FANTASY BASKETBALL Daily Show: Week 14 (Mar 26th–April 2nd)
FANTASY BASKETBALL Daily Show: Week 14 (Mar 26th – April 2nd) 2012
By: Muntradamus
*Updated 4/2
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The Fantasy Playoffs have officially kicked off. Who will step up and play like the player you expected, or who will just fail and send your season home three weeks early. It all comes down to this..
Check the Daily Rankings to see where your players are as the week progresses.
*Feel free to ask any questions at the bottom, I will answer them. Join us for the LIVE CHAT W/ MUNTRADAMUS SUNDAY NIGHT from 7-10 (PM) Pacific Time.
JOIN THE CHAT HERE.
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MONDAY (3/26/12)
#QOD.
Is Ty Lawson not a trustworthy fantasy option going forward with his recent struggles?
HEADLINES
- Gallo to return in 10 days! Wilson Chandler takes a hit.
- Eric Gordon to return in 5-7 days! ADD HIM!
- Amare could be out for the season! Melo..time to dominate.
- Raymond Felton out Tuesday. Jamal Crawford has a big game in store.
- Jeremy Lin questionable for Wednesday. Baron Davis’s team.
- Stephen Curry could return. Nate Robinson still out.
- Goran Dragic and Carmelo Anthony suffer minor injuries, should be fine.
- Jerryd Bayless re-aggravates hip injury.
FANTASY PLAYOFF DAY #1 MVP- DeMarcus Cousins. Brandon Knight shows you how to celebrate.
DEEP WAIVER WIRE WATCH: Alec Burks. J.R. Smith. Linas Kleiza. Carl Landry.
Orlando 117 @ Toronto 101
- Dwight Howard decided to show up in game 1 of the fantasy playoffs. 23 Points, 10 Rebounds, 2 Steals, and 2 Blocks while shooting 70% from the line will keep his owners happy. Jameer Nelson also showed a lot of promise taking 11 FG attempts and finishing with 18 Points, 7 Assists, and 2 3PTM. He was bad last week, but the Magic only had three games. He is a solid pickup. Jason Richardson continues his fade from fantasy relevance going 3/7 from the field. Him and J.J. Reddick are keeping each other from fantasy relevance. Hedo Turkoglu had a bad shooting night going 2/9 from the field, but finished with 8 Assists. His specialty is giving you Iguodala type assist value. Ryan Anderson showed up big time with 8 3PTM. He finished with 28 Points and 6 Rebounds. His owners will be happy with the mega performance.
- Jose Calderon continues to put up low-end numbers for himself with no backcourt mates. The 11 Assists are great, but he is capable of scoring more than 9 Points. As long as DeRozan and Bayless are out, Calderon should be an elite option. James Johnson played through a flu, which allowed Linas Kleiza to get some major minutes. He impressed with 18 Points on 7/10 shooting and 3 3PTM. Kleiza will blow up for big games, if Johnson can get to 100% soon he should get a shot at getting his minutes back. Gary Forbes will be a nice plug-n-play in fantasy leagues while the Raptors are thin at guard. 21 Points on 14 FG attempts and 4 3PTM is the potential you can expect when he plays. Very explosive fantasy option, who does have some risk involved, and short-term value. Andrea Bargnani continues to struggle with his shot going 3/11 from the field. Sooner or later, the Raptors may have to start benching him more, 23 Minutes tonight is an example of what could come if he keeps missing. Amir Johnson and Ed Davis continue to make each other fantasy irrelevant despite all the potential.
Detroit 79 @ Washington 77
- Brandon Knight is starting to be more aggressive taking 13 FG attempts. He only did make 3, but his value was nice with 7 Assists, 6 Rebounds, and 3 Steals. Doing a good job being a potential PFBMVP. Rodney Stuckey returned to hit the game winner and 24 Points on 9/20 shooting. Ben Gordon has no role anymore with the team, even when he returns to 100%, it will be just bench minutes. Greg Monroe has definitely been lacking beast mode, and 10 Points 10 Rebounds is solid, but not Monroe quality. The offense seems to be going guard heavy instead of dropping it down low, 4 FG attempts for the star center. Tayshaun Prince continues to hold Austin Daye from any PT by scoring 18 Points on 5/16 shooting. Sooner or later, the Pistons have to go back to Daye, maybe at PF. Jonas Jerebko played 30 Minutes off the bench and got 9 Points and 12 Rebounds, I would not add him yet.
- The Wizards are starting to turn into a 3 man fantasy team, which will make all three players elite like the Lakers once were before Sessions. Jordan Crawford is the go-to-guy most nights and tonight took 17 FG attempts. He hit 9 of them to go along with 5 Assists and 3 Steals for 20 Points. John Wall was spectacular with 14 Points, 7 Rebounds, and 9 Assists. Add in a rare 3PTM with a steal and a block and you got yourself a full version of John Wall. Hopefully he stays consistent. Nene Hilario is dealing with some back issues and had 8 Points with 9 Rebounds in 27 Minutes. When Trevor Booker returns from knee tendinitis, and seems 100%, his value will be very nice with Hilario likely to shut it down at some point before the season ends.
Boston 102 @ Charlotte 95
- Paul Pierce showed up for the fantasy playoffs with 36 Points, 10 Rebounds, 3 Steals, and 3 Blocks. Going 15/18 from the FT line is just an addition to everything he did on top of that. As long as the Celtics are fighting for a playoff spot, Pierce will be elite. Kevin Garnett continues to take his game to the next level going 10/20 from the field with 24 Points. Having 5 fouls limited him to 5 Rebounds, but who would of though KG would be this effective this late in the season. Rajon Rondo continues to have shooting problems going 1/7 from the field for 7 Points. He did add 6 Rebounds, and 13 Assists to keep him fantasy relevant. Brandon Bass was very aggressive going to the FT line 8 times and scoring 15 Points. He added 5 Rebounds and provides decent value every night. Ray Allen was out, that allowed Aaron Bradley to score 11 Points which is far off from his 23 Point game yesterday.
- I sense a lineup shuffle coming in Charlotte. Could mean bad news for a lot of players. I expect Byron Mullens to enter the starting lineup after another strong performance scoring 18 Points on 18 FG attempts to go along with 7 Rebounds and 2 Blocks. I can see him going into the lineup for Tyrus Thomas who was -27 in 21 Minutes, 4 Blocks could keep him there. Bismack Biyombo got in early foul trouble and watched his backup steal his game. 2 Blocks and 6 Rebounds in 15 Minutes shows you his potential. I expect D.J. Augustin and his 2 Points in 20 Minutes, to lose his starting gig to Kemba Walker who had 7 Assists off the bench. If Kemba would have gone better than 1/8 from the field with 7 Points, Kemba would be must-add material in all leagues. Get ready to add him, even now. Gerald Henderson may be the focal point of the offense now that Corey Maggette is really starting to struggle going 1/7 from the field in 16 Minutes. Henderson was 9/14 from the field with 21 Points. He is solid, but he has not put it together for a full week yet, which is his biggest test.
Miami 90 @ Indiana 105
- Dwayne Wade continues to do enough of everything to be the top fantasy guard in the game. 24 Points, 4 Blocks, 4 3PTM, 5 Rebounds, and 6 Assists is just another day lately for Flash. Lebron James is now playing beneath the Kevin Love level with 24 Points, 9 Rebounds, 1 Steal, and 2 3PTM. Amazing how the tides have turned as Wade is playing a huge role in the Heat offense. Chris Bosh had a terrible game going 6/11 from the FT line for 14 Points and 2 Rebounds. He picked a terrible time to put up a weak performance like this, Wade and Lebron are being extra aggressive (37 Attempts vs. Bosh 11). Surprisingly Mario Chalmers scored 13 Points, with 3 Steals. The 1 3PTM is a bit weak on this much scoring.
- Danny Granger reminded everyone who is boss with 25 Points, 9 Rebounds, and 2 3PTM. Usually he fills up the box score more than this, but the 19 FG attempts are encouraging. Paul George finally had a good game with 16 Points and 10 Rebounds. Darren Collison also broke out with 20 Points and 4 Steals. George Hill and Leandro Barbosa combined for 30 Minutes, which shows the Pacers are not afraid to run with Collison and George the whole game if they are on. Roy Hibbert only took 9 FG attempts, but still managed 11 Points, 9 Rebounds, and 3 Blocks. He is back to being solid, even on a low volume game. David West was efficient with 10 Points and 12 Rebounds on 5/8 shooting in 31 Minutes. This Pacers team has a lot of offense, tonight it was very well balanced, but that is usually not the case. Stay tuned.
Utah 105 @ New Jersey 90
- Devin Harris returned to play his old team with 9 Points and 11 Assists. He has improved from leaps and bounds and now does not have to worry about losing PT. 30 Minutes give or take is expected nightly. Gordon Hayward picked a great time to be a bust with 7 Points in 23 Minutes. Alec Burks saw 31 Minutes off the bench to score 15 Points, I expect this to hurt C.J. Miles and his 10 Points in 21 Minutes over Hayward. Hayward and Burks are the future. Derrick Favors was a non-factor against his old team as Paul Millsap had a huge game with 23 Points and 13 Rebounds. Even added a 3PTM. Al Jefferson continues to beast consistently, even in a Millsap great game 19 Points and 8 Rebounds with a block continues for the #3 Fantasy Center.
- Deron Williams really struggled against his old team going 7/21 from the field with 17 Points and 11 Assists. The numbers look nice in the end, but he did not give his team a chance to win. Kris Humphries was man handled by Utah’s Big’s. 2 Points on 0/6 shooting, but 10 Rebounds get the job done in 23 Minutes. Gerald Wallace was unimpressive with 14 Points and a little bit of everything else in 35 Minutes. Gerald Green scored 20 off the bench in 14 FG attempts, that will knock MarShon Brooks and his little value who scored 10 Points with no Anthony Morrow. The Nets are starting to look like a hit-or-miss type of fantasy team.
Milwaukee 80 @ New York 89
- Monta Ellis went 2/14 from the field with 4 Points, 5 Rebounds, and 4 Assists. Fantasy value has tanked since entering Milwaukee. Brandon Jennings finally decided to be aggressive with 22 FG attempts, he only made 6 with 15 Points. 6 Rebounds, 5 Assists, and 3 Steals will look good, but this was a bad game overall for him. Drew Gooden continues his fantasy downfall scoring 6 Points and 5 Rebounds on another terrible shooting performance going 2/9 from the field. Coach Skiles is starting to Luc Richard Mbah a Moute more who played 30 Minutes with 7 Rebounds and 5 Points on 2/3 shooting. This is going to hurt Gooden, and Ersan Ilysova who saw an alarming 14 Minutes with 5 Points and 4 Rebounds. The entire Bucks roster is starting to turn into a fantasy puzzle, Carlos Delfino scored 5 Points and to make everything more confusing Mike Dunleavy led the way with 26. Who knows what is going to happen any fantasy night with this team, which was projected in the Trade Fallout.
- With Jeremy Lin questionable for Wednesday, and not playing tonight. Along with Amare who could be out for the season. The Knicks are getting a new look. Baron Davis started at PG, besides going 3/12 from the field, he also added 9 Turnovers. The 7 Assists, to go along with 13 Points shows that he has potential for some big nights if he continues to get the minutes. He is worth the add if you are desperate for a spark. Carmelo Anthony was back to taking 20 FG attempts, he finished with 28 Points and 13 Rebounds. It is Melo time to be vintage come fantasy post season play. Tyson Chandler had a bigger offensive role scoring 13 Points and grabbing 9 Rebounds despite having 5 Fouls. He went to the FT line 9 times. Iman Shumpert started, saw 33 Minutes and went back to his vintage stats, 6 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 1 Steal. His value is iffy with Lin coming back. J.R. Smith came off the bench to go 1/10 from 3PT land. Can you imagine his value if he starts knocking them down. The opportunities are there, and he becomes a very sneak FA add in a lot of leagues. Keep a close eye. Landry Fields continues to start, but is waiver wire material.
Denver 108 @ Chicago 91
- Ty Lawson bounced back with a huge 27 Points, 9 Assists, and 2 Steals. He took 21 FG attempts and knocked down 3 3PTM. To make things even more interesting, Andre Miller was big with 12 Points and 10 Assists. He played 29 Minutes and went 6/8 from the field. Just when you thought it could not be more interesting, Aaron Afflalo completed the Guard trifecta with 22 Points on 8/12 shooting. Nights like this make you wonder if the Nuggets could split up into two teams. Wilson Chandler got alarming news that Gallo will return in 10 days. So Chandler put up 7 Points, 7 Rebounds, 2 Steals, and 2 Blocks in 35 Minutes to keep fantasy relevance despite a 3/10 shooting night. Kenneth Faried was a beast in 18 Minutes picking up 8 Points and 6 Rebounds. He sat on the bench because Al Harrington went trigger happy 6/14 from the field with 17 Points. His value will take a hit as well when Gallo returns. Javale McGee started and scored 10 Points with 8 Rebounds in 24 Minutes, he added two blocks. Hopefully he starts seeing 30+ before it is said and done.
- Joakim Noah continues his fantasy downfall with 2 Points, 5 Rebounds, and a nice 4 blocks. Those numbers will not save him. Luol Deng failed with no D-Rose which is not acceptable. 3/9 from the field with 9 Points and 3 Rebounds will not get the job done in the fantasy playoffs. Carlos Boozer was an effective 7/9 from the field with 14 Points, but only played 26 Minutes. C.J. Watson ran the show from a fantasy perspective with 17 Points, 8 Assists, and 3 3PTM. Him and John Lucas were the only two Bulls with 10+ FG attempts. They need Rose.
Sacramento 106 @ Houston 113 (OT)
- The Kings are starting to play for the future. This was exemplified by Isaiah Thomas playing 48 Minutes. He shot 3/13 from the field with 8 Points, 6 Rebounds, and 8 Assists. His potential is huge down the stretch. DeMarcus Cousins went into BEAST MODE with 38 Points, 14 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 Block on 15/26 shooting. That is straight up MVP value any way you look at it. Marcus Thornton was able to have a monster game going 9/22 from the field with 27 Points and 3 3PTM. He added a bunch of mini intangibles making him very attractive. Especially because he was able to co-exist with Tyreke Evans who was able to be relevant with his 6 Steals, 1 Blocks, 5 Assists, and 4 Rebounds. The 12 Points will not make anyone happy, but the all-around effort is perfect for the playoffs. Jason Thompson and Donte Greene started at PF to put up 8 Points, and 5 Rebounds. Not fantasy worthy.
- Goran Dragic continues his great play with 15 Points and 10 Assists with no Kyle Lowry who could return next week. This could be it for Dragic who should do plenty to lead his fantasy team to victory this week. Courtney Lee will make Kevin Martin a very risky fantasy start in the playoffs, scoring 16 Points and playing 43 Minutes shows that coach Mchale has trust in him. It is hard to trust him as a fantasy option when Martin returns, but for now continue to roll with Lee if doing so. Luis Scola came up big in game #1 of fantasy playoffs with 18 Points and 14 Rebounds. Huge numbers tonight, needs to be more consistent like this. Chandler Parsons did a bit of everything with 16 Points, 8 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 1 3PTM and 2 Steals. He is a better version of Wilson Chandler at the moment. You should probably add him in all leagues, though his value could take a hit when Martin returns. Samuel Dalembert played 18 Minutes and saw rookie Patrick Patterson score 24 Points on 10/16 shooting in 33 Minutes. It does help Dalembert that Marcus Camby saw 21 Minutes and grabbed 7 Rebounds with 3 Blocks as well. You can almost forget about Samuel being a consistent fantasy option going forward.
New Orleans 85 @ LA Clippers 97
- With no Chris Kaman, Jarrett Jack had the team to himself. He went 4/12 from the field with 9 Points and 7 Assists with 5 Rebounds. In a 5 game week he can recover. All other Hornet starters scored less than 10 Points, including Trevor Ariza who is not a trustworthy fantasy option, 0/3 from the field with 3 Points. Carl Landry was the talk of the team from a fantasy perspective with 14 Points and 10 Rebounds in 27 Minutes off the bench. Chris Kaman nor Jason Smith played, so owners should want to see it again before they get jumpy and add him. No other Hornets are worth considering in this downfall, though Eric Gordon will be back in time for the fantasy playoffs, add him.
- Chris Paul returned to MVP form with 25 Points, 10 Assists, 4 Steals, and 2 3PTM. Good time for him to get going in what has been a frustrating season. Randy Foye got the start at SG, but was outplayed by Nick Young who went 5/11 from the field with 4 3PTM and 17 Points. When Mo Williams comes back the rotation will be in full force again. Caron Butler could easily become part of that as he scored 6 Points on 3/9 shooting in the start. Blake Griffin was his typical self with 20 Points and 7 Rebounds. He was much more explosive as a fantasy option last season. DeAndre Jordan saw his minutes cut down to 22 the night after he plays 30. Just cannot get a break this season.
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Tuesday (3/26/12)
HEADLINES
- Jerryd Bayless is done for the season. Jose Calderon is safe the rest of the way.
- Andrew Bynum benched for a 3 PT attempt. First Brown benches Kobe Sunday, now this.
- Brandon Rush and J.J. Hickson break out off the bench.
- Marc Gasol should be back Friday. DeMar DeRozan tomorrow.
FANTASY PLAYOFF DAY #1 MVP- Josh Smith
ADD’EM: Spencer Hawes.
DEEP WAIVER WIRE WATCH: J.J. Hickson. Brandon Rush. Brandan Wright. Jodie Meeks. Shannon Brown. Martell Webster.
Cleveland 85 @ Philadelphia 103
- Kyrie Irving looked like Ramon Sessions was still playing behind him as he finished with 12 Points, 5 Assists, and 7 Turnovers. That will not get it done in the fantasy playoffs. Antawn Jamison was aggressive with his shot going 5/14 from the field with 13 Points and 6 Rebounds. He will continue to fire at will on this weak Cavs squad. Tristan Thompson went 3/3 from the field for only 6 Points and 5 Rebounds. He has to be more aggressive if he wants to be a good fantasy option, his value goes down for the moment. Alonzo Gee had a nice all-around game with 13 Points, 9 Rebounds, and 3 3PTM. He did shoot 4/12 from the field, as long as Thompson is not aggressive with his attempts, Gee should be solid.
- Jodie Meeks stole the chances of anyone having a big fantasy game with Andre Iguodala out. Meeks started at SG while Evan Turner moved to SF and put up 13 Points, 7 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 2 Blocks. Meeks was 11/16 from the field with 7 3PTM and 31 Points. That will definitely make Evan Turner even closer to waiver wire material, move Louis Williams ceiling a little lower despite the nice 14 Points, 7 Rebounds, 7 Assists. It also brings down the value of Jrue Holiday who still led the team in attempts with 19, to score 19 Points with 3 Steals, 6 Assists, and a block. This will make everything more complicating when Iguodala returns as there are too many people who need to shoot the ball. Elton Brand and Thaddeus Young both had down games, while Spencer Hawes remains solid with 10 Points, 8 Rebounds, 5 Assists. He only played 24 minutes, when he gets up to 30 he will be must-start.
Atlanta 101 @ Milwaukee 108
- Josh Smith continues his fantasy dominance with 30 Points, 18 Rebounds, 5 Assists, a couple of steals and a block. He is making a case to jump Lebron as the #3 Fantasy forward. We will see. Joe Johnson was a terrible 4/14 from the field, but still managed to make his game worthy with 8 Assists. Jeff Teague is continuing to play at a very high level with 15 Points, 7 Rebounds, and 7 Assists. He has been solid playing 35+ Minutes every night. Kirk Hinrich remained worthless for a player who played 37 Minutes to grab 10 Points and 4 Assists. If you need a body who plays a lot of volume, Hinrich is your man. Zaza Pachulia failed to double-double with 7 Points, and 7 Rebounds. You cannot win them all with him as your center.
- No Carlos Delfino or Ersan Ilysova meant Monta Ellis could get revenge with two less options to worry about getting involved. Monta scored 33 Points to go along with 8 Assists on 24 FG attempts. He is showing he can win games for his team, despite doing the opposite last night. Brandon Jennings took a backseat to the situation and 18 Points, 2 3PTM, 6 Assists and 3 Steals. You would expect production like this every night from him. Drew Gooden went heavy volume with the 16 FG attempts, but again failed and only hit 5 of them for 16 Points, 5 Rebounds, and 5 Assists. When Ilysova is back, you can expect those attempts to go down. Ekpe Udoh and Luc Richard started and both played over 30 Minutes. Udoh was the better man with 8 Points, 10 Rebounds, 2 Steals, and 3 Blocks. Ilysova is going to lose value, Dunleavy came off the bench to hit 3 3PTM and 13 Points. Not the greatest performance.
Minnesota 86 @ Memphis 93
- Kevin Love got another start at center and is only one away from gaining eligibility in all leagues. 28 Points, 11 Rebounds, 4 Blocks, 1 Steal, and 4 3PTM makes him the easy fantasy MVP. Especially if he can play Center. Derrick Williams played 40 Minutes due to no Pekovic. In those 40 Minutes he put up 14 Points and 7 Rebounds on 5/16 shooting. His fantasy value could plummet quickly when Pekovic returns. Luke Ridnour had 9 Points and 5 Assists in 37 Minutes, which means J.J. Barea is definitely the guy to add if Ridnour continues this Tuesday and Wednesday. Martell Webster was interesting with 10 Rebounds and 9 Points, he will probably lose a lot of value when Barea returns, which could be next game.
- Rudy Gay was the man tonight with Z-Bo hanging on the bench (22 Minutes), and Marc Gasol inactive. Gay put up 20 FG attempts to finish with 21 Points, 5 Rebounds, and 2 blocks. Mike Conley was solid as well with 12 Points, 8 Assists, 3 Steals, and a block. Games like this have been around all-year for Mike. Tony Allen is way ahead of O.J. Mayo on the depth chart. I would not own either. Marreese Speights had 18 Points, 7 Rebounds and 2 Blocks. While Dante Cunningham made the start for Gasol to put up 13 Points, 14 Rebounds, 4 Blocks, and 2 Steals. This means a huge downgrade for all of the Grizzly big men as they are stacked.
Houston 81 @ Dallas 90
- Goran Dragic continues to be a fantasy stud besides a bum ankle. 17 Points, 7 Assists, and 4 Steals with a 3PTM is huge fantasy playoff production. He could lose value after this week when Kyle Lowry makes an announcement that he is returning, for now keep enjoying it. Courtney Lee was on the floor for 36 Minutes on 4/13 shooting, he still remains a favorite for heavy minutes even when Kevin Martin returns. Samuel Dalembert continues to lose value taking 1 FG attempt in 17 Minutes. He did grab 7 Rebounds but that is not enough. Chandler Parsons continues his fantasy dominance with 15 Points, 9 Rebounds, and 3 Steals to go along with 2 3PTM. He is playing very solid and is no danger of losing minutes. Luis Scola continues to play great basketball scoring 22 Points and grabbing 9 Rebounds with 4 Assists.
- Dirk Nowitzki barely stayed fantasy relevant shooting 5/17 from the FT line, but only finished with 21 Points and 6 Rebounds. Jason Kidd and Vince Carter both played around 20 Minutes, which allowed Jason Terry to go 5/14 off the bench with 12 Points, 2 Steals, 4 Assists, and 2 3PTM in 34 Minutes. Shawn Marion did not see 30+ Minutes and ended up with 3 Points and 11 Rebounds. Brandan Wright continues to see a lot of minutes at center and followed up his big game with 13 Points, 7 Rebounds, in 30 Minutes. He is getting closer to must-add.
San Antonio 107 @ Phoenix 100
- Tim Duncan continues to play at vintage form with 26 Points and 11 Rebounds, on 11/16 shooting. As long as he does not get DNPs, he is solid. Tony Parker is having his best season with 24 Points and 7 Assists. He does not do much else besides those two categories, but that will get the job done. Dejuan Blair and Danny Green are too inconsistent to count in the fantasy playoffs. Kawhi Leonard has the SF job on lock right now with 14 Points, 7 Rebounds, and a steal. Stephen Jackson is not close to taking his role. Manu Ginobili put up 13 Points, 5 Rebounds, and 5 Assists in 27 Minutes of action. He does not appear to be the elite player owners were counting on. Great fantasy role player.
- Steve Nash was great once again with 16 Points, 8 Assists, and 5 Turnovers. He did experience some back tightness which could be an issue going forward to close out the season. Shannon Brown started for the injured Grant Hill and put up 32 Points with 5 3PTM in 42 Minutes of action. Jared Dudley only scored 2 Points and 5 Rebounds in 29 Minutes of action which is sure to create some PT controversy going forward. For now see how the situation pans out. Marcin Gortat appears to back at peak form with 21 Points, 14 Rebounds, 2 Blocks on a solid 9/15 shooting. He can be a huge force in the fantasy playoffs, Channing Frye continues to struggle going 3/9 from the field with 7 Points, 7 Rebounds and 2 Blocks. Luckily Markieff Morris is now at the bottom of the bench leaving it open for Frye.
Oklahoma City 109 @ Portland 95
- Russell Westbrook had a 1st round value type of game with 32 Points, 8 Assists, and 3 Steals. Still an overall disappointing season from the young stud as his owners would want much more of this on a consistent basis. Kevin Durant only took 14 FG attempts which is too few for a player of his caliber, he still ended up with 25 Points, 2 3PTM, 6 Rebounds, and 2 Steals. He is losing his edge on Lebron for the #2 fantasy option. Serge Ibaka saw less than 30 Minutes, which resulted in 8 Points, 12 Rebounds, and 6 Blocks. Can you imagine his value if he played 30+ a night. James Harden came off the bench to score 21 with 5 Assists and 2 3PTM. Solid player who has value capped by playing with Durant and Westbrook.
- No Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford went 1/7 from the field seeing less minutes than Jonny Flynn. Crawford cannot be trusted during the fantasy playoffs any longer. Wesley Matthews handled guard responsibilities with 17 Points, 4 Steals, and 2 3PTM. He knows how to get it done and has been rock-solid since being the starter. J.J. Hickson was the story going 9/10 from the field with 21 Points, 3 Steals, and 4 Rebounds. He could easily be the starting center as early as next game, one more good one and he is must-add material. Nicolas Batum continues his struggle with 13 Points, 1 Block, 1 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 3PTM. This is not the player we expected after the Gerald Wallace trade, he still gets 30+ Minutes a night. LaMarcus Alrdige was decent with 20 Points, 8 Rebounds, and a block. That used to be an average game for him, now that is high-end.
LA Lakers 104 @ Golden State 101
- First of all, I am not worried about the Andrew Bynum benching. He should be a monster in his next game against OKC. Pau Gasol ate up all the opportunities for rebounds with no Bynum, he ended up with 17 boards to go along with 19 Points. He has been playing well from a fantasy perspective lately. Kobe Bryan returned to vintage form with 30 Points, 5 Rebounds, 5 Assists, and 11/12 from the FT line. He just went through a mini-slump where he played like a solid starter, now he appears elite again. Ramon Sessions only took 4 FG attempts in 30 Minutes, he does goto the FT line a lot, 5/8 for the game but only finished with 7 Points, 5 Rebounds, and 4 Assists. He will have better games. Matt Barnes is starting to play like a real fantasy player, and is on the waiver wire watch if you need a forward, 18 Points, 10 Rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 3PTM is just an example of what he has been doing lately.
- The Warriors like to go with David Lee at center where 23 Points, 9 Rebounds, and 8/21 shooting is just another game on this weak Warriors team. Charles Jenkins did not do enough to really separate himself from Nate Robinson, who could be back next game. Jenkins had 12 Points on 4/9 shooting. Klay Thomspon continues to run the show with a team high 25 FG attempts to go with 20 Points and 0 3PTM. 5 Rebounds and 2 Steals are a nice bonus for him. Dorrell Wright continues to see a majority of bench time as Brandon Rush exploded with 23 Points off the bench in 33 Minutes to go along with 2 blocks. He has played 29+ Minutes in 6 of the last 9 games since the Monta trade. He is a good add if you need a forward who can scores 3s and grab some blocks. Richard Jefferson saw 34 Minutes of action to go 2/7 from the field and for some reason gets more PT than he should.
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Wednesday (3/28/12)
HEADLINES
- LIVE CHAT WITH MUNTRADAMUS SUNDAY (4/1) 7-10 PM PACIFIC. Join the Chat Room.
- Jason Thompson returned for strong game.
- Kemba broke out with 20 Points.
- Isaiah Thomas played 40+ Minutes for the second straight game, was a monster.
- Kevin Love played his 5th game at center. Explodes for 40 & 19.
- Nate Robinson does nothing in return. Neither does Charles Jenkins off the bench.
FANTASY PLAYOFF DAY #3 MVP- Kevin Love
ADD’EM: Isaiah Thomas. Kemba Walker. Jason Thompson. Brandon Rush
DEEP WAIVER WIRE WATCH: Austin Daye. Kawhi Leonard. Linas Kleiza. Greg Stiemsma. Carl Landry
Orlando 86 @ New York 109
- This game was a blowout since the end of the first half. Encouraging notes for the Magic; Jameer Nelson led the team in scoring with 17 Points. 14 of those came in the first half, he is looking better and better. That is all of the encouraging notes. Dwight Howard finished with 12 Points, 5 Rebounds. Jason Richardson only saw 21 minutes, Hedo Turkoglu went 2/7 from the field, and Ryan Anderson had 3 Points on 4 FG attempts in 15 Minutes. This game was a blowout, I expect all players to bounce back except Jameer Nelson to stay the same.
- Baron Davis has probably done enough damage in his last two starts to knock Jeremy Lin from being a consistent option going forward. In 25 Minutes, B-Diddy had 11 Points, 6 Assists, and 7 Rebounds. Those are great numbers. Carmelo Anthony is going to be huge down the stretch of the season with no Amare. Melo played 26 Minutes to put up 25 Points, 5 Rebounds, and 6 Assists. He will quickly go up the Forward rankings. Iman Shumpert appears locked for a big role as well as he took a team leading 21 FG attempts to put up 25 Points and 7 Rebounds. If he gets big minutes when Jeremy Lin returns, then it is time to add him without hesitation. Though he can put up some soft nights if J.R. Smith gets it going who scored 13 Points in 29 Minutes. That will not get it done for him. Tyson Chandler was a rebound and point short of a double-double. If he played more than 27 Minutes he would have had it easily, but it was a blowout. Steve Novak is good if you need a 3PT specialist, he hit 4 more tonight.
Minnesota 88 @ Charlotte 83
- Kevin Love not only gained center eligibility in all leagues, he also put the hammer down that he is the #1 fantasy option hands down. Lebron has to have a full week of complete domination for anyone to reconsider as Love put up 40 Points, 19 Rebounds, 4 3PTM, 8/10 from the FT line and 31 FG attempts. He is the man. Luke Ridnour will make it tough for J.J. Barea to get big minutes after putting up 15 Points, 14 Assists, and 5 Rebounds. If anything it will be a complete timeshare, but Ridnour has at least one more full game with Barea barking down his back. Derrick Williams faltered with no Nikola Pekovic who should be back Friday. D-Will put up 5 Points, 2 Rebounds on 2/11 shooting. Back to the bench he goes. No other T-Wolve is a fantasy option to consider as they are all too inconsistent.
- D.J. Augustin has left the door wide open for Kemba Walker to start taking over in the fantasy world. D.J. scored 0 Points in 24 Minutes, but did manage 8 Assists. Kemba scored 20 Points off the bench with 2 3PTM and 6/13 shooting. I would add Kemba now! Gerald Henderson was able to put up 15 Points and 6 Rebounds, he played 41 Minutes and appears to have no limits going forward. Corey Maggette was vintage form with 22 Points and 2 Steals. I would not trust him this late in the season to be consistent, though a game like this could happen again soon. D.J. White started at PF and went 7/12 for 14 Points and 5 Rebounds. He is worth watching for good PF numbers, especially playing 32 Minutes. Bismack Biyombo is losing value quickly. He disappeared after the 1st quarter and Byron Mullens was a non-factor. If you give up on him, I do not blame you anymore. I am going to hold on with his 5 game week coming up soon.
Detroit 87 @ Cleveland 75
- Rodney Stuckey came up with a bad hamstring before he could play 7 Minutes. With Ben Gordon not healthy, Austin Daye came off the bench to play 29 Minutes and put up 3/7 shooting with 8 Points, 2 Steals, 2 Blocks, 1 3PTM, 2 Rebounds, 2 Assists. If you have been following my articles all season, I LOVE AUSTIN DAYE AS A FANTASY OPTION. Watch this situation closely, if he gets another start or Stuckey is out for a week+. AUSTIN DAYE BECOMES MUST ADD. Brandon Knight played 37 Minutes and went 7/15 from the field with 16 Points, 5 Assists, 2 3PTM. He will be rocked solid down the stretch of this season as the Pistons see what he’s got. Greg Monroe continues a disappointing time of his season with 8 Points, 10 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 2 Blocks. The 4/13 FG shooting is discouraging, 2 more points would have hid this mess. Tayshaun Prince took over tonight shooting 11/21 from the field with 29 Points, 4 3PTM, and 8 Rebounds. He is solid as long as the Pistons do not start playing for the future and finding more minutes for Daye, which could happen.
- Kyrie Irving had a nice bounceback game after a two game slump. 22 Points, 9 Rebounds, 6 Assists, and 2 Steals will have his fantasy owners happy. Taking 19 FG attempts will help as well. Tristan Thompson finally decided to be aggressive with his shot again, he went 3/12 from the field with 9 Points, 11 Rebounds, 3 Blocks, and a steal. If he can just make his shots he would be a much more solid consistent option going forward. Antawn Jamison is not done with this season as he went 7/21 from the field with 17 Points, 2 3PTM, and 3 Blocks. He continues to shoot the ball at will. All those shot attempts from other players left Alonzo Gee with 6. He was the odd man out of the offense with 3 Points, but did manage 9 Rebounds, 4 Assists and some other intangibles. He is not the most trustworthy option, especially when Anderson Varejao returns.
Denver 96 @ Toronto 105
- Ty Lawson went 9/19 from the field with 26 Points and 9 Assists. He is back to elite form quickly as he led the team in FG attempts. Aaron Afflalo decided to see if he can make it rain, 5/16 from the field with 15 Points will probably put him in a timeshare with Wilson Chandler and his 5/14 shooting when Gallo returns. Wilson just never looked elite as his time with no Gallo and that hurts his overall value. He is definitely not must-own material. Kenneth Faried put up 10 Points and 5 Rebounds in 23 Minutes. Him and Al Harrington really battle for PT, though the clear advantage is Harrington with 31minutes, 4/11 shooting, 11 Points and 7 Rebounds.
- DeMar DeRozan made his return to the court tonight and put up 17 Points with 5 Assists, and 5 Rebounds. The encouraging news to his owners was that he continued to fire at will with 20 FG attempts. It helps that the Raptors won in the process. Jose Calderon should be a double-double machine in the assists category the rest of the way now that he does have to worry about Jerryd Bayless this season. 10 Assists and 10 Points was what the doctor ordered. Andrea Bargnani was elite with 26 Points on 7/14 shooting. This was easily his best game back since returning from injury, and with that I expect his FG attempts to go up. Linas Kleiza got the start for James Johnson who is battling the flu. Kleiza had 3 3PTM to go along with 15 Points. He is an aggressive fantasy option who should be good for spot starts if Johnson continues to miss time.
Chicago 98 @ Atlanta 77
- Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer had a rare night where they both scored over 20 Points. Boozer added 9 Rebounds, while Deng had 5 3PTM. With Derrick Rose not close to returning, these two should be more than solid options going forward. Consistency is their downfalls. Joakim Noah fell short of a double-double again, the encouraging news is he took 11 FG attempts in 25 Minutes. C.J. Watson and Ronnie Brewer start, but both are too risky/not viable fantasy options. Taj Gibson was a beast off the bench with 19 Points and 6 Rebounds, on a different team he would be a great fantasy player.
- Josh Smith hit a mini road bump in his way to MVP of week #1. 19 Points, 7 Rebounds, and a block on 8/21 shooting will semi-get the job done. Joe Johnson had another poor performance with 12 Points, he tried saving it again with his assists, but 6 is not enough. Jeff Teague continues to get 35+ Minutes and ended up with 13 Points and 8 Assists. He is not a bad fantasy option as you can count on solid production. Zaza Pachulia was average with 7 Points and 10 Rebounds. Not terrible for him. Kirk Hinrich is slowly losing his minutes, deservingly so.
Utah 82 @ Boston 94
- Devin Harris continues to see 30+ Minutes at PG, to his owners disliking he ended up with 5 Points and 7 Assists. That will not get the job done. Gordon Hayward got going moving to SF and going 8/14 from the field with 19 Points, 7 Rebounds, and 5 Assists. He shot the ball more than Paul Millsap which should not happen very often. Still a solid option with the chance of a clunker every now and then. Paul Millsap was solid 16 Points and 7 Rebounds. 10 FG attempts is not enough for him. Al Jefferson was again beasted with 18 Points, 12 Rebounds, and 3 Blocks. He could pass Andrew Bynum at #2 for fantasy center. Alec Burks and Derrick Favors were not factors on the bench.
- No Ray Allen means extra shots for Brandon Bass who ended up going 7/17from the field with 19 Points. That was pretty much all he offered as 4 Rebounds will not cut it. Paul Pierce took less FG attempts than Bass and ended up with 20 Points, 6 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 3PTM. He has been solid all season long. Kevin Garnett continues to thrive at center scoring a team high 23 Points and 10 Rebounds. Him and Pierce will be huge factors in the playoffs for Boston. Rajon Rondo has to get his offense going as he only ended up with 14 Assists to go along with 6 Points on 7 FG attempts. Those 30 Point games seem like memories from a past lifetime. Greg Stiemsma has Bismack Biyombo block potential as he reached another 4. He did it in 19 Minutes which speaks very highly about his potential, his downfall is very inconsistent minutes.
Indiana 84 @ New Jersey 100
- Paul George continued his explosive week on an efficient 8/13 Shooting with 4 3PTM, 2 Blocks, 1 Steal, and 4 Rebounds/Assists to go along with 22 Points. This line would be more encouraging if everyone else did well, but no other starter besides Danny Granger broke double digits. Granger went 6/10 shooting for 12, West went 2/8 for 5, Darren Collison had 7 Assists and 9 Points. The most discouraging was Roy Hibbert who fell into his bad ways with 5 Points and 7 Rebounds. Not the greatest fantasy performance from the team all-around. They got blown out in the 4th quarter, and that cost them the game.
- Deron Williams went right back to elite form with 30 Points, 9 Assists, and 4 3PTM. He has been the #1 Fantasy PG this season no questions asked. MarShon Brooks had a nice comeback game with 17 Points on 7/13 Shooting. The reason for his big night was Anthony Morrow missed the game with a shoulder injury. Kris Humphries had 12 Points and 8 Rebounds, which is a bit less than what you would expect. Gerald Wallace continues to brick shots at will going 4/15 from the field. His night was saved with 3 Steals and a block to go along with 10 Points.
San Antonio 117 @ Sacramento 112
- The Spurs decided not to play defense tonight, but that did not matter as their offense was on. Tony Parker almost went 3×2 on us with 10 Points, 10 Assists, and 7 Rebounds. His numbers did take a mini hit since Manu Ginobili has returned, especially in the scoring department. Overall the solid season continues. Ginobili has not been his elite self since returning from injury, tonight that changed with 20 Points, and 5 Assists. He is getting close, the 3 3PTM is a good sign as well. Kawhi Leonard continues to hold Stephen Jackson on the bench with one of his best games this season, 19 Points, 9 Rebounds, and 2 Steals from the rookie as he continues to play an impressive role. Tim Duncan was solid on 9/18 shooting to have 18 Points and 8 Rebounds. He has done a great job avoiding the DNPs. Dejuan Blair, Danny Green, and Stephen Jackson are all not worth owning right now.
- Isaiah Thomas is fully back as he played a team high 41 Minutes with 28 Points, 10 Assists, and 3 3PTM. Even when he struggles he gets a decent amount of 3PTM, you should add him in all leagues as the Kings appear committed to him. Marcus Thornton continues to be solid with 18 Points, and 2 3PTM. His ceiling is much higher, but games like this get him by. DeMarcus Cousins continues to beast this week with another mega 25 Points and 11 Rebounds. The best part about the line was the 24 FG attempts. It also helped that Jason Thompson returned and he still was a monster. In Jason Thompson’s return to the court he was 6/6 from the field with 15 Points, 7 Rebounds, 3 Steals, and 3 Blocks. He played 37 Minutes, and you can guarantee he will get more shot attempts. Tyreke Evans appears to be the man falling out of the fantasy fun for the Kings as he once again put up a low 6 Points, on 3/5 shooting in 30 Minutes. His value is much higher when Marcus Thornton is out.
New Orleans 102 @ Golden State 87
- Chris Kaman, Trevor Ariza, and Gustavo Ayon all sat this one out. That meant Carl Landry could start, and dominate with 20 Points, 8 Rebounds on 9/18 shooting. He is sure to create a timeshare with the big men. To make things more complicating for that situation, Jason Smith started at center to go 6/7 shooting in 26 Minutes. Chris Kaman picked a bad time to get sick. Jarrett Jack continues to run the team with 22 Points, 6 Assists, 4 3PTM, and 3 Steals. He has been very solid all season long despite his short-term injury. Marco Belinelli was solid as the only true outside shooting option besides Jack with 22 Points and 4 3PTM. His value will go down once all the Hornets get healthy again.
- Nate Robinson returned as a starter and went 0/6 shooting in 23 Minutes. Charles Jenkins was not much better with 4 Points, it looks like a timeshare heading for both of them. Klay Thompson only took 10 FG attempts and finished with 13 Points in 28 Minutes. David Lee was a beast with 28 Points, 7 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 2 Blocks, and 12/21 shooting. Dorrell Wright saw 30 Minutes and knocked down 4 3PTM for 12 Points. Brandon Rush saw 32 Minutes, meaning he is clearly still ahead in the rotation despite not starting. Rush was semi-effective with 12 Points a steal a block, and 2 3PTM. He played more minutes than Klay Thompson as well. Richard Jefferson is seeing his role fade as he only saw 24 Minutes. David Lee, Klay Thompson, Brandon Rush is how I would rank the Warrior fantasy options.
Phoenix 86 @ LA Clippers 103
- Grant Hill continues to sit, which means Shannon Brown saw another start. 10 Points and 5 Rebounds in 38 Minutes will not get anybody excited in the fantasy world. Sit and wait on him. Jared Dudley got the start at forward and put up a similar 10 Points and 4 Rebounds, he did this in 39 Minutes. Steve Nash pulled a Rajon Rondo with 1 Point and 15 Assists. He is the more consistent scoring Rondo this season, tonight was not a good example. Channing Frye went 2/11 from 3PT land, huge potential if he can knock those down, finished with 16 Points and 7 Rebounds. Marcin Gortat was the man for Phoenix once again with 23 Points, 2 Blocks, and 7 Rebounds. He is pretty much back to the elite form he was at earlier this season.
- Chris Paul is finally starting to play like the 1st round option with another strong 15 Point, 15 Assist, 2 Steal, and 2 3PTM effort. He is playing very well. Blake Griffin put up a strong 24 Points and 17 Rebounds, those numbers will give us a flash of last year as he has not been the same fantasy player, maybe this will change it. DeAndre Jordan failed to see 30 Minutes, but still ended up with 13 Points and 6 Rebounds. He has been a bust if you really think about it. Caron Butler, Randy Foye, and Nick Young all saw around 25 Minutes. They were all worthless from a fantasy perspective as Butler led the group with 14 and other two ended up with 9. When Mo Williams comes back they will all be more unpredictable and worthless.
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Thursday (3/29/12)
HEADLINES
- LIVE CHAT WITH MUNTRADAMUS (4/1) 7-10 PM (Pacific Time). Join the CHAT here.
- Ramon Sessions continues to not be elite.
- Andrew Bynum does not get benched.
- J.J. Hickson plays 28 Minutes.
FANTASY PLAYOFF DAY #4 MVP- Russell Westbrook
ADD’EM: Wesley Matthews. J.J. Hickson
DEEP WAIVER WIRE WATCH: Carl Landry. Brandan Wright. Mario Chalmers. Marco Belinelli
Washington 89 @ Indiana 93
- Jordan Crawford is playing at a very consistent level lately. Once again he took an absurd amount of shots, 20, and 10 3PT attempts. He only finished with 20 Points and 3 3PTM, but the potential for a monstrous night is there. John Wall continues to be inconsistent and struggled once again with 13 Points, 2 Assists, 5 Turnovers. The 2 Steals, and 1 Block does not make up for this. Nene Hilario was once again solid for Washington with 16 Points and 13 Rebounds. So far the trend seems one good game is followed by a mediocre game, which is followed by a good game for Nene. Trevor Booker returned from the mend for 11 Rebounds and 6 Points. It was also encouraging to see him play 29 Minutes.
- Paul George could not continue his monstrous week as he only had 7 Points, 4 Steals, and nothing else. That will take him out of the running for PLAYOFF FANTASY BASKETBALL MVP for the week. Roy Hibbert had another soft game with 9 Points and 3 Rebounds in 25 Minutes. His owners can worry once more about the player who is playing like his last year version. Danny Granger continues to carry his team with 25 Points, he is the most trustworthy Pacer by a long shot. He added 3 3PTM, and 8 Rebounds to put up a very solid game. Darren Collison did a bit of everything with 5 Points, 5 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 2 Steals, and a block. This game will get him by, but the fact George Hill came off the bench for 14 Points will put a damper on the night. David West had 14 Points and 8 Rebounds, he is looking better after that terrible slump he was going through for the past two weeks. He was second on the team in FG attempts with 12.
Dallas 85 @ Miami 106
- Jason Terry had one of those nights that was long overdue. 3 Points on 1/10 shooting is the thing that will happen with how deep the Mavs are at guard. Dirk Nowitzki was great with 26 Points, 6 Rebounds, on 9/19 shooting. It would be nice if he could contribute more than just points everynight. Shawn Marion was worthless on 2/7 shooting, his fantasy value comes when he plays 30+ Minutes, that does not happen anymore. Jason Kidd did a bit of everything with 6 Points, 4 Assists, and 6 Rebounds. He is a fraction of the player he was a season ago. Brandan Wright continues to play well in 28 Minutes of action, but not well enough to add him in a majority of leagues with 11 Points, 2 Steals, and 3 Rebounds. One more huge game and the door will open wide for him.
- Lebron James continues to put up numbers that could put him at #4 at the forward spot in fantasy basketball behind Josh Smith. 19 Points, 9 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 2 Steals, would be a disappointing game for James last season. This is about average right here. Dwayne Wade took a step in the wrong direction after overtaking as top fantasy guard, 16 Points, 5 Assists, 6/9 from the FT line is not enough. He should bounce back. Chris Bosh put up an effective 19 Points, 9 Rebounds, and even a 3PTM. Nights like this have been happening more often than one would expect. Mario Chalmers was effective with 12 Points, 4 Steals, 4 Assists, 5 Rebounds, 2 3PTM. This was one of his better nights in sometime, and becomes a player to watch to see if this is for real. Chances are it is not as Wade and Lebron will be more active.
New Orleans 93 @ Portland 99
- Jarrett Jack, Trevor Ariza, and Chris Kaman did not play. So once again Marco Belinelli was the star with another 20+ Points, 27 to be exact, while going 7/11 from 3PT range. Marco is turning into a nice fantasy option with Ariza gone. But despite the strong game, his value did take a hit. Greivis Vasquez played so well in Jacks absence that he will demand more minutes at probably the 2 Guard spot. 43 Minutes, 7/15 Shooting, 14 Points, 6 Assists. It will be interesting to see how this pans out, but for now Marco is a solid add for two more games, until when Ariza is expected back. Carl Landry continues to be the go-to-guy in this offense with 9/13 shooting, 27 Points and 7 Rebounds. As good as this all seems, Jason Smith is also doing well with 13 Points, 9 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 1 Block. There is simply not enough PT for all the Hornet BIGS when they are healthy. Chris Kaman, Gustavo Ayon, and Emeka Okafor when he returns will create the worst log jam at the big man spot.
- LaMarcus Aldridge continues his path to being solid again with 25 Points and 12 Rebounds. This is vintage LaMarcus and you should continue to roll with him with confidence. Nicolas Batum had a semi-improving game with 3 3PTM, 14 Points, 4 Rebounds, 2 Blocks. Nights like this will give his fantasy owners hope for a rebound. Wesley Matthews continues to be solid in the 3PTM category with 2, but his specialty is his consistency to score 15+ Points a game, tonight it was 18. He is a nice option with random intangibles every game, the 2 Blocks were the specialty tonight. Raymond Felton returned with 12 Points and 10 Assists. As long as he is playing well, Jamal Crawford will continue to sit on the bench. Especially when he goes 0/6 from the field. It is time to add J.J. Hickson in all leagues where you need a center. He played 28 Minutes tonight and went 6/10 from the field with 12 Points, 6 Rebounds, 2 Steals, and a block. The Blazers do not have a center, and it will not be long before he starts seeing 30+ Minutes a game consistently. Add him before it is too late.
Oklahoma City 102 @ LA Lakers 93
- Russell Westbrook put up a monster game of 36 Points and 6 Assists. The Assists have not been there all season, but the 36 Point games is starting to come more frequently. He is easily a top 5 fantasy guard. Kevin Durant was Lebron James good with 21 Points, 11 Rebounds, and 5 Assists. He added 2 Blocks, and 3PTM which makes LBJ owners even more jealous. Serge Ibaka only got 19 Minutes but still ended up with 8 Points, 9 Rebounds, and 3 Blocks. Can you imagine this guy if he got 30+ Minutes a night. Fantasy MVP possibly. James Harden was nothing special with 9 Points, 4 Assists. Nights like this happen as the Thunder have so much fire power with K-Dirty and Westbrook.
- Kobe Bryant went 7/25 shooting to end up with 23 Points, and 9 Rebounds. It looks okay when it is all said and done, if you do not play in FG% leagues. The Lakers lost in the effort. Pau Gasol had 13 Points and 6 Rebounds, his game declines when Andrew Bynum goes into beast mode with 25 Points, 13 Rebounds, and 4 Blocks. Zero 3PT attempts in case you were wondering. Ramon Sessions continues to tempt his owners with 7 Points, 5 Rebounds, and 5 Assists. If Kobe shoots the ball 25 times, chances are Ramon will not be doing much. Still did a bit of everything.
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Friday (3/30/12)
HEADLINES
- LIVE CHAT WITH MUNTRADAMUS (4/1) 7-10 PM (Pacific Time). Join the CHAT here.
- WAIVER WIRE ARTICLE COMING SOON.
FANTASY PLAYOFF DAY #5 MVP- Gerald Wallace
ADD’EM: Isaiah Thomas. J.J. Hickson. Gerald Henderson. Brandon Bass. Charles Jenkins. Iman Shumpert. Mario Chalmers. Brandon Rush.
DEEP WAIVER WIRE WATCH: DeAndre Jordan. Marcus Camby. Gerald Green. Amir Johnson. Austin Daye. Earl Watson. Alec Burks.
*Notes from each team.
Orlando:
Jameer Nelson is starting to play a bigger role in the offense. 17 FG attempts led the team and he ended up with 24 Points, 7 Rebounds and 3 3PTM. His numbers should continue to improve as he keeps playing better. This will hurt the overall consistency of Hedo and Rhino Anderson. Dwight should be fine, while Jason Richardson stands to lose a lot of value.
Dallas:
Shawn Marion got 30+ Minutes again and that is the only reason he will be a fantasy star. When he gets minutes he puts up 15 Point, 9 Rebound games more often than not. This game knocked the value of Brandan Wright to nothing. Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki are the only consistent fantasy options on this team, though Terry will throw in a clunker every now and then, Dirk was solid again with 28 Points
Sacramento:
Tyreke Evans did not play which opened the door for Marcus Thornton to be elite. He scored 26 Points on 20 FG attempts, while DeMarcus Cousins scored 27 Points and grabbed 14 Rebounds on 22 FG attempts. They are both beasts, while Jason Thompson was not with 4 Points and 9 Rebounds. That type of game would worry me, and if I was thinking about adding him I would wait. When Tyreke comes back he will just be one less option away from getting good touches. Isaiah Thomas continues to beast seeing 37+ Minutes with 19 Points, 6 Assists, 2 Steals. He is must-add material.
Utah:
Al Jefferson was a monster with 27 Points and 16 Rebounds. He is by far the most consistent player on the team. Paul Millsap fouled out which allowed extra shots for Gordon Hayward. He once again was solid with 19 Points and 5 Rebounds. It was very alarming to see Devin Harris play 20 Minutes and Earl Watson to play 28 Minutes. Watson nearly 3×2 with 9 Points, 7 Assists, and 7 Rebounds. This will put a huge knock on Harris’s value moving forward. C.J. Miles will soon be completely replaced by Alec Burks. If it has not happened yet.
New Jersey:
Deron Williams had 20 Assists which just reminds us how valuable he is in fantasy leagues. He only scored 9 Points, but his owners are happy. Gerald Wallace was his vintage “Crash” self with 24 Points, 18 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 6 Steals, 1 Block, 2 3PTM. That is FANTASY MVP type numbers. Kris Humphries was big as well with 20 Points and 9 Rebounds. His value will take a hit when Brook Lopez returns, but continue to expect double-double type production. MarShon Brooks and Anthony Morrow took a backseat to Gerald Green who had 20 Points off the bench. He has been dominating as of late and is now worth a look in deeper leagues.
Golden State:
Courtney Jenkins started at PG and put up a big 18 Points and 12 Rebounds. Nate Robinson was a non-factor with 11 Minutes off the bench. I would add Jenkins and all of his upside if I had the roster space, that is two huge games now in less than a week. Brandon Rush saw 32 Minutes while Dorrell Wright saw 16. Rush even saw more minutes than Klay Thompson who hit 4 3PTM in 26 Minutes for 14 Points. Rush is a good waiver wire add if you need a forward with 3PTM and Blocks. David Lee continues to have no competition for anything and scored 27 Points, and grabbed 6 Rebounds. It was nice to see 4 steals.
Portland:
J.J. Hickson started for the injured LaMarcus Aldridge to put up 29 Points and 13 Rebounds in 36+ Minutes. The Blazers have to start J.J. at center in the near future. Nicolas Batum scored 18 Points and now has back-to-back solid games. He should be fine moving forward. Raymond Felton almost double-doubles which is all you can hope for, and Wesley Matthews had only 12 Points on 3PTM. That opened the door for Jamal Crawford to get some PT and take 12 FG attempts for 14 Points. Jamal is very hit or miss.
LA Clippers:
Chris Paul is back to superstardom with 20 Points, 14 Assists, and 4 Steals. He should be elite to close out the season. Randy Foye led the team in FG attempts with 16, he ended up knocking down 5 3PTM to have 20 Points. Blake Griffin had 20 Points as well and added a strong 13 Rebounds. Nick Young and Caron Butler both struggled but managed to break into double into double digits with 12 for Caron, and 10 for Young. When Mo Williams comes back this is going to be a headache, especially with Foye playing better than all of them. DeAndre Jordan saw 35 Minutes and recorded 12 Points, 6 Rebounds, and 4 Blocks. If he see’s 30+ Minutes again, he is must-add in all leagues.
Denver:
The fantasy headache team continues to roll on. Ty Lawson is back to his elite form with 14 Points and 10 Assists. That is three strong games in a row and there is no need to worry. Aaron Afflalo was big with 19 Points and 11 Rebounds. His strong performance will weaken Wilson Chandler tremendously who only scored 6 Points in 19 Minutes. He will not be trustworthy when Gallo returns, he is barely trustworthy now. Kenneth Faried and Al Harrington continue to both hold eachother back as great fantasy options, but they are both solid for now. Javale McGee continues to struggle to get minutes and only put up 22. He scored 11 Points but 3 Rebounds and 2 Blocks is not good enough quality.
Charlotte:
Gerald Henderson is definitely the franchise man as he took a team leading 20 FG attempts. He will continue to get minutes until the season ends. Corey Maggette put up another strong performance with 18 Points. It seems like his season will never go away to clear complete room for Kemba Walker to be a higher option when he is on the court. For now continues to roll with Maggette those his value could drop instantly. Bismack Biyombo is sadly waiver wire material for now, no reason to jump out of your seat and add him until he performs like he is worth it. 8 Rebounds is nice, but nothing came along with it. Kemba Walker saw more minutes than D.J. Augustin, 25 vs. 23, neither was overall that impressive.
Miami:
The Big Three are all playing very well together as of late. Tonight they all blew up as Wade and Bosh scored 30, while Lebron had 26 with 9 Assists. Mario Chalmers put his second solid game in a row, not as good as the first, but 14 Points, 5 Assists, 2 Steals, and 2 3PTM will make him a good waiver wire addition if you have the space. I would rather have Charles Jenkins and his upside.
Toronto:
Jose Calderon continues to be an assist machine with no Jerryd Bayless. 16 Dimes with 9 Points is just another game. DeMar DeRozan continues to be a scoring machine with 28, no reason to think he will slow down. Andrea Bargnani followed up his best game back from injury with 27 Points on 10/17 shooting. He looks like he found his groove again. Linas Kleiza got the start over James Johnson and did nothing. Both players are not worth having right now, and Amir Johnson saw 30 Minutes off the bench to go 12 Points, 12 Rebounds playing mostly center. Interesting add, I want to see it one more time if I really want him.
Philadelphia:
The 76ers are a fantasy mess. Too many players off the bench like to shoot the ball, and everyone on the starting 5 is just an average offensive player one on one. Only three players had double digits, Evan Turner with 11, Louis Williams with 14, and Thaddeus Young with 14. Jrue Holiday had 4 Points making him not trustworthy at all going forward. Tough to be a fantasy owner of a 76er during the fantasy playoffs. Andre Iguodala came back from injury to play 33 Minutes, but only scored 7 Points with 3 Assists.
Washington:
Jordan Crawford is definitely the most solid player the Wizards have on a fantasy level. Once again he scored 17 Points with 3 Steals. He takes a lot of FG attempts so he could definitely keep improving. John Wall had 9 Points, with 6 Assists, 6 Rebounds, and 3 Blocks. Interesting fantasy option who seems to be underperforming very consistently. Nene Hilario was strong with 16 Points and 8 Rebounds in 24 Minutes. Trevor Booker only saw 6 Minutes, if that continues to be the case Nene could put up monstrous stats with more minutes.
Milwaukee:
Monta Ellis continues to be inconsistent as he followed up his monster game with 13 Points and 5 Assists. He did lousy while Brandon Jennings had his first monster game since the Ellis deal. BJ had 28 Points with 6 Assists, his owners were hoping for these performances more consistently throughout the year. Drew Gooden continues his downfall with 9 Points and 5 Rebounds. His minutes have dropped to 24, and could have been worse if Carlos Delfino was active which would be another man in the Bucks rotation. Ersan Ilysova was more than solid with 20 Points and 10 Rebounds in 23 Minutes. The Minutes are a bit of a concern, but I would wait to be worried until this happens more frequently. Mike Dunleavy scored 16 off the bench in 19 Minutes, while Beno Udrih continues to be solid off the bench with 10 Assists. He is worth watching in the next game closely, not sure how he is going to fit.
Cleveland:
Kyrie Irving continues to be the franchise player with 29 Points and 5 Assists. Surprisingly Antawn Jamison only took 4 FG attempts in 30 Minutes. With him not doing anything offensiviley, Alonzo Gee stepped his game up with 19 Points and 8 Rebounds. One of his better games in sometime, and it would be nice if he can follow this one up with a big one. Tristan Thompson is starting to be more aggressive and put up 15 Points, 11 Rebounds in 29 Minutes. Nine of Tristan’s 11 Rebounds were offensive, which shows his potential.
New York:
Iman Shumpert is getting a huge role with coach Woodson. Tonight he saw 40 Minutes to score 25 Points with 3 Steals, and 3 3PTM. Interesting add no doubt, though his value could take a turn when Jeremy Lin returns. For now he is someone to claim after the guys listed before him up top. Carmelo Anthony will continue to be a fantasy beast with no Amare, 36 Points, 9 Rebounds, 5 Steals, 2 Blocks, 1 3PTM is just another vintage Melo game. Tyson Chandler is getting lost in this offense and only had 4 Points with 9 Rebounds, which is not good enough for him.
Atlanta:
Josh Smith was okay with 23 Points, 6 Rebounds, 2 Steals, and a block. His owners expect more out of him as he is still in the running for fantasy MVP of the week. Jeff Teague continues to see huge minutes, 38+, and had 11 Points with 7 Assists, 3 Steals, and 3 Blocks. He is a very safe option at the guard position. Joe Johnson stopped his scoring slump with a team high 28 Points, he has been great since moving to SF. Zaza Pachulia grabbed 12 Rebounds to go along with 5 Points, you cannot win them all. Kirk Hinrich only saw 21 Minutes which shows how much his role is decreasing.
Detroit:
Brandon Knight is running the team with all the injuries as he put up 18 FG attempts. He only had 16 Points with other intangibles, but this could be a common theme. Austin Daye got the start for the injured Rodney Stuckey, and Ben Gordon. He disappointed with 11 Points on 5/14 shooting, but flashed his fantasy potential with 3 Steals and 2 Blocks. Stay tuned on him for now. Greg Monroe saw extra touches and ended up with a nice 14/10 double-double. He even added 5 Assists and 2 Steals. Tayshaun Prince had 14 Points as well, and his fantasy value could take a drop if they decide to move Daye to SF when Stuckey is healthy.
Chicago:
Joakim Noah finally woke up with 19 Points and 12 Rebounds, his owners were starting to grow impatient with his non-double doubles. Luol Deng stayed hot without Derrick Rose in the lineup to put up 20 Points and 9 Rebounds. This is his team in this situation. Just as owners were starting to gain faith back in Carlos Boozer, he continued to be impressive with 13 Points, 11 Rebounds in 29 Minutes of action. He is solid for the time being. Ronnie Brewer and C.J. Watson are both waiver wire material.
Memphis:
Mike Conley was a bum with 7 Points, and zero assists in 26 Minutes. You still have to start him in a 5 game week coming up. Rudy Gay was the main source of offense with 20 Points on 19 FG attempts, there are nights where he puts up clunkers with how good this Grizz team is. Tony Allen and O.J. Mayo both up 15 Points in 30+ Minutes of action. They saw an increased amount of PT with Mike Conley doing nothing, neither Allen or Mayo are safe options. Marc Gasol started at PF and had 19 Points, 9 Rebounds, and 2 Blocks. Gasol has proved that he is okay with Zach Randolph returning, as Zach continues to deal with the bulky knee brace to put up 6 Points and 4 Rebounds in 24 Minutes. He may not be as safe as a play in this upcoming 5 game week as you may hoped for.
Houston:
Courtney Lee continues to impress in Kevin Martin’s absence with 17 Points 39+ Minutes. Kev Mart has very little fantasy value when he returns. Goran Dragic put up 25 Points and 7 Rebounds and is making a nice sleeper run for Playoff Fantasy Basketball MVP, though that can all come to an end if Kyle Lowry reclaims his starting job next week. Luis Scola and Chandler Parsons put up their overdue clunkers as both were playing out of their minds. Marcus Camby drew his first start at center with Houston, played 36 Minutes to grab 16 Rebounds, 6 Blocks, 2 Steals, and 7 Points. That is vintage Camby numbers right there, one more game like that and it may be too late to add him. I would however still wait for that game. Samuel Dalembert did nothing in 17 Minutes off the bench.
Boston:
Ray Allen continues to be bothered by his ankle so Aaron Bradley drew another start and scored 17 Points. He has no long-term value. Rajon Rondo continues to be the most interesting PG in the world with 6 Points, 6 Rebounds, 3 Steals and 17 Assists. As long as he puts up ridiculous assist numbers, his owners will be happy. Kevin Garnett continues his vintage comeback season with 24 Points and 10 Rebounds vs. his former team. No reason to think he will slow down, and Paul Pierce as well who put up a team leading 20 FG attempts to have 20 Points and 9 Rebounds. Brandon Bass took 13 FG attempts, which is good for him, for 12 Points and 6 Rebounds. He seems like a very important part of the Celtics team.
Minnesota:
Kevin Love continues to dominate with 22 Points, 11 Rebounds, 2 3PTM, and 10/11 from the FT line. He looks almost locked and loaded for MVP of week 1 in fantasy basketball. Luke Ridnour put up 15 Points and 8 Assists which will scare off the J.J. Barea fantasy owners who were watching him. Luke has been playing very well over the past couple of games. Derrick Williams continues to disappoint in his opportunities with 14 Points and 7 Rebounds on 5/14 shooting. He needs to be more efficient to have a role when Nikola Pekovic returns. Which could be very soon.
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Saturday (3/31/12)
HEADLINES
- LIVE CHAT WITH MUNTRADAMUS (4/1) 7-10 PM (Pacific Time). Join the CHAT here.
- WAIVER WIRE ARTICLE.
- Jeremy Lin out for the season.
- Corey Maggette could miss a week, Byron Mullens scores 20 in start at PF.
- Mike Conley, Kyrie Irving DNP with injuries.
FANTASY PLAYOFF DAY #6 MVP- Josh Smith
ADD’EM: DeAndre Jordan. Spencer Hawes
DEEP WAIVER WIRE WATCH: J.R. Smith
*Notes from each team.
LA Lakers:
Kobe misses his first 15 shots and then hits a game winning 3PTM. Typical Kobe though his stats were hurt with 11 Points, 3 Steals and 5 Assists. All the shot attempts limited Ramon Sessions to 8, but he still ended up with 10 Points and 10 Assists. His potential is huge. Andrew Bynum continues to beast with 19 Points, 10 Rebounds and 2 Blocks. He is a monster. Pau Gasol was more than solid with 21 Points and 11 Rebounds, he has been very consistent all season long.
New Orleans:
Jarrett Jack returned to take a team leading 20 FG attempts. He had a strong 18 Points and 10 Assists, though his value could decline when Eric Gordon returns. Marco Belinelli will see a decline either way after going 3/12 from the field, Greivis Vasquez continues to play well with 12 Points on 6/11 shooting. Beli had his days. Jason Smith was the lone big man left with all the Hornet injuries, he had a strong 17 Points and 10 Rebounds. His value will go down quickly when all of them return.
Atlanta:
Somehow, someway, Kirk Hinrich managed to see 40+ Minutes, of course he did nothing with them at 8 Points and 6 Assists. Can you imagine if Kyrie Irving or Serge Ibaka got Kirk Hinrich type minutes this season? Jeff Teague had one of his worst games in some time with 8 Points and 4 Assists, he should bounce back soon. Joe Johnson is playing a bit inconsistent of late and had 15 Points after his mega game yesterday. I would not worry, he is an all-star quality player. Josh Smith may have pulled the straw that broke the camels back with a huge 34 Point, 9 Rebound, 5 Assist night. He can taste MVP for week #1 of the playoffs. Zaza Pachulia continues to get weaker with 4 Points and 7 Rebounds. He is not heading in the right direction.
Philadelphia:
Elton Brand was the man with 25 Points, 10 Rebounds and 3 Blocks. The mega game held Thaddeus Young to 4 Points with only 20 Minutes of PT. Evan Turner led the batch of guards with 13 Points, Louis Williams was terrible with 4. Jrue Holiday put up his closest 3×2 in sometime with 9 Points, 8 Rebounds, and 6 Assists. Jason Kidd quality numbers right there, of today. Andre Iguodala had a nice bounce back game with 18 Points, 8 Rebounds, 4 Assists, and 3 3PTM. It was good to see him take 12 shots as he is too often under the 10 mark. Spencer Hawes is still finding his groove as he had 8 Points and 8 Rebounds in 26+ Minutes. Soon those double-doubles will come quickly.
Cleveland:
What goes up, must come down, as is the case with Tristan Thompson who battled foul trouble to end up with 3 Points and 1 Rebound. Luke Walton scored more points than him with 5. Antawn Jamison decided to shoot again going 5/15 from the field, his % has been terrible lately, but 13 Points and 7 Rebounds is solid enough as his potential for bigger games are there. Alonzo Gee went down as well along with Thompson and had 12 Points and 6 Rebounds 3/8 shooting. The FT line saved his night, though the % was terrible at 6/10. Kyrie Irving, the face of the franchise took the game off with a sprained shoulder. No update on how long he is out for.
New York:
J.R. Smith is looking at a much larger role with Jeremy Lin injured. Tonight he played 34+ Minutes and had 20 Points, 9 Rebounds, 5 Steals. If he can outperform Iman Shumpert who had 10 Points and 5 Steals in 39 Minutes, or Baron Davis slows down, 6 Points, 5 Rebounds, 4 Assists in 29 Minutes. Then J.R. will be a deep sleeper for PFBMVP. Carmelo Anthony only had 19 Points and 4 Rebounds, he will usually score more. Tyson Chandler had his best game in sometime with 14 Points, 12 Rebounds and 3 Blocks.
Charlotte:
Byron Mullens started and played 40 Minutes. He scored 20 Points and 9 Rebound which shows that this could be the second coming of him being a popular add this season. It could last, but he is a jump shooter and he is not due to stay hot. Time will tell. Bismack Biyombo saw 32+ Minutes with Mullens now in the starting lineup, he finally put up 10 Points but the 2 Rebounds and 1 Block is discouraging. Many owners are over him. D.J. Augustin had a strong game with 16 Points and 10 Assists, this resulted in Kemba Walker sitting on the bench for most of the game though he was effective in 16 Minutes with 5 Points and 7 Assists. That situation changes by the game. Gerald Henderson was outplayed by Reggie Williams which is a bad sign for when Maggette returns. The Bobcats are one of the most confusing teams in fantasy today with their ever so changing lineup.
Detroit:
Tayshaun Prince had one of those breakout nights with 24 Points and 9 Rebounds. On the same night Austin Daye started for the injured Stuckey and Gordon to do nothing in 20 Minutes. The hype is dying on Daye quickly. Greg Monroe took 13 shots and had a strong 16 Points, 9 Rebounds, 2 Blocks. His owners are used to better numbers, but this will pass for now. Brandon Knight had a cold shooting night going 5/15 from the field, but still filled up the box score with 12 Points, 5 Rebounds and 6 Assists. He added nice intangibles to that line as well and looks for a HUGE role down the stretch of the season.
Memphis:
With no Mike Conley O.J. Mayo was more aggressive on offense going to the FT line 10 times, he made all 10 attempts and finished with a team high 24 Points. Tony Allen did nothing in 29 Minutes of PT. Marc Gasol had another strong game with 13 Points and 15 Rebounds to go along with 2 steals and 2 blocks. It looks like Zach Randolph is more of a bench player going forward, though an effective one in 24 Minutes had 13 Points and 7 Rebounds. Rudy Gay continues to lead the team in FG attempts nearly every game and tonight had 17 Points and 10 Rebounds. His value is as high as it has been all season.
Milwaukee:
Brandon Jennings repeated his strong game with another strong game leading the team in FG attempts with 19 to finish with 24 Points, and only 3 Assists. Monta Ellis continues his downfall after his 30+ Point game as he failed miserably going 2/12 from the field with 8 Points and 5 Assists. He co-existed with Stephen Curry way easier. Drew Gooden finally had a good game with 20 Points, 5 Rebounds and 5 Steals. He has been aggressive with his shot attempts through the slump and tonight it paid off going 9/16 from the field. Ersan Ilysova played 43+ Minutes which is extremely high considering he was failing to break 30, and he put up a MEGA 20 Point, 16 Rebound with intangibles across the board night. Hard to know what is going to happen with the big men as their nights could have been worse if Monta Ellis made his shots. Mike Dunleavy continues to contribute off the bench with 10 Points, cannot expect much.
Indiana:
Paul George bounced back with a solid 18 Point game with minimal intangibles. Usually when he does well it means someone did bad, and that someone tonight was Darren Collison as he only had 8 Points and 4 Assists. I do not trust Collison one bit. George Hill played more minutes than him off the bench 30 vs. 25. Danny Granger was okay with 18 Points, but this has been a disappointing season for him for the most part. Too many options on the team as Roy Hibbert was a beast with 15 Points, 7 Rebounds, and 4 Blocks. His game has improved since last week, and David West has as well taking a team high 16 FG attempts, but only finishing with 15 Points and 3 Rebounds. You never know what you are going to get from your Pacer fantasy option.
San Antonio:
Tony Parker continues to do his thing with 18 Points and 5 Assists. Not a great night, but a night his owners will be okay with. Manu Ginobili decided to play copy cat and do the exact same thing besides adding more intangibles. Stephen Jackson semi-outplayed Kawhi Leonard in more minutes which makes Leonard a no go for a fantasy option. Both were lousy with a combined 13 Points. Tim Duncan continues to drink the same stuff Kevin Garnett does to stay young with 23 Points, 11 Rebounds and 2 Blocks. Great three game week from the big man.
New Jersey:
Deron Williams is making a strong case for top guard of the year with another strong 19 Point, 15 Assist, 3 Steal performance. He has been elite all season long. Gerald Wallace followed up his breakout game with 18 Points, 6 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 Block, 2 3PTM. Looks like Crash will be just fine. Kris Humphries continues to be a double-double machine with 14 Points, 12 Rebounds and 2 Blocks/Steals. His owners are hoping Brook Lopez does not see the court again. MarShon Brooks was outplayed by Anthony Morrow who had 6 3PTM to go along with 24 Points. When this happens, Gerald Green becomes useless as well with 6 Points in 21 Minutes. All three players cancel eachother out as consistent fantasy options.
Sacramento:
Tyreke Evans came back with a strong 23 Point, 4 Steal, 5 Assist, 6 Rebound performance. When that happens, Marcus Thornton usually fails with a 13 Point, 8 Rebound game. When Thornton has a bit of an off game, DeMarcus Cousins gets more attention down low and only puts up 14 Points and 9 Rebounds, he was in foul trouble with 5. When Cousins is in foul trouble with 5, Jason Thompson usually steps it up as he did with 10 Points and 10 Rebounds. When Thompson scores, that usually leaves Isaiah Thomas with a low 11 Point, 6 Assist game. The Kings are the most domino effect team in the NBA.
Utah:
Al Jefferson is the Jazz. 26 Points is just another game, he did not add much more but he is as quality as they come from the big man spot. Gordon Hayward was okay on a bad shooting night 4/12 from the field, with 14 Points and 7 Rebounds. It helped him that Alec Burks was ice cold off the bench going 1/7. Devin Harris got his minutes back with 29+, but failed to do anything with 5 Points and 6 Assists. The door is open for Earl Watson once again. Paul Millsap was solid with 18 Points, 9 Rebounds and 5 Assists. He is a BEAST when Al Jefferson is out.
LA Clippers:
Chris Paul continues to put up nice numbers with 26 Points and 6 Assists. Not #1 Fantasy Guard overall numbers, but still top tier. Blake Griffin is playing the best stretch of his season right now with 24 Points, 8 Rebounds and 6 Assists. He is back to elite 1st round value. Randy Foye out played and outscored Caron Butler with 8, and Nick Young with 13. Mo Williams is going to make them all not ownable in leagues when he returns. DeAndre Jordan just saw over 30 Minutes and was able to grab 10 Rebounds with 6 Points and a block and steal. Good add now that he has back-to-back 30 Minute games.
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Sunday (4/1/12)
HEADLINES
- WAIVER WIRE ARTICLE & Week Ahead is Updated.
- Andrew Bynum hurts ankle. Check back tomorrow to see how bad. Kobe has 40 Points.
- Charles Jenkins and Nate Robinson will be splitting time going forward. Neither is a safe add.
- Kevin Love, Derrick Williams, Luke Ridnour all score over 20 Points. Nikola and Barea are back soon. That will leave Love as the only desirable option of the three.
- J.J. Hickson has huge 2nd half and finishes with 15 Points and 9 Rebounds. All Blazers had fantastic nights.
- Chris Kaman returns to play 28 Minutes off the bench. PT for all Hornets are going to take hits as they become healthier.
- Jared Dudley and Shannon Brown both look great. All Suns starters are solid plays with a bit of consistency problems.
- Danny Granger and Roy Hibbert beast, while all other Pacers remain shaky options.
- Marcus Camby has another strong start and is a great play despite having a 3 game week.
- Ty Lawson. Al Harrington. Are the only safe plays for Denver, while Afflalo and Miller give you a couple solid games a week. In a 3 game week I would avoid all but Harrington.
- Jameer Nelson continues to shoot the ball like a mad man with 21 Attempts. Glen Davis has 18 Points and 16 Rebounds in spot start for Dwight Howard, I would wait to add him.
- Jordan Crawford concludes the week leading the Wizards in scoring everygame. He is the #1 candidate for PFBMVP.
- Jose Calderon, DeMar DeRozan, and Andrea Bargnani are the only safe starts for the Raptors moving forward. Amir Johnson saw 27 Minutes and is inching closer to being a solid add.
- Chris Bosh returned the 4 Point, 11 Rebound form, as did Mario Chalmers who only had 2 Points. Lebron and Wade were lackluster in a game where they were blownout.
- Rajon Rondo 3×2, he is the most intriguing fantasy option today, KG was okay with a 10-8, Bass had 16 Points and 10 Rebounds going 10/10 from the FT line, while Pierce continues to dominate with 23 Points, 7 Rebounds and intangibles across the board.
- John Lucas, Kyle Korver, Taj Gibson. The only three Bulls to score in double digits. In a 3 game week I would avoid all Bulls if necessary.
- Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant continue to score 25+, they are hot heading into post season play. Serge Ibaka and James Harden are not as they both fail to play more than 23 Minutes. The game was a blowout, but still no excuse.
FANTASY PLAYOFF DAY #7 MVP- Kobe Bryant
MVP OF WEEK #1- KEVIN LOVE
Josh Smith: 105 Points. 40 Rebounds. 15 Assists. 6 Steals. 4 Blocks. 2 3PTM. 20/27 FT.
Kevin Love: 116 Points. 50 Rebounds. 13 Assists. 2 Steals. 4 Blocks. 11 3PTM. 33/37 FT.
Deron Williams: 75 Points. 15 Rebounds. 55 Assists. 7 Steals. 1 Block. 7 3PTM. 16/23 FT.
Russell Westbrook: 95 Points. 7 Rebounds. 19 Assists. 9 Steals. 0 Blocks. 2 3PTM. 15/16 FT.
DeMarcus Cousins: 104 Points. 48 Rebounds. 8 Assists. 8 Steals. 6 Blocks. 0 3PTM. 22/28 FT.
ADD’EM: J.J. Hickson. Jared Dudley. Shannon Brown.
DEEP WAIVER WIRE WATCH: Glen Davis. Amir Johnson
WEEK 2 OF THE PLAYOFFS DAILY SHOW COMING SOON.
CHECK OUT THE NEW PLAYER VALUE ARTICLE.
Hey Muntradamus!
I have Wilson Chandler right now, should I drop him For Gallo? I also have Nate Robinson but after his injury I’m a little worried…Should I stick with Nate or pick up someone like Eric Gordon?
Quick question: Steph Curry and K-Mart are free agents in my league and I have no places to gain in the playoffs, so would it be smart to add them now and hope they come back?
Playoffs are next week for me.
There are most likely better options who can be consistent and will actually play in your league. Try to find one or two of those before going after Kev-Mart and Curry.
Drop Nate for Eric Gordon since Nate is hurt and Charles Jenkins has been excellent of late. The Chandler drop for the Gallo add is a semi-medium risk/reward so that is up to you.
Hey gang! Is it time to worry for me? I’m in the playoffs against a strong team and my forwards are Ilyasova and Gooden (among others)
Im thinking about grabbing brandon bass for ilyasova. wilson chandler, gerald henderson and brandon rush also available. please advise!
Steph Curry could still easily be shut down for the season anytime soon, and Kev Mart is not guaranteed to play next week. As D-Rock said more or less.
Brandon Rush. J.J. Hickson are interesting adds who are heating up. Brandan Wright as well.
As D-Rock stated you should add Eric Gordon who can easily give you 2nd round value as early as next week. Huge X-Factor come fantasy playoff time. I personally would stay away from the Chandler/Gallo combo, list some FAs and I can better assist you on who to add for Chandler and his decreasing value.
should I drop isiah thomas or gordan hayward to pick up eric gordon? or should I keep them both?
I would rather drop Isaiah Thomas to pick up Gordon, but that is just me.
Mike that does not sound like a situation many fantasy owners want to be in going into the playoffs. The Bucks are turning into a lottery team when finding out the right players from game to game.
Brandon Bass will give you the most consistent solid production out of the players you listed. Some nights he will give you double-doubles, others he will approach. He does take a lot of shots which is nice.
Watch Henderson to see if he continues to be the man for the Cats, Rush is intriguing as he is playing a lot of minutes, I would wait to see him play another game like last night before triggering him. If it means anything he was in my starting lineup in my weekly league for last nights game.
Eric Gordon is someone you definitely want to add. I do not know if dropping Isaiah Thomas is the right move as he played over 48 Minutes in his last game. The Kings seem committed to give him 30+ a night, and his potential is very solid in that offense.
Gordon Hayward has his games, but he also has his clunkers. The Jazz are a low-post offensive team, and I would feel safer with Gordon over Hayward. There is a risk Gordon does not return this season, but right now that does not look the case as he is almost ready to play.
Hello M,
So here’s my new team, I have made some big changes since my last post and wanted to get your opinion moving into next week’s playoffs:
D Wade
Isaiah T. (recent add)
Tyreke Evans
Gordon Hayward (recent add)
Manu
K. Leonard (recent add)
Klay T.
Jason Thompson (recent add)
Gerald Wallace
Bargnani
M. Gasol
P. Gasol
Z. Randolph
The drops I made were: Biyombo, Nate Rob, Ridnour, & Wilson Chandler
I like my addidtions and I got a slight boost on the playoff schedule as well. The only other pickup I am thinking about is for Eric Gordon who is still out on the wire and also B. Rush.
What is you advice moving forward?
With Carmello moving to power foward what does this mean the Knicks roster? Is Shumpert or anyone else on the knicks worth adding?
Hey Munt, do you have any updates on Drose, Lin, or Iggy’s health situation?
I have a full lineup and I need to figure out who I should bench tomorrow if they’re not playing so I can earn points.
Also I have Pekovic on waivers. I can drop Courtney Lee, Devin Harris, or Javale Mcgee for him.
Do you think he’ll play tomorrow and if so, who should I drop?
I’m in a H2H daily league in a very close matchup
Solid additions.
Isaiah is getting over 35 Minutes a game, lately over 40. He was an excellent add as the Kings are playing for the future.
Hayward is good, he has his off games, but he also has great all-around performances that you would expect from Manu Ginobili.
Jason Thompson is a beast and will look to be a solid double-double guy going forward. If he has a few rough games in a row I would feel okay dropping game. When Tyreke gets back into full throttle that will probably hurt Thompson in value.
Kawhi Leonard is good. He is playing well right now, but he is not someone I would want to trust in the fantasy playoffs. I would much rather have Eric Gordon and his upside. All signs are pointing to him returning as soon as this weekend if not the start of next week. He is practicing and reporting no setbacks. I would add Gordon now as Leonard is no guarntee for any solid games. Soon Stephen Jackson should have a larger role on the team as well.
Let me know if you have any questions. Keep starting your hottest players, you can figure that out by reading my Daily Show reports.
Shumpert has been getting a lot of PT, but this has also opened up the door for J.R. Smith to play a lot of minutes.
Before adding either of them I would wait to see what happens with Baron Davis, Jeremy Lin, and Landry Fields when Lin returns to the lineup. This could be a two man fantasy team of Carmelo and Chandler for the time being.
Stay tuned.
D-Rose is still not playing or doing contact drills. Looks like he really hurt you this week, still have to keep him as you do not want to face him in the next round if you make it.
Lin is very questionable as well, reports are they will make the call at gametime.
Iguodala is a game-time call. It is tough that you have to hold onto him in your playoff matchup. Stay tuned for my Daily Rankings tomorrow to see if he is worth being active. The good news is, he practiced yesterday.
I would hold onto Courtney Lee, Kevin Martin is still not close to returning which means 35+ Minutes almost guaranteed. Devin Harris is a 30+ Minute PG and is back to being a safe option, no way you drop him.
Javale McGee is starting to finally play well, but the minutes are not there, and it is hard to imagine them staying consistent. If you had to drop any of the three it would be him. However Nikola in his first game back is not guaranteed a lot of minutes, and in a playoff matchup I would go with the guy who is definitely 100%.
Stay tuned in the daily rankings to see the status on your players. If you want more feedback join the chat and ask the Beast Dome Community.
is it okay to drop ariza or nate robinson for gerald green or marco belinelli? thanks!
Thanks M,
Unfortunately Gordon is now gone, but Calderon was dropped in the process and someone recently dropped Peck aswell. Thinking of dropping G. Wallace for Peck due to inconsistency and drop Leonard for Calderon. But im a bit concerned with both those guys health problems…..Thoughts?
Thanks in advance!
Gordon Hayward is coming off waivers tommorrow, should I drop wilson chandler for him?
Both are droppable.
I would look to add Austin Daye or J.J. Hickson over those two. Waiver wire article is coming out soon.
Gerald Green is going to get a decrease in value when Anthony Morrow returns.
Marco is going to get a decrease in value now that Vasquez deserves more minutes when Jack is healthy. Plus when Ariza comes back in two more games those shot attempts will be distributed.
For quicker responses and other opinions join the chat.
I would add Calderon instantly now that Jerryd Bayless is out for the season. 10 Assists should be expected everynight, everything else is a bonus.
I would not be so quick to pickup Pek because of the injury, Gerald Wallace is still getting enough PT where you have to hold onto him. He could find his groove on a team that does not care how many times he shoots.
Drop Leonard for Calderon, and wait to see how Gerald Wallace does or if Pek returns before making the other move.
For quicker responses and other opinions join the chat.
Without a doubt. Hayward has no competition for PT as the best wing player the Jazz have to offer. I cannot even say the same thing about Wilson Chandler without four names coming to my mind right away.
Add Hayward. Drop Chandler.
For quicker responses and other opinions join the chat.
I have a bye this week in fantasy but my team has some injuries. I have Pekovic and Lin who I’m thinking of dropping because idk when they’re coming back. I’m in a ten team league with good free agents like isiah thomas, gordon hayward, Chandler Parsons and Nate Robinson to name a few. Should I drop Lin or Pekovic for free agents like these? Or wait a little? With these guys out I’m mainly hurting in rebounds but without Lin i still have Jarett Jack, Mike Conley and Ramon Sessions at pg. Thanks.
Thank you for the advice yesterday, I was able to win today’s matchup.
I also picked up Baron Davis and dropped Jeremy Lin because he’s gonna be out for a while.
Charles Jenkins is on the waivers and he went off tonight. Should I add him for Mcgee/Davis?
Hey Brendan,
I would drop Lin and pickup Isaiah Thomas who is completely on fire as a fantasy option. 30+ Minutes is expected every night. Lin has lost his full-time role as he is likely to split his gig with Baron Davis and Iman Shumpert who is now playing a lot of combo guard.
If you want to drop Pekovic I do not blame you, if I had to add one of those guys it would be Gordon Hayward who is the only solid Wing option the Jazz have. However Alec Burks is starting to develop a bigger role which could hurt Gordon.
Parsons I do not trust night in and night out. Nate Robinson has lost his starting gig completely.
Wait to hear the update on Peko, if it seems like he is out for a while, then add Gordon.
Stay tuned and check the waiver wire report coming soon.
For quick answers and other opinions join the chat.
Glad to hear you won.
I would go with Charles Jenkins over Baron Davis. Jeremy Lin could return soon, and that will kill all of Baron Davis’s fantasy value. If Jenkins has another big game then he is more than solid moving forward to close out the season.
Good Luck.
For quick answers and other opinions join the chat.
I hope you held onto Wallace who was Playoff Fantasy MVP for the day.
Jose Calderon was solid as well with 16 Assists.
Should i drop nate robinson for charles jenkins?
Do you think Charles Jenkins will start the rest of the way over Nate Robinson if Curry is not back?
Do you think JJ Hickson will start to provide beast stats if he is given the minutes (or was it just because LMA was out)? Is he a solid option for these last 2 playoff weeks? I was looking at his 2011 stats towards the end of the year, and he was providing great numbers.
Do you think Marcus Camby will start now over Samuel Dalembert?
Would you keep Wilson Chandler once Gallo returns even if Wilson only has 3 games next week?
I may pick up Jason Thompson again for his 5 games next week (for Tristan) and possibly OJ Mayo (for his 10 games the next 2 weeks for Augustin). If I make it to the finals in 2 weeks, I’ll probably pick Bismack Biyombo back up for his 5 games that week, but I had to drop him.
I’m basically playing week by week now to survive in the playoffs (since my team is struggling right now in the first round), so I am not picking up players for their overall potential but for what they will provide and how many games they have that week.
PG-Steve Nash, SG-Ray Allen, G-Brandon Jennings
SF-Marcus Thornton, PF-Luis Scola, F-Wilson Chandler (stream spot?)
C-Dwight Howard, C-Javale McGee
UTIL-DJ Augustin (may drop soon), Lou Williams, Carl Landry (stream spot-will drop after this weekend), Gordon Hayward (stream spot?-but he’s playing very well right now so I may keep him), Tristan Thompson (stream spot)
Thanks!
Thanks, I’ll wait to drop Pekovic but I realized Ridnour was just dropped recently and I can pick him up. Still like Thomas as a pick up?
Without a doubt. Jenkins has the door wide open to claim the PG job and run with it the rest of the season.
http://www.beastdome.com/fantasy-basketball-week-15-waiver-wire-playoffs
Richard glad to answer your questions.
1. Yes I expect Jenkins to be the starting PG the rest of the way, Nate did not show anything special as a starter and the team is building for the future.
2. He is a solid add without a doubt. There are minutes open to him at the center position as well. His consistency will not be elite since the Blazers have plenty of scoring weapons, however he should be able to get double-double quality production with the potential for more.
3. Tough to say with Camby, it appears McHale was never too satisfied with Dalembert to begin with as he was struggling to get consistent PT for a majority of the season. Camby does have a good chance to build off that game and become a must-add player. I would personally wait to see it one more time before jumping the gun.
4. I am done with Wilson. He did not provide to be a fantasy beast like we all expected and with Gallo returning soon his chances will be limited. Even if Chandler has a good game here and there, he will not be a consistent option down the stretch. You can drop him in all leagues.
You can drop Chandler now. You can drop Landry now, especially if Gustavo Ayon or Chris Kaman return this upcoming week.
I would hold onto D.J. after his huge game, the Bobcats are not counting him out of their future for now. I would probably rather have O.J. Mayo than Lou Williams who is one of the most inconsistent fantasy options on a team that has a new leading scorer every game, you can drop Chandler for him. If Jason Thompson qualifies at center I would pick him up for Carl Landry in this 5 game week. It does not seem likely McGee is going to be a consistent 30+ Minute guy, especially with the Nuggets getting deeper.
Keep Hayward, and hopefully for your sake this Tristan Thompson night was a fluke.
Let me know if you have other questions.
http://www.beastdome.com/fantasy-basketball-week-15-waiver-wire-playoffs
Isaiah Thomas has 5 games in this upcoming week, even if he has two okay game, he can still have three good ones and be a solid start in all leagues.
Hey Munt. I just lost in this round of the playoffs because of injuries to Ray Allen and a bunch of my players not playing on random nights. Again, thank you for all of your help this season, and I will return next fall because you give great fantasy advice! Do you give fantasy football advice btw?
Steve despite the 2nd half of Nate Robinson, and the knee bruise to Charles Jenkins. I still believe it is Jenkins team, however both players are going to cancel eachother out most nights, and you are better going off with a different guard. If you can give me a list of guys before your deadline I would be happy to help you out.
Rich that breaks my heart. I am very sorry to hear that you lost.
Next year catch me before the draft so you will be ready to dominate the whole season instead of making a late push based off of my information. There will be a Testimonial article after the basketball season, I would appreciate if you wrote on that.
And you bet I do Fantasy Football. I am the man who discovered Kevin Smith before he had his breakout game.
http://www.beastdome.com/week-16-fantasy-football-rankings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SZBsMeOQpQ
Looking forward to seeing you back in football season!
Alright, sounds good. I would be happy to write a testimonial. I’ll see you in a few months!
Happy to be on the chat and forum with you guys! Should i drop javale mcgee for hickson? hickson is pf and center in my league (which is almost over – halfway thru the first of two playoff weeks) h2h 8 category
Muntra-
First round in the playoffs starts today and I am the #7 seed against the 2. Picked up Byron Mullins and Iman Shumpert, and Brandon Rush for Trevor Booker, James Johnson, and Bismack Biyombo (had to give up on him).
Team for week: (with injuries)
PG- Ty Lawson
SG- Jarrett Jack
G- Iman Shumpert
SF- Danny Granger
PF- Kevin Love
F- DeAndre Jordan
C- Serge Ibaka
C- Byron Mullins
Util- Corey Maggette
Util- Brandon Rush
Bench- Anderson Varejao INJ
Bench- Kyle Lowry INJ
Bench- Ray Allen INJ
Are there any players I should pick up for Lowry because they play a lot of games this week (I need all the help I can get beating this team!)
Thanks – will check in every other day hopefully.
GoWarriors glad you could join us.
Make the move, McGee is not a consistent threat to see a lot of PT. I would drop him instantly for J.J. Hickson who should be able to put up near double-double numbers every game if not more. Plus McGee only has 3 games this week.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Glad to see you’re back Christian
Kemba Walker is a must-add player now that he is starting for Charlotte.
I would pick him up instantly for Brandon Rush and start him right away, it appears Rush is falling on the depth chart and cannot be counted on for consistent games.
Kyle Lowry is going to be re-evaluated at the end of the week, so he can still make a fantasy impact.
Besides that your team looks okay, it would help if you could give me a list of FA’s.
I study all these players day and night so I know their trends and what’s in store for all of them.
If this is your lineup for good and you could not get back to me in time, good luck and let me know how it turns out.
Christian. The Injury Bug has hit you again.
Corey Maggette will not play this week. Change your lineup ASAP.
Kemba Walker
Byron Mullens
J.R. Smith
Baron Davis
Check the waiver wire article..Find a replacement before it is too late!!
In my league the transaction takes place a day after you make the move so Maggette didn’t help or hurt me.
I dropped him for J.R., Walker is owned by another team and I already have Mullins.
FA’s:
Mario Chalmers
Kawhi Leonard
James Johnson
K-Mart
Mo Williams
J.J. Hickson
Kidd
Korver
Danny Green
Trevor Ariza
Chandler Parsons
Randy Foye
Ed Davis
Matt Barnes
Gustavo Ayon
Greivis Vasquez
Singleton
Evan Turner
Tyrus Thomas
DJ White
Step Curry
Which one for Rush? …plus I would rather have somebody that plays more times in the week even if it means a weaker player, no?
For the moment I’m going to pick up J.J. Hickson who looks like the best bet and he is starting. I still have one more add for the week but I like Hickson for now.
Thank you!
I can change my lineup day by day too…
J.J. is definitely the answer for Rush.
Feel free to ask any questions when they come.
Lets win that championship Christian!
Done! Thank you for being there all season Muntra! I’m too indecisive to make these big decisions myself. It really hurts to drop someone you picked in the draft and waited all season for McGee to do something!
Can you see my league?
http://games.espn.go.com/fba/boxscorefull?leagueId=248456&teamId=8&scoringPeriodId=100&seasonId=2012&view=scoringperiod&version=full
Who would you start on April 4? Everyone on my team plays. 3 guys must sit.
Current- Chris Paul, Kobe, Rudy Gay, Ersan, Gooden, Manu, Joe Johnson, Jordan Crawford, Sessions, G Hayward
Bench – Jrue Holiday, Calderon, Hickson
I need 3’s this is the only category I can make a move in!
NAME FG% FT% 3PT REB AST STL BLK PTS SCORE
#4 WARRIO .4529 .7688 52 245 243 57 23 801 4-4-0
#1 Team Clay .4737 .7945 53 218 152 33 42 673 4-4-0
Pekovic just had a great game, what do you think about him? My watch list = brandon rush, brandon bass, gerald henderson, spencer hawes, mike conley!!?, iman shumpert, kawhi leonard, belinelli, jenkins, seraphin, foye, shannon brown, gerald green
Mike,
Pekovic looked great and should be back to a must-start center by his next game.
To rank those FAs if Pekovic is on that list:
Pekovic
Conley
———–
Henderson
Bass
Brown
Hawes
——–
Foye
Jenkins
Rush
Broke it down to you in tiers. Let me know if you have any other questions or players to drop.
I can see your matchup.
After reading this, I would drop Hickson for Pekovic.
And I would be ready to drop Holiday for Conley once I hear he is officially coming back. Conley will give you solid, more consistent numbers across the board.
Drew Gooden is not ready to be dropped, but he is ready to really hurt you. Give him another game before hitting the panic switch.
A strategy you can do to win this week no questions asked when everyone is playing. Move Gooden to your bench and play Calderon to get more 3PTM and assists. You might as well punt the Blocks department since it is very unlikely you catch up. Ibaka is too much for your team to handle.
Check my Daily Rankings tomorrow to see who to start and continue to send the matchup link when asking questions for reference.
Lets win this Championship!
Thanks Munt! You can see my draft picks, they are so sad! Jrue Holiday 4th pick! But thanks to you I have a great shot of winning this! I will be writing another testimonial for sure.
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