Fantasy Basketball Advice

All-value teams for East, West
Comment
February 8
ESPN.com
 
"With the All-Star break only a few days away, it's time to take a look back at the first half of the season and pick our own All-Star team, with a fantasy twist. In the fantasy game, it's all about value. Anyone can draft a Kevin Durant or LeBron James in the first round. That's the easy part. It's the mid-to-late rounds and waiver-wire pickups that win fantasy leagues. With that in mind, you won't see guys like Durant or LeBron on the fantasy All-Star rosters. Instead it will be an all-value team comprised of the best draft-day and free-agent finds. Western Conference PG: Aaron Brooks, Houston Rockets -- The hype machine typically runs rampant when a player performs the way Brooks did at ..."
Is Biedrins poised to break out?
Comment
February 8
ESPN.com
 
"With the hullabaloo surrounding some other game in some other sport this weekend, it was an under-the-radar few days for the NBA, and for the first time in a while, no major injury occurred. There was a slew of interesting performances and fantasy developments, especially Friday and Saturday, when there were a combined 22 games. Here are some nuggets from the weekend: Looking Back • Andris Biedrins finally reminded us he's actually pretty good, snaring 18 boards with three blocks Sunday. I am a big fan and recently bought low on him, hoping it'll pay off once he manages to play 30 minutes on a nightly basis. His value still is pretty low, but I don't see the 18 boards as an aberration and ..."
Hello, ROTO
Comment
February 7
SportsGrumblings.com
 
"The Super Bowl sill come and go this year, and looking back on the season that was I'll be able to say that I didn't watch a single down of NFL football for the first time in a very, VERY long time. There was the time when someone called from the next room for me to come in and "look at the uniforms the Seahawks are wearing", and more than a couple of times when I happened across a national sports news broadcast and NFL action was on my television before I could turn it, but I never once set aside time specifically to consume their product. Nope. "Did you see that game last night?" some would occasionally ask. The answer was always the same, even if they never caught on to the fact, a ..."
T.J. Ford Back In Action
Comment
February 7
Rotoworld.com
 
"It's Super Bowl Sunday and while most of us have our eyes on the big game, there are two NBA contests today and lineups need to be set for the upcoming short week leading into All-Star Weekend. I was born and raised in Indianapolis, and was a Colts season-ticket holder until we moved south in 2004. I'm a homer, no doubt, but I just can't see the Saints stopping Peyton Manning today. My official prediction is Colts 38, Saints 24. We'll see. Smaller To Average-Sized Leagues These players may or may not be available in smaller to average-sized leagues consisting of 10-12 teams with rosters somewhere around 12-15 players. That should cover a majority of the fantasy hoops leagues in existence. ..."
Magic only team with three games
Comment
February 7
ESPN.com
 
"The NBA All-Star break is a week away. And after trying to set lineups for a truncated Week 16, fantasy owners just might be ready for a break themselves. In Week 16, only one team -- the Orlando Magic -- plays as many as three games. But that, actually, isn't the issue. What could bedevil fantasy owners -- at least those in head-to-head (H2H) weekly lineup leagues -- is the fact that nine teams play only one game. Naturally you'll go with your best players provided they're healthy. One night's worth of stats from the likes of Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant and Chris Bosh (all one-and-done next week) is likely worth more to your team than any two games from most other players. Still, I think ..."
Week 16 Fantasy Basketball Planner Week 16 Fantasy Basketball Planner
Comment
February 6
CBSSports.com
 
"Week 16 (Feb. 8-14) Teams playing three games: Orlando Teams playing two games: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Golden State, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers, Miami, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Utah Teams playing one game: Boston, Houston, Indiana, Memphis, New York, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Toronto, Washington Atlantic Division Boston Celtics (@NO): Paul Pierce (foot) went from possibly being out for the rest of the season with a broken foot to day-to-day and could be back as soon as Sunday. Monitor him over the weekend. The Celtics could choose to sit him out for the last couple of games prior ..."
LeBron Starts At PG for Cavs
Comment
February 6
Rotoworld.com
 columnist Aaron Bruski
"Rotoworld hoops-news specialist Aaron Bruski is going to take a stab at Friday's Dose and may occasionally help fill in here in the future. Enjoy. No Boobie, No Problem When news broke that Daniel Gibson's fiancée (Keyshia Cole) had been hospitalized for precautionary reasons due to her pregnancy, coach Mike Brown didn't look to Delonte West or 10-day contract signee Cedric Jackson. Instead he looked no further than current fantasy MVP LeBron James to run the point. True to form (unlike the form he shows when guaranteeing participation in dunk contests, or when being dunked on by college kids over the summer), he guided the Cavs to a 102-86 win over the Miami Wades on his way to 36 points ..."
Finding help in the percentages
Comment
February 5
ESPN.com
 
"Welcome to the gripping conclusion of the Working the Wire miniseries. For the past month I've focused upon widely available (available in at least two-thirds of ESPN leagues) players to target in two categories per week. This week's dramatic finale highlights perhaps the most difficult categories to master as a fantasy hoops player: the percentages. Before delving into specific players, here are a few tidbits about the nuances of the percentage categories: Starting a player can hurt you more than starting nobody. This isn't true of the rest of the standard categories -- even if a guy like Luis Scola blocks a paltry 0.3 shots per game from your center spot, he doesn't actually hurt you by ..."
Parker returns to Spurs' lineup
Comment
February 5
ESPN.com
 
"Tony Parker returned from an ankle injury Thursday, scoring 18 points in 30 minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers and otherwise looking like the Parker we missed. Despite the solid performance, however, it is Parker's performance in the long term, with his nagging injury of plantar fasciitis in the rear view mirror, that will tell the true story. Despite the 18-point, six-assist performance, he wasn't quite a game-breaker; he needed 16 shots to net 18 points, getting to the line just twice. And although the San Antonio Spurs got solid games from each of their big three, along with 16 points from George Hill, they still fell to a Brandon Roy-less Trail Blazers club. For the night, ..."
Debunking rookie wall myth
Comment
February 5
ESPN.com
 
"We're nearing All-Star weekend, and for fantasy owners, the return on investment for the NBA's rookie class of 2009-10 is becoming clearer. Several rookies have met or exceeded expectations (Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings). None has been an outright disappointment. And some have been pleasant surprises (Marcus Thornton). But now, it's all over for the class of 2009-10. Because it's midseason, and the newbies are staring straight into the teeth of an impenetrable edifice. The rookie wall. The rookie wall is one of the NBA's great mythical concepts. It says a player just out of college takes a several-month mental-health break sometime around the 30-game mark that extends ..."
Kirilenko's value soaring
Comment
February 4
ESPN.com
 
"Andrei Kirilenko continued on his recent hot streak for the Utah Jazz against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night, finishing with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals while shooting 8-for-9 from the floor. Not only has Kirilenko been racking up blocks and steals in large numbers, he's missed only one shot in three of his past five games. His averages during that stretch: 18.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.0 steals, 2.6 blocks and 71 percent shooting from the floor. Take away his terrible December, and Kirilenko's having his best season in years. His field goal percentage is way up from last season and his climbing numbers in blocks and steals would ..."
Bargnani goes off versus Pacers
Comment
February 3
ESPN.com
 
"Andrea Bargnani cranked off a season-high 34 points against the Indiana Pacers Tuesday evening, while knocking down 14 of his 21 shot attempts. His scoring has been a little inconsistent lately (he shot 1-of-9 from the floor for two points Thursday), but his overall fantasy game remains delightful because the only holes in his statistical game are in assists (1.0 per game) and steals (0.3 per game). He displayed his versatility Tuesday by adding four 3-pointers and a block. Bargnani was only 2-of-6 from the free throw line in the game, but on the season he's shooting 78.4 percent and his career mark is 82.3 percent. So far this season, he's averaging career bests in scoring (17.5), ..."
Four NBA All-Stars worth trading
Comment
February 3
ESPN.com
 
"Kobe Bryant, you probably won't be surprised to learn, is currently ranked eighth on the Player Rater based on per-game averages so far this season. That may be a bit lower than some would have guessed at the start of the season, but the fact that Kobe's in the top 10 shouldn't surprise anyone. As always, Kobe's durability makes him even more valuable; he's ranked sixth overall if you look at totals rather than averages. It has been, by all accounts, an admirable season for Bryant. His team is fantastic; he's playing a ton of minutes; he's making a game-winning shot in what seems like every game he plays; and his stats, in the aggregate, look a whole lot like the numbers he put up last ..."
Head to Heads Up: Feb. 3
Comment
February 3
SportsGrumblings.com
 
"Chris Paul is out indefinitely due to a knee injury and this is a huge blow to his owners' aspirations to make the playoffs in their respective fantasy leagues. He is being evaluated and we should know more as the Hornets release information. For now, Paul represents the biggest drop in value in Head to Head. A huge head to head's down for CP3. PG Head to Head's UP… Devin Harris, New Jersey Nets: Devin Harris is finally back in action. Keyon Dooling should now be dropped, even in very deep leagues. Dooling is ailing at the moment. Harris should now be able to resume his role as a fantasy contributor in the the categories of PTS, AST, FT%. Plug him into your lineups for next week as ..."
Harris, Amare top list of underachievers
Comment
February 2
ESPN.com
 columnist Tom Carpenter
"Originally, I'd planned to write a column about players whom I drafted in many or most of my leagues to discuss which studs I got right and wrong. Then I decided none of us really needs to sit through me stroking my ego about the guys I got right. First of all, there's nothing newsworthy about players who have been playing well all season. You know they're good, and I know they're good. Second, we need to learn from our mistakes by examining why things didn't work out the way we had hoped. In fantasy hoops, that means sometimes you need to look at those guys who failed to do what you had hoped and find out why they failed. To that end, I decided to skip over my success stories and focus ..."
Collison not only Hornet worth grabbing
Comment
February 2
ESPN.com
 
"No one player can replace Chris Paul. Fantasy owners should take that to heart, because Darren Collison isn't the only New Orleans Hornets player worth pursuing right now. First things first: Collison had another monster assist night, dishing out 14 helpers against the Phoenix Suns on Monday. In two games since replacing Paul, Collison has amassed 32 dimes. Against the Suns, he also had 16 points (on 7-of-18 shooting) and 4 rebounds. He'll be the starter for at least a month, and probably longer, given that Paul is expected to have surgery on his injured left knee. All of this makes Collison a must-add -- and, best of all, you may still have a shot at pulling him out of free agency. Even ..."
Underachievers poised to shine
Comment
February 2
ESPN.com
 
"We're nearing another critical part of the season, the trade deadline. In the NBA, trades must be consummated by Feb. 18, and in most fantasy leagues, it's about a week later. That means the time for lollygagging is over. The feeling-out process is a thing of the past, and if you want to feel out the trade value of a player now, the best way to do it is to hit the owner over the head with a strong offer that is hard to refuse. At this point in the season, it's hard to pull off a blatantly one-sided deal; instead, you should be happy with a small win. Here, the magic word is "perception." Remember, your rivals have been living with their players all season, dealing with the ups and downs. ..."
King Kobe
Comment
February 2
Rotoworld.com
 
"New, No. 1 Kobe Bryant blistered the Grizzlies to tie a season high with 44 points Monday and become the Lakers all-time leading scorer in franchise history with 25,208 points. So from a reality standpoint, Kobe looks like a real-life version of Superman. And from a fantasy perspective, the fact he's playing through the finger, finger, finger, ankle, knee, elbow and back problems, never taking a night off, is worth it's weight in gold. Kobe's not the best fantasy player around these days (it's not really even close), but he might be the most reliable one. Congratulations, Mamba. The Lakers lost to the Grizzlies, who now sit with a 26-21 record. Congratulations to them, but it's too bad ..."
Fantasy Fast Break: Will Darren be dangerous?
Comment
February 2
CBSSports.com
 
"What happens in New Orleans with Chris Paul sidelined? The Hornets announced Monday that Chris Paul will be out for an indefinite amount of time. Most estimates have him missing anywhere from a month to two months and that will leave both the Hornets and Fantasy owners searching for solutions. For both, the solution may not be too hard to find. Darren Collison sure looked like Chris Paul on Saturday when he dropped 17 points and 18 assists on the Grizzlies. He even added six rebounds with a block for good measure. Collison played 47 minutes in that game and with the team having traded away some of their guard depth last week when they moved Devin Brown to the Chicago Bulls, expect heavy ..."
Fantasy Basketball Box Score Breakouts – 1/31/10
Comment
February 1
Lester's Legends
 
"Here's a look at some fantasy basketball players that blew up the box score last night. George Hill, San Antonio Spurs Hill had 17 points with four assists filling in for Tony Parker. He's a decent short-term option. DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers Jordan had 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers, but hasn't been productive enough to add. Daniel Gibson, Cleveland Cavaliers Gibson had 14 points and 6 assists. He's been solid filling in for Mo Williams. Jarvis Hayes, New Jersey Nets Hayes had 18 points and 8 rebounds for the Nets. Until he proves he can repeat this kind of performance, don't bother with him. Luther Head, Indiana Pacers Luther had 15 points with three ..."
Iguodala falls out of top 25
Comment
February 1
ESPN.com
 
"Another month is in the books, and that means it's time to take another look through the list of movers and shakers in our rankings of the top 130 players. Remember, players are ranked based on their expected performance from this point forward, not on the stats that have already been accrued. Moving up Stephen Jackson, SG/SF, Charlotte Bobcats (32): Jackson is moving up only five spots in the rankings, but he still gets a mention here because he hasn't received nearly enough pub for what he's done since joining the Bobcats earlier in the season. In 37 games with Charlotte, Jackson has produced borderline-elite swingman numbers in fantasy leagues. With 21.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.6 ..."
Week 15 Start 'Em and Sit 'Em
Comment
February 1
CBSSports.com
 
"Start of the Week Well, it's that time of the year again. It is time for Carlos Boozer to take some time off due to injury. It is also time for Paul Millsap to prove he deserves a chance to be mentioned among the league's premier big men. Millsap has gone through this once or twice before. At least once in each of his first four seasons in the league, he has gotten a chance to fill in for an injured Boozer or Mehmet Okur for a stretch. And, every year, he has proven that he can be a high-end Fantasy contributor when given the chance. In Fantasy Week 15 (Feb. 1-7), Millsap will have an opportunity for another big week, making him an easy choice as the Start of the Week. Fantasy owners ..."
Collison a must-add with Paul out
Comment
February 1
ESPN.com
 
"Huge news broke late in the weekend that Chris Paul would undergo surgery on his bum ankle and miss at least a month. This leaves fantasy owners scrambling to replace their best player, and the obvious choice is his backup Darren Collison, who dished out a team-record 18 assists in Paul's absence Saturday night. This is a pretty clear-cut case of which player inherits the most value, and even though nobody can replace CP3's insane stats, Collison becomes worth adding immediately in all formats, as he'll get heavy run for the New Orleans Hornets and shouldn't have any problem averaging more than six assists and a steal per game while Paul is sidelined. After all, he has averaged 15.1 ..."
Wired for Week 15
Comment
February 1
Rotoworld.com
 
"Smaller To Average-Sized Leagues These players may or may not be available in smaller to average-sized leagues consisting of 10-12 teams with rosters somewhere around 12-15 players. That should cover a majority of the fantasy hoops leagues in existence. If your league is any smaller than that, the waiver options are endless and it's just too difficult to try to figure out whether you should pick up Kevin Garnett, Luol Deng or Jason Richardson. Darren Collison PG Hornets - Collison is the new starting point guard for the Hornets and had 17 points and 18 assists on Saturday. Chris Paul will more than likely have knee surgery, leaving his season in doubt, meaning Collison is a must-own in all ..."
Fantasy All Star Squads
Comment
January 31
FantasyBasketball.com
 
"This is only based on eight-cat leagues. It's more opinion than fact, but it's still fun to see the differences from who made it, and who should have made it for our fantasy teams. It is based on where they start for their team, so dual eligibility is irrelevant. Eastern Conference All Stars PG Rajon Rondo: Rondo is ranked 32 in the player rater and slides in because Mo Williams' ailing shoulder (23). SG Dwyane Wade: Wade is the seventh best player and clearly deserves his starting spot. SF LeBron James: Fantasy's number 1 baller. Duh! PF Chris Bosh: No hilarious car salesman video needed this year (ninth best player) C Brook Lopez: What will be a lower number: Brook's fantasy ranking for ..."
Week 15 Fantasy Basketball Planner
Comment
January 31
CBSSports.com
 columnist Sergio Gonzales
"Week 15 (Feb. 1-7) Teams playing four games: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, L.A. Lakers, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, New Jersey, New Orleans, Portland, Sacramento, Washington Teams playing three games: Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Golden State, Houston, Indiana, L.A. Clippers, New York, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, Toronto, Utah Teams playing two games: Minnesota Atlantic Division Boston Celtics (@WAS, MIA, NJ, ORL): Kevin Garnett is playing through a sore knee that limited him in Thursday night's game in Orlando. Both he and the team expect him to play through it, but it is something to monitor over the weekend. With the Celtics facing a ..."
Can Ariza get it going again?
Comment
January 31
ESPN.com
 columnist Neil Tardy
"For weeks now, Trevor Ariza has been killing me. But he also fascinates me. I drafted Ariza in one head-to-head league this year. I can't say I was targeting him, but I get to the seventh round in this 14-team draft and realize I need a small forward-eligible player. So with pick No. 88, I spring for Ariza. Sure, I've made better choices (oh Chris Kaman, what might have been). However, in my defense, I do own the top record in this league. I mention this not to boast, but because Ariza played a big part in my torrid start to the season. (Oh heck, I'll boast: I'm 80-22-2 and rolling.) Anyway, of the 118 players who qualify, Ariza is dead last in the NBA in field goal percentage (.378). ..."
Hill, Delfino provide scoring and 3s
Comment
January 30
ESPN.com
 columnist Josh Whitling
"Welcome to the third week of the Working the Wire miniseries focusing on specific categorical helpers, drawing from a wider player pool (players owned in fewer than a third of ESPN leagues) in order to provide assistance to owners in leagues with varied depth. I've covered rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, and this week it's points and 3-pointers. These two categories are relatively simple to address through the waiver wire, so I make it a habit to never target specialists in these areas, since it should be possible to find a player who fills that need and brings more to the table. The players featured this week must provide 3s, but it cannot be their only way of scoring points, and ..."
Waiver Wire: Owners should turn to Gibson
Comment
January 29
CBSSports.com
 columnist Sergio Gonzalez
"Top Guard Free Agent options for Week 15 1. Marcus Thornton, Hornets (PHO, OKC, PHI, @CHA): The best thing that could happen to Thornton's Fantasy appeal was the trade that sent Devin Brown to Chicago. Now, Thornton is starting at shooting guard for the Hornets and the early returns are very promising. He scored 19 points and 18 points in his first two games. His best assets are his three-point shooting and double-digit scoring ability. (Availability: 72 Percent) 2. George Hill, Spurs (@SAC, @POR, @LAC): An injury that is expected to keep Tony Parker sidelined for "several games" and possibly longer will give Hill a chance to expand upon his recent solid play. Even with Parker in the ..."
Now is Gibson's time to shine for Cavs
Comment
January 29
CBSSports.com
 columnist Jamey Eisenberg
"LeBron James doesn't have his sidekick in point guard Mo Williams, who is out for at least a month with a shoulder injury. James also doesn't have another guard who he's trusts in Delonte West, who is dealing with a broken finger. That leaves the Cavaliers down to point guard No. 3 in Daniel Gibson, but James isn't concerned. He knows Gibson can get the job done. In Monday night's 92-91 victory against the Heat, James relied on Gibson in several crucial moments. With 2:45 left in the fourth quarter, James hit Gibson for a three-pointer that gave the Cavaliers an 88-87 lead and set up James for his usual fourth-quarter heroics. James knows Gibson is going to have to continue to step up with ..."
Parker's injury a blessing?
Comment
January 29
ESPN.com
 
"It was a fairly nonchalant Thursday night in NBA action, as the biggest news of the night was off the court with news trickling out that San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker would miss the next couple of games with a sprained ankle he suffered on Wednesday night. While this may sound like bad news to Parker's fantasy owners, it could actually be a blessing in disguise. The injury itself should be fine in the long run, as it's a fairly minor injury. More importantly, however, is that it's a sprain to his left foot, the one in which Parker has plantar fasciitis that has been affecting his performance all season. We've seen how much a foot injury can affect another blistering quick point guard ..."
Hill, Delfino provide scoring and 3s
Comment
January 29
ESPN.com
 columnist Josh Whitling
"Welcome to the third week of the Working the Wire miniseries focusing on specific categorical helpers, drawing from a wider player pool (players owned in fewer than a third of ESPN leagues) in order to provide assistance to owners in leagues with varied depth. I've covered rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, and this week it's points and 3-pointers. These two categories are relatively simple to address through the waiver wire, so I make it a habit to never target specialists in these areas, since it should be possible to find a player who fills that need and brings more to the table. The players featured this week must provide 3s, but it cannot be their only way of scoring points, and ..."
Humphries worth a look in Jersey
Comment
January 28
ESPN.com
 
"The New Jersey Nets finally got their fourth win Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers, in large part due to some major contributions off the bench from power forward Kris Humphries. We've all known for a while that Humphries is talented, but lately he's getting the chance to prove it. He finished with 25 points and eight rebounds on Wednesday night, and is now averaging 14.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in just 25.6 minutes in his past five games. He doesn't do much else in terms of fantasy; he doesn't block many shots and probably won't pick up many steals, either. On the putrid Nets, who have little to play for if not the exploration of young talent, Humphries is worth keeping an ..."
Best, worst NBA rotations for fantasy
Comment
January 28
ESPN.com
 columnist John Cregan
"In many ways, fantasy basketball rewards volume over efficiency. Take the case of Marreese Speights. He's got a PER above 20, but is far off the fantasy radar, because of a coach unwilling to supply him with that most precious of fantasy resources: minutes. Minutes can be fickle things. It all depends on who's doling them out. Minutes mean little if they're not coupled with that second-most precious of fantasy resources: stability. It's a simple equation. What we're looking for here are teams that distribute the maximum amount of minutes to the fewest amount of players. And we want those players to remain the same throughout the season. We want the shortest rotations we can find. We want ..."
Is it the perfect time to trade Bogut?
Comment
January 27
ESPN.com
 
"Andrew Bogut was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, and he teased us with stretches of fantastic play during his first four seasons in the league. Fantasy junkies salivated after he cranked out per-game averages of 16.3 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks on 51.1 percent shooting from the field following the All-Star break during the 2007-08 campaign. Then, in 13 games in January 2009, Bogut bumped those averages up to 17.9 ppg, 11.2 rpg and 2.7 bpg on 57.5 percent shooting. That was the last we saw of Bogut in 2008-09, though, as a fracture in his lower back cost him the rest of the season. Not surprisingly, on fantasy draft day this fall, most folks shied away from the ..."
Duhon among categorical helpers
Comment
January 27
ESPN.com
 columnist Seth Landman
"Continuing with last week's theme of addressing players who can help you make up a lot of ground in individual categories, let's look at the categories that don't involve a player's scoring -- rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Remember, these aren't necessarily the highest-ranked players in these categories. They are generally more-available types who might have a low overall value but a high value in a single area. At this point in the season, if you are solid in some categories but weak in others, these sorts of players are important to consider, as they may be the easiest way you have of playing catch up, rather than trying to deal for a superstar like LeBron James who can help you ..."
Fantasy Basketball Box Score Breakouts – 1/26/10
Comment
January 27
Lester's Legends
 
"Here's a look at some fantasy basketball players that blew up the box score last night. Ramon Sessions, Minnesota Timberwolves Sessions had 20 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals last night. It was against the Knicks and the Wolves got pounded so temper your expectations. He is averaging 14.3 points over his last three games though. Sasha Pavlovic, Minnesota Timberwolves Sasha had 16 points for the Wolves, but did little else. It was his first double-figure game since November. Nate Robinson, New York Knicks Nate had 13 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals last night. You never know what you're going to get from him, making him one of the most frustrating fantasy players in ..."
Thornton, Dragic, Afflalo drop 3s
Comment
January 26
ESPN.com
 
"Monday's minor NBA trade between the New Orleans Hornets and Chicago Bulls could be a good deal for some fantasy owners. The players on the move are veteran Devin Brown and backup big Aaron Gray. But for fantasy owners, the player to watch is the Hornets' Marcus Thornton, because Brown's departure puts the rookie into the starting lineup at shooting guard. Thornton came through in his first career start, as he produced 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting -- including 3-of-5 from downtown -- against the Portland Trail Blazers. Thornton, an LSU product, had been contributing off the bench for the Hornets. In his previous nine games he'd averaged 12.4 points and 1.8 3-pointers. Given his ability to ..."
Fantasy Fast Break: Best foot forward?
Comment
January 26
CBSSports.com
 
"What is Robin Lopez's true Fantasy appeal? Fantasy owners should start to get a better idea of what Lopez's Fantasy appeal will be going forward this week. Lopez was the most added player in CBSSports.com leagues last week, with good reason. He's a center who is all of a sudden starting for one of the more potent offensive teams in the league. He's averaged 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks over his last five games. There aren't many leagues where that type of production would not come in handy out of a center-eligible player. But Fantasy owners should not get too attached to him just yet. Pay attention to how he fares in Week 14 against the Jazz, Bobcats, Mavericks and Rockets. Now ..."
Fantasy Basketball Box Score Breakouts – 1/25/10
Comment
January 26
Lester's Legends
 
"Here's a look at some fantasy basketball players that blew up the box score last night. Brandon Rush, Indiana Pacers Rush was featured in yesterday's Waiver Wire Bin article (click to read). He continued his string of success with 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 three-pointers. Daniel Gibson, Cleveland Cavaliers Gibson had 15 points filling in for Delonte West, who was filling in for Mo Williams. Look for Gibson to have some value while West remains out. Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets Afflalo had 24 points and 7 assists. Carmelo Anthony was out, which contributed to his scoring boost. He has averaged 16.0 points over his last four games. He's a decent short-term play. Goran Dragic, ..."
First-half all-value team
Comment
January 26
ESPN.com
 columnist Adam Madison
"With the NBA All-Star Game just a little more than two weeks away, we're at that time of the year where midseason awards columns are commonplace. If nothing else it's topical, an easy way to fill space during what can often be the dog days of the season. But who wants to be subjected to another bland serving of names of All-Star performers you already know about? This is Grand Theft Roto, baby; you want to rip people off! You need to know what everyone else doesn't already know! After giving it some thought, however, there is something to be gleaned as we pass the midpoint of the season. It's always important to take a step back and analyze what just happened so we avoid making the same ..."
NBA Skinny: Hardcourt hardware
Comment
January 26
Yahoo! Sports
 columnist Matt Buser
"Although we're still a few weeks away from All-Star festivities, we're actually just past the halfway point of the NBA season from a schedule perspective. The Celtics were the last team to play their 42nd game - that took place Monday - and head-to-head owners have just seven weeks of regular season matchups remaining, including the current Week 14. This is one of a few specific times of the season where you should devote some extra time to poring over the numbers - the strengths and weaknesses of your fantasy team(s) - with an eye on possible transactions that set you up for success in the second half. Don't get tied to name value and don't be afraid to make the bold moves. If you've been ..."
Fantasy Hoops Waiver Wire Bin Vol. 12
Comment
January 25
Lester's Legends
 
"I've scoured the fantasy basketball waiver wires to find gems so you don't have to. Carlos Delfino, SG/SF, Milwaukee Bucks Delfino has been playing great hoops for the Bucks. Last week he averaged 16.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 3.0 three-pointers while shooting 46.2 percent from the field. The only category he didn't help fantasy owners was free throw percentage as he hit just 66.7 percent of his attempts. Carlos is owned in 37.0 percent of Yahoo! and 11.9 percent of ESPN leagues. Drew Gooden, PF/C, Dallas Mavericks Gooden saw a spike in production last week averaging 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks. He shot 56.8 ..."
Wallace, Bogut turning it up in January
Comment
January 25
ESPN.com
 columnist Brian McKitish
"Fantasy hoops is a "What have you done for me lately?" type of game, and it's always amazing to see how much things can change when taking a week off from the rankings. Just think, a few weeks ago, people were asking me why Jason Thompson was ranked only 61st overall. Now I'm getting e-mails asking me if Thompson is droppable. It can change that quickly, folks. With that in mind, let's take a look at the recent trends and what they might mean by analyzing some splits for the month of January. Numbers to love 2.1 -- Blocks per game this month for Gerald Wallace. For those who remember, Crash used to be quite the shot-blocker and even swatted 2.1 shots per game in 2005-06 but averaged around ..."
Guards continue to drop like flies
Comment
January 25
ESPN.com
 
"This weekend's NBA action involved excitement all over the board, including a 50-point drubbing of the New York Knicks and a LeBron James game winner versus the Oklahoma City Thunder in a vicious LBJ-Kevin Durant showdown. But positive excitement aside, it also included a bevy of injuries that will have significant fantasy implications and have owners making tough roster decisions early this week. Four guards -- Delonte West, Jerryd Bayless, Devin Harris and Monta Ellis -- were injured over the weekend, and their statuses are uncertain at the time of this writing. The tough aspect about weekend injuries is that teams almost always say the player will be evaluated Monday, and that his ..."
Say Hello to My Little Trend
Comment
January 25
Rotoworld.com
 
"When I was four years old, I wore a pair of brown Kangaroo brand sneakers that had small zipper pockets on the side. Despite the complete and utter uselessness of said pockets – they weren't even big enough to hold a single piece of candy – I thought they were just about the most awesome innovation in the world at the time. It probably goes without saying that I would not be caught dead with pockets on my shoes nowadays. Then again, lately I have been sporting a jacket that with a few small modifications would look eerily similar to the Members Only jackets that most of us very gladly abandoned in the mid-1980's. I bring up these shoe pockets (and the jacket) as a means of highlighting the ..."
Wired For Sound
Comment
January 24
Rotoworld.com
 columnist Steve Alexander
"Smaller To Average-Sized Leagues These players may or may not be available in smaller to average-sized leagues consisting of 10-12 teams with rosters somewhere around 12-15 players. That should cover a majority of the fantasy hoops leagues in existence. If your league is any smaller than that, the waiver options are endless and it's just too difficult to try to figure out whether you should pick up Kevin Garnett, Luol Deng or Jason Richardson. Andrei Kirilenko F Jazz - Kirilenko is finally starting again and had 26 points in his most recent game. He's still nowhere close to the form that gave him Top 20 fantasy value a couple years ago, but he's averaging 13 points over his last five, and ..."
Week 14 Fantasy Basketball Planner
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January 24
CBSSports.com
 columnist Sergio Gonzalez
"Boston Celtics (LAC, @ORL, @ATL, LAL): The Celtics will have Kevin Garnett back from his knee injury, but after missing 10 games due to the injury there could understandably be some rust to shake off. Monitor him over the weekend, but he should be ready to plug back into lineups. Rasheed Wallace's recent Fantasy boost takes a hit with K.G.'s return. The Celtics don't have great matchups in Week 14 with no games against teams that allow 100 points per game. Kendrick Perkins and Ray Allen are good but not great starts this week. New Jersey Nets (LAC, WAS, PHI): The Nets continue to get good play out of Brook Lopez and Yi Jianlian. Amid trade rumors, Devin Harris is not putting up the ..."
Fantasy Basketball Box Score Breakouts - 1/23/10
Comment
January 24
Lester's Legends
 
"Here's a look at some fantasy basketball players that blew up the box score last night. A.J. Price, Indiana Pacers Price scored 17 points with a pair of steals. He's too inconsistent to carry on your roster. D.J. Augustin, Charlotte Bobcats Raymond Felton was able to return from his ankle injury, but Augustin still scored 22. I wouldn't expect him to play like that again anytime soon. Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trail Blazers Fernandez resurfaced with Brandon Roy out with 19 points. He should continue to play at a higher level while Roy is sidelined. Taj Gibson, Chicago Bulls Gibson was a beast with 16 points and 14 rebounds. This is not a typical performance for him, though he could still be ..."
Get Robin Lopez while you can
Comment
January 23
ESPN.com
 columnist Neil Tardy
"That redhead who's in the middle of everything is still here, but he won't be around much longer. No, not Conan O'Brien. I'm talking about Robin Lopez. Actually, Lopez's upward mobility does seem about as sudden as Conan's impending departure. Lopez averaged fewer than 10 minutes a night in December, and in the Phoenix Suns' first six games this month, he recorded three DNPs while seeing the court for a total of 29:12. But then, a mere seven days ago in Atlanta, in front of an ESPN audience, Lopez played 30 minutes and scored 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting. His six blocks against the athletic Atlanta Hawks provided the Suns with a much-needed defensive presence. Four days later, he started ..."