Injuries to
Caron Butler and
Danilo Gallinari have brought some new faces to light on the waiver wire, while
DeShawn Stevenson had a big game on Sunday night. Does that mean you should pick him up?
Stevenson blew up for a season-high 21 points with five 3-pointers on Sunday, prompting me to think about putting him in this column. Especially given the fact that
Caron Butler is going to likely miss an extended period of time with a serious knee injury. Stevenson's been an effective source of threes all year, but not really worth owning. I'm not going to declare him a fantasy presence after one nice line, but he at least deserves to be put on your radar in case he starts doing this on a regular basis.
Want to be the first to know about breaking injury news and lineup changes on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday?
Follow me on TwitterGuardsLuke Ridnour WolvesHe's still starting and could stay there all year, despite the return of
Jonny Flynn. He's not the most exciting point guard in the league to own, but is playing well enough to be owned in almost all leagues. He averaged 11.5 points, 6.5 assists and had more than a steal and three per game in December.
Keyon Dooling BucksDooling got off to a slow start in place of injured
Brandon Jennings but is averaging 10 points, five assists, a steal and a three in his seven starts this season.
James Harden ThunderHarden has been rolling, scoring in double figures in 10 straight games and outplaying teammate
Jeff Green recently. Eventually, Green is going to get hot again and probably hurt Harden's fantasy value, but for now, Harden is worth owning in most leagues.
Evan Turner SixersTurner is suddenly hot and could stay that way with
Andre Iguodala out for the next several games. He scored 23 on Wednesday and had 12 on Friday, and got more than 30 minutes in each of them. Do I trust him? Not really, but if Doug Collins is ready to turn him loose, he should be grabbed again in most leagues.
Tony Allen GrizzliesAllen could be a new starter for the Grizzlies, although the picture is a bit murky since
Rudy Gay missed his last game with the flu, which prompted:Lionel Hollins to put
O.J. Mayo back in the starting five. Allen started at shooting guard again on Sunday and if he is going to permanently replace rookie
Xavier Henry (who is bothered by a sore knee), he's worth a look in most leagues. Before Saturday's disaster, Allen averaged 12 points and 4.5 steals in his previous two games.
Jose Juan Barea/Dominique Jones/Roddy Beaubois MavericksCaron Butler could miss the rest of the season with a potentially serious knee injury, meaning someone is going to step up. It was JJB on Saturday night, and he looks like a good pickup with Butler out. Jones was called up from the D-League and is getting some nice run on Sunday, and is worth a look in deeper leagues. Barea was just 2-of-8 in 20 minutes on Sunday, while Jones was 2-of-10 in 21 minutes. There is no clear-cut winner here, although
Shawn Marion could be the guy who really benefits in Butler's absence. More about him in 'Forwards.'
Roddy B. has been on everyone's radar since draft night, but still isn't back from a foot injury. In fact, there's still not even a timetable for his return. So I guess instead of him being a decent waiver-wire option, we'll just say that he would have been the guy to get here if he were healthy. Even in deeper leagues, Roddy B. is probably only worth holding if you have a large bench to plant him on. That will change if and when he actually gets a target date on a return.
Ramon Sessions CavaliersMo Williams was back on Sunday but Sessions caught fire and is having a great game as I write this. He's shaky as long as Williams is healthy, but is still worth a look in many leagues – especially since
Daniel Gibson is out with a thigh injury (day-to-day). Sessions played very well in four straight games and with Williams' injury being of the groin variety, there's a decent chance Sessions could stay hot for another week or so. I'm not racing out to pick him up, but he might be worth it in your league.
Toney Douglas/Landry Fields KnicksDanilo Gallinari will have an MRI on his knee on Monday, although he says his left knee sprain isn't serious. He could even play on Tuesday, which is great news for him and his owners. If he is going to miss time, it looks like Douglas is going to be a guy who sees a big boost in value, as he's the designated 3-point shooter off the bench right now. Douglas got some nice run on Sunday to finish with 12 points, seven dimes and two 3-pointers.
Landry Fields would also see an expanded role if Gallinari is out, and he might also be available in your league after some recent struggles.
ForwardsGlen Davis CelticsWith
Kevin Garnett out with a calf injury Davis should continue his stellar play. He averaged 13.5 points and six boards in December and his January numbers could be bigger with KG out. He also just missed a triple-double on Sunday with 15 points, 11 boards and eight dimes.
Shawn Marion MavericksMarion started for the Mavericks on Sunday, who are currently missing
Dirk Nowitzki and
Caron Butler. With Butler out, possibly for the rest of the season, Marion figures to get more minutes and production, even if he doesn't become a full-time starter. He's no longer the
Shawn Marion we drafted in the first round four or five years ago, but without Butler around, should be scooped up in all leagues.
Jason Thompson KingsThompson is suddenly starting over
Carl Landry for the Kings and I swapped the two where I could recently. He picked up five quick fouls in his start on Wednesday, but the had 17 points and seven boards in his next one. See how things go tonight for him and think about grabbing him if you need a big man. He should also qualify at C in many leagues.
Mickael Pietrus SunsWe still don't know if Pietrus is a full-time starter or not (replacing
Channing Frye), but he's going to see a nice role for Suns either way. I'm not dropping Frye yet, and he could still keep his starting job, or make spot starts when the Suns go big. But Pietrus, a guy who can get steals, threes, boards and points, looks like a good player to grab off waivers right now until we see how it plays out.
Tyrus Thomas BobcatsWith
Gerald Wallace bothered again by a bone bruise in his ankle, someone is going to have to pick up the slack.
Dominic McGuire is useless and
Gerald Henderson is not the answer. Even though Thomas hasn't shown us much yet (outside of inconsistency), he could be the guy who benefits.
Keep reading for the rest of the Forward, as well as the Centers.
Injuries to
Caron Butler and
Danilo Gallinari have brought some new faces to light on the waiver wire, while
DeShawn Stevenson had a big game on Sunday night. Does that mean you should pick him up?
Stevenson blew up for a season-high 21 points with five 3-pointers on Sunday, prompting me to think about putting him in this column. Especially given the fact that
Caron Butler is going to likely miss an extended period of time with a serious knee injury. Stevenson's been an effective source of threes all year, but not really worth owning. I'm not going to declare him a fantasy presence after one nice line, but he at least deserves to be put on your radar in case he starts doing this on a regular basis.
Want to be the first to know about breaking injury news and lineup changes on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday?
Follow me on TwitterGuardsLuke Ridnour WolvesHe's still starting and could stay there all year, despite the return of
Jonny Flynn. He's not the most exciting point guard in the league to own, but is playing well enough to be owned in almost all leagues. He averaged 11.5 points, 6.5 assists and had more than a steal and three per game in December.
Keyon Dooling BucksDooling got off to a slow start in place of injured
Brandon Jennings but is averaging 10 points, five assists, a steal and a three in his seven starts this season.
James Harden ThunderHarden has been rolling, scoring in double figures in 10 straight games and outplaying teammate
Jeff Green recently. Eventually, Green is going to get hot again and probably hurt Harden's fantasy value, but for now, Harden is worth owning in most leagues.
Evan Turner SixersTurner is suddenly hot and could stay that way with
Andre Iguodala out for the next several games. He scored 23 on Wednesday and had 12 on Friday, and got more than 30 minutes in each of them. Do I trust him? Not really, but if Doug Collins is ready to turn him loose, he should be grabbed again in most leagues.
Tony Allen GrizzliesAllen could be a new starter for the Grizzlies, although the picture is a bit murky since
Rudy Gay missed his last game with the flu, which prompted:Lionel Hollins to put
O.J. Mayo back in the starting five. Allen started at shooting guard again on Sunday and if he is going to permanently replace rookie
Xavier Henry (who is bothered by a sore knee), he's worth a look in most leagues. Before Saturday's disaster, Allen averaged 12 points and 4.5 steals in his previous two games.
Jose Juan Barea/Dominique Jones/Roddy Beaubois MavericksCaron Butler could miss the rest of the season with a potentially serious knee injury, meaning someone is going to step up. It was JJB on Saturday night, and he looks like a good pickup with Butler out. Jones was called up from the D-League and is getting some nice run on Sunday, and is worth a look in deeper leagues. Barea was just 2-of-8 in 20 minutes on Sunday, while Jones was 2-of-10 in 21 minutes. There is no clear-cut winner here, although
Shawn Marion could be the guy who really benefits in Butler's absence. More about him in 'Forwards.'
Roddy B. has been on everyone's radar since draft night, but still isn't back from a foot injury. In fact, there's still not even a timetable for his return. So I guess instead of him being a decent waiver-wire option, we'll just say that he would have been the guy to get here if he were healthy. Even in deeper leagues, Roddy B. is probably only worth holding if you have a large bench to plant him on. That will change if and when he actually gets a target date on a return.
Ramon Sessions CavaliersMo Williams was back on Sunday but Sessions caught fire and is having a great game as I write this. He's shaky as long as Williams is healthy, but is still worth a look in many leagues – especially since
Daniel Gibson is out with a thigh injury (day-to-day). Sessions played very well in four straight games and with Williams' injury being of the groin variety, there's a decent chance Sessions could stay hot for another week or so. I'm not racing out to pick him up, but he might be worth it in your league.
Toney Douglas/Landry Fields KnicksDanilo Gallinari will have an MRI on his knee on Monday, although he says his left knee sprain isn't serious. He could even play on Tuesday, which is great news for him and his owners. If he is going to miss time, it looks like Douglas is going to be a guy who sees a big boost in value, as he's the designated 3-point shooter off the bench right now. Douglas got some nice run on Sunday to finish with 12 points, seven dimes and two 3-pointers.
Landry Fields would also see an expanded role if Gallinari is out, and he might also be available in your league after some recent struggles.
ForwardsGlen Davis CelticsWith
Kevin Garnett out with a calf injury Davis should continue his stellar play. He averaged 13.5 points and six boards in December and his January numbers could be bigger with KG out. He also just missed a triple-double on Sunday with 15 points, 11 boards and eight dimes.
Shawn Marion MavericksMarion started for the Mavericks on Sunday, who are currently missing
Dirk Nowitzki and
Caron Butler. With Butler out, possibly for the rest of the season, Marion figures to get more minutes and production, even if he doesn't become a full-time starter. He's no longer the
Shawn Marion we drafted in the first round four or five years ago, but without Butler around, should be scooped up in all leagues.
Jason Thompson KingsThompson is suddenly starting over
Carl Landry for the Kings and I swapped the two where I could recently. He picked up five quick fouls in his start on Wednesday, but the had 17 points and seven boards in his next one. See how things go tonight for him and think about grabbing him if you need a big man. He should also qualify at C in many leagues.
Mickael Pietrus SunsWe still don't know if Pietrus is a full-time starter or not (replacing
Channing Frye), but he's going to see a nice role for Suns either way. I'm not dropping Frye yet, and he could still keep his starting job, or make spot starts when the Suns go big. But Pietrus, a guy who can get steals, threes, boards and points, looks like a good player to grab off waivers right now until we see how it plays out.
Tyrus Thomas BobcatsWith
Gerald Wallace bothered again by a bone bruise in his ankle, someone is going to have to pick up the slack.
Dominic McGuire is useless and
Gerald Henderson is not the answer. Even though Thomas hasn't shown us much yet (outside of inconsistency), he could be the guy who benefits.
Keep reading for the rest of the Forward, as well as the Centers.
J.J. Hickson CavaliersHickson has hit double digits in scoring in five of his last eight games and had 21 on Saturday. He benefited from the absence of
Anderson Varejao, but he's expected back on Wednesday. Hickson is worth a look, but is not a must-own player currently.
Ryan Anderson MagicAnderson could see a big boost in
Brandon Bass ends up having knee surgery. Anderson has been playing pretty well, but is still not worth starting in fantasy leagues unless Bass goes under the knife and misses a month. Keep an eye out for more information on Monday, and keep in mind that he qualifies at center in Yahoo! leagues. I am not grabbing him just yet, but if a Bass surgery announcement hits, I'm going after him.
Martell Webster/Wesley Johnson WolvesWebster has proven to be a consistent scorer while Wes Johnson has unlimited upside. I think WJ keeps the starting job in hopes of getting him ready to breakout next season, but Webster is worth grabbing if you need a consistent 14 ppg. Both players are worth fliers, but are not automatic fantasy starters by any stretch.
Amir Johnson RaptorsAmir has now double-doubled in two straight games and got a boost last week with
Andrea Bargnani sidelined with a calf injury. Bargnani's eventual return will hurt Johnson, but as usual, he might be worth owning if you need a big man and boards. Just be prepared to be letdown by him in some fashion.
Ersan Ilyasova BucksIlyasova blew up for 16 points and 17 rebounds on Saturday, but has been very inconsistent for the Bucks. He has posted three double-doubles since Dec. 1, but also tends to disappear without notice. Like most Bucks players, I don't really trust him, and he will also take a hit once
Drew Gooden is back from his foot injury. However, his game on Saturday is just too nice to ignore. He has started eight games in a row and the Bucks play four times this week, so if you're going to take a flier on him, now is the time.
Shawne Williams KnicksWilliams has scored 15 and 5 points in his last two games, but gets a mention here because of the knee injury to Gallinari. Gallo may only miss a handful of games, but if you're in a very deep league, Williams is another guy who could see a boost if Gallo's out for long.
Patrick Patterson RocketsPatterson had career highs of 15 points and 10 rebounds on Friday with
Chuck Hayes out for the Rockets. Patterson is another deep-league flier type of player, as he's not reliable. In fact, he scored a total of five points in the entire season (all in December) before Friday's explosion.
CentersBrad Miller RocketsChuck Hayes is going to miss three to four weeks with his injury and
Yao Ming is done, meaning Miller is simply going to have to get some serious run.
Jordan Hill will too, but Miller is the guy I'd think about grabbing at this point. He hasn't started a game since November, but that could be changing soon, and he had 11 points, seven boards and six assists in his last game.
DeAndre Jordan ClippersI love watching Jordan play and he's been fun to own. He averaged nearly eight points, eight boards and two blocks in December, and including Sunday, he's racked up 13 blocks in his last two games. The Clippers only play two games this week and then
Chris Kaman will likely return shortly thereafter. And both of those are problems for Jordan.
Serge Ibaka ThunderIbaka is an iron man in this column and it's mainly due to his inconsistent minutes and production. He had 14 points, 13 boards and four blocks against the Spurs on Saturday for his second straight double-double, but is just as capable of throwing up a nine-point, three-rebound, one-block line like he did on Dec. 29. He's still worth owning in almost all leagues, but is one of those guys who will likely bounce around the wire, constantly dumped by guys in need of scoring and picked up by those in need of blocks.
Marcin Gortat SunsGortat's minutes have been nice for the Suns lately and I suspect the production will start coming. Maybe it will happen on Sunday against the Kings, but either way, Gortat is worth hanging onto in almost all leagues. He could be starting soon and as we've seen in the past, has great potential to rack up serious points, boards and blocks.
Spencer Hawes SixersI don't really trust Hawes, but he's got a chance to put up some nice numbers as the starter for the Sixers. He's been very up and down all season and only hit four 3-pointers in December, so don't be fooled into thinking he's going to automatically help you win that category. But the Sixers have four games this week and Hawes is looking more start than bench at this point, especially since he's been flirting with double-doubles lately.