I’m a day late, but who says fantasy help is any less useful on a Tuesday? Well, that’s assuming I can actually help, but that’s another story. Moving right along…
Brook Lopez, NJN: Lopez was being phased back into full-time action in a gradual manner, but he still got hurt again. Word is that he’ll be missing the next three weeks with a sprained ankle. There is no reason for the Nets to rush him back (not even a potential trade, as he won’t be better by the deadline), and the three-week timetable will take us into the last week of March. If you’re competing for a playoff spot it would probably be wise to drop the guy. Even if he’s back in three weeks, at what capacity? New Jersey’s season may as well have ended in December.
LeBron James, MIA: LeBron certainly faced his share of criticism last week, but not from his fantasy owners. LBJ was the best thing goin’ across nine categories, averaging about 33 points per game on a ridiculous 57% from the floor. As if that wasn’t enough, he also gave you 2+ in both steals and blocks, as well as double-digit rebounds and a total of just 3 turnovers.
Wilson Chandler, —: If you happened to add Wilson Chandler in hopes that he’d be returning to the Nuggets right about now, you can probably forget about it. Denver is the only team that can sign Chandler this season, and little progress is being made on that front. The problem is that the Nuggets don’t want to sign Wilson to a one-year deal because he would become an unrestricted free agent in just a few months, but they don’t want to dole out the long-term cash he wants, either.
Raymond Felton, POR: Ray Felton is back in the starting lineup for the Blazers. He took the floor for the opening tip in Monday night’s win over the Hornets and posted an 11-point, 10-assist double-double. Felton’s ’11/12 season has been his worst ever, but the Blazers need him to step up (unless of course they trade him). Maybe his stint on the bench will result in a renewed focus. If you’re desperate for a PG someone may have dropped him.
Steve Novak, NYK: Novak has knocked down 18 of his last 30 three-pointers… and he’s not a streaky shooter, that’s just how awesome he is. He’s getting rotation minutes on a nightly basis now, and he should probably be on a roster in your league.
Ersan Ilyasova, MIL: Ersan is still getting all the minutes, so he’s still doing numbers (16/9 last week). He’s been the subject of some recent trade talks, though, and you should be keeping an eye on the situation. I imagine that the Bucks are trying to dump Stephen Jackson, and they could probably get a better return if they threw in a solid power forward.
Derrick Williams, MIN: The #2 pick has found the range from three-point land. Williams has knocked down 11 threes in his last six games, which is as many as he’d made all season long. While Williams’ minutes peak around 25 simply because he plays behind one of the best power forwards in the game, he’s been able to produce worthwhile numbers in that amount of time over the past week and a half. If he keeps shooting the ball this well the T-Wolves will have to find a way to get him more involved because shooting from distance is one of their weaknesses.
Rodrigue Beaubois, DAL: Rodrigue Beaubois is one of the league leaders in making people wonder “why doesn’t he play more?” Well… over the last five he’s playing about 27 minutes per game, and he’s had some solid performances of 25, 16, and 11 points. Delonte West’s return still seems to be at least a few weeks away, so Beaubois may be a decent source of points. Keep him in mind if you play the add-drop game.
Randy Foye, LAC: Rumor has it that the Clipps are working hard to acquire an upgrade at shooting guard… maybe Jamal Crawford, or even Ray Allen. Rumors are rumors, of course, but don’t be surprised if Foye becomes irrelevant sometime around the 15th.
Zaza Pachulia, ATL: Zaza is stepping up his effort on the glass right now… in three of his last four games he’s grabbed 13, 16, and 14 rebounds. The Hawks have a couple of five-game weeks coming up to finish out the month. Zaza may be the defensive version of Beaubois for you add-drop players.
