Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks
For much of this season, Josh Smith disappointed. He was either gimpy, unhappy or unmotivated. Whatever the case may have been, Smith is back at the top of his game and has a chance to be a fantasy beast in the playoffs.

Glen Davis, Boston Celtics
With Kevin Garnett out for the entire NBA playoffs, Glenn Davis is now the starting power forward for the Celtics. While he’s not nearly as good as Garnett, he’ll get a lot of minutes and he’s capable of putting numbers on the board.

J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs have a number of quality players but J.J. Barea is a sleeper who could decide how well Dallas does in the postseason. He’s been called the Puerto Rican Steve Nash and there’s good reason.

Shannon Brown, Los Angeles Lakers
Not long ago, Shannon Brown was deep on the bench for the Lakers. But after impressive play, Phil Jackson has moved Brown up the depth charts and now he’s playing a healthy amount of minutes as the backup point guard.

Shannon Brown Video:

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Francisco Garcia - Fantasy Basketball Sleeper (Image: Newscom)

Francisco Garcia, Sacramento Kings
Although Garcia’s minutes have been somewhat erratic, he’s a fantasy basketball dream if he gets the playing time. He can help you in a number of categories and is capable of exploding for huge outings.

Hilton Armstrong, New Orleans Hornets
With the health of Tyson Chandler a question mark, Armstrong has emerged as an interesting center option. While he is still raw, he has shown the potential to put up points, rebounds and blocks in a hurry.

Thabo Sefolosha, Oklahoma City Thunder
Since coming over from the Bulls, the entire state of Oklahoma has fallen in love with Sefolosha. He fits perfectly next to Kevin Durant and Jeff Green and appears to be a player who has a bright future.

Craig Smith, Minnesota Timberwolves
The T’Wolves continue to look for a player capable of filling the giant shoes of Al Jefferson. Smith is an explosive option off the bench. He can use his strong body to score down low and battle on the boards.

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Marcus Williams, Golden State Warriors
Being at the helm of the Golden State Warriors’ run and shoot offense should do wonders for Marcus Williams’ fantasy value. As long as he stays healthy and stays in shape, there’s really no reason for him not to be a huge contributor — until at least Monta Ellis is healthy.

Rodney Stuckey, Detroit Pistons
As a rookie, Rodney Stuckey flashed superstar potential at times. While he’s still stuck in a log jam, that could change at any given time. A trade or an injury could push Stuckey into the starting lineup where he’d do much fantasy basketball damage.

Ramon Sessions, Milwaukee Bucks
Although brief, Ramon Sessions’ stint with the Bucks last season was phenomenal. He looked very good and his stats were off the charts. If he’s given a chance to start during the 2008-09, he might end up the point guard sleeper of all point guard sleepers.

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Nene, Denver Nuggets
With Marcus Camby traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, the starting job in Denver falls to Nene. Although he’s been more promise than production in his career, he has the ability to be a player who averages close to a double-double with a healthy amount of blocks.

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
If Love is given center eligibility in your fantasy basketball league, consider him a possible sleeper for the 2008 season. At UCLA, Love had a very varied game and could be helpful across the board. He should get time next to Al Jefferson in Minnesota.

Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
In his rookie season, Joakim Noah wasn’t too impressive. That said, he had spurts of good performance and should get a chance to win a full-time starting gig. If he does, look for him to put up solid numbers in points, rebounds, blocks and steals.

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Richard Hendrix, Alabama
It seems like every year, a couple quality bigmen fall to the second round of the draft. In the 2008 NBA Draft, the second round steal appears to be Richard Hendrix. Hendrix is a brute who can rebound, block a few shots and use his strength to score around the basket. The only knock on him is he’s a bit undersized for the power forward position. However, in the second round, Hendrix is a definite sleeper who will end up better than many first round picks.

George Hill, IUPUI
Point guard is a weak spot in this draft, especially in the second round. George Hill comes from a small school and doesn’t have a lot of experience against top-flight competition, but he has been very impressive during individual workouts. He’s a bit of a risk but his offensive stats were fantastic in college and there’s a chance he can transition those numbers to the NBA.

Pat Calathes, St. Joseph’s
While Pat Calathes definitely lacks athleticism, he has everything else to be a very good role player in the NBA. At 6-foot-10, Calathes has the ability to play out on the wing. He can shoot, pass, handle the ball and is a smart defender. Calathes doesn’t have a high ceiling as a player but he’s a guy who could become a jack of all trades on the NBA level.

Will Pat Calathes shine in the NBA?

Photo: Newscom

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