Ray Allen, Boston Celtics
At points last year in the playoffs, Ray Allen looked like he may be headed to the end of his NBA career. This year, especially in the month of December, Allen has looked very good. For the month, he shooting 53.1% from the field, 44.9% from the three-point arc and 92.3% from the free throw line.

Rashard Lewis, Orlando Magic
To start off the 2008-09 NBA season, Rashard Lewis wasn’t shooting the ball very well. This month, he’s turned it around. Most impressively, he’s hitting 44.9% from three-point land on his 6.8 attempts per game. For the month, his scoring average is up to 21.2 points and he’s helping the Magic race up the standings.

Emeka Okafor, Charlotte Bobcats
In his first month under Larry Brown, Emeka Okafor looked lost on the offense end. Now he’s tearing it up offensively. For the month of December, Okafor is shooting better than 61% from the field and is averaging 18.1 points per game. To put that in perspective, he averaged only 10.3 points per game in November.

Photo credit: Newscom

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Quentin Richardson, New York Knicks
Under Mike D’Antoni once again, Quentin Richardson is in line to have a huge year from beyond the three-point line. He already has made 35 threes and is shooting a very respectable 38%. If he stays healthy, there’s a good chance he could lead the league in three-pointers made.

Rashard Lewis, Orlando Magic
Although his touch isn’t quite there yet, Rashard Lewis is already shooting a ton of threes. He easily leads the league in three-pointers attempted and once he regains his touch, he will undoubtedly finish amongst the league leaders in three-pointers made. With Dwight Howard drawing a lot of attention, Lewis gets freed up for many good looks per game.

Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers knew Rudy Fernandez had a good jumper but they didn’t know he’d be among the league leaders in three-pointers made while shooting better than 43% from deep. If Fernandez gets more playing time, he’ll be able to drop even more long distance bombs.

Photo credit: Newscom

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Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers
With Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol up front, expect the Lakers to try Lamar Odom at small forward. Odom has been pretty decent at small forward in the past but he could very well struggle this season. He’s the type of player who needs the ball a lot to remain effective and consistent. This season, he will likely see the ball less than ever if all the Lakers remain healthy. That, combined with his position change (he was mostly a power forward last year), will likely cause Odom to struggle for portions of the season.

Jamario Moon, Toronto Raptors
Last season, Jamario Moon came out of nowhere and was one of the better stories in all of the NBA. This year, fantasy basketball owners have taken note and are now drafting him relatively high in fantasy drafts. While he may continue his play from last year, that isn’t set in stone. Head coach Sam Mitchell has proved time and again that he isn’t afraid to shakeup his lineup. If Moon is moved to the bench, he could very well become all but worthless in the fantasy world. Moon is a good prospect but still too unproven to bank on.

Shane Battier, Houston Rockets
In the last few seasons, Shane Battier has been a pretty good fantasy basketball player. However, take a closer look at his numbers and you’ll realize that a lot of his production was due to the fact that he played so many minutes. With stars such as Ron Artest and Tracy McGrady at the wing positions, Battier could see his minutes dip — which would make him much less of a fantasy commodity.

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2) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James is probably the most talented and perhaps the best player in the NBA but his fantasy game isn’t as flawless. He’s no doubt a top three small forward, however he’s not as overwhelmingly dominant in fantasy basketball as he is in the NBA.

3) Caron Butler, Washington Wizards
At certain points this season, Caron Butler was the best forward in fantasy basketball. With his varied skills, Butler should be a very valuable fantasy player for a lot of years. He showed this year that he has superstar level skills.

4) Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers
In many fantasy circles, Danny Granger is an unknown man. But if you really look close at his stats, he’s a very valuable fantasy basketball player. He can play multiple positions and he helps your fantasy basketball team in multiple categories.

5) Rashard Lewis, Orlando Magic
While Rashard Lewis was a bit of a free agent bust, all things considered, he was a very good fantasy basketball player this year. His three-point shooting was especially helpful in the fantasy world and he also kept his turnovers to a minimum.

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C Al Harrington, Golden State Warriors
Fitting perfectly into Don Nelson’s offense, Al Harrington can play center and can also drain the outside shot. For big immobile centers, Harrington is a matchup nightmare. As gets morn comfortable in Nelson’s system, Harrington should continue to get better and better.

PF Rashard Lewis, Orlando Magic
With Hedo Turkoglu staring at small forward, Rashard Lewis has spent a majority of the season at power forward. Lewis was signed to a mega contract in the offseason and has helped the Magic become one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. Although he hasn’t been dominant this year, Lewis has been a marksman from deep.

SF Peja Stojakovic, New Orleans Hornets
When Chris Paul is looking for an open shooter, the one he hopes to find wide open is Peja Stojakovic. Stojakovic has long been one of the best shooters in the NBA. This season, he’s currently leading the NBA in three-pointers made per game. That alone has made him a valuable commodity in the fantasy world.

SG Jason Richardson, Charlotte Bobcats
Coming over from the Golden State Warriors in a trade, Jason Richardson has lived up to expectations. He’s arguably having his best season to date in his career and a lot of the damage he’s doing is from the perimeter. In college at Michigan State, a lot of people questioned his outside shooting. Nobody questions that anymore.

PG Baron Davis, Golden State Warriors
When Baron Davis wants to shoot a three-pointer, he’s going to find a way to get an open look. The Dallas Mavericks are still having nightmares from last year in the playoffs when Davis killed them with his outside shooting stroke. This season, Davis is having a great season and is shooting it well from beyond the arc.

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Rashard Lewis, Orlando Magic
Lewis hasn’t been as good as many touted him to be. His scoring isn’t spectacular, neither is any other statistic. However, Lewis is still learning the Eastern Conference and is adjusting to his teammates. Expect him to start carrying more of the load in the coming weeks. Once he starts playing his best, he’ll be a great source for points and three-pointers made.

Josh Howard, Dallas Mavericks
Howard has been in a funk recently. He started the season playing great but that hasn’t been the case recently. He actually missed a game recently due to personal reasons. Once whatever is wrong is cleared up, expect Howard to become a dominant player yet again. Right now you can trade for him at his lowest point if you wish to do so.

Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
Parker has struggled with both injuries and poor play. His focus might not be 100% and the reigning Finals MVP might be a bit bored. With that in mind, trade for him now and reap the rewards when he starts to turn it around. You might have another month of uninspired play forthcoming, but after that he should turn the switch and enter playoff mode.

Parker Mix:

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1) Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
Garnett has been a beast so far and he is making his fantasy owners very proud. He’s having arguably the best season of his career and there seems to be no end in sight. Barring injury, Garnett should finish in the top two in his position without problem.

2) Shawn Marion, Phoenix Suns
Marion is another guy who was drafted high and is living up to expectations. He was born to be a fantasy basketball stud, as he produces in virtually every area. Marion has been producing well for years and there’s no reason he should slow down.

3) Rashard Lewis, Seattle Supersonics
The $100M+ man is making the Magic look smart. The Magic sit at 10-2 and Lewis is having a great season. That said, don’t expect Lewis to remain in the top three all season. There are other power forwards who are off to a slow start that can and should catch him.

4) Andrei Kirilenko, Utah Jazz
While Kirilenko is only averaging a shade over 10 points per contest, he’s having a really nice fantasy campaign. He’s rebounding, blocking shots, stealing the ball and (most surprisingly) piling up the assists (6.2 assists per game, by far a career-high).

5) Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz
Boozer is the second Jazz player in the top five, but Boozer’s inclusion is no surprise. He had a very good season last year and it’s no surprise that he’s building upon those numbers. With averaging at around 25 points and 11 rebounds, Boozer is a certified stud.

Good Kevin Garnett mix (pre-Celtics) …

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1) Kevin Garnett
If you have Garnett on your team, you have to be happy with his production. He’s giving you production in every category except three-pointers. There’s a great chance he finishes in the top three this season.

2) Shawn Marion
Although Marion had a tumultuous summer, his fantasy game is as good as ever. Even though his free throw percentage is down a bit, he’s still near the top like usual. Once his free throw percentage improves, he could very well move into the top spot.

3) Chris Paul
Paul was projected to be really good but he’s been amazing so far. Other than blocked shots, Paul gives you everything you could want. His free throw percentage is great, he’s hitting three-pointers now and he’s an assist machine.

4) Jason Terry
Terry comes off the bench for the Mavs but he looks amazingly comfortable in that role. He’s giving you a bit of everything, while at the same time he’s not turning the ball over. Don’t expect him to remain a top five player, but he could finish in the top 25.

5) Kobe Bryant
Bryant’s scoring is down a tad and his turnovers are rather high, but other than that he’s doing a great job in the fantasy world. Obviously a trade could have a huge impact but as of now, expect Bryant to remain around this area in the rankings.

6) Manu Ginobili
Ginobili is giving a bit of everything this year. He’s bound to cool off sooner or later but so far this season, he’s been a huge steal. It’s extra amazing to consider he’s ranked this high while not only coming off the bench, but also not even playing that many minutes.

7) Allen Iverson
Since his field goal percentage is high and his turnovers aren’t as bad as we’ve seen out of him in the past, Iverson is playing at a top ten level right now. He’s streaky so his field goal percentage should dip but so far, so good for Iverson owners.

8) Kevin Martin
Martin is having a fantastic season. He improved greatly last year and seems to be taking yet another step this year. He’s a talented scorer that is a dark horse to lead the league in scoring this year. He’s definitely a fantasy player to have on your side right now.

9) LeBron James
James is putting up sick numbers across the board. The only reason why his ranking is lower than expected is his free throw percentage is a bit low and his turnovers are a bit high. If he can correct that, he could surge up the rankings with the way he’s playing.

10) Rashard Lewis
Orlando’s big offseason acquisition is paying off so far. He’s shooting the ball really well and is producing well in most every category. It’ll be hard for him to live up to the contract he got from the Magic, but this is a good start.

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Jason Terry
Terry is off to a great, great start. He’s playing very well in his new role off the bench – the same role he played at the University of Arizona. That said, he’s not going to keep up this pace all season. Trade him high if you can.

Chris Paul
Paul, like Terry, is playing great. The difference is that Paul might be able to stay this much of fire. He’s an extremely talented player and has good players around him. A top ten finish isn’t out of the realm of possibilities for Paul.

Shawn Marion
Mr. Fantasy is right where you always find him. He might not be the best player on his team (or even the second best player), but fantasy-wise Marion is a stud. A top three finish is entirely possible for Marion.

Manu Ginobili
Ginobili is a great player. The problem with him is usually minutes played. This season, Ginobili is playing slightly more minutes than usual. However, don’t expect that to continue for the whole season. He could, though, remain a top 20 to 30 player.

Richard Jefferson
With Jason Kidd and Vince Carter on his team, Richard Jefferson oftentimes gets lost in the shuffle. However, right now, he’s producing the best fantasy numbers of the three. While he won’t stay this hot, he’s looking completely healed from the injuries he suffered last year.

LeBron James
The King has had some huge fantasy performances to date. What is exciting for fantasy owners is the possibility that James becomes a better rebounder and shotblocker. So far this season, he seems to be better than ever. A top five finish is likely.

Josh Smith
Smith is one of the most gifted players in the league. He’s an amazing athlete who is really starting to master the game of basketball. There’s a good chance that he could finish in the top 15 in the fantasy world this year.

Marcus Camby
Camby is always a fantasy stud – when healthy. So far he’s healthy and playing extremely well. Camby should continue to produce, barring injury.

Allen Iverson
Iverson has seen a lot of time at point guard, which has increased his fantasy value. He’s going to be streaky like always but at the end of the year, he has a chance to be a top ten fantasy player.

Rashard Lewis
So far, Lewis looks like he was worth the money. He has the Magic sitting at 5-1 and his stats look really good. I don’t expect him to play this well for the entire season, but so far Magic fans have to be happy with what they are seeing.

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Tony Battie, Orlando Magic
Battie is likely out for the season with a shoulder injury. Battie wasn’t going to be a viable fantasy option in many leagues, so this injury shouldn’t have a huge impact. The bigger impact is it could force the Magic to start a small lineup with Rashard Lewis at PF and Hedo Turkoglu at SF. If that’s the case, Lewis’ value should rise and Turkoglu should become a fantasy option.

Brandon Roy, Portland Trailblazers
Big things are expected out of Roy this season. Those expectations will have to put on hold for the time being because Roy will likely be sidelined for all the preseason games. While the Blazers are hopeful that Roy will be ready for the regular season, fantasy owners should be on high alert and lower Roy’s stock accordingly.

Yao Ming, Houston Rockets
Yao recently passed a physical, however they found a slight tear in his labrum in his right shoulder. While the Rockets say they aren’t concerned about the tear, it’s not a great sign that Yao is already ailing.

Robert Swift, Seattle Supersonics
Swift, who is coming back from a torn ACL, has tendinitis in that same knee. While it’s not a shock to see him slowed as he attempts to come back from injury, this could hurt Swift’s chances of winning the starting center spot in Seattle.

Antawn Jamison, Washington Wizards
Jamison is day-to-day with a bruised shin. Obviously, this isn’t a huge injury concern. As long as we are speaking of Jamison, he’s about as safe of a fantasy pick as there is this season. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t put up the exact same stats he did last season during this upcoming campaign.

Beno Udrih, San Antonio Spurs
Udrih broke his finger and looks to be out until the start of the regular season. Since Udrih is the third string point guard of the Spurs, it’s highly doubtful this injury was a blip on any fantasy radar.

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