Craig Smith, Minnesota Timberwolves
Smith has been on fire as of late and his PER is looking very solid at 19.38, which is 40th in the NBA. While he’s only playing a bit over 20 minutes per game, the numbers point to him being a big producer if his minutes rise. With the Timberwolves being content to get as many ping pong balls as possible, don’t be surprised to see Smith play big minutes from here on out.

Fabricio Oberto, San Antonio Spurs
While this stat is most useful in terms of finding young players, it also points to Oberto being able to produce very nice numbers if given more time. And now with Francisco Elson sidelined with an ankle injury, he may see a bump in his playing time. On the season Oberto has a PER of 18.1, which ranks him 58th in the NBA. If his minutes per game rise to around 30, he may be a nice fantasy option.

Kris Humphries, Toronto Raptors
Humphries is quietly coming on strong for the Raptors. He has scored in double figures in three straight games and four out of his last five games. He also has at least five rebounds in each of those contests. Humphries is a bigman who is athletic and has a good touch on his shot. With consistent minutes, he could become relevant in the fantasy world.

Trevor Ariza, Los Angeles Lakers
Ariza is a very athletic small forward who was recently traded to the Lakers in a swap that sent Brian Cook and Maurice Evans to the Orlando Magic. Ariza can score a bit, rebound, block some shots and swipe some steals. If he gets time next to Kobe Bryant and the rest of the Lakers, he could very well post some Jamario Moon type numbers for the Lakers.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

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.

Post from: Expert Fantasy