Posts Tagged Andre Miller
Trade Fallout: Marcus Camby (about to be) traded for Pennies on the Dollar
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Pickups, Fantasy Basketball Strategy, Fantasy Basketball Trades, Fantasy Fallout on February 16, 2010
I was about to post a Western Conference edition of my previous Trade Winds post, but since the action is already in motion, let’s just evaluate the imminent trade that will send Marcus Camby to the Blazers for Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw, and a bucket of beers.
Biggest winner: Jerryd Bayless will be a popular add over the next few days, but it’s hard for me to get too excited about him with Brandon Roy coming back soon and Rudy Fernandez healthy again. He could have a nice week if Roy misses more time though, and has been useful when getting ~25 mpg, which is a real possibility now. I think the two guys who stand to benefit the most are DeAndre Jordan and Craig Smith. If you need to hit a homerun to win your league, I’d take a chance on Jordan — consider him a poor man’s Camby. Smith, meanwhile, could be a great addition for those in roto leagues looking for help in FG%. (And even as I’m hyping them both, I also have to point out both will negatively impact your FT%, especially Jordan.)
Keep an eye on: Baron Davis. Now that the Clippers have officially waved the white flag (yes, I know, I actually predicted they’d make the playoffs this year, and they were in contention as late as mid-January, when they proceeded to lose 8 of 9 games), it’ll be that much harder for Davis to bring his game every night. The Clippers already put up an awful effort against Golden State in their last game before the break — perhaps they knew a big trade was already in the works. Who knows, maybe Davis will still bring it and continue bringing it late into the season, but if I were in a H2H league I might start exploring trade options for B-Diddy.
Andre Miller is a wild card too. This is definitely a great vote of confidence for him, and he’s been playing well (for the most part) lately. But with Roy coming back soon, any boost in motivation might be offset by Roy’s inevitable 20, 5, and 5 every night. I wouldn’t be surprised if he continues putting up his current February splits of 14 ppg and 7 apg — basically the Andre Miller of old.
Biggest loser: LaMarcus Aldridge was finally starting to get his rebounding stats to respectability, averaging a shade under 10 rpg in February without Greg Oden or Joel Przybilla. Now he has to contend with a more voracious rebounder than either of those guys. Plus, with Roy coming back, LA won’t be called upon to score as much. He’ll still be very useful, just not nearly as good as he has been recently. It also looks like one of my favorite waiver guys, Rasual Butler, and Al Thornton might see a slight dip in minutes/production with Outlaw (eventually) coming aboard, while Juwan Howard is now droppable in most formats.
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Week 13 Recap (It’s all about the…) Week 14 Pickups
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Injuries, Fantasy Basketball Pickups, Fantasy Basketball Strategy on January 24, 2010
Week 13 was really all about the pickups. I haven’t seen this many players resurrect their fantasy basketball seasons/careers in a week that didn’t involve any major trades in a long while. But first, the recap…
Mo Williams
The biggest fantasy news of the week involved Mo Williams’ shoulder sprain, which will sideline him 4-6 weeks. He passed the injury bug to his replacement, Delonte West (fractured finger in shooting hand), and while I still like West over the next several weeks, it might take him a few games to heal and the another few games to regain his shooting touch, so temper your expectations.
I'm sorry, Grant Hill. This is just wrong. (Getty Images)
Corey Maggette
The biggest fantasy news of the month is Corey Frickin Maggette. I’ve hated him for years and vowed never to own him (unless I owned Dwight Howard in a roto league). Now I hate him because I vowed never to own him. He continues to put up top 10 numbers — amazingly, despite averaging less than ONE three/stl/blk per game — which is a tribute to his efficiency. (He’s averaging 29 ppg on ~15 shot attempts per game.) The fact that I want to underline this entire paragraph makes me hate him even more.
Logic says to sell high, although I probably wouldn’t do so unless I was getting a near-sure bet in return. (That GSW squad just can’t seem to stay healthy, so Maggette will likely get his minutes.) But, because of the sub-1 threes/stl/blk, once Maggette’s 55% FG rate dips closer to his career averages, he’ll likely plummet out of top 10 status back into the top 50 range. That’s still nice, but if you can snag someone like, say, Brandon Roy from a panicked owner (in a packaged deal), go for it. Hey, you never know…
ROY Race
Aided by Monta Ellis’ gimpy anke, Stephen Curry continued to take steps forward, and in my mind he took a big step ahead of the pack in the fantasy ROY race, averaging 23, 5, and 5 with a whopping 3.8 threes and 1.5 spg. Tyreke Evans, on the other hand, had a mediocre week (still averaging 20+ ppg with great percentages), although in his defense that entire SAC squad had a pretty terrible week.
And while he’s in danger of becoming an Also Ran, Brandon Jennings showed some signs of life, averaging 18 ppg and 7 apg with 2 threes/spg (albeit still shooting sub-40% from the field). The emergence of Carlos Delfino and return of Jerry Stackhouse — both of which (at least for this week) seem much more like playmakers than Michael Redd ever was this year — seems to be having a positive effect on Young Money. Sure, his big games this week also came against PGs that couldn’t quite abuse him (Aaron Brooks and Jonny Flynn), but at the least Jennings’ trade value has some life again, in case you need to unload that FG% off your squad.
And in other Week 13 news…
Randy Foye continued to hit his shots until a 3-9 dud on Sunday, which made me feel a little better about ’selling high’ on him earlier in the week. What also made me feel better: Dwyane Wade’s awesome 2 games after my deal went through. (In case you have no idea what I’m talking about, I traded Iggy, Foye, and Yi Jianlian for Wade + 2 scrubs who turned into Carlos Delfino and Drew Gooden. Robin Lopez was sadly picked up before my trade cleared waivers.)
Rashard Lewis is still missing a lot of shots, but also seems to be a more active member of the offense. There is hope…
F my life — Joakim Noah has plantar fasciitis. He seemed to be upbeat about the situation, but if he’s just being optimistic, Tyrus Thomas owners have to be thrilled. (Thomas had 6 blk in 20-something minutes against the (undersized) Rockets in Noah’s DNP over the weekend.) And by the way, here’s a message to FourPointPlay — I know you rigged my last poll!! Lol.
Andre Miller continues to excel in Brandon Roy’s absence.
Lastly, Lou Williams’ fantasy season is on life support, but if you can afford to, I’d try to wait until the trade deadline next month before bailing on him. Many think the 76ers will be active in trades, which might even include Lou but will more likely include Elton Brand or maybe even Andre Iguodala, the departure(s) of which would really help Lou’s fantasy life. If you need more immediate assistance, see below.
WEEK 14 PICKUPS
It seems like we’ve reached a point in the fantasy season where a lot of managers (namely, the ones out of contention) have checked out. This actually has a fairly significant impact on fantasy leagues — especially leagues that aren’t as deep — because it means there is a lot of talent in the free agent pool. If you’re in a H2H league where a lot of these guys are available, it might actually pay off to cut those iffy players and start churning players. (Although you probably want to hang onto some of these guys.)
Robin Lopez (42%)
Last week when I mentioned him, Lopez was owned in 7% of Yahoo leagues. That’s up to 42% now, and it should be even more. After Lopez posted two great lines to start the week, Channing Frye bounced back with a nice performance himself against CHI. But it’s telling that Lopez and not Frye got the minutes in PHO’s next game against run-and-gun GSW. Expect defenses to pay closer attention to Lopez in the future, but his starting job seems secure for now.
Since I think this site has more pictures of Robin Lopez than it can handle, I'll give Delfino some well-deserved publicity. (Getty Images)
Carlos Delfino (33%)
I’ll let the numbers speak for themselves: 16.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg, and 3.5 apg with 3.0 threes and 1.5 spg in 4 games last week. Who knows if this can last, but you want to own Delfino while we all find out.
Drew Gooden (21%)
Gooden was projected by many to be the starting C in Dallas when the year began, but due to injury and Erick Dampier’s strong play, he’s mainly played a bench role. Sunday may have just been a spot start (Dampier was a DNP-nagging injury), as Gooden probably matched up better against the more mobile David Lee anyway, but even in a bench role Gooden has quietly put up top 50 numbers (by averages) over the last month, with 10 and 8 to go along with ~1 stl/blk and great percentages before Sunday’s 15 and 16 outburst.
Delonte West (23%) and Daniel Gibson (8%)
West is the guy to own in February, but for this week Gibson will hit some threes and get some assists just being in the same building as LeBron.
Craig Smith (5%)
I mentioned that Rasual Butler (and Al Thornton) was worth long-term consideration after it was learned Blake Griffin would miss the entire season. But it’s Craig Smith who has really thrived while not having to look over his shoulder. He has solidified his place as the third wheel in that Clipper frontcourt, averaging 15 and 5 on 69% shooting over the last week.
George Hill (8%)
Hill has started three games in a row at SG and produced 16 ppg with 2.3 treys. Keep an eye on this situation.
Other guys to pick up/keep an eye on: Mike Miller (44% — slowly coming around), Corey Brewer (42% — #38 in Yahoo rankings by averages last week), DeJuan Blair (29% — see last week), Matt Barnes (40%), Brandon Rush (26% — he’s been hot since Granger returned), Rasual Butler (30%), Chase Budinger (3% — if you need 3’s in deep leagues), Cartier Martin (1%).
Loading ...Fantasy Fallout: Dumb and Dumber and Gilbert Arenas
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Pickups, Fantasy Basketball Strategy, Fantasy Fallout on January 6, 2010
Guns don’t kill fantasy seasons. Gilbert Arenas does.
Gilbert Arenas has been suspended indefinitely by David Stern. Randy Foye looks like the likely starter for now, while others who will receive an immediate bump in value include Mike Miller, Caron Butler, and Earl Boykins. Since Butler’s only available in one-on-one fantasy leagues, I prefer Miller first, then Foye. In fact, run out and pick up Miller now. I’ll explain below.
And — this is purely speculation — keep an eye on disgruntled point guards and crowded backcourts across the land, such as the Andre Miller/Steve Blake mess in Portland, Nate Robinson in NY, T.J. Ford in Indy, and Kirk Hinrich in Chi-town. These guys’ names have been floated around all season, but since there’s nothing certain, I’ll focus on the guys in Wizards uni’s.
Gilbert Arenas
If you own Arenas, you probably have to wait just a little bit — a few days? a week? — to see if this might be a temporary thing. But it’s probably not going to be. In the meantime, instead of yelling at ESPN, feel free to watch Arenas’ life implode real-time on his Twitter page.
UPDATE: Uh, scratch that “wait just a little bit” part. According to the reliable Adrian Wojnarowski, Arenas is likely done for the year.
Caron Butler
First of all, if you own Butler you can breathe a sigh of relief… for now. If things stay as they are (i.e., the Wizards don’t make any moves), I see no reason why Butler won’t regain his top 20 form from last year. He’s already been regaining his shooting touch in recent weeks. But the reason I added the “for now” part is because there are rumors the Wizards might blow up the whole team now. If Butler gets traded to, say, Chicago as one rumor has it, his value immediately drops in that crowded SF situation. If you own him, let him put up a few monster lines and then try to trade for a top 25ish guy if you’re worried about a potential trade. If you’re trying to trade for him, tread with caution.
Mike Miller
Since Butler is obviously probably already taken, I’d prefer Miller first, then Foye, then Boykins. Here’s why: Miller has the healthiest percentages of the group and has a real chance to average 4+ reb and ast while contributing 1+ threes and stl. It might not look that sexy on paper, but he’s a safe bet to be the highest ranked player of these three.
Randy Foye and Earl Boykins
Foye has been a starter in the past (though for the lowly T-Wolves) and can score if the Wizards call on him to do so. However, the Wizards already have plenty of guys who can score (Butler and Antawn Jamison, anyone?) so they may try to force Foye into that PG spot, much like MIN did, which didn’t work out too well now did it. But the Wizards probably wanted Foye as some Arenas insurance in the first place (little did they know it would be for Gil’s dumb ass rather than his bum knee), so he’ll get his chance. Bottom line: I wouldn’t be surprised if he averages something in the neighborhood of 15, 3, and 4 with 1.X threes, but I’d expect a lot of inconsistency too.
Who should you drop for Foye? I just decided not to drop Nate Robinson, but if you’re sick of someone like T.J. Ford who isn’t perfect (lack of threes) when he starts anyway, I’d probably make the move for Foye. (Again, just keep an eye on the situation as Ford could potentially replace Foye in real life via trade.) Also, if someone just beat you to picking up Rafer Alston, who was just dealt to Miami and will start for the Heat, Foye is a nice consolation. I think they’ll put up similar numbers, with Foye scoring more and Rafer hitting some more 3’s at a worse FG%.
As for Little Earl Boykins (why do I always feel compelled to add “Little” before his name), he could be a sneaky pick-up in deeper leagues, but just as (if not more) inconsistent than Foye.
Andray Blatche, Nick Young, JaVale McGee, etc.
And if the Wizards do use this as an unexpected gift/excuse to void Arenas’ contract and blow up the team, look for some of the young guys to get a spike in value. It’s all speculative now, but be ready to jump on Blatche if Butler or Jamison get shipped out.
And although it’s unlikely, wouldn’t it be kind of awesome if Javaris Crittenton was the biggest benefactor of all?
Loading ...Week 8 Recap (T-Mac plays “7 Minutes in Heaven”) and Week 9 Pickups
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Injuries, Fantasy Basketball Pickups, Fantasy Basketball Strategy on December 21, 2009
7 minutes in heaven? Seventh graders are getting more play than T-Mac is right now... (Getty Images)
In Week 8, some of the most important fantasy happenings occurred off the court, with several fantasy stars on the verge of returning to the court. It also featured Superman returning to form, T-Mac getting “out-played” by seventh graders, and a possible new contender in the fantasy ROY race.
Lou Williams, Jameer Nelson, and Tyrus Thomas (and Marreese Speights)
Hopefully you heard some of my barking (as well as some of the guys on my message boards) and were quick enough to pick up Williams, Nelson, or Thomas over the past week. Williams actually already returned to action with a subpar outing versus the Clippers, but with Allen Iverson out at least a week due to arthritis, Sweet Lou will have plenty of time to get back into form… and before we know it, Iverson will be the one adjusting to him instead of the other way around.
Meanwhile, Nelson is expected to return early in Week 9, while Thomas will likely return at the end of the week. And another guy who returned to the lineup after an extended absence and has already turned in 3 solid (including one great) game is Marreese Speights. With both Elton Brand and Samuel Dalembert healthy and playing decently, I’m not expecting too much consistency from Speights. But if you need help at C, he’s definitely worth a look, and he’s only taken in 30% of Yahoo leagues right now.
By the way, if you missed out on any of the above guys, the next (mini) wave of injured guys returning includes Leandro Barbosa (expected to return around mid-to-late week) and in deeper leagues, Yi Jianlian (expected back mid-week).
Dwight Howard
Meanwhile, Superman returned to form, averaging 17 and 18 with 4.5 bpg in 4 games. It’s no coincidence this Superman-esque stretch occurred after a Dec. 11 game at Phoenix in which the Suns went Hack-a-Howard and allowed D-12 to only get off 1 (yes ONE) field goal attempt. I unsuccessfully tried to buy low on Howard all year in one H2H league where I already own Rajon Rondo and Andrew Bogut (FT% punt, anyone?), and that window has probably slammed shut for good now. Oh well.
Week 6 Recap (Starring Kevin Love as Troy Murphy) and Week 7 Pickups
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Pickups, Fantasy Basketball Strategy on December 6, 2009
I'm so sad I can't even make fun of Oden's 58-yr-old face. Oops I did it again. (Getty Images)
Week 6 featured the return of Chris Paul and Troy Murphy Kevin Love, although the “return” on everyone’s minds doesn’t come until tomorrow night in Philadelphia. It also featured the fall of one of my favorite sleepers on the year. Greg “Sigh” Oden.
Chris Paul
In case anyone forgot, Paul returned to the lineup earlier than expected to remind everyone why he’s the most valuable player in fantasy with a near triple-double (the CP3 way): 16 pts, 15 ast, and 8 stl.
Some other immediate ramifications: Peja Stojakovic’s shot attempts sunk to 10 after enjoying about 13 per game during Paul’s absence (although in Peja’s defense he was returning from a minor injury). Emeka Okafor saw an immediate boost in productivity, and I expect David West to follow shortly, in case you were looking to BUY LOW on either. And Devin Brown (2% owned in Yahoo leagues) is emerging as a fantasy-viable player as the starting SG, totaling 11 treys in Paul’s last 4 (complete) healthy games.
Kevin Love (and Al Jefferson)
Love did his best impersonation of Troy Murphy in his first two games of action, averaging 14.5 pts and 10.5 reb to go with 2.0 3pg. The 3’s were a pleasant surprise and after hitting only 2 all of last year, it looks like he’ll take at least 1 or 2 attempts per game this year.
Meanwhile, Al Jefferson enjoyed his two best rebounding games in a while, totaling 25 in Love’s first two games back. It might seem a little counter-intuitive, but I like this trend to continue, even when Love is inserted into the starting lineup. As I mentioned back when Love got injured, Jefferson doesn’t have to shoulder the entire rebounding load anymore, as the other team will actually have to box out another legitimate rebounder now. The other contributing factor? Jefferson has looked lackadaisical at times this year, but not the last two games. Energy is contagious around Love, and even though the Wolves won’t be fighting for a playoff spot anytime soon, I like Jefferson to play with a little more fire now that their squad has a legit chance to win every most some nights.
If you can convince Big Al’s owner that Love will actually eat into his stats, he could still be a nice BUY LOW option if you can get him at a reasonable price. Read the rest of this entry »
Fantasy Fallout, Rumor Edition: Tyrus Thomas, Tracy McGrady, Andre Miller, and Elton Brand
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Pickups, Fantasy Basketball Strategy, Fantasy Fallout on December 4, 2009
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports just posted a must-read article on the latest trade rumors in the NBA. Some highlights:
Is Thomas the next Stoudemire? Marion? Or just the next heckling target for New Yorkers? (Getty Images)
Tyrus Thomas
“Several sources believe the Bulls are agreeable to a package of Thomas and Jerome James for Knicks forward Al Harrington.”
Mike D’Antoni has apparently coveted Thomas’ athleticism for years, although I’m not exactly sure how Thomas would be used on offense. Is he more the Shawn Marion or Amare Stoudemire type?… because he seems somewhere in between and not necessarily in a good way, although I can’t really pinpoint why. Maybe because he’s more generally regarded as a defensive player. Anyway, he takes a nice speculative bump in value going to that open offense and is worth a roster spot if you can afford it.
Meanwhile, Al Harrington could be taking Ben Gordon’s old 6th man/instant offense role, but going to a more structured offense makes it hard to predict exactly how his value will be affected. It probably goes down though, as Al likely can’t jack up 5 three-pt attempts per game anywhere outside of NY or GS.
And even though Al would be coming in, Taj Gibson gets a nice boost in confidence/value, while it becomes more likely that Joakim Noah can maintain his nice start. (I was thinking of selling high on him as late as last week, but will hold off on that until news breaks.)
Tracy McGrady
“Houston seems willing to take back a longer-term contract for McGrady, but most executives believe his high salary makes it hard to put together a package.
“Rockets GM Daryl Morey and coach Rick Adelman don’t want McGrady back with the team, and have insisted that he isn’t physically ready to return to the lineup. McGrady would love a trade, but knows he must start playing again for it to be possible.”
This situation seems messier and messier to me, although this is the first “new” news I’ve heard in a while. (And updating my last post here, apparently there are T-Mac trade rumors. Of course!) In my last post, I also said this all reminded me of Allen Iverson’s past couple weeks, but it actually might be more reminiscent of the Stephen Jackson situation in GSW.
Remember that night Jackson got benched the entire second half when things got really heated/awkward, then played almost the entire next game? It’s called “showcasing”… and I’m guessing the Rockets are waiting for the right time (i.e., until T-Mac is absolutely healthy) to showcase his skills and ship him off. To where? Who knows. But a lot of New Yorkers on this message board from The Knicks Blog think it will be, you got it, the Knicks.
Andre Miller
“Sources say that Brandon Roy clearly prefers playing with Blake over Miller, and that’s an issue that Pritchard must contend with.”
This all stems from the Blazers’ need to fill the gap left by Travis Outlaw’s injury. It’s great news for anyone who recently picked Steve Blake off waivers. I’ve been saying I’d rather own him than Miller all year, so gooo me! (Unfortunately I don’t own him in any leagues though. So, hypooocrite!) It’s probably good news for any Miller owners too, as he’s clearly good enough to start on most NBA teams and this seems like more of a personal preference (on Brandon Roy’s part) rather than a big character issue that would hurt Miller’s value.
Elton Brand
“Sixers GM Ed Stefanski is desperate to unload forward Elton Brand and the $66 million owed over the remaining four years of his crippling contract, sources say, but that will be incredibly difficult.”
Not totally surprising, and hey, maybe that’s why he was getting big minutes before his hamstring got overheated. (Showcasing, anyone? No wait. That Marreese Speights guy got injured. Anyway.) Doesn’t look like anything will happen, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.
Fantasy Basketball Strategy: Week 4 Recap and Week 5 Pickups
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Injuries, Fantasy Basketball Pickups, Fantasy Basketball Strategy on November 22, 2009
Don't call it a comeback, Brand's been here all year long. He's just finally making some noise. (Getty Images)
WEEK 4 RECAP
They’re Ba-aaack
Week 4 featured the return of several fantasy studs: Rashard Lewis, Devin Harris, Troy Murphy, and Pau Gasol. (Thanks for playing, Ryan Andersen and Rafer Alston. Here are some nice parting gifts…)
As for Murphy and Gasol, their fantasy impact is a little more complicated. Murphy will definitely take away some of Roy Hibbert’s stats, but I think the young center will still be valuable contributing a near double-double with 2 bpg. Meanwhile, if you didn’t sell high on Andrew Bynum before Gasol’s return, please don’t panic and let someone buy low on him these next few (or more?) games as he readjusts to Gasol. 19 and 11 might be a little much to expect, but he’ll be much better than 11 and 8 (his first game with Pau back).
On the flip side, Week 4 also saw some key injuries, including Jameer Nelson and Andrew Bogut. If you’re looking for replacements, Jason Williams has had a couple decent games thus far, while Kurt Thomas/Hakim Warrick have each had a nice game (depending on the matchup) in Bogut’s absence. (There are some more exciting pickups further below.)
They’re “Ba-aaack”
Week 4 also featured the “return” of two stud centers: Elton Brand and Al Jefferson. With Marresse Speights out of the way due to injury, Brand absolutely erupted, averaging 20 and 10 with 2.7/3.7 spg/bpg this week, good for the #2 ranking by averages in Yahoo leagues. I’m not sure what to make of this unexpected outburst quite yet, as the 76ers lost two of those games and barely beat a new-look CHA team in the other game, but I’ll have my thoughts on whether Brand is a sell high or buy low guy shortly.
Fantasy Basketball Draft Rankings: 61-70
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Draft, Fantasy Basketball Rankings on September 30, 2009
Fantasy basketball draft rankings: 61-70
These rankings are based on a standard 9-category format, with a slight leaning towards H2H leagues, although differing strategies for roto leagues are noted when applicable.
| Player | Team | POS | Analysis | |
| 61 | Al Horford | ATL | PF, C | Post All Star-break, Horford averaged 13 and 10.6 with 1+ STL/BLK while shooting solid %’s for a C. Not too far off from the likes of Nene and Biedrins (the main difference being Horford’s FG% doesn’t positively affect your team % as much). |
| 62 | Ben Gordon | DET | SG | Gordon has as much playmaking ability as anyone on that DET roster, especially with Stuckey as a (thus-far) shoot-first PG. While he will get his PTS and 3PM, expect a slight boost in his AST as well. |
| 63 | Ray Allen | BOS | SG | Like Pierce, Allen seemingly defied his age and actually increased his mpg from the previous season, largely due to the Celtics’ injury woes. However, the C’s are deeper this year, so expect Allen’s mpg and production to take a slight dip. Hopefully that means his efficiency will stay constant with his excellent stats last year, although a more reasonable guess is that his %’s also creep back down to his lifetime averages. |
| 64 | Andrea Bargnani | TOR | PF, C | Not many guys have 1/1 3PM/BLK potential. After the All-Star break Bargnani was 1.7+ on both while shooting 49% from the field. While it will be hard to expect such efficiency next year, the 45% he averaged across the entire year seems manageable. |
| 65 | Al Harrington | NY | PF, C | Harrington resurrected his career in NY last year under Mike D’Antoni, and that roster hasn’t changed much as NY seems content to wait it out until Summer 2010. Harrington is also in a contract year (as with basically the rest of the Knicks roster), so he should be motivated. Hopefully, that doesn’t result in too many forced shots… |
| 66 | Manu Ginobili | SA | SG | Apparently, Ginobili’s body can’t handle more than 30+ mpg, as he fell apart last year after his only season logging such minutes the previous year. The good news: he only needs about 28 mpg to be a Top 50 fantasy player. As usual, expect great value when he’s not dropping a DNP in a paper bag on your front porch. |
| 67 | Emeka Okafor | NO | PF, C | While his defensive numbers will stay pretty steady, with CP3 feeding him the rock, Okafor’s offensive stats will likely provide better value across the board. With one exception: free throws. Even if he shoots at the same lackluster FT%, expect it to more negatively impact your team %, as Okafor’s FTA might rise with CP3 tossing him all those lobs. |
| 68 | Charlie Villanueva | DET | PF | I’ve owned CV every year he’s been in the league. I’ve also dropped him every year he’s been in the league, and it finally bit me in the arse last year. CV should be in line for a career year as the new starting PF in DET. I like him to improve in every category and flirt with 1/1/1 status with solid %’s. |
| 69 | Zach Randolph | MEM | PF, C | I’ve never been in love with Randolph’s game, but he’s a pretty consistent near-20 and 10 guy, and he’s extended his range to the 3-pt line in recent years. I probably won’t draft him (again) but you could do worse than a C-eligible player who also quietly adds 0.9 spg. |
| 70 | Andre Miller | POR | PG | On one hand, Miller will have more scorers to spread the ball around to in POR. On the other hand, POR also plays a slower style than PHI. (Although in fairness one reason they brought him in was to mix up the tempos.) Either way, with Brandon Roy commanding the ball a little more than AI did in PHI, as well as a capable Steve Blake in the picture, I’d temper my expectations. |
Fantasy Basketball Draft Rankings: 11-20
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Draft, Fantasy Basketball Rankings on September 30, 2009
Fantasy basketball draft rankings: 11-20
These rankings are based on a standard 9-category format, with a slight leaning towards H2H leagues, although differing strategies for roto leagues are noted when applicable.
| Player | Team | POS | Analysis | |
| 11 | Dwight Howard | ORL | C | It’s the same old story with Howard. Is it worth sacrificing FT% to dominate in FG%, REB, and BLK? Yes, in H2H leagues if you decide to punt FT%. In roto leagues you would need to draft the likes of a Kevin Martin or Chancey Billups later to have a shot in FT%. Personally I like Big Al and Amare better. Things get a little fuzzier with Bosh and Pau – it just depends on your personal strategy. |
| 12 | Chris Bosh | TOR | PF, C | Like Al Jefferson, Bosh will give you 20+ and 10 with nearly a steal per game. Given his track record, he’s probably a slightly safer bet as well. The only downside is his mediocre 1.0 bpg. But if you’re confident you can account for that elsewhere, Bosh should be in store for a nice bump in efficiency this year, with a healthy Calderon and newly-acquired Turkoglu setting him up. |
| 13 | Pau Gasol | LAK | PF, C | Some people are taking Pau in the first round, but I’d wait until early second. Just take a look at Pau’s splits with (18 and 9) and without (21 and 10) Bynum last season. Of course Pau’s real value is in his FG%, but I’m betting on Bynum to play 60+ games this year, which means Pau’s final numbers should be closer to the former. |
| 14 | Brandon Roy | POR | SG | He’s officially a fantasy stud, but the biggest question is how Andre Miller will affect him. A steady Steve Blake already ate into Roy’s assist numbers last year, so you’d have to think those will take another slight hit. However, the %s and scoring might creep up with a more experienced floor general at the helm. |
| 15 | Andre Iguodala | PHI | SG, SF | With shoot-first Louis Williams replacing pass-first Andre Miller at PG, AI will probably control the ball more and pad his AST. Unfortunately, Miller’s departure might also negatively affect AI’s FG% and TO. (And AI’s owners already have to deal with his subpar FT%.) With a healthy Brand back in the lineup, AI’s scoring might not go up as much as expected, but it’s hard to argue against the AST value from a forward. |
| 16 | Chauncey Billips | DEN | PG | Billups is a stud PG who, like Nash, has seemingly defied Father Time. Although Nash has higher FG% and AST, I give Billups a slight edge b/c of his superior 3PM and STL. Many think having a year in Denver under his belt will lead to a slight boost in Billups’ numbers, although I think it will be negligible considering his age. In H2H leagues, I give a clear nod to Billups given Denver’s great schedule. |
| 17 | Steve Nash | PHO | PG | This guy never ceases to amaze me. After a slow start last year, Nash was back to around 10 apg the rest of the year when PHO returned to its shoot-early offense. With Shaq out of town, expect more of the same. The biggest question mark: Will his 3PM return to the 2+ range? If so he will be a steal here. If not, he’s still a solid building block. |
| 18 | Joe Johnson | ATL | PG, SG | ATL is still Joe Johnson’s team. The addition of Jamal Crawford will more likely negatively impact Bibby. I was surprised Johnson’s FG% wasn’t closer to the mid-40s last season playing off a capable set-up man in Bibby. Now that he’ll be playing off two capable set-up men nearly every second he’s on the court, I expect his FG% to get back to his early ATL years. |
| 19 | Tim Duncan | SA | PF, C | While still a solid fantasy C, Duncan’s minutes have declined in 7 of the last 8 seasons. His numbers have followed suit. Dissecting the stats another way, his minutes also declined month-to-month last year, to the point where he was essentially a glorified David Lee during the fantasy playoffs. While I wouldn’t mind owning him, I’d rather take a quality wing or guard at this point in the draft and target an up-and-coming C later. (See: Lopez, Biedrins, Horford.) |
| 20 | Carmelo Anthony | DEN | SF | Melo has come a long way in fantasy hoops. Once a notorious “brand name” player who only provided scoring, Melo has steadily raised his 3PM (not to mention 3P%) the last four years. He’s gotten his REB to a respectable level for a SF, and his AST and STL are above average for his position. He started last year in a horrible shooting slump en route to his worst FG% since his sophomore year, but now that he’s found his groove with Chauncey, I expect him to shoot 47-49% next year. |
Rotoworld- Bucks SG Stackhouse ruled out w/ sore hammy - Jerry Stackhouse (G/F) Milwaukee Bucks
- Eric Gordon not in Clippers lineup on Tue - Eric Gordon (G) Los Angeles Clippers
- Alston still hasn't contacted the team - Rafer Alston (G) Miami Heat
- O'Neal, Wright will play - Jermaine O'Neal (C) Miami Heat
- Noah ditches his boot - Joakim Noah (F/C) Chicago Bulls
- Baron Davis sick, won't start on Tuesday - Baron Davis (G) Los Angeles Clippers
- Haywood may be able to play Wednesday - Brendan Haywood (C) Dallas Mavericks
- Lowry a game-time decision - Kyle Lowry (G) Houston Rockets
- Ariza cleared to play - Trevor Ariza (F) Houston Rockets
- Ellington still not cleared - Wayne Ellington (G) Minnesota Timberwolves
- Adrian Wojnarowski
- WojYahooNBA: Danny Granger and Channing Frye have been suspended for a game for scrap in recent game, NBA says.
- WojYahooNBA: RT @Ian_OConnor: At St. John's, the woman who shows the Big East boys how to do a man's job. http://tinyurl.com/yfp8khd
- WojYahooNBA: PJ knows he won't get another head coaching job in NBA. So if he wants to be HC again, it would have to be on campus. Still, i don't see it.
- WojYahooNBA: PJ came to hate recruiting when he left SHU in 90s, and it's only more distasteful now. He loves pro lifestyle -- even as asst. or radio-tv.
- WojYahooNBA: In past decade or so PJ Carlesimo turned down ND and St. Johns and has always told me CBB holds no appeal to him. Oregon would surprise me.
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