talent to put up big numbers.

Marko Jaric, Minnesota Timberwolves
With all the injuries in the T’Wolves backcourt, Jaric could emerge as a viable fantasy option. He has a nice all-around game which is very conducive to fantasy basketball. He does a bit of everything and has few fantasy weaknesses. If he gets increased minutes, he could do a lot of what John Salmons is currently doing with the Kings.

Renaldo Balkman, New York Knicks
While he was injured in preseason, Balkman is back and playing with more energy than ever. This nice part about him is he gives you rebounds, steals and blocks from the small forward position. With Quentin Richardson in a massive slump, Balkman could get more and more playing time for the Knicks as the season goes on.

Penny Hardaway, Miami Heat
Usually, sleepers are young players looking to get a break. In this case, it’s a veteran player trying to reclaim his former stardom. With Hardaway, the good news is he’s apparently back in the rotation for the Heat. He’s played a good amount of minutes in each of their last two games and has played pretty well. If he can shake the rust off and avoid injuries, he could be a player who gives you a decent amount of points, assists and rebounds.

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JJ Redick, Orlando Magic
Redick has had back to back solid games. In his last outing, Redick came off the bench for 19 points in 26 minutes. He nailed five of his six shots, including all three of this three-pointers. Redick isn’t going to give you much more than a scorer who can hit for a nice percentage, but he’s playing well and should see plenty of minutes this season.

Louis Williams, Philadelphia 76ers
Williams played exceedingly well during summer league and is also playing well in preseason. Williams has a similar skill set to that of Allen Iverson – meaning he’s a scoring, small shooting guard who can score from a lot of spots on the court. With 33 points on 12-for-18 shooting against the Nets on Friday, Williams has to be a candidate for a starting gig in Philly.

Jose Barea, Dallas Mavericks
Barea has had two solid outing in the Mavs’ first two preseason games. Barea is in the running to get a regular spot in the rotation, which would allow Jason Terry and Devin Harris to play off the ball a little more. On Friday, Barea had 17 points and five assists in a team-high 29 minutes.

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