Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz
Before you look at his stats and conclude that he had a good season last year, don’t forget to look at his playoff statistics. With the Jazz trying to make a run in the Western Conference, Boozer was oftentimes the team’s weakest link. He’ll likely bounce back but he showed a lot of vulnerability during the 2008 playoffs.

Antawn Jamison, Washington Wizards
Early in preseason play Antawn Jamison went down with a knee injury. While he should be okay for the regular season opener, he’ll likely be slowed for a few more weeks. Additionally, Jamison is getting to the age where his stats should start to decline. Some of his stats from last year, such as his rebounding numbers, will likely be on the decline this year.

Rasheed Wallace, Detroit Pistons
Rasheed Wallace has a lot of minor aspects that could make him a fantasy basketball bust in 2008. First of all, the newly 34-year-old Wallace should start to see some of his physical skills decline soon. The Pistons are also interested in playing some of their young bigmen more such as Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell. Plus don’t forget that Joe Dumars is said to be thinking about breaking up the nucleus of the Pistons, which would most likely have a negative effect on Rasheed.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

Amare Dunk Mix …

2) Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
The only reason Kevin Garnett slipped a bit in fantasy basketball was because the Celtics were just too good. With Garnett’s minutes down, his overall fantasy impact wasn’t as impressive. However, he was still a very good player this year.

3) Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki didn’t have the most consistent season of his career but he had a good fantasy year. He was strong in the areas he was supposed to be strong in and stayed relatively healthy. If Jason Kidd stays on his side, expect him to put up better stats next year.

4) Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors
One of the most underrated players in the NBA is Chris Bosh. He’s a young bigman who continues to get better and better. He’s basically like a Garnett-type player in the making. Next year expect him to take another big step forward.

5) Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz
While Carlos Boozer’s stats weren’t as good as they were last year, he was a consistent threat throughout the season. He didn’t have too many bad games and stayed healthy. Over the next few years, Boozer will likely remain a steady fantasy force.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

Yi Jianlian, Miwaukee Bucks
There is a lot of hype surrounding Yi Jianlian but most of that hype is warranted. He has a pure jumper that extends all the way out to the three-point line. He can rebound and mix in some blocked shots. Everything about him points to him being a star at some point.

Glenn Davis, Boston Celtics
With Kevin Garnett currently injured, Glenn Davis has been a big part of the Celtics ability to stay competitive. Although he’s still a raw talent, he has impressive basketball IQ and knows where to be on the court. He appears to be quite the find for Boston.

Carl Landry, Houston Rockets
As of late Carl Landry has really come on strong for the Rockets. He seems to have replaced Chucky Hayes as the backup to Scola. Landry is very athletic, very aggressive and backs down from nobody. Although he doesn’t have great height, he does have very good potential.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

Al Thornton, Los Angeles Clippers
Al Thornton has been in and out of the starting lineup for the Clippers. As the season wears on and the Clippers fall further and further out of the playoff picture, Thornton’s role on the team is bound to increase. He has shown explosive ability as a scorer on the NBA level. He can also rebound a bit and chip in with steals and blocks.

Chris Webber, Golden State Warriors
It sounds like Chris Webber has been guaranteed a starting spot on the Warriors. With that in mind, keep an eye on his production. He’s still talented enough to put up numbers if the Warriors are to feed him the ball enough. Webber isn’t too far removed from being a fantasy stud. Don’t expect great numbers but if he’s going to start and play big minutes, he’ll be fantasy relevant really fast.

Amir Johnson, Detroit Pistons
Flip Saunders has promised that Amir Johnson will finally be part of the Pistons’ rotation. Johnson is a big time talent who will one day be a very good fantasy player. He’s very athletic and has good timing. At some point in the future he’ll be a starting bigman who will put up big numbers, specifically in the rebounding and blocked shots departments.

Kwame Brown, Memphis Grizzlies
Try not to laugh. I know Kwame Brown is horrible but now that the Grizzlies have gutted their roster, Brown is one of the few bigman options left. If he is eventually given a starting spot, the Grizzlies will miss enough shots that Brown could pull down a healthy amount of rebounds. Don’t pick him up just yet but definitely keep an eye on him in case his minutes skyrocket.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

2) Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
Nowitzki started the season off in a slump but has turned it all around. He’s back to being an MVP caliber player for the Mavericks. His shooting has been a little shaky recently but that slight dip won’t last too long. From here on out, Nowitzki should remain a top three power forward.

3) Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
Duncan has been his same consistent self. His rebounding lately has been outstanding and he’s shooting very well. Even his free throw shooting has been decent lately. Just like in real life, Duncan is a very solid player to build your fantasy team around. Right now, he’s playing especially well.

4) Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors
Bosh is quietly emerging as a superstar north of the border. His scoring has never been better. He can score from virtually anywhere on the court. While it looked like his progress as a player had stalled in recent months, he’s now showing that his ceiling is as high as ever.

5) Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz
This season, Boozer is proving that last year was no fluke. He’s a stud again this year and has the potential to be the best fantasy power forward in the NBA. He’s a skilled scorer, a tenacious rebounder and a guy who brings it every night. Boozer is the real deal.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

Anderson Varejao, Cleveland Cavaliers
Lost in all the holdout talk is the fact that Varejao is actually a good player. Not only that, Varejao is a young player who has a chance to get even better. This year, he has shown an added ability to score the ball. Add that to his rebounding and all of a sudden Varejao becomes a pretty good fantasy player.

Antoine Walker, Minnesota Timberwolves
Walker is a guy who isn’t a very good NBA player but he can be a very good fantasy player. Walker can score, rebound, pass and hit a good number of three-pointers. His only problem with Minnesota has been playing time. If he starts to play more, Walker could reclaim his spot as a valuable fantasy piece.

Boris Diaw, Phoenix Suns
After being fantasy gold a couple years ago, Diaw has now dropped all the way to the point that it’s difficult to have him on your fantasy roster. His playing time isn’t consistent and even when he does play, there’s no guarantee he’ll do anything. That said, he’s one injury on the Suns to going back to playing 30+ minutes per game. Once he gets the playing time, he’ll give you solid all-around numbers.

Post from: Expert Fantasy