Atlanta Hawks -- Rookie Al Horford continues to be a monster on the glass. Over his last five games, he's averaging 11.8 rpg with four straight games with at least 11 boards. He has two double-doubles in his last four games, but Fantasy owners are only starting him in 62 percent of leagues. What gives? As far as No. 2 Fantasy centers go, you can't do much better than him in any type of format. Get the rookie active if you have him.
Boston Celtics -- Kevin Garnett could have played through his abdominal strain on Sunday, according to the Boston Herald. The team just wanted to make sure his abdominal strain did not turn into something more serious. Supposedly, Garnett was so upset that he was a late scratch that he didn't even come out of the locker room to watch the first quarter. We don't expect him to miss another game for a while (knock on wood).
Charlotte Bobcats -- Emeka Okafor is starting to pick up his play of late and seems to be regaining some of the Fantasy appeal he lost when Nazr Mohammed joined the team. He's averaging 17.8 ppg and 11.6 rpg over his last five games with double-doubles in four straight contests going into the week. He's also averaging 2.0 bpg in that span. Meanwhile, Mohammed has come back down to earth, averaging just 8.4 ppg and 6.0 rpg over those five games. He's still useful as a low-end No. 2 Fantasy center, though.
Chicago Bulls -- The Bulls are as banged up as they've been all season, with injuries to Luol Deng (Achilles'), Ben Gordon (wrist), Chris Duhon (knee) and Joe Smith (knee). Deng is out for 1-3 weeks, Gordon is day-to-day, Duhon is "shutting it down" for a few games and Smith is able to play but he had fluid drained from his right knee for the third time this season, according to the Chicago Tribune. With all these injuries, expect Andres Nocioni to benefit from a Fantasy standpoint. Thabo Sefolosha should continue to start while Gordon is out for sure, but possibly even when he comes back until Deng returns.
Cleveland Cavaliers -- While the full damage of the ankle sprain suffered by Anderson Varejao Sunday is still unknown, the Akron Beacon Journal reports he will miss "several games". X-rays were negative, but it might be just as bad as a break. Doctors diagnosed him with a grade-2 sprain, which is a partial tearing of a ligament. Expect Drew Gooden to get a nice boost while Varejao is out again.
Dallas Mavericks -- Devin Harris will miss at least 2-3 weeks with a bone bruise on his left ankle, the team announced Monday. Expect the team to move Jason Terry back to the point with Juan Jose Barea possibly moving into a prominent role. Give him a look if he's available. He had 25 points in a game early on in the season, but has done virtually nothing since. Consider taking a flier on him, but don't activate him just yet.
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| Kenyon Martin is effective when healthy, but he's never healthy. (Getty Images) |
Detroit Pistons -- Antonio McDyess had 10 points with 13 rebounds Friday against Orlando, giving him 10 double-doubles this season. That's the highest total on a Pistons team that continues to be very top-heavy from a Fantasy standpoint.
Golden State Warriors -- It is no longer a secret that the Warriors would like to bring back Chris Webber. When asked before Sunday's game about why he'd want to bring back a player he feuded with over a decade ago, head coach Don Nelson replied, "Have you seen my roster?". Rumblings out of the Golden State organization indicate a deal could get done as soon as Tuesday, meaning Webber could be ready to activate for Fantasy purposes as soon as Fantasy Week 15 (Feb. 4-10). Pick him up now if he's still available as his eligibility at both center and forward in Fantasy makes him an appealing option. The only downside is that he's headed into Nelson's erratic rotation.
Houston Rockets -- Yao Ming sat out the Rockets' game Sunday against Utah with an upper respiratory infection. The 7-foot-6 Yao, voted the starting center for the Western Conference for the All-Star game on Feb. 17, told team officials he felt sick when he arrived for a workout on Sunday morning, coach Rick Adelman said. "The doctors looked at him and they don't think it's worth the chance," Adelman said. "We'll just have to move on." He had started every game this season. "The only thing that really changes for us is the fact that, without Yao, there's nobody with a low-post presence he has," Adelman said. Yao is having another outstanding season, averaging 22.1 points and 10.7 rebounds and thankfully is not expected to miss any time.
Indiana Pacers -- Jermaine O'Neal called sitting out the season with a bruised left knee a "worst-case scenario" last week, but he refused to put a timetable on his return. "I don't know when I'm coming back," O'Neal said. He acknowledged that he might have rushed back too soon from offseason knee surgery. Danny Granger should benefit in his absence.
Los Angeles Clippers -- Elton Brand was cleared to begin heavy running and jumping last week and the Los Angeles Times reports that he could not wait to get back to the gym. Brand believes it went well. "It felt good," Brand said. "Slow as heck, but I'll get that up. You never know how much you miss something until it's gone. It's an old cliche, but it's true." At this stage, Brand is still aiming for a return in early March, meaning Fantasy owners could get about four weeks at best from him in Fantasy. Those four weeks could cause a ripple effect up and down the Clippers roster in terms of Fantasy production. Is Chris Kaman headed for a dip in production during the Fantasy playoffs? What about Corey Maggette? These may be reasons to think about dealing your Clips.
Los Angeles Lakers -- According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the Lakers expect Chris Mihm to join them during their nine-game road trip, which begins Thursday in Detroit. Mihm, who has been sidelined since Christmas Day because of a heel injury, must get approval from his doctor before he can practice. He could be with the team for workouts early next week. Once he returns, he could push Kwame Brown for minutes at center while Andrew Bynum is out due to injuries. Any viable center is worth a flier, right?
Memphis Grizzlies -- The Memphis Commercial-Appeal reports that Mike Conley (chest/rib) is expected to miss up to a week. He spent time with the team doctor Saturday before tip-off. There is no structural damage or impact to his previous shoulder injury, but he should be reserved in Fantasy leagues for now. Juan Carlos Navarro benefits while Conley is away and Kyle Lowry should also see a boost in playing time.
Miami Heat -- Remember when Mark Blount was a useful center in 2006-07? Well, it's happening again. Blount is starting in place of Shaquille O'Neal (hip) and he's looked good so far. He had 23 points with five rebounds on Thursday against San Antonio and he followed that up with 19 points Saturday against the Pacers, with the Heat snapping a 15-game losing streak in the process. He's a much different type of center than Shaq in that he does not spend a lot of time pounding the ball in the paint, but his pick-and-roll style meshes well with Dwyane Wade. He can be a decent scoring No. 2 center.
Milwaukee Bucks -- The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports Michael Redd (knee) will miss the team's upcoming two-game road trip. He is currently aiming for a return Saturday vs. Houston. "It's not severe," Redd told reporters after practice Monday. "When I got that thigh contusion (earlier this month), I lost a lot of strength in my legs. So it was vulnerable." He injured himself on a dunk attempt. Charlie Bell should benefit in his absence, but it could also be a chance for Royal Ivey to show what he can do.
Minnesota Timberwolves -- According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Gerald Green wants to be traded. He's averaged only 12 minutes in 21 games through the first half of the season after he had a chance to win the starting shooting guard spot in the preseason. The Wolves did not pick up his contract option for next season, so his future is not with Minnesota and he'd like to go somewhere where he can play. Given playing time, he could become a viable low-end Fantasy starter. Keep an eye on this situation.
New Jersey Nets -- The Jason Kidd trade rumors continue, but this time they seem to have some teeth. The Newark Star-Ledger reports that even his teammates are starting to believe something is up with Kidd. He was seen eating breakfast alone Sunday at the team's hotel. An anonymous teammate told the Star-Ledger that it was a first. Should Kidd get traded before the Feb. 21 trade deadline, he'd still be an elite Fantasy guard, but he could be playing with a lot more effort if he gets his wish to go to a contender.
New Orleans Hornets -- David West had one of his better offensive games of the season Saturday at San Antonio. He shot 15-for-19 from the field, scored 32 points and also added seven rebounds, a block and an assist. He's averaging 22.4 ppg over his last five contests and is playing his best all-around basketball of the season.
New York Knicks -- Nate Robinson is coming up big for Fantasy owners and that could last all the way through the stretch run. Robinson, who is averaging 15.8 ppg, 6.2 apg and 3.4 rpg over his last five contests, is getting heavy minutes off the bench. The Knicks insist that they are not looking to make any moves prior to the trade deadline so this is what you should expect from the Knicks the rest of the way.
Orlando Magic -- Maurice Evans continues to start for the Magic, but he's been an erratic scorer. He's alternated double-digit and single-digit performances over his last five games and he hasn't done much in any other category. Consider him a low-end stopgap for now.
Philadelphia 76ers - Rookie Thaddeus Young made his first start against the Bobcats Saturday, scoring six points with four rebounds in 19 minutes on the floor. Reggie Evans, who had started the first 44 games, had two points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes. Keep an eye on this situation, but splitting playing time makes both erratic Fantasy option.
Phoenix Suns -- Back spasms kept Grant Hill out the Suns' game Sunday against the Chicago Bulls. "It actually does feel better, but I've got to nip it in the bud and get it right," said Hill before the game. He is considered day-to-day. His problem arose last Tuesday at Milwaukee in his first game back after missing nearly two weeks following an appendectomy. He then aggravated the condition on a fastbreak layup during the opening minutes of Friday's win at Cleveland.
Portland Trail Blazers -- Steve Blake hasn't been getting much done of late. He's averaging 7.5 ppg and 4.0 apg in the month of January and has been little more than a low-end stopgap in Fantasy. He's a minutes-eater, but does little for Fantasy owners.
Sacramento Kings -- The rumors continue to swirl around a possible trade for Ron Artest and he's been rumored to go anywhere from New York to Detroit. We don't know where he'll end up -- if anywhere -- but his possible departure from Sacramento won't do much to hurt his Fantasy stock while it will do a lot to revive the fading value of John Salmons.
San Antonio Spurs -- The Spurs continue to chug along at an easy pace with none of their star players really playing too far from their regular numbers. Michael Finley is really the only Spurs player outside of the big three that has done anything significant, but his production while Manu Ginobili is healthy is too erratic to rely upon.
Seattle SuperSonics -- Kevin Durant, who missed practice Saturday because of a thigh injury, started as usual Sunday against the Kings. He finished with 19 points, four rebounds and five assists, but he shot only 5-for-20 from the field and committed five turnovers. In Fantasy leagues that count percentages, Durant has been hurting you. He has shot 33 percent or less from the field in four of his last five games. His field-goal percentage sits at 37.9 percent in January, but his scoring makes him no worse than a No. 2 or 3 option in most Fantasy formats.
Toronto Raptors -- The Toronto Sun is reporting that T.J. Ford (head/back) is still a while away from playing and that it is possible he'll come off the bench even when he does return. This all means Jose Calderon should continue to produce excellent Fantasy numbers down the stretch. He's been one of the biggest values of the Fantasy season.
Utah Jazz -- The Deseret Morning News reports the Jazz could be toying with the idea of trading Andrei Kirilenko again. According to the report, the team is likely fielding offers for Kirilenko and they could even be making offers to other teams. Now that Kyle Korver is with the Jazz, Matt Harpring has been cleared to play fully and C.J. Miles has shown that he can be productive at the small forward position, Kirilenko is as dispensable as ever. Kirilenko's Fantasy appeal could be in flux as we get closer to the trade deadline.
Washington Wizards -- The Washington Post reports that Gilbert Arenas, who has been out since undergoing left knee surgery on Nov. 21, hopes to return after the All-Star break and wouldn't mind coming off the bench initially, so he doesn't disturb team chemistry. We don't think that would last for long, though, and Antonio Daniels would become a Fantasy afterthought shortly after the return of The Hibachi.
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