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.

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%).

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?

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.

By the way, I happened to play against this same guy who owns D-12 in that H2H league this week and still managed to eke out a 5-3-1 win with a classic anti-D-12 strategy: targeting FT%, 3PM, AST, and STL; punting FG% and REB; and churning to go after one of his strong categories — BLK, which I ended up tying him in.  (I also happened to win TO.)  Just in case anyone has to face the reborn D-12 anytime soon…

Caron Butler

Thanks to a few fantasy-friendly matchups and an injury hampered (but still active) Antawn Jamison, Butler had possibly his best week of the year, averaging 18.5 and 7 with 3.3 spg and solid percentages in 4 road games.  Even with an expected drop in AST, I thought Butler had the all-around game (and track record playing alongside Gilbert Arenas in 06-07) to have a top 30 season this year.  Well, he needed a favorable schedule and injury to a teammate to have a top 30 week.  But is this a buy low point or a sell high point?  The safest thing to do is probably wait and see when Jamison gets healthy again, but if you can sell him (or get him) at a nice price, by all means go for it.

Brandon Jennings vs. Tyreke Evans (vs. Stephen Curry?)

The matchup of the two best real-life and fantasy rookies played out on Saturday night, so I was of course having a holiday dinner with my girlfriend’s parents (and I also failed to negotiate the rights to my own smart phone — so alas, no stat checking until later that night).  The box score didn’t feature anything too eye-opening, with Jennings chipping in 15, 6, and 9 while Evans delivered 24, 7, and 3.  In fact, that’s pretty much what both have been doing all year — Evans with better FG%, Jennings countering with AST, Evans stepping up his STL, Jennings coming back with 3′s, etc.

But in real life the game was much more exciting, and Evans may have delivered the perfect counter-punch to Jennings’ double-nickel in the real life ROY race, scoring the go-ahead bucket with 0.9 seconds left.

But in the fantasy race, we just might have a new contender in Stephen Curry, who had the best game of his career on Friday versus the Wizards with 30, 8, and 4, including 5 threes and 3 steals.  Don’t look now, but over the last month Curry is ranked #33 in Yahoo leagues by averages, averaging 14, 4, and 4 with 1.4 3pg and 2.5 spg.  I don’t believe in selling low on any of my players, but I’ve even been considering offering Russell Westbrook for Curry in a roto league where I need a boost in FG% without sacrificing too much elsewhere.  Just a thought; I’ll keep you posted if anything happens.

Other Week 8 Highlights

A couple fantasy “surprises” continue to roll.  Raymond Felton posted another top 50 week, punctuated by a studly 27, 9 and 7 line against the Knicks on Sunday.  Yes, the Bobcats were without Gerald Wallace the entire game and Stephen Jackson during crunch time, but Felton still hit 11-22 shots and only turned the ball over 3 times.  His efficiency continues to amaze me, and each week it looks more and more like a 45+ FG% might actually be possible…

Meanwhile, Danilo Gallinari might have had his best (real life, not fantasy… but also very solid in fantasy) game of the year in that same game on Sunday, chipping in 22 pts and 2/2/2 3pm/stl/blk, including the game-saving/winning block.  His starting spot seems pretty safe for now.

Also, don’t look now but the Knicks are 9-8 after a 1-9 start (and 6-2 in their last 8).  Looks like their D’Antoni’s decision not to sign AI has really inspired the team to play better ball.  Al Harrington has been a big part of that, but the two most important ingredients have been Chris Duhon (65% owned) and Wilson Chandler (76%).  Make sure both those guys aren’t available on waivers.  Jared Jeffries (3%) is also worth a look if you need help in the defensive categories.

And in other news…

Andre Miller is starting but not doing too much with the extra vote of confidence yet.

Jason Thompson is rapidly approaching center-eligibility (at least in Yahoo leagues).

And Tracy McGrady is spending less time on the court than seventh-graders spend locking lips in the closet on a Friday night.

WEEK 9 PICKUPS

If you missed out on Lou Williams (56% owned), Jameer Nelson (76%), or Tyrus Thomas (41%), check out Leandro Barbosa (54%) or Yi Jianlian (21%).  I’ve also already mentioned Marreese Speights (31%) and for deeper leagues Jared Jeffries (3%).  Here are some more potential short-term and long-term pickups.

Roy Hibbert (43%)

Given my man-crush on Hibbert, after he dominated Tim Duncan Saturday night (20 and 7 with 6 blk), I absolutely had to drop Tyrus Thomas (who I had just picked up) for him in one league.  (I already own Hibbert in all my other leagues.)  Just click on Hibbert’s name in the Tag Cloud to the right to see why, but mainly it’s because I think Hibbert will average close to a double-double with 2 bpg when all is said and done, with an added boost in points this next month while Danny Granger mends.

Omri Casspi wishes Gilbert Arenas a Happy Hanukkah by delivering a kosher facial. (Getty Images)

Omri Casspi (16%)

It looks like Casspi will be a fixture in the starting lineup for now, at least until Kevin Martin (and Francisco Garcia) return.  He contributed back-to-back 20-pt games in his first two starts, and Paul Westphal seems determined to keep him in the starting lineup for now, starting him at — get this — PF then SG then SF to see where Casspi best fits.  It doesn’t hurt that the Kings have gone 2-1 in those 3 games as well.

By the way, this move initially sent Spencer Hawes to the bench in what was likely a motivational ploy.  Hawes has since returned to the starting lineup, and I still own him in most my leagues, although as I mentioned in an earlier post I dropped him for Thomas (then Hibbert) in one league.  In other words, he should still be rostered in most formats.

Quentin Richardson (13%)

Yes, that’s right.  Q went 7-7 on 3′s against the Blazers Sunday.  The Heat need his defense to help spell Dwyane Wade from guarding the other team’s top wing player, and of course Q responds by hitting some 3′s too.  He’s just as likely to go 0-7 his next game, but I’d be willing to find out if I needed 3′s in a deeper league, especially with 1 of the Heat’s 3 games this week against the Knicks (Christmas day).

Delonte West (18%)

West’s minutes and production have steadily increased his last 3 games, culminating in an 18, 7, and 4 performance against the Mavs on Sunday.  I’m not sure whether the bigger fantasy story here is West’s increasing production, or Mo Williams’ sub-par last 3 games though…

Earl Watson (4%)

Not only do the Pacers have a nice 4-game schedule this week, but Watson started his second game of the year over T.J. Ford on Saturday and the Pacers nearly upset the Spurs.  Watson’s stats (3 pts, 5 ast) were nothing spectacular, but keep a close eye on this situation.

Tim Thomas (1%)

Thomas had a nice spot-start for Dirk Nowitzki on Sunday and might be worth a fantasy spot-start if Dirk can get the teeth kinks out of his elbow by the Mavs’ next game on Tuesday.

Other guys I’ve mentioned before and still like: Joel Przybilla (39%), C.J. Watson (17%), Anderson Varejao (47%), Martell Webster (12%), Jonas Jerebko (7%), C.J. Miles (3%), Josh Boone (4%).

Other guys to keep an eye on: Andray Blatche (38%), Jarrett Jack (35%), Jose Juan Barea (12%), James Harden (36%), Kyle Lowry (9%), Dorell Wright (3%), Willie Green (3%).

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.

Welcome back, Kevin Love. Especially because I own Al Jefferson in one league. (Getty Images)

Greg Oden

This is especially sad as he was really finding his rhythm the last few weeks, including a top 25 ranking in Yahoo (by averages) over the last month before his injury.  LaMarcus aldridge gets a nice bump in value (esp REB), while Joel Przybilla is now on one of my teams.  Przy isn’t exciting, but he’s going to get about 10 rpg and 2 bpg while not hurting your FT% too much with his low attempts.

Brandon Jennings vs. Tyreke Evans

If Jennings can get his FG% back up (just try to be patient if you own him), he’d be running away with this race.  But I’d give the slight nod to Evans last week, who was much more efficient even if he didn’t hit 2.7 threes per game like Young Money did.

Other Week 6 Highlights

Rashard Lewis returned to form, aided by two games against the Knicks and one against Golden State.  If he hadn’t torched those two squads, I’d be worried.  But since he did, I’m expecting the usual Lewis-like numbers now, although I wouldn’t be surprised by a slight down-tick in pts with VC’s arrival.

Meanwhile, after a solid Week 5, Dwight Howard fell back down to earth, mainly due to foul trouble.  I still think he’s a great BUY LOW option, especially in H2H leagues, but I’m starting to wonder if the exchange of defensive-minded Courtney Lee for Vince Carter is contributing to D-12′s foul woes this year.  Even if it is, I’d expect Stan Van Gundy and Howard to make the proper adjustments in time though.

Speaking of Courtney Lee, he looks to be fully recovered from his injury and has returned to the starting lineup.  He followed up a career night with a mediocre one against the Knicks, but could be a useful player, especially for steals.

Anthony Randolph had a huge game last night with , reminding his owners why they’ve been hanging onto him.  Once Andris Biedrins returns, who knows what will happen.  If you’re still hanging onto him, you know the drill.  Wait and see.

Amidst trade rumors, Andre Miller had his best game as a Blazer on Saturday night, although I think it might have more to do with Rudy Fernandez’s absence than anything else.  Then again, if Miller is being showcased for a trade, that would also probably be good news for his owners.

Nate Robinson’s loss is Larry Hughes’ gain.  Or vice versa.  They’re both really annoying to own right now.

And lastly, those 3-pt specialists (who actually contribute a little across the board) named Danilo Gallinari, Anthony Morrow, and Channing Frye keep producing, and at very efficient rates.  I know some of you are trying to trade these guys away — and if you can get a great return, I’m all for it — just beware that you might not get proper value because they’re not brand-name fantasy players yet.  Try to wait until mid-season if you can, as none of them show signs of slowing down (although I’d be impressed if Morrow can keep his %s up).

WEEK 7 PICKUPS

I already mentioned Courtney Lee (52% owned in Yahoo leagues) and Joel Przybilla (26%) for more shallow leagues and Devin Brown (2%) for deeper leagues.  Here are some other pickups for Week 7 and beyond.

C.J. Watson has been getting such consistent minutes from Nellie lately, my head might explode. (Getty Images)

C.J. Watson (7%)

All you really need to know is that over the past four games he’s a firm (and surprisingly steady) part of the Warriors rotations, getting 30+ min in each game and averaging 15, 4, and 3 with 1.5 rpg and 1.8 apg to go with great percentages.  I recently picked him up in two of my deeper leagues, although he comes with the usual Nellie disclaimer.

Ryan Gomes (37%)

Gomes was starting to heat up before Love returned, then kept it up the last two games.  He can’t keep shooting 60% but he’s rounding into the form many of us expected before the season started.

Luke Ridnour (37%)

As long as he’s owned in less than half of Yahoo leagues, he’ll keep making this list.  See last week’s post on why.

Erick Dampier (31%)

If you need REB and BLK, but Przybilla has already been snatched up, Dampier is back, while Drew Gooden is back to the bench.

Andres Nocioni (14%) and Vladimir Radmanovic (9%)

I’ll group these guys together because they’re both heating up from 3-pt range and they both continue to start and get big minutes on high-shot volume squads.

Mickael Pietrus (12%)

I mentioned Pietrus a couple weeks back, and he continues to start at SF.  He enjoyed a nice boost in stats against New York and Golden State last week, and continues to be useful in deeper leagues.  Although if you can SELL HIGH by, say, adding him as a freebie in a packaged deal to upgrade a position, maybe try it out.  (Note: Orlando also plays a couple easy games vs. LAC and GSW this week.)

Also, as long as Jameer Nelson doesn’t return early, I’m also looking for Jason Williams (27%) to have a nice week.

Wesley Matthews (3%)

He’s been starting opposite Deron Williams for a few weeks now, but Matthews gets his first mention on fantasyhoopster after posting two very solid lines last week (2 threes/stl in each).  He’s earning Jerry Sloan’s trust and getting big minutes and could be a nice addition in deeper leagues.

Willie Green (6%)

Green is slated to start opposite Allen Iverson, at least for now.  Coming off what might have been his best week as a pro, maybe he can carry some of that momentum forward.  He won’t average 20+ ppg like last week of course, but he could still be useful in deeper leagues and might at least be worth a spot start Monday if nothing else.

Jrue Holiday (5%)

In deeper leagues, keep a close eye on Holiday.  This might seems counter-intuitive with Allen Iverson on board, but Jrue seemed to play much better with the second unit earlier this year.  Less shots.  Less pressure.  Less competition playing against the other team’s second unit.  That being said, there’s talk Holiday could even start alongside AI, in which case the “less shots” and “less pressure” also applies.  I’m not rushing to own him, but he might still be valuable in deeper leagues.

Other possibilities: Nick Collison (5%), Quentin Richardson (14%), Carlos Delfino (7%), Nick Young (10%), Sergio Rodriguez (2%).

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.

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.

As for Jefferson, he put up back-to-back strong outings (in the form of 20 and 10 games) as well.  The most telling number here might be his 36 minutes played in a blowout loss to POR.  Looks like Big Al is finally getting his legs back.

ROY = Brandon Jennings.  Fantasy ROY = Not so fast…

Brandon Jennings has already bagged ROY honors, but Fantasy ROY is still up for grabs... (Getty Images)

In week 4, Tyreke Evans continued to give Brandon Jennings a run for fantasy rookie of the year.  Before missing his last game with a sprained finger, Evans was on a torrid 6-game run averaging about 24, 6, and 6.

WEEK 5 PICKUPS

First, just wanted to make sure I dotted my I’s and crossed my T’s.  These first six guys are likely not available in your leagues anymore, but before moving onto the pickups below, please make sure they’re already taken.  (Current % ownership in Yahoo leagues in parentheses)

Larry Hughes (68%)

Hughes has shown flashes of brilliance over the past few years, but they usually end after a week or so.  Under Mike D’Antoni, it looks like he’s flashed back to his fantasy prime back in WAS.  After 10 games, Hughes is flirting with that elusive 15, 5, and 5 status from the G-F spot, not to mention chipping in 1.3 3pg and 2.2 spg.  There are two stats that hint he might actually be able to keep this up (well, maybe everything but the 2+ spg): he’s averaging 34+ mpg, his most since his CLE days, and he’s hoisting 3.9 3-pt attempts per game, his most ever.

I keep waiting for Nate Robinson to eat into his minutes, and the addition of Allen Iverson would have certainly hurt Hughes as well, but neither seems to be happening for now, so unless you can score something great in a trade, I’d enjoy the ride.  (And by the way, if you already own him, I agree he’s a sell high candidate… but you have to own him before you can sell him.)

Chris Douglas-Roberts (60%) and Peja Stojakovic (69%)

Here are two guys at opposite points in their careers who are making the most of starting gigs due to injury.  Well, CDR had already posted a couple nice lines before Yi Jianlian got hurt, but he absolutely took over the offensive load for the Nets after Devin Harris’ injury.  Well, Devin returned Saturday night off the bench, and CDR still managed 24 pts on 19 shots.  This is scary, but it looks like CDR has a chance to at least maintain his 18 ppg this year.  Is it any wonder the Nets are 0-13?

Meanwhile, even though they obviously play different positions, Peja has been a huge beneficiary to Chris Paul’s injury.  Even though he doesn’t have CP3 setting him up anymore, the main reason is because Peja’s shot attempts have increased from below 10 per game to about 15 per game, translating into 20+ ppg over the four games Paul has missed.  I’m not exactly sure what will happen once CP3 returns, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Peja continuing to get at least 10 shots per game when that happens.

Rudy Fernandez (48%), Anthony Morrow (44%), and Stephen Curry (66%)

Just a friendly reminder, but here are three guys I mentioned in my last Pick Me Up post.  (You’ll notice Allen Iverson is no longer on this list.  And as long as AI isn’t a Knick — probably the only team desperate enough to start him — I’m not owning him.)  All three are benefiting from injury/trade, with Curry potentially benefiting from a Monta Ellis deal as well.

Now onto some more readily available guys…

Ben Wallace (47%)

Wallace is another guy (joining the ranks of Andrei Kirilenko and Jermaine O’Neal) who has seemingly found the Fountain of Youth this year.  He won’t help you on offense at all, but with his measly 1.7 FT attempts per game, he won’t hurt you as much as he did in the past.  And after a month of games, he looks like he has a legit chance at maintaining his 9+ rpg and 1.2/1.5 spg/bpg… especially if he can keep getting 30+ mpg.

Dahntay Jones (40%)

Here’s a guy who crushed the value of a popular preseason sleeper, Brandon Rush.  In 7 games as the starting SF, he’s averaging 19 and 5 with 1+ spg/bpg.  Keep an eye on this situation, as Murphy returned to action over the weekend, which will likely push Danny Granger to the SF spot again.  If Jones slides into that starting SG spot, Rush’s value drops even more (if that’s even possible), and Dahntay should probably be owned in more than 2/5 of leagues.

Mickael Pietrus (14%)

Pietrus is averaging 30+ mpg, 12.7 ppg, and 3.0 3pg in 3 games as the starting SF since Rashard Lewis returned.  Of course, he’s also shooting 9-13 from 3-pt range in that span, which is unmaintainable.  With Matt Barnes as a more-than-capable backup, it’s hard to recommend Pietrus with high confidence, but as long as he’s starting and getting minutes (it doesn’t hurt that the Magic are winning), he could be a nice play as he contributes a little everywhere.

James Harden (33%)

He's already on the Evite, but is James Harden finally ready to join the Class of '09 rookie PG party? (Getty Images)

Harden followed a 24 pt/6 3pm garbage time performance with a 25 pt with 4 3pm/stl performance in a more highly contested game versus WAS.  Maybe it’s just a hot 2-game stretch, or maybe Harden is finally turning the corner and playing up to the hype.  If he’s someone you’ve had your eye on, now is the time to pounce.  Although don’t be surprised if he’s back on waivers by week’s end.

Beno Udrih (40%)

While Tyreke Evans has gotten most of the attention post-Kevin Martin’s injury, Udrih has resurrected his fantasy career.  I’m not sure what happens to Udrih whenever Martin comes back, but he’s been very solid in his absence.  As a starter he’s quietly averaging 17 ppg and 5 apg with 1.3 3pg with great %s.  Martin is out at least 6 more weeks, so Udrih should probably be on more rosters.

Steve Blake (15%)

Blake was an unflashy yet highly productive fantasy play last season, and he’s slowly creeping back to that status, having averaged 2+ threes and 4+ assists in November (while average more mpg than Andre Miller).  He’s worth a look in deeper leagues if you need a PG.  Personally, I’d rather own him than Miller because of the threes.

Jared Dudley (19%)

Again, here’s another guy who’s not doing anything flashy, but he’s quietly a top 100 player (by Yahoo averages) because he hits 1.8 3pg and 1.2 spg.  His upside is limited with the talent on that team, but you could do worse on the end of your bench.

Ramon Sessions (33%)

I abandoned Sessions, one of my preseason sleepers before Jonny Flynn started impressing, in all my leagues long ago.  But if you’re looking for assists, Sessions has averaged nearly 5 over his last 5 games.

Luke Ridnour (7%)

With Michael Redd out of the lineup, Brandon Jennings has actually shifted over to SG much of the time with Ridnour running the point, including a 12-assist effort on Saturday night.  With Redd on the verge of returning, who knows what will happen to Ridnour’s minutes (Redd could spend more time at SF in the aforementioned arrangement, or he could squeeze Ridnour’s minutes altogether).  But if you’re desperate for a PG or are in a deep league, Ridnour’s worth a look.

Flip Murray (4%)

For some reason, Stephen Jackson’s arrival in CHA has caused Flip to catch fire, including a 31-point effort and a more well-rounded 17, 5, and 6 outing.  If anyone has theories, please let me know.  It’s most likely a coincidence, but keep an eye on the situation if it keeps happening.

Marco Belinelli (9%)

Before his latest goose egg, Belinelli had nailed 11 threes in a 4-game stretch.  He’s always been streaky, but if he can manage 24+ mpg like in that 4-game stretch, he might be worth owning in deeper leagues.

And finally, a look at some temporary rentals with long-term potential:

Will Bynum (42%) has been tearing it up lately with both Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince out.  Personally, I’d sell high if you can (by packaging him with someone else for an upgrade of that certain someone else).

Drew Gooden (25%) has been a double-double machine (even notching 3 blk against the Spurs) without Erick Dampier.  Once Dampier comes back, it will be interesting to see who starts, as Gooden was rumored to be the starter during the preseason.  Note: Both Gooden and Dampier’s strong play probably kills any (preseason) rumors of Dirk Nowitzki starting at C, gaining F-C status, and turning into the potentially most valuable player in fantasy this year.

J.J. Hickson (15%) has been a FG% machine with Anderson Varejao out of the lineup.  He’s certainly made the case for more playing time in CLE, but we’ll see what happens when both Varejao and Shaquille O’Neal return.

Ersan Ilyasova (13%) has made the most out of Michael Redd’s injury.  We’ll see if he can keep his spot in the rotation once Redd returns.

While most of the hype immediately after Chris Paul’s injury centered on Darren Collison (11%), Marcus Thornton (3%) has been slightly more relevant because of his 3-pt range.

It probably makes more sense to own Andres Nocioni (14%), but for those of you in deep, deep leagues, Omri Casspi (3%) and Donte Greene (1%) are worth a look after posting some solid lines without Kevin Martin.

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.

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.