FANTASY BASKETBALL PLAYER UPDATE Part 1.
Fantasy Basketball Muntradamus Player Update Part 1.
By Muntradamus
—————————————————————————
NEW TO BEAST DOME
If you want a live feed on when Beast Dome Articles are published. Follow Beast Dome on Twitter.
Feel free to participate in the group chat to the side of this page. Any questions feel free to ask and I will give you an answer.
Let’s bring home that championship!
(Muntradamus Player Update Part 2)
————————————————————————————————-
76ERS
Andre Iguodala (8.4/10) +.1
What makes Iguodala so special is the fact he fills up the stat sheet and gets 5+ Assists from the forward position. He is a mini-Lebron.
Jrue Holiday (7.5/10) +0
Jrue will continue to get his minutes, but his production is not equivalent to the amount of opportunities he gets. There is no reason to think he will lose playing time, but there is not a lot of hope that he all of a sudden becomes the option his owners drafted him for.
Louis Williams (7.4/10) +.1
Lou is becoming more and more involved in the offense on a consistent basis. Now it is reasonable to expect 5+ Assists to go along with nice scoring numbers. Slowly, Lou is becoming the much better fantasy option than Jrue.
Evan Turner (6.1/10) +0
There is no reason to believe the 76ers are going to switch up their rotation to give Turner the minutes he needs to be a consistent fantasy option. He is waiver wire material.
Elton Brand (6.8/10) +.4
Brand is having a second life now that the 76ers are a competitive team. The blocks have been nice all year, but what really makes him special is the double-double potential. As long as the 76ers are in the playoff run, Brand will give it his all.
Thaddeus Young (7.5/10) +.4
Thaddeus could be a fantasy superstar if he was on a different team that gave him 35+ Minutes. Still Young gets the job done and is one of coach’s Doug Collins favorite players.
Spencer Hawes (5.9/10) +0
The injuries and DNPs keep racking up for Hawes. What was once a great start of the season, now seems like fog in a mirror.
——————————————————————————————–
BOBCATS
Kemba Walker (7.6/10) -.2
Kemba will be a great option during the fantasy playoffs once he cracks that rotation again. For now stash him on the bench, or pick him up if an owner grew impatient with him.
Boris Diaw (5.8/10) +.1
Diaw is great if you are desperate for a body who gets mediocre at best rebound/assist numbers from the forward position. I do not expect Diaw to start the rest of the season.
Gerald Henderson (6/10) +.7
Henderson came back and took the role he once had. The Bobcats do appear committed to making Henderson a big part of their future, but it is uncertain what his role will be the rest of the season if he continues to struggle. The Bobcats need to get Kemba his minutes, and Henderson is in his way.
D.J. Augustin (7.6/10) +0
Augustin is clearly the PG for the future for Charlotte. Although he has not been elite since returning, D.J. does bring some nice assist potential with those 3PTM. D.J. should be safe the rest of the way.
Tyrus Thomas (4.7/10) +0
Thomas has been buried on the bench, and it will take a trade or injury to get him back in that rotation. Though even with Biyombo going down, Thomas still is sitting towards the end of the bench.
Corey Maggette (7.7/10) +0
Maggette has decided that if anyone is going to be a solid consistent scoring option on this team, it is going to be him. Maggette is a scoring machine who is forced to do it all for Charlotte. With the team heading towards elimination, trading him for a draft pick would seem like a great move for the Bobcats.
Bismack Biyombo (7.4/10) +.1
Biyombo is the best kept secret in fantasy basketball. Stay tuned for a special article on the block shot specialist who was averaging 5 per game before getting injured. Add him in all leagues despite the shoulder injury.
Reggie Williams (6.5/10) +0
Reggie is one Bobcat I see declining quicker than any of the relevant fantasy options. There is no way they see him as a big part of their future, and it will not be before long he is at the bottom of this bench.
———————————————————————————————–
BUCKS
Brandon Jennings (8.6/10) +.1
Jennings is starting to step it up again as an elite option. The problem has been, as soon as you start trusting him he will let you down in a second. Either way, the Bucks will depend on his production every night, and so should you.
Mike Dunleavy (6.5/10) +.2
Dunleavy is crawling up that depth chart for more minutes. His potential in the 3PTM category is #gamechanger quality. I would expect him to get more PT as the season goes along.
Stephen Jackson (5.7/10) -.4
The only way Captain Jack will have any fantasy value is if he gets traded to a different team. Right now NJ is a possible suitor, but even that situation sounds unlikely. Jackson really screwed over the Bucks franchise this season.
Drew Gooden (7.8/10) +.7
Gooden is a beast down low for this squad. Somehow, someway, he has resurged his career to becoming one of the more solid centers in fantasy. 20 Point games are in reach every night for the veteran out of Kansas.
Ersan Ilysova (7.8/10) +.3
Ersan has been a great story all season long. There is no reason to believe his production will slow down, and double-doubles will be there nearly every night. It is nice he has a 3PT shot to go along with his explosive rebound and point potential.
Carlos Delfino (7.1/10) +.1
Delfino is in a huge shooting slump, and when he snaps out of it fantasy owners will be chasing to get him. We have seen this version of Delfino all season long, but we also know what he is capable of with his 3PTM and steals.
———————————————————————————————
BULLS
Derrick Rose (9.7/10) +.3
Bucket full of Roses is back to the elite level his owners drafted him to be. You can expect superstar quality from him the rest of the way.
Luol Deng (8.5/10) +.1
Deng is not the consistent player he was before injuring his wrist. At times you will get some nice lines, I would personally sell high. When Rip Hamilton returns, you can expect another scoring option to affect Deng’s value.
Joakim Noah (8.5/10) +0
Joakim appears to be a solid player going forward. A bit of a hiccup this week as far as consistency goes, but a player who hustles like him will get his numbers.
Carlos Boozer (8.1/10) +0
Boozer is back to his vintage fantasy self. He will not explode in the blocks or steals department, but his points and rebounds will make his owners happy.
Rip Hamilton (6.1/10) +.4
Rip is still getting his legs back under him and is approaching 20 minutes per game. Soon he will be back to the 30 we expect, and when that happens you can get some nice scoring numbers.
—————————————————————————————————-
CAVALIERS
Kyrie Irving (8.5/10) +.1
Kyrie has been having a bit of trouble staying on the court consistently as a rookie. However when he is out there his fantasy potential is dynamite. The 8 3PTM during the futures game has carried over to his 3PT confidence during the regular season.
Ramon Sessions (7.3/10) +.1
Sessions is counting down the days he is traded and becomes a must-start option in all fantasy leagues. The Lakers could sure use his services.
Anderson Varejao (7.1/10) +0
Varejao is one of those guys you do not want to face in the fantasy playoffs. So if he is on your waiver wire, and you are a lock for the playoffs. Make sure he is not on your waiver wire any longer.
Antawn Jamison (8.6/10) +.1
Antawn has become the most impressive fantasy player that was not expected to do this well. However I saw it coming from a mile away and that is why I reached for him in my draft. When Anderson Varejao returns, his value will take a bit of decline. For now continue to enjoy the 20-8 performances with 3PTM, Steals, Blocks, it would be nice if he could hit a FT.
Tristan Thompson (7/10)
Thompson is in a position where he can become fantasy gold during the playoffs. Or he could lose his role even further when Anderson Varejao returns. It will be interesting to see what moves Cleveland makes at the deadline, for now continue to stash him if you can. The double-double with blocks potential would be huge if he saw 30+ Minutes a night.
——————————————————————————————————–
CELTICS
Paul Pierce (8.6/10) +0
Pierce was going through a rough stretch, but now is back to being the dominant forward he once was. No reason to think his production will slow down as he will be a main focal point on getting this team back to the playoffs. Even when his value is down, he still brings 3PTM and Assists from the forward position.
Kevin Garnett (8.5/10) +.1
KG saw his value become even more valuable now that he qualifies at center. As a center he is one of those elite options he will not let you down in any category, and help you in all the others.
Ray Allen (7.7/10) +.1
Ray Ray will continue to do his thing. 3PTM, Steals, and FT%. Do not expect more, do not expect less.
Rajon Rondo (8.9/10) +0
Rondo has been a beast since his name has landed on the rumor mill. 18 Points, 17 Rebounds, 20 Assists on Sunday shows what type of production he can put up. Numbers like that easily have him on track to challenge Lebron for fantasy MVP. We will see what his encore is this week.
Brandon Bass (7/10) +.7
Bass appears to be in a position to really lock up the job as the starting PF. Problem is Chris Wilcox is emerging out of nowhere to become a relevant option. For now these two are cancelling eachother out with the edge to Bass.
Chris Wilcox (6.2/10) +.2
Read Brandon Bass.
—————————————————————————————————–
CLIPPERS
Chris Paul (9.7/10) +.1
CP3 is back to the elite level his owners hoped he would be. No reason to think he will slow down, as he is starting to realize he has to take over this team in order for them to go where they need to go.
Blake Griffin (9.4/10) -.1
Blake has been struggling a
bit and not reaching the premium numbers his owners expect. Do not be surprised if he becomes a fantasy monster once again over night. Hopefully those FT’s improve.
Mo Williams (7.6/10) +0
Mo is not completely taking advantage of the no Chauncey Billups situation. The good news is, he will continue to fire at will every night. Eventually he will get hot and the J.R. Smith type of player his owners are looking for.
DeAndre Jordan (7.4/10) +0
Jordan is still battling minutes with Kenyon Martin. I do expect DeAndre to start getting more minutes, more consistently. Kenyon does not bring anything to the table that DeAndre does not.
Caron Butler (7.5/10) -.2
Butler has not been himself lately, and that is unfortunate because his opportunity to become an elite option with Chauncey Billups injured is passing before his very eyes. Bobby Simmons is back on the team, and that does appear to be a bit of a concern for his owners. I would hope Butler will outlast, outwit and outplay to become the SURVIVOR.
Randy Foye (7/10) +.3
Foye has been looking nice at the starting guard spot. This has been his chance to showcase his skills for a longer NBA career, and he has not disappointed. His scoring, steals, and 3PT shot has kept him in a time share with the much more touted Mo Williams.
——————————————————————————————————————
GRIZZILIES
Mike Conley (8.4/10) +.3
Conley has stepped up his game this past week. His assist totals were outrageous as you could expect double digits nearly every night. On top of that he is still one of the league leaders in steals. When Randolph returns I expect his 3PTM to go up as he will have more open looks.
Rudy Gay (8.5/10) +0
Gay is a nice fantasy option. I expected a much more explosive season, but he still gives you great quality numbers from the forward position. When Randolph returns you can expect his touches to go down a bit, I still can see 20 Points a game.
Zach Randolph (7.8/10) +.3
Randolph is nearing his return and it could be within the next week plus. Make sure he is not around on your waiver wire as he is going to be a key component to a lot of teams in the fantasy playoffs. Remember how dominant he was a season ago in the playoffs?
Marc Gasol (8.7/10) +0
If anyone is going to take a hit with Zach Randolph returning, it will be Marc. The more physical Gasol should still be a double-double machine, I just don’t expect it to be as explosive as it has been all season long.
O.J. Mayo (7.1/10) +.3
O.J. is making his move to pass Tony Allen on the depth chart. O.J. is one of those guys who can light it up for 30 Points if he gets the opportunities. Though in this offense, I do not know how likely it is for those numbers. Too many options.
Tony Allen (7.0/10) -.1
Tony Allen has resorted back to his old scoring ways. Which makes him an invaluable fantasy asset. The steal/block combo is nice from the guard spot, but that is the only thing you can hope for when putting him in your lineup.
————————————————————————————————————–
HAWKS
Jeff Teague (7.4/10) +.3
Teague has been stepping it up as of late and remains a low-end decent starting option. With no Joe Johnson, Teague’s role should increase. The nice thing about Teague is his steal/block combo from the guard spot.
Joe Johnson (7.8/10) -.3
Joe is maybe the fantasy disappointment of the season. Even with no Al Horford, Johnson could not get his game consistent at all this season. Now being injured, the Hawks may try to move their once franchise player. The last time he scored 20 Points was Feb 8th.
Josh Smith (9.7/10) +.1
Josh has turned his game up to the next level since not getting an All-Star game invitation. There is no reason to believe he will slow down, and is an elite option at the position.
Zaza Pachulia (7.5/10) +.3
Zaza is low-end #2 fantasy center. His consistency is not there, but his potential for nice double-double numbers are. You take the good with the bad, and you hope he is a bench option and not in starting lineup.
Marvin Williams (5/10) +1
Marvin could be a beneficiary if Joe has to miss more time. Chances are, Williams will not take advantage of the situation and should be a waiver wire option in all leagues.
———————————————————————————————————–
HEAT
Dwayne Wade (9.7/10) +.2
Wade has turned it on with no Chris Bosh. Hopefully he can carry this momentum the rest of the season and get those 30 Point games more consistently. His name alone makes his value that much higher, the blocks and steals help as well.
Lebron James (10/10) +0
LBJ is THE fantasy MVP. What he does as a player statistically sets him apart from the rest. Steals, Blocks, Assists, Rebounds, Elite scoring.
Chris Bosh (8.4/10) +0
Bosh sat out the last three games due to a death in the family. In the process Wade and Lebron stepped up their fantasy games to a whole new level. It will be interesting to see if Bosh stays as relevant as he has before leaving the team. Chances are he is a low end double-double guy with a big name.
Mario Chalmers (7.2/10) +.4
Chalmers does what he does best. 3PTM and steals. His value will go up if Wade or Lebron goes down, but obviously Bosh does not make a difference in touches or points.
———————————————————————————————–
HORNETS
Jarrett Jack (7.7/10) +0
Jarrett Jack is back to being the option he was before the injury. Greivis Vasquez has fallen on the depth chart, and the Hornets are clearly a better team when the game is in the hands of Jack. Expect 15 Points with nice amount of everything else every night.
Greivis Vasquez (6.9/10) -.3
A nice fantasy story while it lasted. Greivis can safely be dropped in all leagues. This is his last week to prove he has any value.
Emeka Okafor (6.4/10) +0
The injury to Emeka has caused him to free fall on the depth chart. It will be interesting to see what kind of minutes he gets once he returns, but a Chris Kaman trade is what will save his value.
Trevor Ariza (7.6/10) +.3
Ariza is injured, but when he is out there and healthy he is the version he was with Houston. Points, Steals, 3PTM, decent rebounding can be expected nearly every night. Nice bounce back season.
Eric Gordon (6.5/10) +0
Still no official word on EG’s return. Tough season for owners who drafted him so high.
Chris Kaman (8.1/10) +.3
Kaman has resurged to the fantasy center he once was. There is a good chance he gets traded, for now ride out this nice hot streak.
Gustavo Ayon (7/10) +.2
Ayon will lose value once Emeka and Landry return. It appears Jason Smith is done for the season, so that is one less big guy for him to compete with. The big fantasy lines before the break appear to be in the rear view mirror for Gustavo.
————————————————————————————————-
JAZZ
Al Jefferson (8.9/10) +0
Big Al is clearly the #1 and #2 option in this offense. One of the most consistent centers out there, Jefferson will remain an elite option especially with them fighting for a playoff spot.
Paul Millsap (8.5/10) +.1
Millsap is a much better player when Jefferson is injured, however he still remains a threat for 20-10 games as long as he is healthy. It would be nice if he could show some more consistency, but overall you are getting a solid option.
Devin Harris (7.4/10) +.5
Harris is slowly crawling back into that starting PG spot with no competition. After hitting a game winner against the Heat, his confidence should be going sky high. It also helps he is on fire scoring double digits consistently every night again. Time to add him if he is still on your waiver wire.
Earl Watson (6.7/10) +0
Watson is doing enough damage getting assists to hold Devin Harris back from being owned in every league. Watson will not score much, but he does have 8 assist potential every night and that is good enough for deep league owners who are desperate in the category.
Josh Howard (7.2/10)
Howard appears to have the forward position on lockdown, however the Jazz do like C.J. Miles and that will remain a problem for Howard remaining a consistent fantasy option going forward. For now he is a great waiver wire claim if you are desperate at the position.
Derrick Favors (7/10)
Favors will be a fantasy stud if Jefferson or Millsap go down. For now stash him on the bench and be ready for the opportunity when it arrives.
—————————————————————————————————————–
KINGS
Tyreke Evans (8.8/10) +.2
Tyreke the Freak now qualifies at forward. He automatically becomes an elite option at the position and is a great own in all leagues. He will bring intangibles like assists, 3PTM, and steals from the forward position not many get. Great player to trade for if you can.
Marcus Thornton (8.2/10) +0
Thornton has been a very consistent scoring option all season. He is not at the elite level he was at a season ago, but he will hover 20 points nearly every night. His 3PTM are a bit down, though it can go up at any moment. His steals are a bit down, that as well can go up at any moment. Continue to start the X-Factor.
DeMarcus Cousins (8.8/10) +0
Cousins is a monster among beasts. He can dominate any night and be the top fantasy option. His days of foul trouble appear to be behind him for now, which is enough to make him the #2 ranked centers according to Beast Dome.
John Salmons (5.4/10) +0
Salmons has fallen out of the rotation and is now a waiver wire option.
Jason Thompson (7.3/10) +0
Thompson continues to start, but is not doing a good job proving that he belongs to stay there. I expect the Kings to make a move at some point to bring back Chuck Hayes or J.J. Hickson, for now hope that he can get back to his 10-10 ways if you still own him.
Isaiah Thomas (8/10) +.6
Isaiah has hit a bit of a rough patch, however it appears the Kings are committed to rolling with him the rest of the season. He brings nice 3PTM, Assists, and steals potential to go along with his good scoring numbers. As long as he sees 30+ Minutes continue to start him.
——————————————————————————————————
KNICKS
Jeremy Lin (8.3/10) +0
Lin’s amazing story appears to be coming to a close as far as elite fantasy value goes. He will still have his great games, they will not come as frequent. The Knicks are simply too deep and that is the only thing keeping Lin from being a top guard.
Carmelo Anthony (8.6/10) +0
Melo is back to taking his 20+ shots. That is good news for his fantasy owners who were a bit worried they were not going to get the same player back. However they did lose in the occasion so they may force that type of volume to come to a halt.
Amare Stoudemire (8.4/10) +0
Amare has been on a fantasy decline since the Knicks acquired Melo a season ago. As long as Amare is out there, you have to hope for double-doubles. It is sad to see an elite caliber player free fall in a system that has too many options.
Tyson Chandler (7.9/10) +.2
Chandler may not take a lot of shots, but he will rack up the blocks and rebounds. His value remains high simply because he does what a center does best. If the Knicks have any chance winning it will be because Chandler continues to be a fantasy force all season.
Iman Shumpert (6.6/10) +0
Shumpert appears to be the leading man off the bench. After an explosive game against Cleveland and then 30+ Minutes against Boston it is clear he is their 6th man. That may not last long, and now would be a good time to package him in a trade for an upgrade of a better player.
Landry Fields (6.9/10) -.1
Fields is losing his value with J.R. and Shumpert coming off the bench. For now stash the all-around fantasy threat until he reclaims his position on this team. He is starting, but not seeing starter minutes at all.
J.R. Smith (6.9/10) +.1
J.R. is close to waiver wire material, however we all know he can explode at any moment. His fantasy value will skyrocket if he can have a 20+ Point game off the bench, for now continue to stash him on your fantasy bench.
LAKERS
Kobe Bryant (10/10) +0
Kobe is in the running for NBA MVP. Even with a broken nose, a torn wrist, and a concussion. He still dominates the game with ease.
Andrew Bynum (9.3/10) +.1
Bynum is a monster in the rebounding and blocks department. It would be nice if he could approach 20 Points more often, however you take the positive that he is still healthy and that is all you can wish for.
Pau Gasol (8.9/10) -.3
Pau has been dissolving a bit from the offense. You can still expect 15-10 every night, though it is not coming as frequently as his owners would expect. As long as the Lakers remain a three man fantasy team, Pau should get his stats.