FANTASY BASKETBALL Daily Show: Week 5 (Jan 23rd-Jan 30th)

FANTASY BASKETBALL Daily Show: Week 5 (Jan 23^rd-Jan 30^th)

*If you are new to MaddenArena for Fantasy Basketball.  Check out our Season preview.

This article will be updated every day this week. Saturday and Sunday are specifically designed for Q&A, though questions will be answered throughout the week.

Last Updated: 1/28/12 (am)

In this column, Muntradamus will share Fantasy Basketball Observations that you can take or leave to help your team get better.  Feel free to ask questions, our experts (SFD and myself) will answer them. Check this page daily to see what I have to say about your players.

(For a Recap of all the Fantasy Players up to date Prt. 1)
(For a Recap of all the Fantasy Players up to date Prt. 2)
(Players to Sell, or Buy.  Check out the Fantasy Basketball Trade Market Updated throughout the week)
(Sleeper of the Week)

Monday (1/23/12)

Memphis 91 @ Golden State 90

• Memphis Grizzlies: Mike Conley (20 Points, 9 Assists, 2 3PTM) is still playing like the breakout player of the season.  Conley is turning into an elite fantasy option at the Guard spot.  Tony Allen (36 Minutes) continues to split time with OJ Mayo (31 Minutes), if Mayo plays 30+ minutes he is worth using in all fantasy leagues.  Marc Gasol (15 Points, 11 Rebounds, 1 Block, 1 Steal) continues to fill up the stat sheet very nicely for a center.  Rudy Gay (23 Points, 9 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 2 Blocks) continues to be Rudy Gay, he is over that should injury.  Marresse Speights (24 Minutes, 8 Points) is counting down the days he is back to being a backup to Zach Randolph.
• Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry (18 Points, 6 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 3 Steals, 2 3PTM, 36 Minutes) Steph is looking at that ankle injury in the rear view mirror.  No bad news on the fantasy guard out of Davidson who could play like a 1^st round pick any given night.  Monta Ellis (20 Points, 5 Assists, 4 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 3 3PTM) still has elite fantasy potential with Curry back every night.  In case anybody was worried.  David Lee (13 Points, 12 Rebounds, 5 Assists) is quietly becoming less, and less of a 20+ Point threat with the Warriors finally looking healthy.  Dorrell Wright (8 Points, 33 Minutes) really has to worry about Brandon Rush (25 Minutes, 10 Points) and Klay Thompson (7 Points, 13 Minutes).

Sacramento 89 @ Portland 101

• Sacramento Kings: Tyreke Evans (9 Points, 5 Rebounds, 5 Assists) had a bad fantasy night with no Marcus Thornton (Quad) in the lineup.  John Salmons (0 Points) could have opened up the possibility of Donte Greene (Started, 23 Minutes, 12 Points, 3 Assists) taking over a majority of his minutes, if not the starting spot all together.  DeMarcus Cousins (18 Points, 13 Rebounds) continues to be a double-double beast, while Jason Thomspon (8 Points, 8 Rebounds, 24 Minutes) is trying to solidify his role even when Chuck Hayes returns.  Jimmer Fredette (13 Points, 5/7 Shooting, 21 Minutes) won’t go down easy.
• Portland Trail Blazers: Jamal Crawford (26 Points, 5 Assists, 32 Minutes) had one of those nights that was bound to have another key Blazer suffer.  Luckily for fantasy owners it was not LaMarcus Aldridge (13 Points, 16 Rebounds).  It was not even Gerald Wallace (20 Points, 8 Rebounds) who never scores 20 Points anymore like he use too.  Wesley Matthews (14 Points, 4 Rebounds) was not bad, we’ve seen worse.  Raymond Felton (11 Points, 5 Assists, 5 Rebounds) was decent.  The fantasy player who suffered was…Nicholas Batum (0 Points, 18 Minutes).  Marcus Camby (12 Minutes, 2 Points, 6 Rebounds, 1 Block) was pretty awful too.

Phoenix 87 @ Dallas 93   

• Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash (8 Points, 12 Assists, 36 Minutes) continues to put up great assist numbers despite playing on an awful team.  Marcin Gortat (19 Points, 17 Rebounds, 3 Blocks) is not only the main guy benefiting from all of Steve Nash’s dimes.  He is also looking like a top 5 option at his position.  It will be interesting to see where he comes in on the MONTHLY MUNTRADAMUS RANKINGS.  Grant Hill (19 Points, 8 Rebounds, 34 Minutes) is getting enough minutes where he is not a bad fantasy option on any team.  19 Points was nice, you can’t expect that too often.  Ronnie Price (Started, 3 Points, 15 Minutes) for no good reason at all is ruining the fantasy value of Jared Dudley (8 Rebounds, 25 Minutes) and Shannon Brown (14 Points, 25 Minutes).  While Markieff Morris (30 Minutes, 7 Points, 11 Rebounds) may have pulled ahead from Channing Frye (4 Points, 16 Minutes) and Hakim Warrick (DNP-CD).
• Dallas Mavericks: Shawn Marion (31 Minutes, 29 Points, 1 Steal, 4 Rebounds) was the fantasy sleeper of the week for a good reason, along with his buddy Lamar Odom (28 Minutes, 11 Points, 5 Assists, 2 3PTM).  Both players have huge upside as the week continues.  Jason Kidd (3 Points, 5 Assists, 5 Rebounds) needs to double all of those numbers soon to get his trade value back.  Jason Terry (12 Points, 1 3PTM, 32 Minutes) did not do much to separate from Delonte West (26 Minutes, 2 Points, 6 Rebounds).  West is doing no favors for himself to keep his starting job.  Ian Mahinmi (17 Points, 9 Rebounds, 3 Blocks, 28 Minutes) is ready for that starting job, while Brendan Haywood (10 Points, 6 Rebounds) is not giving in.

Atlanta 97 @ Milwaukee 92

• Atlanta Hawks: Joe Johnson (28 Points, 5 Rebounds, 41 Minutes) is definitely putting up an effort we did not expect from a player who was heading in the wrong direction to start the season.  Josh Smith (19 Points, 13 Rebounds, 3 Blocks, 1 Steal) continues to be a fantasy monster.  Jeff Teague (15 Points, 6 Rebounds, 5 Assists) is staying consistent, but the Kirk Hinrich countdown is any game.  Marvin Williams (6 Points, 4 Rebounds) has been doing poor enough lately to prove his early season success was a fluke, while Zaza Pachulia (9 Points, 14 Rebounds) is doing what it takes to be the starting center for the Hawks.
• Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings (21 Points, 11 Assists, 5 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 2 Blocks, 3 3PTM) has been putting up numbers like these all season.  Fantasy owners who snagged him are definitely padding themselves on the back.  Andrew Bogut (6 Points, 12 Rebounds) is not as consistent as he has been in the past.  At least his concussion problems look to be past him.  Shaun Livingston (16 Minutes, 8 Points) came back to reality while Carlos Delfino (5 Points, Started) continues to blow his opportunities.  Stephen Jackson (28 Minutes, 0/1 Shooting, 2 Blocks, 1 Steal) only took one shot, and who knows what direction they Bucks go with him, but they need his offense.

New Jersey 95 @ Chicago 110

• Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose (22 Points, 8 Assists, 5 Rebounds, 36 Minutes) looked healthy and ready to carry his Bulls again.  Luol Deng (wrist) did not play, which opened up Rip Hamilton (22 Points, 10 Assists, 42 Minutes) to be the 2^nd shooting option.  Rip is a great player to use when Luol Deng is not in the lineup.  Carlos Boozer (14 Points, 9 Rebounds, 2 Blocks, 2 Steals) is continuing to put up some solid games consistently.  Joakim Noah (16 Points, 10 Rebounds) returned and looks good going forward, hopefully he stays consistent because he has been up some clunkers this season.
• New Jersey Nets: Deron Williams (16 Points, 10 Assists) continues to play like a 1^st round pick.  This would be considered an okay game for the star out of Illinois.  Anthony Morrow (15 Points) stepped in nicely with the absence of MarShon Brooks (Achilles).  Kris Humphries (7 Points, 6 Rebounds) and Mehmet Okur (7 Points, 3 Rebounds) are counting down the days Brook Lopez return, and their fantasy values take a hit.

San Antonio 104 @ New Orleans 102

• San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan (28 Points, 7 Rebounds, 1 Steal) remains a good sell high candidate by Sir Fantasy Drake.  You can read more about him here.  Kwahi Leonard (0 Points, 7 Minutes) is done as a consistent fantasy player, especially when Manu Ginobili returns.  Tiaggo Splitter (12 Points, 6 Rebounds) remains a solid fantasy reserve who will have good value if Dejuan Blair (4 Points, 4 Rebounds) continues to struggle.  Tony Parker (20 Points, 17 Assists) continues to dominate with no Manu in the lineup.  Richard Jefferson (14 Points) is staying average at best.
• New Orleans Hornets: Jarret Jack (26 Points, 6 Rebounds, 9 Assists) continues to be a fantasy stud with Eric Gordon not in the lineup.  Gordon is expected to miss another 3 weeks of action.  Emeka Okafor (10 Points, 8 Rebounds, 3 Blocks) remains the safest big man out of Jason Smith (5 Points) and Chris Kaman (6 Points, 4 Rebounds).  Carl Landry (31 Minutes, 18 Points, 8 Rebounds) has the upside to break that starting lineup and be the #2 option for the Hornets in front of Trevor Ariza (18 Points, 6 Rebounds, 5 Assists) even though Ariza is back to his Houston Rocket fantasy days.

Houston 107 @ Minnesota 92

• Houston Rockets: Kevin Martin (31 Points, 2 Rebounds, 4 3PTM) despite shooting less than 50% (10/21) from the field, Kevin Martin is starting to play like the fantasy beast people drafted him to be.  Kyle Lowry (16 Points, 10 Rebounds, 10 Assists, 3 Steals) continues to be Jason Kidd 2.0.  If he puts up more triple doubles, I will bump him up to 3.0, great season for Lowry.  Samuel Dalembert (15 Rebounds, 2 Blocks, 4 Points) still had a great game despite scoring less than 5 points.  He was a steal in all fantasy drafts.  Luis Scola (7/12 Shooting, 15 Points, 3 Rebounds) is playing soft like he has been all season, but at least the points are still coming consistently.  He is averaging less than 6 rebounds/game.
• Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Love (39 Points, 12 Rebounds, 5 3PTM, 1 Steal) put up a game that reminded us why he deserves to potentially go #1 in all fantasy drafts that started today.  Ricky Rubio (6 Points, 12 Assists, 3 Steals) continues to put up solid numbers in a season where everyone said he would do nothing.  Luke Ridnour (17 Points, 8 Assists) semi-broke out.  A few more games like this and he can solidify his roster spot when Michael Beasley returns.  Derrick Williams (11 Points, 7 Rebounds, 33 Minutes) got the start, and did not do much with it.  Back to the drawing board for Minnesota to find something that works.

Detroit 79 @ Oklahoma City 99

• Detroit Pistons: Austin Daye (9 Points, 7 Rebounds, 19 Minutes) is an up and coming fantasy super star, if you have the roster space, pick him before it is too late.  Especially when Tayshaun Prince (9 Points, 31 Minutes) continues to put up lines like that.  Greg Monroe (12 Points, 7 Rebounds, 3/14 Shooting) had a bad night like all Pistons did.  At least he still approached double-double numbers.  Brandon Knight (32 Minutes, 13 Points, 2 Assists) was awful, but he will continue to get the minutes as he is one of the franchise players for Detroit.  Rodney Stuckey (23 Minutes, 12 Points) did not take advantage of the absence of Ben Gordon (Shoulder).
• Oklahoma City Thunder: James Harden (24 Points, 5 Rebounds, 4 Assists) is right back to where we expected him to be.  He is ready to continue his breakthrough season.  Kevin Durant (20 Points, 5 Rebounds, 2 Steals) should be having bigger fantasy nights for the #2 overall pick in most drafts.  Serge Ibaka (26 Minutes, 6 Points, 10 Rebounds, 5 Blocks) is all blocks and rebounds, it would be interesting if he started getting 30+ minutes a night consistently.  Russell Westbrook (24 Points, 5 Rebounds, 6 Assists) put up great numbers for a game where the starters did not play much of the 4^th quarter.  He is still ranked ahead of Deron Williams as far as fantasy guards go.

Orlando 56 @ Boston 87

• Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard (18 Points, 14 Rebounds, 1 Steal, 1 Block) was the only Magic player to show up in this one.  That contract extension with the Magic is not looking as likely.  Jameer Nelson (5 Points, 1 Block) owners will take a random block from Jameer when they can.  Jason Richardson (5 Points) did not show up in this game, the same can be said about Hedo Turkolgu (7 Points) and especially Ryan Anderson (0 Points).  The Magic were simply blown out and looked terrible.
• Boston Celtics:  Paul Pierce (19 Points, 7 Assists, 5 Rebounds) continues to be the star for Boston with no Rajon Rondo (Wrist).  Ray Allen (ankle) sat this one out, so Kevin Garnett (14 Points, 10 Rebounds, 5 Steals, 2 Blocks) decided to have a vintage KG game.  It would be nice to see this consistently, but with Brandon Bass (19 Points, 8 Rebounds, 34 Minutes) playing so well off the bench, who knows how long it will last.

Washington 83 @ Philadelphia 103

• Washington Wizards: John Wall (13 Points, 5 Assists) did what he could in another Wizard blowout.  These lines just happen with him from time-to-time.  Jordan Crawford (17 Points) usually thrives in these situations, and is starting to look more explosive than Nick Young (10 Points).  The Wizards need to figure out a way to get these guys featured more.  Rashard Lewis (11 Points) came back to the starting lineup, he has some value because of his 3PT shot, while JaVale McGee (2 Points, 2 Rebounds, 2 Blocks) continues his disappointing season.  Andray Blatche (13 Points, 4 Rebounds) had another tough game and has not had a monster performance in a while.
• Philadelphia 76ers: Jrue Holiday (17 Points, 4 Rebounds, 4 Assits, 36 Minutes) continues to get the confidence to go out there and play big minutes consistently.  The same cannot be said about Evan Turner (28 Minutes, 7 Points, 5 Assists, 4 Rebounds, 3 Steals) and Louis Williams (26 minutes, 14 Points, 2 Assists).  Both players should be eating Jodie Meeks (26 Minutes, 15 Points) playing time, but he is not going down easy.  Thaddeus Young (14 Points, 7 Rebounds, 1 Block) continues to play a role off the bench, while Elton Brand (17 Points, 9 Rebounds) continues to dominate with no Spencer Hawes (Achilles) who should be back soon.  Andre Iguodala (7 Points, 11 Assists, 7 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 Block) had a vintage Iguodala night.  It would be nice if this was more consistent.

Tuesday (1/24/12)

Memphis 84  @ Portland 97

• Memphis Grizzlies: Portland is the toughest fantasy defense in the NBA.  The Grizzlies experienced this first hand.  Rudy Gay (11 Points, 5 Rebounds, 2 Steals) had the best fantasy day of all Memphis starters.  Marc Gasol (7 Points, 4 Rebounds) had a game that owners will want to forget, as well as Mike Conley (6 Points, 7 Assists, 5 Steals) who still put up a decent game.  OJ Mayo (20 Points, 2 Rebounds) is starting to make a move on Tony Allen (8 Points) a few more games like this and we will see the switch.  Mayo is already seeing nice minutes with 25+ in his last 6 games.
• Portland Trailblazers: LaMarcus Aldridge (23 Points, 6 Rebounds) continues to put up a decently consistent season.  Owners would like to see more than 6 rebounds, but you cannot win them all.  Gerald Wallace (7 Points, 11 Rebounds, 2 Steals) is putting up some nice fantasy numbers despite not being consistent.  Raymond Felton (10 Points, 2 Assists) had a night to forget, the same should be said about Wesley Matthew (13 Points, 1 Rebound, 1 Assists) but he is doing this far too often to forget.  Jamal Crawford (15 Points,4 Assists) came back to earth, which allowed Nicholas Batum (10 Points, 19 Minutes) to get his a night after being shut out.  Marcus Camby (22 Rebounds, 5 Blocks, 2 Steals, 3 Points) had one of those nights that will give him some nice trade value.  If he can do this back-to-back it would be a good time to sell high and get a consistent threat.

Toronto 99 @ Phoenix 96

• Toronto Raptors: Were very happy to see their star Andrea Bargnani (36 Points, 6 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 Block, 46 Minutes, 4 3PTM) come back exactly where he left off.  He is one of the top fantasy centers to own in all leagues.  James Johnson (18 Points, 10 Rebounds, 35 Minutes) continues to look good in that starting role, and deserves to be starting in all fantasy lineups with his high block/steal potential.  I will say it again he is Gerald Wallace 2.0 Potential.  Jose Calderon (6 Points, 11 Assists) needs to score more to get Jerryd Bayless (2 Points, 14 Minutes) off his back.  Leandro Barbosa (31 Minutes, 19 Points) is starting to really eat into DeMar DeRozan’s (4 Points, 2 Steals, 22 Minutes) fantasy value.  Amir Johnson (12 Minutes) and Ed Davis (3 Minutes) were non factors in this one.  Amir because of lack of hustle, I have no idea why Ed saw so little time.
• Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash (17 Points, 14 Assists, 7 Rebounds) is miraculously putting up huge fantasy nights despite his slow start and his age.  His upside is huge when he gets traded to a good team.  Marcin Gortat (21 Points, 12 Rebounds, 2 Blocks) is starting to get into the Andrew Bynum range in rankings.  He is playing so consistent and so well, always threat to take over.  Hakim Warrick (17 Points, 4 Assists, 25 Minutes) made a statement after being benched last night.  The Suns now have a complete log jam of Markieff Morris (4 Points, 16 Minutes) and Channing Frye (12 Minutes, 3 Points) for that power forward spot with Warrick breaking out.  Grant Hill (11 Points) continues to be modest in his SF spot that may be in danger by Warrick as well.  No SG for the Suns has any value with Ronnie Price (4 Points, 5 Rebounds, 27 Minutes).

Cleveland 85 @ Miami 92

• Cleveland Cavilers: had a chance to beat Lebron James in Miami, but let it slip away.  Kyrie Irving (17 Points, 4 Rebounds, 26 Minutes) needs to see more court action for this team to go to the next level.  Anderson Varejao (11 Points, 11 Rebounds) is always a double-double threat every night.  While Antwan Jamison (2/6 Shooting, 4 Steals, 5 Points) was afraid to shoot the ball with Tristan Thompson out.
• Miami Heat: were once again with Dwayne Wade.  That meant Chris Bosh (35 Points, 7 Rebounds) had to step up, especially in the 4^th quarter where he scored 17 Points.  That almost matched the total of Lebron James (18 Points, 5 Rebounds, 5 Assists) who uncharacteristically put up a mediocre performance.  Mario Chalmers (9 Points, 3 Assists) will have so little value once Wade returns, especially when Norris Cole (10 Points) out scores him off the bench.  Udonis Haslem (10 Rebounds, 2 Blocks) continues to have some value in deeper leagues where he qualifies at center.

New York Knicks 111 @ Charlotte 78

• New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony (1 Point, 11 Rebounds, 29 Minutes) had a night that has no words that can describe it.  After shooting the ball 20+ times every game last week, Melo only had one point on 7 shot attempts.  Chalk this one up, it never happened.  Amare Stoudemire (18 Points, 8 Rebounds) has to have a bigger fantasy game when Carmelo scores less than 2 Points.  This is simply mediocre at best for Amare and he has become a fantasy disappoint since Melo’s arrival in NY.  Iman Shumpert (1/9 Shooting, 3 Points, 5 Rebounds, 2 Assists) was an excellent sell high candidate recommended two weeks ago by Sir Fantasy Drake.  His value will only drop a little more once Baron Davis returns.  Tyson Chandler (20 Points, 17 Rebounds) did what he could to save the Knicks and bring them to victory.  Chandler is having a nice season with the Knicks, but history tells us 20+ point games from Chandler are very rare.
• Charlotte Bobcats: are still very excited for what their future holds with Kemba Walker (22 Points, 5 Rebounds, 35 Minutes).  He has excellent fantasy value moving forward, the same cannot be said about Byron Mullens (6 Points, 5 Rebounds, 28 Minutes).  Mullens has to deal with Bismack Biyombo (3 Rebounds, 11 Minutes) and his fantasy potential eventually replacing him.  Gerald Henderson (15 Points, 14 Shot attempts) will have some competition for his old SF spot when DJ Augustin returns, as Derrick Brown (15 Points, 13 Shot attempts) did well in his spot start.  Tyrus Thomas (31 Minutes, 4 Points, 4 Rebounds) continues to show no growth as an NBA player and soon the Bobcats will grow tired of it.

Orlando 102 @ Indiana 83

• Orlando Magic: a night after scoring less than 60 Points against Boston.  Ryan Anderson (24 Points, 8 Rebounds) made his fantasy owners slightly forget about his 0 point effort.  Hedo Turkoglu (11 Points, 8 Assists) had a nice fantasy night and something to build off of moving forward.  Jameer Nelson (2 Points, 5 Assists) is having trouble finding his grove this season.  Same can be said about Jason Richardson (2 Points) who is not the same player since joining the Magic.  Dwight Howard (14 Points, 9 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 Block) had a quit night for him.
• Indiana Pacers: Roy Hibbert (16 Points, 12 Rebounds, 2 Blocks) continues to be the most consistent fantasy option for the Pacers.  He is definitely at the next level in his young career.  Danny Granger (16 Points, 3 Rebounds) had another poor shooting night as he was unable to eclipse the 40% mark.  David West (6 Points) had a bad night as well as all Pacers did.  George Hill (2 Points) is doing no favors of replacing Darren Collison (31 Minutes, 11 Points, 0 Assists) anytime soon.  Paul George (7 Points,35 Minutes) continues to be all hype, while Tyler Hansbrough (8 Points, 3 Rebounds) has dropped a lot in value lately.

 

Wednesday (1/25/12)

 

New Jersey 97 @ Philadelphia 90

• New Jersey Nets: Deron Williams (34 Points, 11 Assists, 3 3PTM) kicks off the Wednesday Daily Show with another spectacular performance.  He is well past his early season struggles.  MarShon Brooks (Achilles) missed another game which allowed Anthony Morrow (40 Minutes, 16 Points, 2 3PTM) a chance to gain his old spot back.  Brooks should still get his 30+ Minutes when he returns.  Kris Humphries (13 Points, 19 Rebounds) had a big bounce back game, and looks to get all he can out of this time until Brook Lopez returns.  Mehmet Okur (11 Points) did enough to fill the gap in Lopez’s absence tonight.
• Philadelphia 76ers: Louis Williams (17 Points, 6 Assists, 31 Minutes) came off the bench to lead the 76ers in scoring.  When that happens Jrue Holiday (14 Points, 7 Assists, 3 Steals) typically has nights worse than this.  But someone else had to provide the scoring as Andre Iguodala (12 Points, 4 Assists, 33% shooting) simply had an off night after putting up a vintage game.  Elton Brand (16 Points, 4 Rebounds) had a decent game, he ended up fouling out.  His value will take a minor hit when Spencer Hawes (Back/Achilles) returns.  Evan Turner (7 Points, 7 Rebounds) had a decent game as well as his bench mate Thaddeus Young (10 Points, 5 Rebounds) both need an injury in front of them to gain more value.  Jodie Meeks (36 Minutes, 6 Points, 8 Rebounds) continues to get too much playing time.

New York Knicks 81 @ Cleveland Cavaliers 91

• New York Knicks: Lost a tough game to a team they are expected to beat.  Carmelo Anthony (15 Points, 6 Assists, 4 Rebounds) continues to underperform and now the Knicks are starting to lose their identity.  Amare Stoudemire (19 Points, 16 Rebounds, 2 Steals) had a nice game for his fantasy owners who were starting to grow impatient.  Impatient will be a majority of the owners of Iman Shumpert (7 Points, 4 Rebounds).  I do expect him to hold onto his starting spot though Toney Douglas (8 Points, 3 Assists) played more minutes.  Shumpert is the better player, and the Knicks need him to be their glue.  Tyson Chandler (11 Points, 9 Rebounds) had a typical Tyson type of game.
• Cleveland Cavaliers: were lead by Anderson Varejao (10 Points, 16 Rebounds, 4 Steals, 2 Blocks) who is one of the most underrated centers in all of fantasy basketball.  Kyrie Irving (7 Points, 7 Assists) continues to underperform even in a game where he saw 30 Minutes.  Antwan Jamison (15 Points, 5 Rebounds, 15 Shot Attempts) decided to be aggressive on offense again, and the Cavs ended up winning the game.  That should lead to good things for his value.  Omri Caspi (13 Points) and Anthony Parker (13 Points) had good games for them, and are not considered good fantasy options.  

Charlotte Bobcats 75 @ Washington Wizards 92

• Charlotte Bobcats: were on the wrong end of this blow out.  Byron Mullens (hand) had to leave the game early, which opened the door up for Bismack Biyombo (4 Blocks, 7 Rebounds, 23 Minutes).  Mullens X-Rays came back negative, Biyombo however did enough damage where he should be seeing minutes like this consistently.  Gerald Henderson (back) did not play, which opened up the door for Derrick Brown (10 Points, 6 Rebounds, 29 Minutes) even more.  He did not take advantage of it, but Tyrus Thomas (13 Points, 9 Rebounds, 9 Blocks, 4 Steals) had a night which reminds us why we drafted him in the first place.  Consistency will be key to see if he can carry this performance over.  Matt Carroll (17 Points, 34 Minutes, 10 Shot Attempts) outplayed Kemba Walker (8 Points, 4 Assists, 38 Minutes).  It is still Kemba’s job as Carroll is long ways from replacing their future star.
• Washington Wizards: were on the right end of a blowout.  That never happens, but you can thank Andray Blatche (17 Points, 10 Rebounds, 2 Steals) for showing some flashes of fantasy excellence.  John Wall (12 Points, 6 Rebounds, 7 Turnovers) had a wild game, but luckily Nick Young (20 Points) was able to lead the team in scoring.  Javale McGee (6 Points, 10 Rebounds, 4 Blocks) put up a typical line for himself.  Rashard Lewis (23 Minutes, 6 Points) did not do much in his start, while Jordan Crawford (9 Points, 18 Minutes) did not do much off the bench.

Miami Heat 101 @ Detroit Pistons 98

• Miami Heat: Once again got a great performance out of Chris Bosh (27 Points, 6 Rebounds, 4 Assists).  He continues to do well in Dwayne Wades (foot) absence.  Lebron James (32 Points, 7 Assists, 6 Rebounds, 1 3PTM, 2 Steals) reminds us why he is a fantasy king.  Mario Chalmers (16 Points, 4 Assists) had a great game for himself and is fighting off Norris Cole (9 Points, 4 Assists) for whatever value is left when Wade returns.  Udonis Haslem (0 Points, 2 Rebounds) is too inconsistent to use in fantasy leagues when he is coming off the bench and playing under 20 Minutes.
• Detroit Pistons: No Tayshaun Prince (Family Matter) opened up the gate for Austin Daye (28 Points, 6 Rebounds, 30 Minutes) off the bench.  I have been telling you for weeks to buy low on him, or to pick him up and now it may be too late.  His potential is there, and even when Tayshaun Prince returns, there will be a time this season when Austin Daye is their man.  Pick him up.  Greg Monroe (20 Points, 10 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 1 Block) had a big fantasy night, and we have seen this potential before.  The key will be to see him put together consistent games like this.  Ben Gordon (shoulder) did not play, which allowed Rodney Stuckey (15 Points, 6 Assists, 4 Rebounds, 33 Minutes) to get all the playing time he could before fouling out.  Brandon Knight (17 Points, 5 Assists, 4 Rebounds) continues to lead the team in minutes almost every night.

New Orleans Hornets 91 @ Oklahoma City Thunder 101

• New Orleans Hornets: Once again Jarrett Jack (20 Points, 5 Assists) did all he can to lead his team to a victory.  They really need Eric Gordon (knee) back in that lineup.  Trevor Ariza (2 Points, 6 Rebounds) reminds us that he is still an inconsistent fantasy option, and will especially be one upon Gordon’s return.  The big man shuffle continues for the Hornets; Emeka Okafor (8 Points, 8 Rebounds, 1 Block) remains the consistent option, though he only got 20 minutes.  Jason Smith (8 Points, 4 Rebounds) did nothing in his start, and should soon be replaced by Carl Landry (15 Points, 4 Rebounds, 11/11 FT) who has been stringing together some nice game.  Chris Kaman (inactive) saw Gustavo Ayon (16 Points, 16 Minutes) take his spot on this team.  Expect Kaman to come back eventually and reclaim his territory.
• Oklahoma City Thunder: Won the game despite Russell Westbrook (14 Points, 7 Turnovers, 5 Assists, 3 Steals) and Kevin Durant (25 Points, 7 Rebounds, 3 Blocks, 2 Steals) not putting up the combined effort they usually do.  Serge Ibaka (14 Points, 7 Rebounds, 2 Blocks) had a nice offensive game.  Reaching double figures is always a milestone for Serge this season, the same is not true with James Harden (18 Points, 6 Assists) who usually thrives in games where Westbrook is off.

Indiana Pacers 95 @ Chicago Bulls 90

• Indiana Pacers: Upset the Chicago Bulls in Chicago.  A big part of their offense tonight was David West (14 Points, 7 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 2 Blocks) who lead the team in shot attempts, and was a big factor in the 4^th quarter.  Danny Granger (22 Points, 9 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 3 3PTM) had a solid game and reminded all owners not to sell him cheap.  Roy Hibbert (20 Points, 8 Rebounds, 4 Blocks) will never be sold cheap as he continues to have a great season.  Darren Collison (11 Points, 8 Assists, 6 Rebounds) continues to look good and hold George Hill (2 Points, 2 Assists, 24 Minutes) on that bench.  Speaking of bench, Tyler Hansbrough (10 Points, 6 Rebounds) will be there all season long if the Pacers stay healthy.  Paul George (13 Points, 3 Rebounds) remains a mediocre fantasy player at best.  If he did not get over 30 Minutes a game, he would be a bad fantasy option.
• Chicago Bulls: No Luol Deng (wrist) opened up the door for Ronnie Brewer (20 Points, 10 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 3 Steals) to have a huge game who was recommended on Sir Fantasy Drake’s Trade Market before the evening began.  He has great value with Deng out, the same can be said about Rip Hamilton (17 Points, 20 Shot Attempts) who will definitely see a decrease in value upon Deng’s return.  Derrick Rose (38 Minutes, 24 Points, 3 Rebounds, 3 Assists) looks healthy, and will put up better fantasy numbers than this.  Joakim Noah (10 Points, 13 Rebounds, 1 Steal, 1 Block) is starting to get his season together, while Carlos Boozer (11 Points, 7 Rebounds) has still not reached the level of consistency that fantasy owners are hoping for.

Milwaukee Bucks 105 @ Houston Rockets 99

• Milwaukee Bucks: Saw their big man Andrew Bogut (ankle) go down again.  He is expected to miss a few games, and although Drew Gooden (11 Points, 2 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 1 Block) seems like the man who will take over, Ersan Ilyasova (7 Points, 19 Rebounds) is the one with all the momentum.  Keep an eye on the situation, as Ilyasova does have some potential fantasy value with his 3PT shot.  Brandon Jennings (20 Points, 6 Assists) was the only starter to break double figures; Carlos Delfino (8 Points), Shaun Livingston (6 Points), Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (2 Points).  Luckily for the Bucks their second best offensive player Stephen Jackson (20 Points, 3 Assists) exploded off the bench and carried his team.  Another great Buy! player listed by SFD.
• Houston Rockets: Lost a tough game despite Kevin Martin (29 Points, 5 3PTM) go off again.  He is on fire and is back to the 3^rd round value he has.  Kyle Lowry (8 Points, 10 Assists, 8 Rebounds, 1 Block) continues to be Jason Kidd 2.0.  Samuel Dalembert (13 Points, 18 Rebounds, 2 Blocks) has been a monster for the Rockets over the past two weeks and is a must start in all fantasy leagues, just in case you were not using him.  Luis Scola (18 Points, 8 Rebounds, 1 Block) remembered why he is useful in fantasy leagues, while Chandler Parsons (16 Points, 7 Rebounds, 5 Assists) hast to put up nights like this more consistently to become a reliable fantasy players.

Minnesota Timberwolves 105 @ Dallas Mavericks 90

• Minnesota Timberwolves: Were able to upset the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas.  Kevin Love (31 Points, 10 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 2 Blocks, 4 3PTM) continues his dominant season, and earlier that day signed a contract extension with Minnesota.  Ricky Rubio (17 Points, 12 Assists, 7 Rebounds) has been quietly putting up near triple double numbers pretty consistently over the past week and a half.  Wayne Ellington (16 Points, 1 Steals, 2 Blocks) had a nice game to build off of. No doubt Ellington has talent, but he has yet to put together the consistency we want to see.   Derrick Williams (10 Points, 6 Rebounds) has yet to have a huge game with no Michael Beasley.  Darko Milicic (8 Points, 7 Blocks, 7 Rebounds) had his biggest game of the year.  Let’s see if the former #2 overall pick ahead of Carmelo, Wade, and Bosh can put together some solid games consistently.
• Dallas Mavericks: Shawn Marion (15 Points, 2 Steals, 1 Block, 6 Rebounds) did all he could to lead Dallas to the victory.  The only help he got was Jason Terry (17 Points, 5 Assists, 1 3PTM, 29 Minutes) who is starting to play more minutes than Delonte West (3 Points, 3 Assists, 18 Minutes).   Jason Kidd (8 Points, 7 Assists, 8 Rebounds) put up a typical Jason Kidd night, he should not be on any waiver wire at this point.  Lamar Odom (2/14 Shooting, 5 Points, 4 Rebounds) had a rough night and was ultimately one of the main reasons the Mavericks lost this game.  Brendan Haywood (8 Points, 10 Rebounds, 1 Block) was solid and outplayed Ian Mahinmi (3 Points, 5 Rebounds).

Atlanta Hawks 83 @ San Antonio Spurs 105

• Atlanta Hawks: Josh Smith (13 Points, 5 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 Block) has not been performing like he was a couple of weeks ago.  The same could be said about Joe Johnson (10 Points, 7 Assists), but the truth is both players are good enough to bounce back any night.  Kirk Hinrich (13 Minutes, 7 Points) made his season debut, but it did not affect Jeff Teague (20 Points, 3 Steals, 1 Block, 5 Rebounds, 0 Assists) who was the leading scorer.  Hawks looked terrible, and that is the excuse for 0 assists.  Zaza Pachuila (5 Points, 5 Rebounds, 1 Steal) was semi decent, you can’t expect double-doubles every night especially when the Hawks get blown out.  Marvin Williams (8 Points, 9 Rebounds, 1 Block) had one of his better games in some time.
• San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan (6 Points, 11 Rebounds, 21 Minutes) continues to see limited action when he is not needed.  Somehow, someway you got to trade him for some value.  Tony Parker (15 Points, 7 Assists, 1 Steal, 2 3PTM) had another great game and has great trade value in all leagues while he remains this hot.  Dejuan Blair (17 Points, 3 Rebounds, 2 Steals) led the Spurs in scoring, but his competition Tiaggo Splitter (16 Points, 8 Rebounds) may have had the better overall game.  Richard Jefferson (8 Points, 4 Rebounds) and Kawhi Leonard (8 Points, 5 Rebounds) will be splitting time when Manu Ginobili returns.

Toronto Raptors 111 @ Utah Jazz 106

• Toronto Raptors: Are holding their breathe again, as Andrea Bargnani (25 Points, 5 Rebounds) went down again with the same calf injury.  He is getting a MRI today.  James Johnson (6 Blocks, 1 Steal, 2 Points, 38 Minutes) had a nice game, but those 2 points are not enough especially when his backup Linas Kleiza (25 Points, 5 Rebounds) breaks out like that.  Kleiza is usually good for a game or two like this, it will be interesting to see if the Raptors start messing around with their lineup again.  Jose Calderon (12 Points, 7 Assists) only had a good game because it went into double OT.  DeMar DeRozan (17 Points, 8 Rebounds, 2 Steals) had the type of game that will let his fantasy owners take a deep breath.  Jerryd Bayless (5 Points, 7 Assists) had a nice game and is already starting his impact on Jose Calderon.  Leandron Barbosa (13 Points, 3 Rebounds) is doing what he can to stay relevant.  Ed Davis (11 Minutes) will see an immediate boost if Bargnani has to miss any time, same with Amir Johnson (23 Minutes) who wants back in that starting lineup.
• Utah Jazz: Paul Millsap (31 Points, 11 Rebounds, 1 Steal, 1 Block) took advantage of no Al Jefferson (ankle).  The player who really took advantage of the opportunity was Derrick Favors (16 Points, 12 Rebounds, 1 Steal, 1 Block) who made enough of an impact where they will have to find a way to get him more minutes when Big Al is healthy.  Devin Harris (24 Points, 6 Assists) had a nice game, first time in a while.  The 6 Assists are not enough in a double OT game.  CJ Miles (11 Points) and Raja Bell (11 Points) chipped in, and that is about all they will do for your fantasy team as well.

Denver Nuggets 122 @ Sacramento Kings 93

• Denver Nuggets: Ty Lawson (11 Points, 3 Assists, 15 Minutes) owners are starting to get really frustrated with a player that once had so much value.  I’ve been telling you for weeks to sell high on him, because Andre Miller (15 Points, 10 Assists, 2 Steals) is simply the better PG in this offense.  Danilo Gallinari (23 Points, 3 Blocks, 5 Assists, 1 PTM) continues to have an excellent season, he signed an extension with Denver earlier that day.  Nene Hilario (16 Points, 4 Rebounds) had a decent game in a blowout, and still has great value as a center.  Corey Brewer (31 Minutes, 15 Points, 3 Steals, 1 Block) took 19 shots, and he is consistently getting good minutes.  Not a bad add in deeper leagues, though his value will change when Aaron Afflalo (Groin) returns.  Al Harrington (10 Points, 4 Rebounds, 5 Assists) would have liked to have a bigger game when he gets 23 Minutes.
• Sacramento Kings: Were on the wrong end of a blowout, which gave Jimmer Fredette (19 Points, 3 Assists, 5 3PTM) the chance to show what he’s got.  Jimmer will still be behind Marcus Thornton (quad) when he returns.  Tyreke Evans (12 Points, 7 Assists, 1 Steal) usually puts up bigger lines when there’s no Thornton.  DeMarcus Cousins (17 Points, 15 Rebounds, 1 Steal, 1 Block) dominated like he usually does.  He is well past his early season trade demand.  Jason Thompson (9 Points, 5 Rebounds) continues to hold off J.J. Hickson (6 Points, 3 Rebounds).  While Donte Greene (5 Points, 6 Rebounds, 12 Minutes) seems to be the more effective player than John Salmons (5 Points, 1 Rebound, 24 Minutes).  Isaiah Thomas (16 Points, 6 Assists, 30 Minutes) has now strung three games in a row of 5 Assists or more.

Portland Trail Blazers 93 @ Golden State Warriors 101

• Portland Trail Blazers: Once again LaMarcus Aldridge (18 Points, 7 Rebounds, 5 Assists) remains consistent every single night.  Wesley Matthews (15 Points, 3 3PTM, 2 Assists) does not do much besides give you points, which is the opposite of Raymond Felton (5 Points, 7 Assists, 1 Steal, 1 Block) who does not do much besides give you assists.  Jamal Crawford (16 Points) and Nicholas Batum (16 Points) made an impact off the bench, which resulted into Gerald Wallace (6 Points, 6 Rebounds, 1 Steal) putting up his bi-weekly clunker.  The consistency is not there with Wallace since his move to Portland.  Marcus Camby (4 Points, 16 Rebounds, 1 Steal) is building nicely off of that 22 rebound game earlier this week.
• Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry (32 Points,7 Assists, 6 Rebounds, 6 3PTM, 4 Steals) had a 1^st round value type of night.  He also played 38 Minutes which is proving his ankle is not a factor right now.  Monta Ellis (4 Points, 12 Assists, 3 Steals, 1 Block) had an interesting game, I cannot remember the last time Monta scored under 10 Points and played over 41 Minutes.  A big reason why the points were not there was because David Lee (26 Points, 5 Rebounds, 3 Assists) uncharacteristically shot the ball over 20 times.  Fantasy owners will take it when they can.  Dorrell Wright (10 Points, 2 3PTM) is on his last leg of value as Brandon Rush (14 Points, 3 3PTM) easily outplayed Dorrell off the bench.

Los Angeles Clippers 91 @ Los Angeles Lakers 96

• Los Angeles Clippers: Chris Paul (26 Minutes, 4 Points, 12 Assists, 1 Steal) returned from his hamstring injury.  CP3’s lines will only get better as he gets healthier.  Blake Griffin (26 Points, 9 Rebounds) had a big game and did all he could to get a Clipper victory.  Chauncey Billups (9 Points, 4 Assists, 2 Steals) looks to have lost his value with the return of CP3, especially when Mo Williams (16 Points, 3 3PTM) continues to be a threat off the bench.  Caron Butler (16 Points, 3 Steals, 4 3PTM) had 9 Points in the 1^st quarter and then cooled down.  DeAndre Jordan (11 Points, 2 Blocks, 1 Steal, 5 Rebounds) needed to have a bigger game to lead the Clippers to victory, at least on the defensive side.
• Los Angeles Lakers: Avoided losing the season series with the Clippers mainly because Pau Gasol (23 Points, 10 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 1 Steal, 1 Block) decided to show up.  He has been begging for the ball publicly and he made his presence felt.  Andrew Bynum (19 Points, 6 Rebounds, 4 Blocks) did a nice job controlling the paint.  Those rebound numbers are usually higher, but it is nice to see him approach 20 points again.  Kobe Bryant (24 Points, 7 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 2 3PTM) continues his MVP type season if the Lakers make a run for the top seed in the West.  Metta World Peace (3 Points, 7 Assists, 5 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 Block, 38 Minutes) played a big part in the Lakers win, and it will be interesting to see if they continue to give him 30+ Minutes consistently.

Thursday (1/26/12)

Boston 91 @ Orlando 83

• Boston Celtics: No Rajon Rondo, no Ray Allen, down 21 points at halftime in Orlando.  Paul Pierce (24 Points, 10 Assists, 6 Rebounds, 2 3PTM) led one of the most amazing comebacks I have witnessed this season.  He made Mickael Pietrus (12 Points) and E’Twan Moore (16 Points) look fantasy relevant for a night, while Brandon Bass (10 Points, 5 Rebounds) should have done better given his situation to thrive.  Most importantly for Boston, Kevin Garnett (12 Points, 10 Rebounds, 3 Steals,4 Blocks) looked like his vintage form, and got the start at Center.  If Kevin Garnett gained center eligibility he would be one of the most coveted players in fantasy if he continues to play the way he is.
• Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard (16 Points, 16 Rebounds, 1 Block) put up a big fantasy night despite only playing 7 minutes in the first half with foul trouble.  Jameer Nelson (11 Points, 5 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 1 3PTM) had a nice all around fantasy night and gave all of his fantasy owners a scare when he went down with an injury in the 3^rd quarter.  He is fine.  Ryan Anderson (12 Points, 4 Rebounds, 1 Assist) did nothing after the 1^st quarter.  Fantasy owners are expecting more consistency.  Hedo Turkoglu (10 Points, 7 Assists, 5 Rebounds, 2 3PTM) had a vintage night for his standards.  Though in the end it did not matter for Orlando.  Jason Richardson (31 Minutes, 13 Points, 3 Steals) has quickly replaced J.J Reddick (7 Points, 16 Minutes).    

Memphis Grizzlies 91  @ Los Angeles Clippers 98

• Memphis Grizzlies: Was not able to pull out the big road victory as they were outplayed in the 2^nd half.  Marc Gasol (18 Points, 11 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 2 Steals) is a major part of their offense and was heavily involved almost every play.  Rudy Gay (24 Points, 7 Rebounds, 1 Block, 3 3PTM) had a nice Rudy Gay night, a line that he should be able to duplicate when Zach Randolph returns.  Mike Conley (4 Points, 4 Steals, 7 Assists, 5 Rebounds) ended up fouling out, but he did his best job to fill in as many categories as he could.  Tony Allen (32 Minutes, 13 Points) and OJ Mayo (32 Minutes, 14 Points) are at an even time share as the Grizz play SG by committee.  A little fantasy football jargon for you there.
• Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin (20 Points, 9 Rebounds, 8 Assists, 2 Blocks) is playing like the fantasy beast he is.  Caron Butler (17 Points, 2 Steals, 3 3PTM) filled the categories he fills the best.  DeAndre Jordan (9 Points, 9 Rebounds, 5 Blocks) continues to be the fantasy center with the most upside.  DeAndre is playing well, he just needs some consistency.  Chris Paul (36 Minutes, 18 Points, 7 Assists, 7 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 2 3PTM) looks healthy and ready to rock for all fantasy teams.  This is a great line for his hamstring especially playing last night and no reports of any problems.  The return of CP3 has pushed the value of Chauncey Billups (9 Points, 3 Assists, 1 3PTM) to about the same level as Mo Williams (18 Points, 4 Steals).  Both are fighting for the 2 Guard spot, and whatever minutes CP3 leaves on the table.  Randy Foye (7 Points, 17 Minutes) will not go down quietly either.

 

Friday (1/27/12)

Charlotte Bobcats 72 @ Philadelphia 76ers 89

• Charlotte Bobcats: Lost this game a lot worse than the score indicates.  Gerald Henderson (30 Minutes, 7 Points) returned to shoot 20% from the field.  If anyone loses fantasy value when DJ Augustin returns, it is Henderson.  Kemba Walker (14 Points, 8 Rebounds, 2 Steals) led the Bobcats in all of those categories listed.  Tyrus Thomas (9 Points, 7 Rebounds, 2 Blocks, 1 Steal) had a nice follow up game, from his 9 block performance.  It is key he stays around these numbers for fantasy value.  The upside is there.  Boris Diaw (10 Points, 3 Assists, 2 Rebounds) started for the first time since Jan 13^th.  He did not impress enough where another fantasy owner will want him in a trade.  If he starts again and has a good night, sell high immediately.  The center situation for the Bobcats is getting ugly.  DeSagna Diop (4 Points, 3 Rebounds, 14 Minutes) started and did nothing.  Byron Mullens (4 Points, 1 Rebounds, 16 Minutes) was even worse.  Bismack Biyombo (2 Points, 2 Rebounds, 1 Block, 12 Minutes) was even worse.  Paul Silas pick one!  Derrick Brown (11 Points, 5 Rebounds, 30 Minutes) and Matt Carroll (11 Points, 4 Assists, 29 Minutes) had decent games off the bench.
• Philadelphia 76ers: Continue to give fantasy owners a headache if you own any guard.  Jrue Holiday (30 Minutes, 15 Points, 3 Assists, 4 Steals, 1 3PTM) continues to be the most consistent of them all.  Jodie Meeks (33 Minutes, 14 Points, 3 3PTM, 1 Steal) is doing the most damage to all of the other guards.  He starts, and is doing a good enough job to justify it.  Louis Williams (17 Points, 5 Rebounds, 21 Minutes) continues to lead the team in scoring for the season.  Evan Turner (21 Minutes, 4 Points, 7 Rebounds, 1 Steal) is too inconsistent to depend on, but his potential to be a fantasy star is there when he has little competition for PT.  Elton Brand (4 Points, 2 Rebounds, 21 Minutes) had a bad game with no Spencer Hawes.  Thaddeus Young (10 Points, 4 Rebounds, 24 Minutes) did not do enough to justify more minutes over EB.  Andre Iguodala (9 Points, 6 Assists, 4 Rebounds) had another inconsistent night.  This is happening far too often. 

New Jersey Nets 99  @ Cleveland Cavaliers 96

• New Jersey Nets: Pulled off a rare road victory.  Deron Williams (27 Points, 10 Assists, 2 Steals, 1 Block, 5 3PTM) was a big part of that victory as he is playing potentially like the top tier fantasy basketball guard he is.  Anthony Morrow (22 Points, 2 3PTM, 38 Minutes) is doing a nice job filling in for MarShon Brooks.  When Brooks returns, I expect him to get back to that 30+ minute per game range pretty quickly.  Kris Humphries (18 Points, 11 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 Block) is putting together his nice final touches on his fantasy value before Brook Lopez returns.
• Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving (32 Points, 6 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 2 3PTM) had 33% of the the Cavs total points, and also notched a career high.  Irving has fantastic potential to be a top tier PG at some point this season.  Antwan Jamison (20 Points, 2 3PTM, 6 Rebounds, 1 Block, 1 Steal) had a nice all around game after scaring us with no offensive skills earlier this week.  Anderson Varejao (4 Points, 9 Rebounds, 1 Block, 1 Steal) continues to have nice fantasy value because he will hit the glass hard every night.  Do not sell high on Varejao, he is going to be solid all season if the Cavs do not try to upgrade the position.

Indiana Pacers 87 @ Boston Celtics 94

• Indiana Pacers: Had a chance of beating the Boston Celtics on the road, the effort was led by Danny Granger (21 Points, 6 Rebounds, 1 Steal, 1 3PTM).  Granger continues to put up good numbers despite his inconsistent play.  Paul George (16 Points, 9 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 Block) had one of his finer games all season.  Take into consideration he did this in 40+ Minutes of action.  Darren Collison (30 Minnutes, 8 Points, 4 Steals, 4 Assists) was able to hold off George Hill (22 Minutes, 6 Points, 2 Assists) into a PG competition.  Same case with David West (31 Minutes, 14 Points, 8 Rebounds) holding off Tyler Hansbrough (4 Points, 3 Rebounds, 23 Minutes).  Roy Hibbert (11 Points, 7 Rebounds, 2 Blocks, 1 Steal) had a bad night, did tweak his ankle however.  Last year Hibbert owners would be fine if he put lines like this consistently.
• Boston Celtics: Paul Pierce (28 Points, 10 Rebounds, 8 Assists, 3 Steals, 2 Blocks, 4 3PTM) is becoming a huge time fantasy threat with the absence of Rajon Rondo, and Ray Allen.  Kevin Garnett (13 Points, 8 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 2 Blocks, 1 Steal) got another start at center.  ALERT!  Kevin Garnett may gain center eligibility soon.  Brandon Bass (12 Points, 6 Rebounds, 1 Block) needs to put up better lines when the Celtics are running thin on talent.  Mickael Pietrus (13 Points, 8 Rebounds) has had back-to-back nice fantasy nights.  Good to know he has some talent left in the bag.

Atlanta Hawks 107 @ Detroit Pistons 101

• Atlanta Hawks: Marvin Williams (22 Points, 8 Rebounds, 5 3PTM) had a rare fantasy gem.  Something we have not seen since the first week of the season, chances are he will not keep it up.  Though Jeff Teague (ankle) left the game in the 3^rd quarter so the Hawks will need another offensive player.  Kirk Hinrich (5 Points, 9 Assists, 31 Minutes) saw a lot of run time when Teague went down.  Kirk is a good add if you need a PG as this is his best opportunity to show case what he’s got.  Chances are the Hawks will move him for a big man if they can.  Josh Smith (19 Points, 11 Rebounds, 8 Assists, 3 Blocks, 1 Steal, 1 3PTM) had a game that will make you sing, LIKE A BOSS.  Joe Johnson (30 Points, 5 Rebounds, 2 Steals) carried the Hawks and will make us forget about his little slump he was going through.  Zaza Pachulia (16 Points, 9 Rebounds, 1 Block) had a great game and is still considered a low-end #2 Fantasy Center.  
• Detroit Pistons: No Tayshaun Prince (Family Matter) again, allowed Austin Daye (12 Points, 27 Minutes, 3 Rebounds, 1 Steal, 1 Block, 2 3PTM) still put up a pretty full fantasy line for having a terrible game.  Daye did end up fouling out, but when he was in there the Pistons looked for his offense.  There is still positive with the negative.  Brandon Knight (42 Minutes, 20 Points, 8 Assists, 4 3PTM, 1 Steal) had a great fantasy game and continues to rack up minutes like he can play 24/7 if he needed to.  Rodney Stuckey (41 Minutes, 14 Points, 5 Assists) should have put up a bigger line with no Ben Gordon (shoulder).  Gordon’s time table is unclear so Stuckey will continue to have a lot of opportunities.  Greg Monroe (22 Points, 11 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 4 Assists) has put back-to-back beastly games.  The potential for these nights are always there.  Jason Maxiell (19 Points, 8 Rebounds) may come off the bench, but he played 29 Minutes and is clearly the PF for Detroit as Ben Wallace (16 Minutes, 2 Points, 5 Rebounds) continues to start for some off reason.

San Antonio 79 @ Minnesota Timberwolves 87

• San Antonio Spurs: Once again were led by Tony Parker (20 Points, 3 Assists) nights like this happen for him.  He is a good sell high candidate as he stands to lose value when Manu Ginobili returns.  Tim Duncan (32 Minutes, 9 Points, 10 Rebounds, 4 Blocks) gave it his all Friday night and it will be interesting to see if he plays Sunday.  Kawhi Leonard (2 Points, 2 Steals, 20 Minutes) will definitely be splitting time with Richard Jefferson (10 Points, 5 Rebounds, 37 Minutes) once Ginobili comes back.  Dejuan Blair (0 Points, 3 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 15 Minutes) has been outplayed by Tiaggo Splitter (12 Points, 7 Rebounds, 27 Minutes) too often this season to be considered a safe fantasy start.
• Minnesota Timberwolves: Ricky Rubio (18 Points, 10 Assists, 1 3PTM) had another great fantasy start and his owners expect nothing less.  Kevin Love (18 Points, 16 Rebounds, 1 Steal) had another Kevin Love type of night, he is as rock solid as it gets.  Nikola Pekovic (33 Minutes, 14 Points, 10 Rebounds) started in place of Darko Millicic (Illness) to put up a line that will definitely cause more of a competition between the two.  The T-Wolves could only dream of Darko putting up numbers like that.  Michael Beasley (21 Minutes, 7 Points, 3/11 Shooting, 4 Rebounds) returned with a bang and took more than a shot in every two minutes he played.  Typical Beasley, but that is what fantasy owners want.  Pick him up.  Derrick Williams (12 Points, 19 Minutes, 4 Rebounds) did not do much to get the T-Wolves excited about him during that time Beasley was out.  Wayne Ellington (4 Points) came off the bench, while Wesley Johnson (6 Points, 5 Rebounds) made maybe his last start.  That is unless he replaces Luke Ridnour (5 Points, 3 Assists, 32 Minutes) who did not do much to prove the T-Wolves otherwise.

Orlando Magic 67 @ New Orleans Hornets 93

• Orlando Magic: Lost Jameer Nelson (Jaw) in the first quarter, and ended up getting blown out.  Good news for Nelson owners, Chris Duhon (6 Points, 5 Assists, 30 Minutes) did not take advantage of the situation.  Dwight Howard (28 Points, 16 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 Block) put up a Superman type of performance, and is not too happy about being a Magic right now.  Hedo Turkolgu (3 Points, 6 Turnovers) was dreadful, Jason Richardson (2 Points, 24 Minutes) was right there with him.  J.J. Reddick (9 Points, 24 Minutes) did not take advantage of J-Richs cold night, J.J. needed a 16 Point game at least.  Ryan Anderson (calf) did not play which allowed Glen Davis (4 Points, 2 Rebounds, 17 Minutes) to start.  He did nothing with it.
• New Orleans Hornets: Saw Carl Landry (17 Points, 6 Rebounds, 25 Minutes) blow up off the bench to be the leading scorer.  The Hornets did not reward him with enough minutes, as Jason Smith (14 Points, 4 Rebounds, 29 Minutes) continues to start and get ample playing time.   That situation should change.  Emeka Okafor (9 Points, 6 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 1 Block) will not amaze you too often, but this is about as bad as his fantasy games have gotten lately.  As bad as it has gotten lately, Chris Kaman (DNP-CD) is looking like a weak option that might be waiver wire candidate soon for the impatient owners.  Trevor Ariza (5 Points, 9 Rebounds, 2 Steals) put up a performance that his owners will take and move on with.  Jarrett Jack (11 Points, 9 Assists, 2 Steals) continues to be rock solid with no Eric Gordon (knee) which has opened up the door for Marco Belinelli (15 Points, 4 3PTM, 29 Minutes) who is a great add in all fantasy leagues if you need 3PTM.

Washington Wizards 76 @ Houston Rockets 103

• Washington Wizards: Were on the wrong end of a blowout.  Only if a got a dollar for every time that happened.  John Wall (17 Points, 8 Rebounds, 6 Assists) had a nice night which is good to see in an outcome like this.  Nick Young (15 Points, 2 Steals) did what he does best.  Javale McGee (9 Points, 11 Rebounds, 4 Blocks, 1 Steal) had one of his better fantasy games in sometime.  Andray Blatche (14 Minutes, 2 Points, 3 Steals) continues to be a fantasy headache as he is now coming off the bench.  Rashard Lewis (6 Points, 3 Rebounds, 23 Minutes) continues to do nothing with his starting gig.  It will not last long as I predict they find a way for Jordan Crawford (9 Points, 15 Minutes) a way to eat into more of Rashard’s playing time.
• Houston Rockets: Blew out the Wizards which allowed Chase Budinger (21 Points, 8 Rebounds, 25 Minutes) make a case for more playing time which will effect Chandler Parsons (4 Points, 3 Steals, 2 Rebounds, 20 Minutes) immediately.  Kyle Lowry (9 Points, 5 Assists, 4 Rebounds, 3 Steals) had his worst fantasy this season.  Luis Scola (19 Points, 8 Rebounds, 22 Minutes) put up a great line in a short amount of time.  His fantasy value goes up a little and was a solid recommendation by SFD in the Fantasy Trade Market.  Samuel Dalembert (11 Points, 4 Rebounds, 3 Blocks, 1 Steal) usually gets a lot more rebounds and fewer points, but his fantasy owners will take it in limited minutes.  Kevin Martin (Foot) did not play which gave Courtney Lee (8 Points, 32 Minutes) his chance to show himself.  He did not show up.

Milwaukee Bucks 107 @ Chicago Bulls 101

• Milwaukee Bucks: Started life without Andrew Bogut (Ankle) who will be out 2-3 Months.  That opened the door for Drew Gooden (23 Points,15 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 1 3PTM) the chance to start at center and he played 36 Minutes.  He is must add right now, as he will be their center the rest of the season.  Brandon Jennings (25 Points, 7 Asssits, 2 Steals, 4 3PTM) continues to have a great season no matter the circumstance.  Stephen Jackson (10 Points, 5 Assists, 4 Rebounds, 34 Minutes) outplayed both Carlos Delfino (0 Points, 13 Minutes) and Shaun Livingston (6 Points, 4 Rebounds).  Captain Jack was also a great recommendation by SFD in the Fantasy Trade Market.  Jon Leuer (19 Points, 5 Rebounds) put up a game that will allow him to battle Ersan Illysova (7 Points, 10 Minutes) and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12 Minutes, 4 Points) for PT.
• Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose (34 Points, 3 Assists, 1 Block) is not getting the assist numbers we expected, but his scoring outlook is fantastic.  Joakim Noah (15 Points, 16 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 3 Blocks) has put together his 3^rd straight great fantasy line of the week.  He is looking very safe again.  Carlos Boozer (20 Points, 13 Rebounds, 1 Steal, 2 Blocks) is starting to play a lot more consistent as well.  The clunker will come once a week, but he puts up good enough numbers to make up for it.  Ronnie Brewer (8 Points, 6 Assists, 4 Rebounds, 43 Minutes) got a lot of playing time because both Rip Hamilton (DNP-CD) and Luol Deng (Wrist) sat this one out who is at least one week away.  That makes Brewer a great add in all leagues for this week.  Kyle Korver (9 Points, 2 3PTM) picked up a rare start and we will see how many he gets.

New York Knicks 89 @ Miami Heat 99

• New York Knicks: No Carmelo Anthony (wrist/ankle) who will also miss Saturday, left the Knicks in a tough position.  You would expect Amare Stoudemire (12 Points, 6 Rebounds, 2 Blocks) to have a much bigger line as the star of the team.  He has been disappointing for almost two straight weeks now.  Landry Fields (14 Points, 7 Rebounds, 5 Assists) put together a nice all around effort at Carmelo’s slot.  Toney Douglas (16 Points, 6/18 Shooting, 4 3PTM) saw this as his opportunity to break the starting lineup again.  I would say he underperformed, while Bill Walker (7/10 3PTM, 21 Points, 7 Rebounds, 1 Steal, 1 Block) over performed and ended up fouling out in this one.  It is hard to imagine either of those guys having any fantasy value, though Iman Shumpert (5 Points, 2 Assists, 1 Steal) is hardly making a case to be the starting PG for the Knicks lately.  Tyson Chandler (12 Rebounds, 9 Points, 1 Block) continues to do what he does best.
• Miami Heat: Dwayne Wade (28 Points, 5 Steals, 2 Blocks, 4 Assists, 32 Minutes) returned for the Heat and helped lead them to a victory.  Owners who were patient will always be rewarded with Wade.  The return of Wade has led to the decrease in value with Mario Chalmers (2 Points, 5 Rebounds, 18 Minutes) who was outperformed by Norris Cole (8 Points, 4 Rebounds, 30 Minutes) no surprises there.  The value of Chris Bosh (13 Points, 9 Rebounds, 4/18 Shooting) will also take a hit, as he proved that he does not need to take that many shots for the Heat to win ball games.  Lebron James (31 Points, 7 Assists, 8 Rebounds) did not skip a beat with the return of D-Wade.

Utah Jazz 101 @ Dallas Mavericks 116

• Utah Jazz: Devin Harris (10 Points, 4 Assists, 22 Minutes) played just as much as his backup Earl Watson (1 Points, 4 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 23 Minutes).  Not a good situation for Harris owners, but Watson should be added as he has high assist potential.  Derrick Favors (7 Points, 3 Rebounds, 17 Minutes) went right back to his bench role with the return of Al Jefferson (19 Points, 6 Rebounds, 3 Blocks, 29 Minutes) who will have better nights than this.  The 3 blocks are nice.  Paul Millsap (20 Points, 7 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 Block) is turning into a mini fantasy beast and is a great Forward to own in all leagues.  Another recommendation by SFD in the Trade Market this week.
• Dallas Mavericks: Jason Kidd (calf) left the game after 2 minutes which opened up the door for Rodrigue Beaubois (22 Points, 7 Assists, 6 Rebounds, 4 Blocks, 1 Steal, 3 3PTM).  Beaubois has always had huge fantasy potential but was always buried on the bench.  He started the game at SG because Delonte West (Hamstring) sat this one out.  Pick up Beaubois if you need a guard, as he could be a big part of the Mavericks changing direction so they can go back to the top team in the West.  Shawn Marion (16 Points, 4 Assists) had another decent game.  He is playing like a more consistent Caron Butler lately.  Lamar Odom (34 Minutes, 19 Points, 5 Rebounds, 3 3PTM) made his last stand before Dirk Nowitzki comes back Sunday.  He made a case for himself to see more PT.  Jason Terry (18 Points, 3 3PTM) was solid off the bench, while Brendan Haywood (12 Points, 12 Rebounds, 2 Blocks) was solid at the center spot.

Toronto Raptors 81 @ Denver Nuggets 96

• Toronto Raptors: Jose Calderon (9 Points, 2 Assists, 31 Minutes) was outplayed by Jerryd Bayless (18 Points, 3 Assists, 16 Minutes).  It is going to be hard to convince another owner to take on Calderon and his decreasing fantasy value.  Same situation is going on for DeMar DeRozan (8 Points, 3 Assists, 33 Minutes) who was outplayed by Leandro Barbosa (19 Points, 3 Assists, 23 Minutes).  We may see a major change in the backcourt for the Raptors.  Amir Johnson (4 Points, 14 Minutes) and Ed Davis (5 Points, 8 Rebounds, 18 Minutes) came off the bench behind Linas Kleiza (2 Points, 8 Rebounds, 25 Minutes) who did not build off of his 25 Point effort.  The PF situation is not a safe one.  Andrea Bargnani (calf) remains sidelined which continues to open the door for James Johnson (16 Points, 2 Steals, 1 Block, 7/10 Shooting) to put up great fantasy lines.  Johnson fouled out in this one, and was still an effective fantasy basketball player.  Gerald Wallace 2.0.
• Denver Nuggets: Ty Lawson (ankle) sat this one out, and continues to lose fantasy value at a rapid rate.  Andre Miller (13 Points, 12 Assists, 2 Steals) continues to take advantage of the situation and is no doubt just as good if not the better PG option for this team.  Nene Hilario (20 Points, 10 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 1 Block) had a great fantasy line and looks very comfortable at PF all season long.  Danilo Gallinari (21 Points, 7 Rebounds, 1 Block, 2 3PTM) had another good line and is inching closer to that consistency we are looking for.  Aaron Afflalo (0 Points, 20 Minutes) returned and did nothing, the Nuggets are better off with Rudy Fernandez (23 Points, 5 3PTM, 3 Steals, 33 Minutes) who came out of nowhere.  Was it a fluke?  Time will tell.  Al Harrington (9 Points, 5 Rebounds, 26 Minutes) took 10 shot attempts and will have better games than this.

Phoenix Suns 71 @ Portland Trail Blazers 109

• Phoenix Suns: Did not show up to play, and no fantasy player did anything special.  The Trail Blazers at home are a tough fantasy defense.  Steve Nash (7 Assists, 5 Points) had a game that his owners will accept and move on with.  Marcin Gortat (8 Points, 10 Rebounds, 1 Block) had a game that last year owners would be satisfied with.  Grant Hill (12 Points) led the team in scoring.  Hakeem Warrick (9 Points, 7 Rebounds, 22 Minutes) outplayed Channing Frye (5 Points, 7 Rebounds, 27 Minutes) and starter Markieff Morris (3 Points, 4 Rebounds, 18 Minutes).  Bad fantasy situation for all of them.
• Portland Trail Blazers: Manhandled the Suns thanks to a combined team effort.  LaMarcus Aldridge (23 Points, 7 Rebounds, 1 Block) continues to be consistent every night.  Gerald Wallace (17 Points, 3 Steals, 1 Block, 1 Rebound) had an odd game, the points and steals are nice.  Wesley Matthews (16 Points, 4 Assists) broke his 15 point plane.  He is usually hovering around that area.  Raymond Felton (4 Points, 3 Assists, 3 Steals) had one of his worst games of the season.  Marcus Camby (20 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 2 Blocks) has now had 58 Rebounds in the last 3 games to push his season total to 10 Rebounds/game.  I would hold onto the veteran unless you can get a young star like Kemba Walker.  Nicolas Batum (14 Points, 5 Rebounds) was decent off the bench, while Jamal Crawford (9 Points, 10 Assists) had his first double digit assist game since the 06-07 season with the Knicks.

Oklahoma City Thunder 120 @ Golden State Warriors 109

• Oklahoma City Thunder: Got a huge performance out of Russell Westbrook (28 Points, 11 Assists, 6 Rebounds, 7 Steals, 1 3PTM) who reminded us why he is a 1^st round draft pick in the first place.  Kevin Durant (37 Points, 14 Rebounds, 11/11 FT, 2 3PTM) also reminded us why he was taken #2 overall behind James.  James Harden (19 Points, 1 3PTM) came off the bench and is having a very similar season to Jason Terry.  Harden has a lot more upside because of youth, size, and skill.  Serge Ibaka (20 Points,12 Rebounds) did not record a block, but how often will you get a 20-12 game from Ibaka?
• Golden State Warriors: Lost this one late as the Thunder just got red hot from the field.  Stephen Curry (15 Points, 6 Assists, 2 Steals, 2 3PTM) continues to look healthy and if no problems happen for a week straight then we can stop thinking about the ankle.  Monta Ellis (13 Points, 6 Assists, 1 Steal) has not been the same fantasy beast when Curry was out.  Not worried about his potential to thrive any night.  David Lee (19 Points, 7 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 2 Blocks) has been an all around great fantasy player all season.  He only had 10 FG attempts Friday night which is a bit of a concern.  Dorrell Wright (23 Points, 9 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 6 3PTM, 30 Minutes) exploded like the vintage Wright would.  His potential to go off like this is there, but is it wise to sell high as Brandon Rush (7 Points, 3 Rebounds, 27 Minutes) and Klay Thompson (14 Points, 3 Blocks, 2 3PTM, 19 Minutes) will not go down quietly.

Saturday (1/28/12)

Detroit Pistons 74 @ Philadelphia 76ers 95

Detroit:

• Greg Monroe (16 Points,10 Rebounds)
• Austin Daye (12 Points, 3 Rebounds, 1 Block, 5/8 Shooting, 27 Minutes)
• Brandon Knight (9 Points, 5 Rebounds, 37 Minutes)
• Rodney Stuckey (11 Points, 2 Assists, 29 Minutes)
• Tayshaun Prince (DNP)

Austin Daye did enough to make a case for 20+ Minutes a game easily once Tayshaun Prince returns.  This was his week to shine.  Brandon Knight and Rodney Stuckey were disappointing and they got outplayed by the 76er guards.  Greg Monroe continues to be rock solid.

Philadelphia:

• Jrue Holiday (13 Points, 2 Steals, 2 Assists, 36 Minutes)
• Jodie Meeks (12 Points, 4 Rebounds, 28 Minutes)
• Lou Williams (17 Points, 1 Block, 3 3PTM, 25 Minutes)
• Evan Turner (12 Points, 6 Rebounds, 23 Minutes)
• Elton Brand (14 Points, 4 Rebounds, 27 Minutes)
• Thaddeus Young (8 Points, 4/11 Shooting, 13 Minutes)
• Andre Iguodala (10 Points, 10 Rebounds, 10 Assists, 1 Steal, 35 Minutes)

The battle of the Guards situation was in full force tonight as all 4 of them ranged from 12-17 Points with of course Lou Williams leading the way.  Elton Brand needs some stronger performances while Spencer Hawes recovers.  Andre Iguodala did enough to be a great sell high candidate after his 3×2.  He only took 7 shots, and is not an aggressive offensive player, you can easily get someone who will score 20+ Points a game for Iggy.

Washington Wizards 102 @ Charlotte Bobcats 99

Washington:

• John Wall (13 Points, 10 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 2 Blocks)
• Nick Young (21 Points, 1 3PTM, 1 Steal)
• Jordan Crawford (12 Points, 7 Assists, 2 3PTM)
• Javale McGee (22 Points, 10 Rebounds, 5 Blocks, 1 Steal)
• Rashard Lewis (10 Points, 6 Rebounds, 2 3PTM)
• Andray Blatche (8 Minutes, 4 Points, 1 Rebound)

Javale McGee finally broke out, but he will have to string together a few nice games before people believe he is the true fantasy center they drafted so high.  John Wall continues to put up nice lines when the Wizards are competitive.  Jordan Crawford and Nick Young did a great job of providing the spark for the team, one needs the other to go down to be a great fantasy start.  Andray Blatche has fallen to almost last on the depth chart, with no direction of moving up.

Charlotte:

• Kemba Walker (20 Points, 10 Rebounds, 11 Assists, 1 Steal, 2 Blocks, 2 3PTM)
• Gerald Henderson (DNP-Back)
• DJ Augustin (DNP-Toe)
• Byron Mullens (31 Minutes, 23 Points, 3 Rebounds)
• Boris Diaw (21 Points, 10 Assists, 41 Minutes)
• Tyrus Thomas (13 Points, 10 Rebounds, 2 Assists)
• Bismack Biyombo (2 Points, 7 Minutes)

The story of the night was Kemba Walker being the third player in Bobcats history to get a triple-double.  But the fantasy story of the night was Boris Diaw breaking out with a  20 Point 10 Assist game.  Guess what fantasy owners, that is back-to-back starts where Diaw is showing some value.  One more and you have a great trade candidate in all leagues.  Suckers will start to believe the potential is back.  Just wait until DJ Augustin and Gerald Henderson return if you are convinced he is for real.  Tyrus Thomas had a very solid week and is a very high potential forward in all fantasy leagues.  Byron Mullens came back from the grave to score 23 Points off the bench, but only grab 3 rebounds.  Who knows what the Bobcats will do with that center position.

New York Knicks 84 @ Houston Rockets 97

New York:

• Toney Douglas (7 Points, 4 Assists)
• Landry Fields (0 Points)
• Iman Shumpert (11 Points, 2 Assists, Came off the bench)
• Amare Stoudemire (23 Points, 8 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 2 Blocks)
• Tyson Chandler (14 Points, 11 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 Block)
• Carmelo Anthony (DNP)
• Bill Walker (5 Points, 5 Rebounds)

Amare Stoudemire finally had a typical Amare game.  Problem for him this season is these lines are not coming consistent enough, and it took a Carmelo injury for him to put up a game like this.  Amare needs to continue to build off this line.  Tyson Chandler was solid which is becoming a common theme.  Bill Walker, nor Landry Fields, nor Toney Douglas, nor Iman Shumpert, were not able to take advantage of their situation.

Houston:

• Kyle Lowry (1/6 Shooting, 3 Points, 4 Assists, 3 Rebounds)
• Samuel Dalembert (7 Points, 14 Rebounds)
• Luis Scola (12 Points, 6 Rebounds)
• Chase Budinger (19 Points, 23 Minutes)
• Chandler Parsons (0 Points, 28 Minutes)
• Courtney Lee (14 Points, 3 Steals, Started)
• Kevin Martin (DNP)

Kyle Lowry has been struggling mightily with his shot lately shooting less than 20% from the field all week.  Luis Scola continues to not rebound the ball, while Samuel Dalembert eats glass for breakfast.  Chandler Parsons may have played himself out of the starting role thanks to the recent explosion of Chase Budinger.  Chase will be a nice add as he shoots 3’s at the forward spot.  Courtney Lee did a nice job keeping Kevin Martins spot warm when he returns.

Los Angeles Lakers 89 @ Milwaukee Bucks 100

Los Angeles:

• Kobe Bryant (27 Points, 8 Rebounds, 9 Assists, 1 3PTM, 2 Steals)
• Andrew Bynum (15 Points, 9 Rebounds, 2 Blocks, 6/10 Shooting)
• Pau Gasol (12 Points, 15 Rebounds, 1 Block, 1 Steal)
• Metta W. Peace (20 Minutes, 4 Points)

Andrew Bynum is not getting enough shot attempts and can easily dominate games more if given the opportunity.  Pau Gasol is putting together some solid games, 15 Rebounds is a surprise for a guy who is softer than Wonder bread.  Kobe Bryant continues to be a beast in all aspects of the fantasy game.  “You’re Welcome.”

Milwaukee:

• Brandon Jennings (12 Points, 7 Assists)
• Drew Gooden (23 Points, 8 Rebounds, 1 3PTM)
• Ersan Illysova (15 Points, 24 Minutes)
• Shaun Livingston (11 Points, 30 Minutes)
• Mike Dunleavy (15 Points, 22 Minutes)
• Carlos Delfino (7 Points, 22 Minutes)
• Stephen Jackson (NBA Suspension)
• Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (38 Minutes, 10 Points, 6 Rebounds)

Drew Gooden is on his way to being a great fantasy asset in all leagues.  Pick him up now.  Luc Richard was on the court to guard Kobe, Ersan Illysova may be the better option at the PF spot. Carlos Delfino will probably lose his starting role to Mike Dunleavy or Stephen Jackson anytime soon.  Shaun Livingston is barely holding on to his.  Brandon Jennings had a bad game, which was not even that awful, he has been solid all season.

Memphis Grizzles 84 @ Phoenix Suns 86

Memphis:

• Mike Conley (15 Points, 10 Assists)
• Tony Allen (10 Points, 2 Steals, 23 Minutes)
• OJ Mayo (25 Minutes, 6 Points, 5 Assists)
• Marc Gasol (18 Points, 13 Rebounds, 4 Blocks, 1 Steal)
• Rudy Gay (18 Points, 6 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 Block)

Mike Conley and Marc Gasol continue their break out years after both looked so great in the playoffs together.  Tony Allen and OJ Mayo have an even split of the shooting guard position.  Mayo is the better fantasy option, not by much.  Rudy Gay is having a good season, I personally expected a lot more from Rudy who was playing like a 1^st round pick before getting hurt a season ago.

Phoenix:

• Steve Nash (21 Points, 6 Assists, 5 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 2 3PTM)
• Jared Dudley (20 Points, 6 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 3 Steals, 2 3PTM, 42 Minutes)
• Marcin Gortat (13 Points, 12 Rebounds, 1 Block)
• Markieff Morris (10 Points, 9 Rebounds, 20 Minutes)
• Channing Frye (Started, 2 Points, 14 Minutes)
• Hakim Warrick (8 Points, 6 Rebounds, 18 Minutes)
• Grant Hill (9 Points, 3 Assists, 2 Blocks)

Jared Dudley got his starting spot back and thrived instantly.  All of pre-season the Suns were raving that Dudley is their best player, now he gets a second chance to prove that.  Steve Nash had a great game and suffered a late thigh bruise.  Questionable for Monday.  Markieff Morris came off the bench to outplay both Hakim Warrick and the starter Channing Frye.  Grant Hill will give you some mid/low value consistently.

Sacramento Kings 93 @ Utah Jazz 96

Sacramento:

• Tyreke Evans (31 Points, 9 Assists, 6 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 Block)
• Jimmer Fredette (14 Points, 2 Steals, 3 3PTM, 30 Minutes)
• Marcus Thornton (DNP-Thigh)
• DeMarcus Cousins (14 Points, 9 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 1 Block)
• Jason Thompson (14 Points, 7 Rebounds)
• John Salmons (7 Points, 7 Rebounds)
• Chuck Hayes (20 Minutes, 8 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 0 Points)
• Isaiah Thomas (13 Points, All in 3^rd quarter, 0 Assists)

No Marcus Thornton opened up the door for Tyreke Evans to go off for a huge night.  Jimmer also took advantage of the situation, I still imagine the job is clearly Thornton’s when he returns.  DeMarcus Cousins is turning into a pretty consistent fantasy option with huge upside.  Jason Thompson started, but Chuck Hayes is back who re-aggravated the shoulder.  John Salmons did enough to keep his job safe, while Isaiah Thomas showed off some huge potential.

Utah:

• Devin Harris (26 Minutes, 9 Points, 6 Assists, 1 Steal, 1 Block)
• Earl Watson (22 Minutes, 3 Points, 0 Assists)
• Al Jefferson (12 Points, 6 Rebounds, 3 Blocks)
• Paul Millsap (6 Points, 14 Rebounds, 1 Steal, 2 Blocks)
• Derrick Favors (15 Minutes, 8 Points, 4 Rebounds)
• Gordon Hayward (21 Points, 30 Minutes)
• C.J. Miles (20 Points, 26 Minutes)
• Raja Bell (3 Points, 11 Minutes)

Devin Harris and Earl Watson continue to battle for minutes, neither is really pulling away from the other but Earl Watson is not doing anything to help his case.  Al Jefferson had back-to-back 3 block games, his scoring along with Paul Millsap is usually better than this.  Gordon Hayward played well along with C.J. Miles who looks to replace Raja Bell in the starting lineup any game now.

Sunday (1/29/12)- Monday (1/30/12)

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