Rankings: Top 150 for Week 12 | Season
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The Hawks were one of the deepest teams in the NBA for Fantasy purposes last season, with a starting lineup full of starting Fantasy options and a bench that contributed enough to at least be Fantasy relevant. This season hasn't been quite as consistent for a lot of reasons, which raises some interesting questions heading into Fantasy Week 13 (Jan. 18-24).
The Hawks have the best schedule on the way in Week 13, with three of their four games coming against bottom-11 NBA defenses. However, they also have a back-to-back road set on the way, the kind of situation that could lead coach Mike Budenholzer to rest some of his starters. You're starting Paul Millsap and Al Horford without hesitation, but there are real question marks surrounding the rest of the roster.
Things start with point guard Jeff Teague, who is putting together his least productive season since 2011-12, averaging 15.0 points and 5.5 assists per game overall. Of course, if he was giving Fantasy players that kind of production consistently, it would be easier to stomach. However, after peaking with 16.8 points and 6.4 assists in November, Teague's production has steadily decreased, to just 10.6 points and 3.0 assists in January; he is averaging just 24.2 minutes in five games this month as well.
Kyle Korver, on the other hand, has been pretty consistent, just not in the way we want to see. His production has cratered following offseason ankle surgery, and he hasn't shown much evidence that he is pulling out of it lately. He is shooting just 36.1 percent on 3-pointers and averaging just 9.5 points per game overall, and his production in January is within spitting distance of his overall play too. The soon-to-be 35-year-old is struggling through a season-long slump, and has been a fringe-y starting Fantasy option as a result.
If you're looking for one bright spot, Kent Bazemore has to be it. The journeyman seems to have found a home in Atlanta, and enters play Friday averaging 14.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game in January, solid all-around production in any format against any matchup. Among this trio, he has been the best of late, and there isn't a ton of evidence to believe he won't be moving forward
In the context of Week 13, I'm probably starting all three at this point. Korver and Teague have struggled badly to live up to expectations, and may continue to disappoint as a result, but the upside with this schedule makes them worth the risk. And Bazemore is someone who should probably have a spot in your starting lineup every week -- he has earned the benefit of the doubt, in Week 13 and beyond.
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| Team | Games | 1/18 | 1/19 | 1/20 | 1/21 | 1/22 | 1/23 | 1/24 |
| Hawks | 4 | ORL | @POR | @SAC | @PHO | |||
| Nets | 4 | @TOR | CLE | UTA | OKC | |||
| Celtics | 4 | @DAL | @TOR | CHI | @PHI | |||
| Hornets | 4 | UTA | @OKC | @ORL | NY | |||
| Bulls | 4 | @DET | GS | @BOS | @CLE | |||
| Cavaliers | 4 | GS | @BKN | LAC | CHI | |||
| Mavericks | 4 | BOS | MIN | OKC | @HOU | |||
| Nuggets | 3 | OKC | MEM | DET | ||||
| Pistons | 4 | CHI | @HOU | @NO | @DEN | |||
| Warriors | 3 | @CLE | @CHI | IND | ||||
| Rockets | 4 | @LAC | DET | MIL | DAL | |||
| Pacers | 3 | @PHO | @GS | @SAC | ||||
| Clippers | 4 | HOU | @CLE | @NY | @TOR | |||
| Lakers | 3 | SAC | SA | @POR | ||||
| Grizzlies | 3 | NO | @DEN | @MIN | ||||
| Heat | 3 | MIL | @WAS | @TOR | ||||
| Bucks | 3 | @MIA | @HOU | @NO | ||||
| Timberwolves | 3 | @NO | @DAL | MEM | ||||
| Pelicans | 4 | @MEM | MIN | DET | MIL | |||
| Knicks | 4 | PHI | UTA | LAC | @CHA | |||
| Thunder | 4 | @DEN | CHA | @DAL | @BKN | |||
| Magic | 3 | @ATL | PHI | CHA | ||||
| 76ers | 3 | @NY | @ORL | BOS | ||||
| Suns | 3 | IND | SA | ATL | ||||
| Trail Blazers | 3 | @WAS | ATL | LAL | ||||
| Kings | 3 | @LAL | ATL | IND | ||||
| Spurs | 2 | @PHO | @LAL | |||||
| Raptors | 4 | BKN | BOS | MIA | LAC | |||
| Jazz | 4 | @CHA | @NY | @BKN | @WAS | |||
| Wizards | 3 | POR | MIA | UTA | ||||
Start these guys
Rodney Hood seems due for a breakout, but he just can't seem to get over the hump this season. He flashes true plus playmaking skills from the wings, to the point where it's not crazy to say he might end up leading this Jazz team in assists at some point. But then you look at this recent track record, and he has just five assists over his last three games since returning from injury. The same goes for Hood's shooting, as he sports a paltry 33.7 percent mark from 3-point range for the season, despite a sweet stroke that helped him shoot 36.5 percent as a rookie and even better in college. It's not hard to dream on Hood, but even as he continues to struggle to put it all together, he should be a fine play this week, in the midst of an east coast trip that gives him the suddenly struggling Hornets defense, the Nets and Wizards among their four games.
It is never easy to trust Gerald Green, who has a well-deserved reputation as one of the streakiest players in the league. He logged 30-plus minutes in four straight games off the bench recently, because he shot 50.9 percent from the field and nailed eight of 22 3-pointers, but then went cold in a starting opportunity Friday and ended up scoring just two points in 24 minutes with Dwyane Wade sidelined by injury. Still, looking ahead to Week 13, Green should get all of the minutes and shots he can handle, with Wade (shoulders) and Goran Dragic (calf) both dealing with injuries. You won't feel great about relying on him, but Green can be a solid source of 3-pointers and scoring.
If Gerald Green is one of the streakiest players in the league, C.J. Miles deserves a spot as his teammate on the All-Streaky team. When he gets hot, few role players can pour it in like Miles, but he also has long stretches where he just can't find the range and is hardly worth owning in Fantasy. His shot has gone astray of late -- 35.8 percent from the field and 26.5 percent on 3-pointers over the last five -- but Miles' spot in the rotation seems pretty secure right now, with Rodney Stuckey sidelined by injuries. Miles can get hot without much advanced notice, and should be played 30-plus minutes consistently this week, with a schedule that should feature three fast-paced, high-scoring games. If there was ever a time to role the dice with Miles, this is it.
Despite his lofty draft status, Cody Zeller doesn't have a track record that screams "high upside." It's hard to project him moving forward as even a 15-and-10 guy, and he doesn't really rack up big defensive numbers or shoot the 3-pointer well, or really do much of anything that makes him stand out. He isn't an easy player to get excited about. Which is just fine with his Fantasy owners, who are starting him at an extremely high rate -- he is owned in 69 percent of CBSSports.com leagues and started in 53 percent. Those of you who can't muster up the excitement about adding Zeller on waivers are missing out on a very solid starting center option, who is averging 11.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.8 combined blocks and steals per game with solid percentages, good for 22.2 Fantasy points per game. There might not be big upside here, but Zeller is a solid starting option during a week with four games on the schedule, and he should be in more lineups than he is.
