All rankings based on 9 categories (pts/reb/ast/stl/blk/3/fg%/ft%/to) and head-to-head format.

STUDS

Point Guards

• Monta Ellis, GSW, 3 games: Moped finished the week as the second best player in fantasy basketball.  He averaged a whopping 39.7 PPG over the course of three games, and contributed in plenty of other categories as well: 3 SPG, 2.7 3PG, 7 APG, 53.3% FG, 83.8% FT on over 12 attempts a game… even for Monta–who’s a fantasy machine–it was a huge week.
• Chauncey Billups, DEN, 3 games: It took a couple months, but Brick Shot finally had a good three-game stretch!  If you drafted him and held on through the nightmare that was the first eight weeks of his season… first of all, I’m sorry… second of all, congratulations!  Finally, he put up the type of numbers fantasy owners have become accustomed to: 24.7 points, 4.7 assists, 2.3 threes, and over a steal a game on 54% from the floor.  He took 27 freethrows on the week and made every one of them.  The fact that he had a good week is no coincidence… he was forced to step it up because Melo missed all three games.
• Kirk Hinrich, WAS, 3 games: Captain Kirk had another great week filling in for John Wall.  He dropped 17/9 a game with two steals and 50+/90+ shooting percentages.  He turned the ball over three times a game and hardly hit any threes, but otherwise he was excellent.  John Wall’s back for now, but if he goes down again watch out for Hinrich.

Shooting Guards

• Eric Gordon, LAL, 3 games: Eric was dialed in from long distance in week nine.  Gordon connected on 3.3 triples per game as he dropped 26 PPG along with five dimes and over two steals.  He produced pretty efficiently, turning the ball over just over one time per game and shooting over 53% from the floor.  He only did 75% from the stripe, but he took just eight FTs all week anyway. 
• Jared Dudley, PHX, 3 games: Dudley came up huge in place of Jason Richardson.  Jared was the 11th best player in fantasy basketball with the following line: 22/6.7/2 plus 3.3 threes and two steals on 59.5% from the floor.  If Dudley is a free agent in your league, add him and hang on at least until Vince Carter gets into the action.  Once VC enters the lineup Dudley will probably go back to being the same guy he was when J-Rich was in town.  The Suns also have Mickael Pietrus fighting for some of those SG/SF minutes now.
• Landry Fields, NYK, 2 games: Fields played in just two games, but it was a short week, so that isn’t as big a deal as it normally would be.  The league’s leading rebounder at the guard position averaged over 10 boards a game along with 14 points and 2/1/1 in the threes/steals/blocks categories.  He shot a blazing 66.7% from the floor and 100% from the line.

Small Forwards

• Shane Battier, HOU, 2 games: Shane Battier of all people was the 5th best player in fantasy basketball last week.  He’s another guy who played just two games, but his production was amazing across the board: 13.5 points, seven rebounds, six assists, 3.5 threes, and 1.5 blocks.  He shot over 61% from the floor and converted on all four of his trips to the line.
• Rudy Gay, MEM, 2 games: Two threes, 2.5 blocks, and 4.5 steals is a hell of way to round out a line.  The bread and butter of the line was pretty goddamn good too.  Gay dropped over 20 a game, grabbed 8.5 boards, and dished three assists.  He finished up the week with a five steal night that helped propell him to the #1 spot in the rankings.
• Kevin Durant, OKC, 3 games: Kevin was Dwight Howard with the FGs and Corey Maggette with the FTs.  KD shot over 60% from the floor on 17 looks a game and about 85% from the stripe on 13 attempts per.  Throw in 34/7 with a couple threes, a steal, and a block and you’ve got the fourth best line of the week.

Power Forwards

• Lamarcus Aldridge, POR, 2 games: Lamarcus hit the glass hard in the two games he played during week nine.  He collected a total of 27 boards while scoring 22 a game along with some nice filler numbers like two steals and 1.5 swats.  I watched one of his games and he really seemed to realize that the Blazers need him to be the man with Brandon Roy hobbled.  I have high expectations for Aldridge in 2011.
• Blake Griffin, LAC, 3 games: Blake shot over 67% from the line–which is relatively solid–as he put up 24.7/13.3/4.3.  I’ve got Blake on my squad and I tank FT%, so that line’s looking pretty damn studly.   
• Carl Landry, SAC, 2 games: Carl Landry is apparently back in the starting lineup.  He played 36 minutes a night and got a start in Thursday’s game against the Bucks.  Landry took advantage of his opportunity by averaging a solid double-double (15.5/11 on 57% FG).  He’s starting again tonight, keep an eye on his minutes.

Centers

• Jeff Foster, IND, 3 games: Everything is relative.  Jeff Foster, who had appeared in five games and played less than 60 minutes all season, saw the court in all three of the Pacers’ week nine contests.  He put up 6.5/8.5 along with three swats a night… which doesn’t look like much, but made him worth a roster spot in a 14-team league.  I highly doubt that anyone actually had him, and I’m not recomending a pickup, but I had to give the guy some props.
• Dwight Howard, ORL, 4 games: Dwight was one of the few players who had four games last week, so that alone made him valuable.  It’s not like his line was too shabby either.  Howard did 20/17 on 58% FG with three swats and almost two steals.  He obviously bricked a lot of freethrows, but if you have Dwight you probably just tank it at the stripe like I do.
• Marc Gasol, MEM, 2 games: Gasol, who has had a less than stellar season, put a nice short week together.  He averaged 16/8/3.5 while shooting 60+ percent from the field.  He also swatted two shots a game.  Gasol’s minutes have been all over the place all season… it’s going to take more than a couple good games for me to say he’s improved, but this is a good start.

DUDS

Point Guards

• Tyreke Evans, SAC, 2 games: Tyreke continues to struggle.  His line last week was sweatier than KG’s chin beard: 9.5/7.5/5 on NINETEEN POINT FOUR percent from the floor.  That 19.4% FG was on over 15 shots a night, by the way.  The combination of plantar fasciitis and no jumperitis have really ruined his ability to produce at a high level this season.
• Baron Davis, LAC, 3 games: The Baron hasn’t responded well to Sterling’s heckling.  He averaged just nine points and eight assists on 43% with nothing else to speak of.  Maybe Donald should try another approach.  Baron is into films… the two of them should see a movie.  No homo.
• Gilbert Arenas, ORL, 4 games: Gil surprised us all by completing his first week with the Magic without doing anything stupid, but he didn’t surprise anyone with his production.  Agent 091 bricked about 73% of the 40 shots he launched and was only able to score 7.8 a night.  I would normally go easy on a guy who’s just switched teams, but f@ck that, I don’t like Arenas.

Shooting Guards

• Andre Iguodala, PHI, 3 games: Iggy averaged almost two swipes a game, but didn’t do much in any other category.  He scored under 12 PPG while shooting just 37% from the floor and 44% from the line (on six attempts per game, wtf?).
• Jason Richardson, ORL, 4 games: Like Gilbert Arenas, J-Rich had a rough first week in Florida.  Unlike Arenas, I like J-Rich, so I’ll be nice about this.  Richardson got plenty of minutes (almost 33 a game), but couldn’t find his stroke.  He averaged about 10 PPG on 37% from the floor.  Expect him to shoot better and score more as he adjusts to his new teammates.
• Ben Gordon, DET, 2 games: His court time has disappeared again.  BG saw just 19 minutes of action a night, which probably killed him inside seeing as one of his two games was against his former team.  In the minutes he was given he shot poorly, which resulted in 5.5 PPG.

Small Forwards

• Jeff Green, OKC, 3 games: 13/4/4 isn’t exceptionally bad or anything, but it’s not good either.  Combine that with no steals, <1 block, <1 three, and 32% shooting… rather dudly.
• Shawn Marion, DAL, 2 games: Shawn has been a shell of his Phoenix self for quite some time, but last week’s line was lame even on his current standards.  He grabbed 8.5 boards a game, which is nice… but no steals, no threes, under a block, and poor shooting more than neutralize a few rebounds.
• Hakim Warrick, PHX, 3 games: I’m aware that he’s a PF, but he’s got SF eligibility and I couldn’t find anyone more deserving of a spot here.  Hak’s playing time has completely dried up.  In PHX’s final two games of the week he played under 20 combined minutes.  Obviously his numbers weren’t good (4/2 on 33%), the only stat to be had while sitting on the bench is a DNPCD.

Power Forwards

• Andray Blatche, WAS, 2 games: First of all, he only played in two of Washington’s three games because he got himself suspended for fighting with teammate Javale McGee at a club.  Secondly, he didn’t do jack sh!t in the games he wasn’t suspended for (13/5.5 on 33%). 
• Al Harrington, DEN, 3 games: Even with no Melo coach Karl allowed Big Al to collect bench splinters.  Harrington played under 25 minutes in the first two games of the week, then had his Sunday night cut way short by a thumb injury.  In the time he did get he struggled with his shot (38.5% FG), which led to a measley 4.7 PPG average.  I figured Al’s minutes would go up without Melo in the lineup, but Melo’s absense coincided with the return of Kenyon Martin.  Still, I’m susrprised Harrington didn’t play a bit more.
• Chris Andersen, DEN, 3 games: Birdman’s fresh off the injured list and averaged almost eight boards a night in limited minutes, so what’s he doing here?  He didn’t block a single shot all week.  What’s the deal with that?  If you have Birdman, you have him for blocks… so this was a major disappointment. 

Centers

• Roy Hibbert, IND, 2 games: Roy’s line (8/7 on 22%) got f@cked by a 1-10, 2 point, 3 rebound night against the Hornets.  Things like that will happen in a two-game week, don’t worry about it, Roy’s a beast. 
• Andrew Bogut, MIL, 3 games: 12/9 on 53% with 2 blocks isn’t that bad, but it isn’t what you’re hoping for from Andrew Bogut.  He turned the ball over three times a game… nine TOs in a short week can really cost you.
• DeMarcus Cousins, SAC, 2 games: DeMarcus keeps holding himself back due to his shenanigans.  His latest brain fart came in a December 21st L to the Warriors.  He made the choke signal when Reggie Williams missed a freethrow… then ended up dropping a rebound out of bounds which allowed Golden State to send the game to OT and win.  This obviously upset his coach, which caused his minutes to drop, which caused his production to drop.  DeMarcus, lose some weight and get your goddamn head screwed on straight before I start calling you Eddy Curry Jr.