Not to rain on T-Mac's parade, but another former Magic/Rocket, Steve Francis, also had a solid Knick debut with 16, 5, and 4. Just saying... (Getty)

Cavs lose!  Cavs lose!  Cavs lose!

That’s right, the new-look Cavs are 0-3 after acquiring Antawn Jamison.  Is it the curse of Big Z?  Or is it a hex of fantasy owners of Jamison, Ilgauskas, J.J. Hickson, and Anderson Varejao?  Of course, the trade had obvious fantasy ramifications (basically, it sucked for all the guys mentioned above), but why is the losing streak so important?  Because it means the Cavs and Lakers are in a near-dead heat for the top record in the NBA… which is great news if you own guys like LeBron or Kobe, who probably can’t afford to rest late into the season as the race for home court advantage comes down to the wire.

(Meanwhile, Jamison put up a dud in his first game but bounced back on Sunday.  All those other bigs in CLE?  I’m not sure they’ll ever bounce back.)

T-Mac + D’Antoni = WTF

If you look at my rankings of the biggest trade deadline winners (and losers), I had Tracy McGrady ranked near the top of the second tier (although of course qualified that by saying he had the biggest upside of anyone on the list).  Well, he made his case for being ranked near the top of the first tier in his first game as a Knick, going off for 26, 4, and 5 with great percentages.  Hell, he even shocked himself, as he didn’t expect to play more than 20 min and was admittedly exhausted by the end of the OT game.

I’ve always said the main reason I would own McGrady would be to sell high on him after a hot streak.  Well, this might be the right time if you can get a good bounty in return.  However, Mike D’Antoni has said the Knicks are going to run the rest of the way (See: Wilson Chandler starting at PF instead of SG, where he has started all year).  And with T-Mac playing nice and saying he’s willing to come back to NY at a discount next year, D’Antoni just might keep running him out there for 30+ mpg to build chemistry.  Because of his injury risk, I’d be inclined to sell high, but don’t sell yourself short.

Fantasy ROY Race

First it was Tyreke Evans vs. Brandon Jennings.  Then it was Evans vs. Stephen Curry.  Now is it Curry vs. Darren Collison?  Okay, that’s an overstatement.  But over the last three weeks, it’s been pretty close:

Of course, when Chris Paul returns, this race ends, but it just goes to show how valuable both have been over the last three weeks, and how valuable Curry will be the rest of the year.

WEEK 18 PICKUPS

I’m going to steal from myself and just reiterate some of the biggest trade deadline winners, with some slight adjustments given 3 days-worth of new info.

First of all, trade deadline winners like Andray Blatche (62%) , Tyrus Thomas (63%), T-Mac (74%), and Josh Howard (76%) have already cleared the 50% ownership mark in Yahoo leagues and will thus be excluded.  (I like them in that order by the way.)  The rest:

Casspi & Butler. Ambiguously gay photo, unambiguously solid fantasy pickups. (Getty)

Omri Casspi (33%)

Casspi posted 15, 5, and 3 with 3 steals in his first game with the new-look Kings.  Nothing flashy, but he should get relatively consistent minutes in SAC the rest of the way, as he and Evans are the clear building blocks of that team’s future.

JaVale McGee (17%)

It’s tough to find 11 ppg, 7.3 rpg, and 2.7 bpg off the FA list, but that’s exactly what McGee has delivered in 3 post-trade starts… and all while playing with a sprained wrist.

Rasual Butler (31%)

He can be streaky, but right now he’s streaking the right direction with 17 treys in his last 5 games.  It might take some time, but with Al Thornton out of the way and Travis Outlaw’s indefinite return, Butler could slowly make his was off this list by clearing the 50% hurdle.

C.J. Watson (18%)

Watson has reemerged with Monta Ellis starting to burn out.  Don Nelson recently stated he would not be running guys out for 40+ mpg sometime soon, which means Watson should/might start getting consistent playing time again.  So while I wouldn’t expect the 27, 4, and 4 with great percentages and ~2 treys/stl per game that Watson posted last week, I’d still expect useful fantasy stats.

DeAndre Jordan (5%)

Jordan had a mixed bag of results in the Clips’ first 3 games without Marcus Camby, averaging 8 and 8 with 2.3 bpg.  Those numbers might not be worth taking on his atrocious FT%, but if you’ve already punted that category, he’s a nice pickup.  If not, approach with caution.  (Also keep in mind that Drew Gooden has decided not to take a buy-out and will stay with the Clips.  Obviously Gooden cares about winning and not living in sunny southern California…)

Sergio Rodriguez (9%) and Eddie House (13%)

Rodriguez was the hot pickup after whispers that he might start in New York.  And even though he had a lackluster debut, he’d still be a big catch running the Knicks’ new old up-tempo offense.  Meanwhile, House — who has played and excelled for D’Antoni before — stepped right in and had a huge first game as the Knicks’ super-6th man.  Looks like they both have a chance to make a splash in NY, but just remember that Rodriguez has a real chance to average 8+ apg if/when he steps into that starter’s role before you give up on him.

Keep an eye on… everyone from my trade deadline post, with some tweaks:

Taj Gibson (24% — I’m slightly downgrading him from my previous list because Joakim Noah has already returned; check Noah’s status and think about selling high on Gibson if Noah’s foot starts feeling better), Nate Robinson (52% — been dropped so much he might actually be available; keep an eye on his new role in BOS), Al Thornton and Hakim Warrick (45% and 14% — slight upgrades after debuts on new squads), Jonas Jerebko (9%), Shannon Brown (6% — check Kobe’s status), Mario Chalmers (33% — check Rafer Alston’s status), and last but not least, Anthony Tolliver (6%)

MUST-OWNS

Andray Blatche

First game post-Jamison and Haywood said it all, even if it came against the undersized T-Wolves.

Omri Casspi

Put up top 50 numbers when Martin was out earlier this year, and is a clear building block of the franchise.

Tyrus Thomas

With ample playing time, expect some wild stl/blk stat lines in the future.

JaVale McGee (at least in deeper leagues)

Like Blatche, he had an eye-opening effort against the T-Wolves,  Before that, he’s been very promising in stretches, albeit inconsistent.  He’s in the top tier because of his upside and the fact that his FT% isn’t nearly as bad as another C I’ll mention below.

NICE-TO-OWNS

Taj Gibson

Should see a nice boost while Joakim Noah is out.  Otherwise, at least he should enjoy a nice boost in confidence with Thomas gone.

Sergio Rodriguez

This guy might belong in the top tier if he can take Chris Duhon’s starting job, as has been rumored.  He’s probably a must-own in deeper leagues based purely on speculation.

Tracy McGrady

It’s kind of sad I would rather own Sergio Rodriguez right now, but T-Mac probably has more upside than anyone on this list.  He’s the true wild card of this group.

Josh Howard

Okay, he’s probably already taken in your league.  But if not, I’d rank him right below T-Mac.

Rasual Butler

Al Thornton’s exit and Travis Outlaw’s uncertain return mean big minutes for Butler.

DeAndre Jordan

Mixed bag in first two games post-Marcus Camby.  His upside is equal to McGee’s, but in his career as a starter he’s shooting a putrid 36% on a substantial 4.4 FT attempts per game.  His inconsistency might not be worth that negative pressure.

Craig Smith

Doesn’t do much besides score and score efficiently.  Those looking to make a last minute charge up the FG% ranks in roto leagues should consider him.

Francisco Garcia

He was a stud last year after the Kings traded away John Salmons.  The only problem this year — Tyreke Evans, Donte Greene, and Omri Casspi are all emerging and playing well.  And who knows what Larry Hughes’ role will be.

Donte Greene

See: Garcia, Francisco.

KEEP AN EYE ON

Nate Robinson

I dropped Nate for JaVale McGee in what was a needs-based move in one league, but BOS might actually be a good situation for Nate.  You know they want to rest Ray Allen for the playoffs, so it’s possible Nate could get 25-30 mpg as an instant offense sixth man.  Or, he could get the same minutes Eddie House was getting.  Who knows?  So keep an eye on him.

Nick Young

WAS is playing for the future, and Young would qualify as such.  If you need 3′s, they might start falling soon…

Rudy Fernandez and Jerryd Bayless

Even with Steve Blake gone, these guys kind of cancel each other out.  If Brandon Roy continues to be hampered by his hammy, both would enjoy instant upgrades.

Jared Jeffries and Hilton Armstrong

Jeffries’ skills are a perfect match for Houston’s style of play.  However, he probably won’t get close to the minutes he was getting in NY.  We’ll have to wait and see what that averages out to.  And speaking of playing time, Armstrong will be battling Jeffries for the minutes that Carl Landry vacated in Houston.  He hasn’t done much this year, but has been useful for stretches in the past.

Hakim Warrick

He doesn’t do much besides score, but CHI chose him over more defensive big men like Kurt Thomas and Francisco Elson for a reason.  With Salmons gone, Warrick could be leaned on for some (unorthodox) post scoring.

Beno Udrih

Udrih was useful the first time Martin was missing games, but the return of Francisco Garcia complicates that backcourt enough for me to be cautiously optimistic about Udrih the rest of the way.

Al Thornton

A change of scenery might do him good, but he’s still playing behind Mike Miller and Howard.

IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S ME…

You might not want to cut some of these guys right away, but if you have to in order to snatch one of the “Must-Owns” I’d probably make the move.

Channing Frye

I’m sticking Frye on this list because he was probably hurt the most by the Suns’ inability to trade Amare Stoudemire.  He could still very possibly get hot for multiple games at a time, but Robin Lopez is entrenched as the starter now, killing Frye’s consistency.  (I’d hang onto him in deeper leagues though.)

J.J. Hickson and Anderson Varejao

Again, maybe wait at least a couple days before dropping these guys, but that CLE frontcourt is awfully crowded now. But do what you gotta do and don’t look back.

Drew Gooden

Looks like he’s staying in Clipperland, where he might actually be somewhat useful, but his upside is limited.

Ronnie Brewer and Charlie Bell

Brewer and Bell are headed to the MEM and MIL benches, and there are definitely more attractive fish in the sea.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas

If his contract is bought out, he’s worthless for 4 weeks.  If he rejoins CLE or goes to DAL, it’s not much better.

Erick Dampier

I was down on him from the start.  A broken finger sealed his fate.

Did I miss anyone?  Of course I did.  Feel free to let me know below…

Tracy McGrady is actually headed to Sacramento in exchange for Kevin Martin (hey, at least I was right about the “marquee player” part).  Also going to Sacto: Joey Dorsey and (shockingly) Carl Landry.  Also going to H-Town: Kenny Thomas, Hilton Armstrong, and Sergio Rodriguez.  There are still a lot of moving parts to this deal — for example, T-Mac could still end up in New York by Thursday night, and Rodriquez could end up elsewhere as well, as the Rockets already have two pretty good PG’s in Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry.  But here’s the initial fallout:

Biggest winner: Martin — he desperately needed a change in scenery, and while he still won’t get the 20+ shot attempts/game he was getting at the beginning of the year, I think his shots start falling sooner rather than later.  As I said in my false last T-Mac post, I also like Trevor Ariza to improve his efficiency now that he’s a clear #3 or even #3.5 scoring option.

Meanwhile, the athletic Armstrong has a chance to carve out a place in the HOU rotation, with Landry vacating 25-30 minutes of playing time there.  And if Sacto ends up shipping T-Mac away, expect Francisco Garcia to be relevant again, as a starter or as Donte Greene’s backup.  Omri Casspi should also rediscover some of that shooting touch he enjoyed earlier this year.

One more thing: It’s hard to argue against T-Mac here, as going from zero minutes to any minutes will likely help his fantasy value.  (Yes, I copied and pasted that from the previous post, and I’m not afraid to do it again if T-Mac ends up in NY.)

Keep an eye on: That three-headed frontcourt monster of Landry, Jason Thompson, and Spencer Hawes.  I think all three will still log minutes, but this trade definitely limits the upside of all three as well.

Biggest loser: If you were using Shane Battier in a deeper league, unfortunately he might start seeing his minutes squeezed soon.  Even if he still starts, you can expect Ariza to shift over to SF with Martin at SG for long stretches, and Battier’s stats have always been pretty well-correlated with his minutes.

On the Sacramento side, the fantasy “losers” really depend on whether or not T-Mac gets shipped out.  If he stays, he basically hurts those same guys — Garcia, Greene, and Casspi — I mentioned above.

(By the way, “Raaaaaaaandy!” is actually spelled exactly correctly.  It’s a reference to Aziz Ansari’s character in the movie Funny People.  Check it out at LaughYourDickOff.com.  Yes, you read that right.)

Randy Foye got off to such a hot start as Agent 0's replacement, you knew Fantasy Hoopster had to trade him. (Getty Images)

Randy Foye

Gilbert who?  Life went on in WAS without Gilbert Arenas, with Antawn Jamison picking up much of the slack.  But it was Foye who particular impressed this past week, playing the best stretch of his year, so of course I just traded him.  Was it the right move?  Who knows, but here’s my reasoning.

Reasons to sell high: He’s shooting well above his career FG% right now.  If Caron Butler or Jamison gets traded, that might translate into more points but at a less efficient rate, which equals a bad tradeoff in my mind (at least for my particular team).  Also, when Mike Miller returns that’ll likely dent into Foye’s AST totals.

Reasons to keep: Apparently he has the reins to the team.  He took shots at the end of both overtimes (missing both) against Chicago.  Maybe he just needed a new setting and style of offense to excel.  His only (current) competition at PG is technically considered a dwarf in certain countries.

Obviously, I leaned towards the former.  In my trade, I packaged Foye along with Andre Iguodala (I also threw in Yi Jianlian) for Dwyane Wade and a couple scrubs who I plan to drop for Luke Ridnour and another player to be determined.  Yes, I know I overpaid, but the trade made sense to me for several reasons, which I might point out in another post if people are interested.

Also, going back to an earlier post when Arenas was first suspended, back then I decided not to drop Nate Robinson for Foye, but then quickly decided to drop Tyrus Thomas instead.  I’m sure most of you have already figured out Foye is currently the hottest player of all three, although as exhibited on Saturday night, he’s not perfect.

Kevin Martin

Martin returned this week and quickly resumed draining threes again.  That’s not too surprising.  The more interesting subplot (or is it main plot now?) to this story involves his effect on a couple of Sacto’s rising rookies: Tyreke Evans and Omri Casspi.

Two games isn’t much of a sample, but it appears as if Evans won’t be affected too much at all — he still controlled the ball for the most part and his shot attempts were still there — while Casspi’s role in the offense was reduced.  This isn’t too surprising; even though Martin just signed a nice extension, I’d argue Evans is Sacto’s new franchise player now.  It’s still early, but I’m glad I didn’t advise anyone to sell high on Evans.  Sadly, I also didn’t have enough balls to advise trading for him from a panicked manager who might’ve sold him on the cheap.  Either way, if you own Evans I’d breathe a slight sigh of relief, although everything is fluid in fantasy of course.

As for Casspi, I think some of those shot attempts might come back, but probably not at a consistent enough level for him to be mentioned in the fantasy ROY race anymore.  Evans and Martin are going to get their shots, so that probably means a lot of inconsistency for the rest of the Kings, especially Casspi.

ROY Race

This hasn’t been much of a race lately, at least not between Brandon Jennings and Tyreke Evans.  (Hello, Stephen Curry with your 6 stl/fouls against MIL on Friday night.)  I just mentioned Evans has a great chance to retain most of his value even with KevMart back, but it’s the absence of Michael Redd that might revitalize Jennings’ season.  Jennings is clearly a rhythm shooter, and he never quite found the rhythm (or volume) for his shots with Redd back.  But now that he (and Andrew Bogut) are the primary offensive options in MIL again, Jennings has a chance to get back to his old numbers… although I wouldn’t expect him to shoot above 40%.  If you can handle the ugly shooting, you might be able to snag him with a lowball offer.

Samuel Dalembert

Dalembert has been on a tear the entire month of January, and his last couple games have been particularly sweet.  In the past, I’ve recommended him as a waiver wire pickup that people should sell high on if possible because of his historic inconsistency, but I think I’m changing my tune now, for two (non-stat-based) reasons.

Dalembert’s productivity (along with a lot of other NBA players) is often directly related to his motivation/focus.  Well non-stat-based reason #1 that I like Sammy D the rest of the way is because he really plays with more passion whenever Allen Iverson is on the court.  Back when Iverson was first signed by the 76ers, I mentioned Dalembert even had dreams that AI would return to the squad.  Man-crush or motivation?  Who knows, but it’s translated into great numbers for Sammy D.

Non-stat-based reason #2, on the other hand, is no joking matter at all.  Dalembert is a native Haitian, and in the two games since the tragedy in Haiti, a lot of people have been saying he’s played with a clear focus (14.5 ppg and 16.5 rpg with 2 bpg while shooting a combined 13-15 from the floor).  I hate to bring reality into a blog about pure fantasy, but if you’ve ever had something absolutely shitty happen to you in real life, I’m sure you can relate with “focusing on work” as a temporary escape.  I don’t think NBA players are an exception to that, and it looks like Dalembert might be playing with a heavy heart from here on out.

By the way, there are a ton of ways to help out with the earthquake in Haiti.  Here’s one organization that’s already been working there for 20 years that some friends of mine have volunteered for.  It’s called Partners in Health, and I know they make a difference if you’re worried about how your donations are spent.

And in other Week 12 (fantasy) news:

As the guys at GiveMeTheRock point out, Charlotte is on a roll, led by none other than Stephen Jackson.  Gerald Wallace and Raymond Felton are still playing well, but the other big fantasy news out of CHA is Boris Diaw, who is finally adjusting to his new teammate.  Buy low if you can.

In LA, Pau Gasol returned from injury, and Andrew Bynum decided to put up another great line.  This is encouraging news if you own Bynum, although I wouldn’t expect it to be the norm.  I still expect Bynum to have many more night like this, but with some mediocre games sprinkled in.

In Chicago, Joakim Noah is on fire from the free throw line and the sole reason why I’ve risen a couple spots in that category so far this month in one roto league.

In Indiana, Roy Hibbert is on fire from everywhere… and that’s with Danny Granger and Troy Murphy back.  Remember when I said he’d average a double-double with 2 bpg back when he was mired in a slump?  Even I laughed at myself.  Expect some inconsistency, but I’m glad/relieved I still have him in all my leagues.

WEEK 13 PICKUPS

Since my top pick from last week is still owned in less than half of Yahoo leagues, I’ll just mention Kirk Hinrich (49%) first.  Okay, there.  Now onto to some fresh meat.

Rasual Butler (26%)

Just in case you were wondering who that guy who keeps hitting 3's for your team looks like... (Getty Images)

Okay, so he’s not exactly fresh because this is probably the fourth time he’s made this list.  Also, I alluded to this earlier in the week, but with Blake Griffin out for the year, both Butler and Al Thornton don’t have to look over their shoulders quite as much anymore.  I much prefer Butler (as does Mike Dunleavy Sr.), and he has a real chance to keep up his current pace of 13.8 ppg with 1.7 threes as starting SF (including 33 pts and 4 treys versus the Cavs Saturday night), albeit with some inconsistency.

DeJuan Blair (23%)

I mentioned Blair in a recent Eye-Opening Lines post.  Since then, the undersized center had 8 and 8 in a foul-plagued game against MEM.  If you need a big man, check him out.

Luke Ridnour (38%), Ersan Ilyasova (38%), and Carlos Delfino (6%)

I mentioned these guys last week, and I still like them to benefit from Michael Redd’s season-ending injury (roughly in this order).  At one point earlier in the year, Ridnour was actually ranked in the top 50 as he was an efficient source of 3′s and ast.  Meanwhile Ilyasova had already been solid in recent weeks, while Delfino exploded for 28 pts in his last game.

Robin Lopez (7%)

I’ve been waiting for Lopez to eat into Channing Frye’s minutes all year and it finally happened last week.  In PHO’s two most recent games, Lopez averaged 12.5 ppg and 4.5 bpg in 27 mpg (all season highs).  One of the games was a blowout; one was highly contested.  I’m not sure if this is a trend, but pay close to attention if you need blk.

Some guys I’ve spent plenty of ink on already:

Mike Miller (37% — no official word on return, but should be owned in most leagues), Martell Webster (47%), Matt Barnes (29% — if you’re worried about Rashard Lewis, it’s actually Barnes and not Vince Carter who is hurting him more)

Some other guys to keep an eye on:

Corey Brewer (34%), Jonas Jerebko (7% — back in the starting lineup…for now), Delonte West (21%), Steve Blake (10% — still hitting 3′s as a sub), Vladimir Radmanovic (5% — check status), Chuck Hayes (12% — last week’s averages were inflated by a monster 3OT game, but he was relevant earlier in the year), Earl Watson (10%), Jared Jeffries (1% — still a cheap source of stl/blk), James Posey (5%), Shannon Brown (2%), DeAndre Jordan (3% — check Chris Kaman’s status)

Are you ready for your mug shot, or, er, close up, Mr. Arenas? (The Canadian Press)

Gilbert Arenas

Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to…  Oh.  That is a gun in your pocket.  Agent Zero made headlines for all the wrong reasons this week as he inexplicably brought/stored three guns at work.  In his defense though, he’s kind of a bonehead (and the guns were unloaded).  There are sources reporting everything from Hibachi trying to pull off a practical joke gone awry to Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton going Alien vs. Predator on one another over a gambling debt.  I have a feeling it’s a little closer to the former, but regardless of the intent, this doesn’t bode well if you own Arenas.

Some people, including Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo sports, think Arenas could be in store for an extended suspension.  David Stern is hard to predict, but if he decides to make an example of Arenas, Caron Butler and Randy Foye (in theory) would enjoy an immediate jump in value.  We should all know Arenas’ fate by Monday.  Keep your fingers crossed if you spent a third round pick on him.

Nate Robinson

KryptoNate came back down to earth on Sunday, but I think you can forgive him after his 41-pt, 6-reb, 8-ast effort on Friday night — single-handedly carrying the Knicks over the Hawks.  In his post-game interview, Robinson seemed genuinely humbled by his month layoff at the hands of Mike D’Antoni, and more importantly, in the game he seemed hungry.  He’s still available in 47% of Yahoo leagues.  (I added him in one league over the weekend.)

And on a side note, Larry Hughes hasn’t played the last 2 games.

Tracy McGrady

The Rockets finally (officially) announced that T-Mac is on the market, which has generally been understood for the past 12 months or so.  I haven’t wanted anything to do with McGrady on any of my teams this year, but if the right situation arises, he might be worth a pickup.  But unless you’re far out in the lead in your league and can afford to carry him, I’d personally stay away until some solid news comes along.

The more fantasy-relevant news concerns the rest of the Rockets though, as whoever comes back in return for T-Mac will certainly affect their fantasy values.  Some names that have been mentioned include Anthony Randolph (which could hurt Luis Scola and Carl Landry) and Kevin Martin (which would affect Trevor Ariza, for better or worse).  I wouldn’t panic if you own any of these guys, but just keep an eye on this situation.

ROY Race: Brandon Jennings vs. Tyreke Evans vs. Stephen Curry … vs. Omri Casspi??

Evans spent most of the week on the sidelines, Curry wasn’t able to do too much in limited minutes (See: C.J. Watson below), and Jennings put up some numbers while shooting sub 40% from the field.  But the fantasy rookie of the week was far and away Omri Casspi, with averages of 19 ppg, 8 rpg, and 2.5 threes per game while shooting 50+ FG% and 80+ FT%.

Casspi is still by far the least owned of these rooks (33% in Yahoo leagues), and while it’s anyone’s guess how Kevin Martin’s return will affect both him and Evans, you might as well enjoy these numbers until that happens.  If nothing else, both Casspi and Evans will likely be starting for the upstart Kings, with Martin, Jason Thompson, and Spencer Hawes filling out the starting lineup (and occasionally Beno Udrih, depending on matchups), so if Casspi is still available in your league, I’d recommend picking him up for some nice short-term gains with potential for a long-term impact.

And in other Week 10 news…

The Celtics are already in late season form, playing it safe with Paul Pierce (knee) and resting Rajon Rondo (hamstring) and Kevin Garnett (old).  Rasheed Wallace filled in nicely in one of those games for KG, but since he’s already owned in most leagues, keep an eye on Eddie House and Tony Allen, who are both worth spot starts in deeper leagues.

Week 10 also saw the continued reemergence of Derrick Rose.  Apparently he started off the season with a bum ankle (as opposed to being a sophomore bust).  While he still doesn’t get enough 3′s or stl from the PG spot for my liking, if you can make up for those categories elsewhere on your squad, he’s a nice play with his percentages from the PG spot a la Tony Parker.  (Much like Mo Williams or Lou Williams, who don’t get many ast from the PG spot, it’s all about expectations.)

With Troy Murphy out, Roy Hibbert got back to putting up great numbers (17 and 6, 25 and 13, 21 and 7).  Okay, so Tyler Hansbrough and Jeff Foster were out too.  And with Murphy expected to come back some time next week, this might not even be newsworthy… unless you’ve heard the trade rumors that have Murphy leaving Indy, in which case Hibbert becomes a must-own in all formats.

Likewise, with Ron Artest (tumble down the stairs) out, Lamar Odom had a very productive week despite a finger injury, reminding us once again of his value — as long as Artest, Pau Gasol, or Andrew Bynum are DNP’s, he’s a must start in fantasy.

And since I haven’t mentioned Mamba in a while… Kobe Bryant (37 ppg over his last 10 games) took over the league scoring lead from Carmelo Anthony, with Kevin Durant making up some ground as well with 7 30-pt games in a row and counting.

WEEK 11 PICKUPS

I’ve already mentioned Omri Casspi (33%), Roy Hibbert (52%), and Nate Robinson (53%), and since Yi Jianlian (59%) has probably already been snatched up in your league, here are some other guys:

Matt Barnes (16%)

When garbage men start draining threes, the result is fantasy gold. (Getty Images)

Barnes turned in a top 30 week last week, averaging 17 and 7 with 1.7 threes per game and excellent percentages as the new starting SF in Orlando.  Stan Van Gundy also praised him as the only member of the Magic who actually runs (as opposed to jogging) so it appears Barnes has replaced Mickael Pietrus as the SF to own in Orlando now.  Barnes has had some ridiculous fantasy stretches over the past few years, most notably in GS, so he is worth a roster spot in most leagues, even if he can’t keep up last week’s percentages.

Martell Webster (13%) and Rasual Butler (15%)

I’ll group these guys together because they provide similar stats.  Webster averaged 18 ppg and 2.5 threes in his last two games, while Butler averaged 14.5 ppg and 3.5 threes.  The Blazers have 4 games to the Clippers’ 3 next week, so those in weekly leagues might want to lean towards Webster.

C.J. Watson (20%)

People finally started noticing Watson after he totaled 5 threes and 9 stls in games against the Celtics and Lakers (which he followed up with an 0-8 dud against the Blazers).  Here’s the formula: Whenever Stephen Curry struggles, Watson gets additional minutes.  With games against DEN (with an iffy Chauncey Billups), MIN, and SAC this week, Curry could very likely get back on track, but at least Watson usually doesn’t hurt you (with the exception of that last dud).

Eddie House (7%) and Tony Allen (3%)

As long as Rondo and Pierce are gimpy, House (3′s) and Allen (stl) deserve looks.

Keep an eye on: Donte Greene (5%), Ersan Ilyasova (44% — he’s gradually adjusting to the returns of Michael Redd and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (32%), Brandon Rush (22%), Jarrett Jack (41% — check Jose Calderon’s status), Ty Lawson (22% — check Chauncey Billups’ status).

Elbows to his face aren't the only high-percentage shots Carl Landry is taking lately. (Getty Images)

Week 9 featured the return of some quality fantasy backups, the emergence and re-emergence of some efficiency experts, and the re-emergence of an inefficiency expert.

Tyrus Thomas, Leandro Barbosa, and Jameer Nelson

All three guys returned this week, and I’m pretty psyched to have all three on one of my squads (Thomas and Barbosa as of two weeks ago).  Thomas made the biggest noise with a 21 and 9 performance vs. the Hornets Saturday night, while Barbosa had a couple solid games and Nelson was a little up-and-down.  Needless to say, all three should be taken in most formats.

Zach Randolph and Carl Landry

Meanwhile, two guys who started off the season with fairly pedestrian numbers have really stepped their games up over the last several weeks.  Don’t look now, but Z-Bo is averaging 23 and 14 in the month of December on 51% shooting from the field and a ridiculous 92% from the stripe.  Meanwhile, Carl “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth” Landry has averaged 17.6 and 5.6 on a whopping 63% from the field and 86% from the stripe (and with a nice 7 attempts per game).

They’re also both relatively cheap trade targets, for different reasons.  Landry, because he’s still relatively unknown, and Randolph, because he’s traditionally known as only a “points and rebounds” guy, which is still mostly true (he’s also at 1.1 spg over the last month), but his efficiency has translated into a #28 ranking by Yahoo averages over the last month.  (Landry is #44.)  Both will likely drop off  some, but if you’re going to target either, you can probably get Landry at a much better value, although you might want to wait for him to stop having 20-point games before making an offer.

(And speaking of efficiency, I also wanted to note another potentially “cheap” guy.  Raymond Felton is ranked a ridiculous #14 over the last month, shooting 53% from the field and 90% from the line.  Again, he likely can’t keep that up, but he looks to have turned a corner with his improved shot selection.)

Gilbert Arenas

Meanwhile, everyone’s favorite inefficiency expert is finally hitting enough shots and providing enough stats everywhere else to come close to justifying his third round draft pick selections.  Over the last week, Arenas averaged 24, 6, and 6 with 2 threes and a steal per game.  He shot less than 40% from the field and turned the ball over more than 4 times per game, but these numbers are probably closer to what you were expecting from Agent 0 all along.

Brandon Jennings vs. Tyreke Evans vs. Stephen Curry

Jennings had a pretty rough week adjusting to the return of Michael Redd and just generally playing poorly.  Meanwhile, Evans had another great week, including leading the Kings in that sick comeback against the Bulls and perhaps cementing his position as the top rookie over the first trimester of the season.  But it’s Curry who’s ranked highest by averages over the last month.  I’ll let the numbers speak for themselves:

All I want for Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa is Stephen Curry and Carl Landry on my team.  I can’t believe I don’t have either in any of my leagues, which somehow kind of makes me hate/love my leagues at the same time.  Anyhow… onto the pickups.

WEEK 10 PICKUPS

Yi Jianlan (38%)

The Nets are 2-22 without Yi, and 0-6 with Yi. The analysis? Holy F that's ugly. But you should still check out Yi. (AP)

Yi returned from injury and had his best game of the season with 22 pts, 8 reb, and 4 treys vs. the Wolves.  He followed that up with a solid 17 and 6 performance vs. the Rockets in a near-upset.  Yes, Chris Douglas-Roberts was a DNP for both contests so Yi might not get as many looks in the future.  But then again, the Nets are a team that has suddenly made CDR a very useful fantasy option, so just imagine what Yi’s potential is…  (I picked him up last week in one league.)

Omri Casspi (19%)

Although Casspi didn’t start the Kings’ last game, he still got big minutes and posted a double-double.  I’m still not sure how Kevin Martin’s return will affect him as they don’t play the exact same position, but that’s still a while away.

Delonte West (20%)

Last week I worried a little that Mo Williams would take a small hit with Delonte coming back to form (a la the beginning of last season).  Well, Mo had a great week while Delonte posted another week of solid numbers as well.  (It looks like Anthony Parker might be the one to take a hit in productivity for now.)  If you need an efficient source of across-the-board production a la one of my other favorite FA guys C.J. Watson, check out West.

Jarrett Jack (39%)

As long as Jose Calderon is out and the Raptors are unable to say exactly when he’ll be back, Jack can post solid fantasy numbers for your squad.  I might not drop a long-term prospect for him, but if you need another week of solid stats, check him out.

Rasual Butler (13%)

Here’s another guy whose value will likely take a dip when a teammate (Blake Griffin, even though he’s at a different position) comes back, but as of now, Butler is getting the minutes at SF for the Clippers over Al Thornton and he produced at a clip of 15 pts with 1.7/0.7/1.3 threes/stl/blk last week.

Other guys I’ve mentioned before who still deserve a look: C.J. Watson (13%), Quentin Richardson (19%), Brandon Rush (23%), Earl Watson (7%), C.J. Miles (4%), Martell Webster (11%), Kyle Lowry (14%), Serge Ibaka (3%)

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%).

According to Hoopsworld and Ball Don’t Lie, Gasol is on the verge of signing a 3-year extension starting in the $18.7-$19.7 million range.  Hmmm… 18.7 and 19.7?  That seems like about what Gasol has been averaging lately, as his owners (and Andrew Bynum’s owners) can tell you.

I don’t think Gasol’s production will drop off a cliff after he signs this extension, but if you own Bynum you must be thinking: “Just sign the F-ing thing already!!!!!!!”  Maybe then Gasol will feel a little less need to prove himself (as if he really needs to) and he might let Bynum grab a few boards…just like Rajon Rondo started letting some of the other Celtics grab a few assists after he signed his extension (Rondo’s 4 games before signing extension: 11.8 apg.  4 games after extension: 6.3 apg).  There’s nothing like job security to decrease productivity!  At least in the NBA…

I still think Bynum is a great buy low target, and news of Gasol’s extension (oddly) reinforces that idea more (somehow).  I just offered Joakim Noah for him in one roto league where I’m far out ahead in REB and need some help in FG%.  That deal might not be ideal in every league (or perhaps, any league), but I think it’s the right long-term move for that specific squad.  (More on that below.)

Omri Casspi

According to (early but yet to be confirmed) reports by the usually reliable Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee, it looks like Casspi is getting his second straight start tonight against the T-Wolves.  His first start was (at least according to Coach Westphal) was for matchup purposes, as Westphal wanted the more mobile Casspi to cover Antawn Jamison.  However, in facing a not-exactly “mobile” front line of Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, if Casspi gets the starting nod tonight it could be more of a permanent move.  He’s already made several of my weekly pickup lists, and while he might be inconsistent, this young Israeli is probably now roster-able in most formats.

Spencer Hawes looks like he will become a super-sub, and his splits as a sub were actually better than his splits as a starter, at least before his last dud off the bench.  I just dropped Hawes for someone else in this post (hint: see below) in one tightly contested H2H league, but am being more patient with the young FC in a deeper roto league.

Tyrus Thomas

Thomas was back at non-contact drills Thursday.  His projected return is still vague, but Sam Smith of the Bulls Blog projects it as next Saturday (10/26) versus Thomas’ home state Hornets.  While there are still some question marks about Thomas’ role with the Bulls (especially with Taj Gibson playing well), I think he’s worth picking up if you need help in the defensive cats.  I just picked him up in one league where I need steals, as he’s pretty solid there for a PF.  And if those Thomas-Al Harrington trade rumors from a few weeks back turn out to be true, Thomas’ value would certainly spike.

Thomas’ impending return is also one reason why offering Noah for Bynum wasn’t as hard to stomach.  Even if Thomas gets traded, Harrington will be another body to alleviate Noah of the big minutes he’s been logging (34 mpg… 10 more than last year) — and Noah reportedly needed a cortisone shot before his last game.

Is Raymond Felton turning into a crafty veteran? Because here he sure looks like that old dude at the Y who somehow uses his off-elbow when he shoots. (Getty Images)

Danny Granger

I already posted an immediate reaction to Granger’s injury, and a lot of it holds true.  As a lot of you agreed, Mike Dunleavy is the guy to own, especially after a monster performance against the Wizards Friday.  Roy Hibbert indeed shifted into the starting lineup and has taken about 12 shots per game since DG went down, but he only hit those shots in one game where he went off for 20 and 9 (on his birthday).  Once those shots start falling, he’ll be a very useful fantasy C over the next month.  I’d expect somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 and 8 with 1.5 bpg.  And last but not least, Tyler Hansbrough has had three very solid performances, averaging about 18 and 7 with 1.7 spg.

Raymond Felton

It’s already almost been a month since Stephen Jackson was traded to Charlotte, and there are some clear patterns emerging.  First of all, I decided to play my “wild card” guess on Gerald Wallace, predicting that Jackson’s arrival would spark him, so I’ll pat myself on the back for that.  I also took an educated guess that Raymond Felton’s AST would go down, which was also true (barely), but I didn’t expect his value to skyrocket to the tune of a #57 ranking over the last month (Yahoo averages).

There’s a few things working in Felton’s favor here.  First of all, he’s enjoying what might be his most efficient stretch in his career, shooting 48% from the field (career 40%) with only 1.6 TO per game (career 2.7) over the last month.  A lot of that has to do with taking less shots because of Jackson, and also more efficient shots playing alongside another playmaker for once.  Over the last week in particular, he’s shooting 60% from the field with 3.7 spg, which probably qualifies him as a sell high candidate…

But here’s the problem with that.  He’s still, uh, Raymond Felton… so anyone who’s played fantasy for more than a couple years will probably not trust him.  But if he can knock down around 45% of his shots and average somewhere between the 2.2 spg he’s averaged the last month and his career average of 1.5 spg, there’s a good chance you have a top 60-70 player (the rest of the way) with a late round pick, or even a waiver wire add, as he’s still available in 31% of Yahoo leagues.

And by the way, the guy most hurt by Jackson’s arrival?  Boris Diaw.  You’ve probably already noticed this if you own him, but just be wary of Diaw if he’s offered to you in a deal, as his REB and AST are down over the last month — and a large part of Diaw’s value is/was his across-the-board production.

Brandon Jennings vs. Tyreke Evans

Jennings decided to re-join the fantasy ROY race, with his first career double-double against the Blazers and a nice 22-point outing with 4/2/2 3′s/stl/blk against the Raptors.  (Both of which came at home.)  Meanwhile, all Evans did was continue to produce 20, 5, and 5 games.  I personally value Jennings more, even though it seems like most people would rather have Evans right now (at least according to the latest poll).

I think Jennings will get his FG% back up to respectable levels with Michael Redd back and taking that much more pressure off of him.  It’s still to be seen what impact Kevin Martin will have on Evans when he returns, but Evans’ FG% is already pretty nice and doesn’t have much room to go up.  Also, Evans didn’t start his hot streak until Martin went down, whereas Jennings was already delivering pre-Redd’s injury.  Add in Jennings’ ability to hit they trey, and I prefer him, although they’re both going to be fun to own the rest of the way.  And yes, expect fireworks when the Kings visit the Bucks this Saturday.

Other Week 7 Highlights

Fact: Fantasy Hoopster has never looked so calm and under control when he has played basketball or ever in real life. (Getty Images)

It turns out Jose Calderon’s injured hip might be serious, and he’s at least going to miss Toronto’s upcoming road trip.  Jarrett Jack, who had been flirting with fantasy relevancy all year as Calderon struggled early, is worth a short-term pickup with potential long-term value.  In fact, he nearly posted a triple-double replacing Calderon against the Rockets Sunday.

Rip Hamilton and Michael Redd returned from injuries, with Rip posting a solid line (18 pts and 3 stl) versus the Warriors and Redd not hurting his owners as much as in his previous return.  It’s hard to get too excited about Rip, as Detroit still has Ben Gordon, Will Bynum, and Tayshaun Prince on the mend.  Redd, however, should be a solid play going forward.

Several guys who  rose out of obscurity the first month of the year to enjoy fantasy stardom have hit a wall in recent weeks, including Marc Gasol, Channing Frye, and Anthony Morrow.  I like Gasol and Morrow as buy low options if you can get them at the right price, and I am actively trying to snag both, while I’m slightly more cautious of Frye.  More on that in a post tomorrow.

Gilbert Arenas messed around and got his first triple-double of the year.  But he also might have lost the game with a late pair of missed free throws, not to mention losing his swagger.

Chris Duhon is quietly averaging 12 pts, 7 ast and 2.5 threes per game in 6 games this month.  His owners do not miss Nate Robinson one bit.  Meanwhile, Danilo Gallinari is still producing great stats as a super-sub.

And finally, Allen Iverson unretired, although at this point he just looks plain tired.  So far, it’s been Iverson who’s the one adjusting to everyone else, especially Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand, and Thaddeus Young.  Meanwhile, Samuel Dalembert continues to go on a rebounding tear, with about 13 rpg last week.  Yes, part of it is his increased hustle (as with the rest of the team) since AI arrived.  But Dalembert is traditionally a (somehow) streaky rebounder as well, so odds are he can’t keep this up.  But he’s a nice play this week with 4 games, two of them versus fantasy friendly GS and LAC, and two versus BOS and CLE.  If he can play well against the latter two, this latest tear might be legit…

WEEK 8 PICKUPS

I already mentioned Jarrett Jack (currently 29% owned in Yahoo leagues) Roy Hibbert (44%), Tyler Hansbrough (10%), or even Raymond Felton (69%) in more shallow leagues.  Here are some more:

C.J. Watson (15%)

This guy makes the top of my list for the second week in the row.  (Well, Jarrett Jack should probably be on top, but you get the idea.)  He put up another top 50 week with efficient, across-the-board production, including 1 3pg and 2.3 spg.  Yes, his emergence coincides with Anthony Morrow’s slump, but they have different enough roles on the team (Watson is much more of a distributor and doesn’t need a ton of shots to contribute) that I think Watson is roster-able in most fantasy formats, especially as he’s regularly becoming the first or second guy off the bench in GS.

Jameer Nelson (66%)

This is just a friendly reminder.  He is slated to resume practicing next Sunday and will likely be a popular add over the coming weeks.

Joel Przybilla (36%)

I’m surprised he’s only taken in 36% of Yahoo leagues.  If you need REB and BLK, he’s the best widely available option right now.

Mickael Pietrus (17%)

Pietrus has been inconsistent lately, alternating duds with monster games.  The Magic have 4 games this week, so his numbers should average out to being useful.

C.J. Miles (4%)

Miles returned from injury to post 3 very solid lines in 4 games.  Wesley Matthews (4%) is still the starter, but keep an eye on this situation.

Taj Gibson (6%)

Even with a recent demotion to the bench (in favor of Brad Miller), Gibson continues to put up decent numbers for deeper leagues.  Sure, some of those numbers came in blowouts, but the Bulls get blown out a lot.  Problem solved.

Josh Boone (5%)

If you need REB and BLK in deeper leagues, Boone is worth a look, averaging 9 and 3 respectively last week.  Plus, he doesn’t shoot enough FT for his horrid % to negatively affect you too much there.

Keep an eye on: James Harden (39%), Jonas Jerebko (7%), Earl Watson (4%), Donte Greene (3%), Omri Casspi (6%), Jose Juan Barea (6%), Maurice Evans (3%)

Week 5 featured the return of an old fantasy friend, the departure of a new fantasy stud, and the comings and goings (and potential returnings) of a fantasy legend.

"Brett Favre ain't got nothing on me!" (AP)

Allen Iverson

Iverson was probably my favorite player over the past decade, as I’ve always admired his “fight” and determination.  That’s why the announcing of his retirement came as a total shock to me.  Turns out, it might have been a little premature.  A week ago, the Knicks seemed like the only team desperate enough to give Iverson a starting job again.  Well, it’s funny what a broken jaw can do to a team’s desperation factor.  If the 76ers pick up Iverson, I don’t like him as much as I did had he become a Knick, but he’s probably too good to be a FA in most fantasy leagues.  (He’s currently available in 64% of Yahoo leagues; so keep a close eye on this situation.)

Lou Williams

Speaking of that broken jaw, Williams was absolutely killing it when I finally admitted I might have underestimated him in my last article.  If you own him, I’m sorry… I take all the blame for jinxing him.

It looks like Lou will be out 8 weeks.  I was just telling some readers that I might hang onto him if I’m in or near the lead in my league (or at least see how my team does for the next week).  On the other hand, if you’re in the middle of the pack in a H2H league, you might not be able to afford the roster spot.  Adding a wrinkle to the situation is Allen Iverson’s possible un-retirement, which would put a damper on William’s eventual return and might push me over the edge in dropping Lou.  By the way, so far the big “winners” from Williams’ injury are Andre Iguodala and Jrue Holiday (although beware of FG%’s!).

Mike Dunleavy

Dunleavy had a successful return last week, chipping in 13 pts against the Mavs in only 15 min (while adding 1 3pm/stl/blk).  That Indiana wing position suddenly looks crowded with Brandon Rush and Dahntay Jones in the mix too, but Dunleavy might have the most upside of all three.  And he’s currently available in over half (53%) of Yahoo leagues.

Marc Gasol

Gasol is showing no signs of slowing down, even with Hasheem Thabeet getting quality minutes now.  It’s probably a little too late, but there’s still a chance his current owner might think he’d be “selling high” if you traded for him.  It’s looking like he’ll finish ranked higher than much more popular names like, say, LaMarcus Aldridge or Emeka Okafor, for instance.  Just saying…

Roy Hibbert

Meanwhile, another up-and-coming center, Hibbert, had a rough week adjusting to Troy Murphy’s return.  That was expected.  What wasn’t expected was that Jeff Foster and Tyler Hansbrough would be getting more run than the second-year big man in that suddenly-crowded frontcourt.  I know I’ve said this a dozen times already, but I still like Hibbert to average a near double-double with ~2 bpg when all’s said and done.  However, it looks like it might be the really inconsistent, annoying type of averaged double-double a la those Anthony Randolph and Tyrus Thomas-type players.

Tyreke Evans vs. Brandon Jennings

And in the fantasy ROY race, Tyreke Evans continued to make his case last week, while Brandon Jennings hit an ugly shooting slump (which means now is not the time to trade him!).  Now that opposing defenses have made the proper adjustments to contain Jennings (namely, being more physical with him), it’s up to Jennings and Scott Skiles to form a proper response.  Or maybe they’re just waiting for Redd and Bogut to return and take some pressure/attention/second/third/fourth defenders off the kid.  Ultimately I still like Jennings to average somewhere around 18, 4, and 6 although the sub-45 FG% might drop him a bit out of the top 50.

WEEK 6 PICKUPS

Nate Robinson (currently owned in 55% of Yahoo leagues)

This is more a reminder than a hot stock tip, but Krypto-Nate is available in almost half of Yahoo leagues.  He lit it up last week (sending Larry Hughes’ value in the opposite direction), hitting 14 treys in 5 games.  Yes he can be streaky, but when he’s feeling it there are few better values off the waiver wire.

Jason Williams (25%)

White Chocolate had an up-and-down week that averaged out to a spectacular #19 ranking by averages, highlighted by a 25 point/8 assist/4 trey effort and a 12 point/10 assist/3 trey encore (albeit with a goose egg in between).  I wouldn’t expect him to keep shooting 50+%, but he should be a solid source of assists and threes for the next several weeks.

Ersan Ilyasova (39%) and Luke Ridnour (18%)

Ilyasova has been a popular pickup the past couple weeks, as he has stepped up his game as a starter.  Last week I warned/wondered about his value with Michael Redd returning (and sure enough, Ilyasova only got about 20 mpg during Redd’s short-lived return), but he was still productive with those minutes.  With Redd out again and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Andrew Bogut still sidelined, Ilyasova should be a solid source of pts, reb, and a little bit of everything else.

Jason Williams is White Chocolate. Luke Ridnour is just white. But both are sold pickups right now. (Getty Images)

As Jennings has struggled, Ridnour has found his shooting (and passing) touch, averaging about 19 pts and 7 ast while shooting above 50% the last 3 games.  With Redd out again, Ridnour should continue to get plenty of run.  And even when Redd returns, it looks like Scott Skiles might shift Jennings to SG and Redd to SF at stretches, leaving Ridnour as a sneaky fantasy PG option.

Anderson Varejao (40%)

During Varejao’s absence, J.J. Hickson seemingly solidified his place in the starting lineup, or at least the Cavs’ rotation.  So, while Sideshow Bob might not be a regular double-double threat anymore, he’s still a pretty useful F-C option, especially if you’re looking for stl from a big man (1.1 spg on the year).

Samuel Dalembert (42%)

The formula seems pretty simple with Sammy D: When Elton Brand is out of the lineup, he puts up sick stats — especially blocks.  Even before Brand turned back the clock in Week 4, Dalembert was putting up decent numbers (depending on the matchup), so he could still be useful if you need defensive stats, especially if Brand is slow to get back to his Week 4 form this week.  Or ever.

James Harden (38%)

Harden followed his best week as a pro with a 2-15 dud (including 0-10 from downtown) against the Lakers, but he has been solid in a couple games since.  He earns a mention here not only because he is rosterable in many leagues, but because his emergence (coupled with Kevin Durant’s increased ball-handling responsibilities) has eaten into Russell Westbrook’s assist numbers.  Don’t panic if you own Westbrook, but it’s something to keep an eye on.

Jamaal Tinsley (8%) [update]

Poor Mike Conley.  He always seems to have someone lurking over his (sprained?) shoulder.  This time, it’s Tinsley, a player who can be as hot and cold as Larry Hughes.  I’m not sure if this is truly a position battle or if Conley is just stinking up the place lately, but after Sunday night, Tinsley has put together back-to-back solid games while playing more minutes than Conley.

Martell Webster (13%)

Since being reinserted into the starting lineup, Webster has averaged 14 pts and 6 reb with 2.7 3pg.  On the year, he’s right at 2.0 3pg as a starter.

Donte Greene (5%)

Greene burst out onto the fantasy scene with a dominating performance against the lowly Knicks, going off for 26 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast, 6 blk and 6 threes in what might have been the most dominating fantasy line of the year thus far.  He’s come back to earth since, but he could be a nice spot-starter, including a game against the Suns this week.

Jamario Moon (15%)

Moon has seemingly found his niche in the Cavs’ rotation lately, earning 26+ min in each of his last 3 games, and totaling 4 treys, 3 stl, and 3 blk in that span.  Not exactly sexy, but those are pretty productive stats in deeper leagues.

JaVale McGee (5%)

McGee was a hot item for a brief period last year but never quite panned out.  Recently he’s become a Chris Andersen clone, tallying 14 blocks in his last 4 games.  If he keeps this up, he could be a sneaky addition at the end of your roster.

David Andersen (3%)

If Luis Scola’s injury is serious, Andersen is worth a look.  He notched 12 and 8 after Scola went down Sunday against the Thunder.  (Of course, make sure Carl Landry isn’t available first.)

Other guys to keep an eye on:

Hakim Warrick (18%), Kurt Thomas (3%), Carlos Delfino (5%), Arron Afflalo (4%), Tim Thomas (2%), Darren Collison (21%), Marcus Thornton (9%), Sergio Rodriguez (1%), Omri Casspi (4%), Amir Johnson (2%), Jason Smith (1%).