Nikola Vucevic's 12 points, 17 rebounds and two assists led the way in Orlando's win vs. the Warriors. His tolerant owners have to be pleased, but Vuc has been streakier than a long-haul trucker's windshield this season, and some extended droughts have to be expected. If you can't stand the inconsistency, try selling high once he strings together a few big double-doubles.
Meanwhile, there is some interesting competition developing at PF for the Magic, between Glen Davis (eight points, two rebounds, two turnovers in 28 minutes) and rookie backup Andrew Nicholson (15 points, nine rebounds, four blocks in 25 minutes). I have never once voiced unmitigated support for Big Baby, whose limitations are glaringly obvious (to quote myself, "Big Baby gets swatted more often than flies at a dairy farm"), and his minutes will probably just decline as the 9-13 Magic slowly work their young players in the rotation more often.
Mike D'Antoni and the Lakers barely escaped with a necessary victory vs. the short-handed Wizards on Friday, 102-96, propelled by Kobe Bryant's 30 points and Jodie Meeks' 24 points, four 3-pointers, five rebounds and three steals off the bench. Kobe needed 29 shots to get his points, but at least this may stave off the incessant chatter about L.A.'s poor record in games in which he scores 30+ points, arguments which ignore the obvious necessity of Kobe's high-volume shooting in a broken and confused offense, not to mention the Lakers' overall 10-14 record.
Jordan Hill was out with back spasms and Devin Ebanks started for the Lakers but had just eight points and five boards in 27 minutes, yet Antawn Jamison only logged six minutes off the bench. His dud probably ruined more than a few fantasy lineups, but it was not wholly unexpected. I picked up Antawn in one league thanks to the Lakers' four-game schedule (which didn't include a game on an already over-stuffed Wednesday), but after reviewing some recent games I cut him for Shawn Marion. Why? Antawn is a cardboard-cutout defensively, rarely bending his knees or pushing himself to challenge shots (going as far as a failure to even raise his arms in easy 'contest' situations), and he is consistently slow or non-existent on defensive rotations. That's the main problem, but he also spends too much time wasting away in the corners for a Lakers team that currently doesn't have the personnel, and definitely doesn't have the know-how, to effectively run D'Antoni's proposed spread pick-and-roll offense. Wanted: Steve Nash.
Our Jodie Meeks blurb from Friday sums up what I'd say about him, so here it is: "Jodie Meeks scored 24 points off the bench on Friday against the Wizards, hitting 9-of-14 shots (including four threes) with five rebounds, one assist, and three steals in 30 minutes. Meeks is averaging 24.0 minutes, 11.9 points, 2.1 threes, and 1.3 steals while shooting 94.7 percent from the foul line over the past two weeks. That's good for mid-to-late round value in 8- and 9-cat formats, so give him a look especially if you're hunting triples."
George Hill, facing a Sixers team without Jrue Holiday, erupted for a triple-double with 15 points, two 3s, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and two blocks. He's been struggling from the field(33.7 percent FGs with 4.5 assists and 0.7 steals in December, and just 39.3 percent FGs on the season) and while I don't expect a repeat performance this season, he needs to be active in 10-team lineups, for better or worse.
Greg Smith went off for 20 points in 22 minutes off the bench on Friday, making 8-of-9 FGs and 4-of-6 FTs. He chipped in six rebounds and three blocks
The Wolves won on the road in New Orleans, improving to 11-9, behind Nikola Pekovic's career-high 31 points on 14-of-18 FGs with five rebounds and zero blocks in 32 minutes. Pek's 0.9 blocks per game will be a season-long irritant for fantasy owners, but he's warmed up nicely in the past few weeks and seems unimpeded by the return of Kevin Love.
Joe Johnson has begun to heat up for the Nets. I cautioned in the past that his muted value was largely on account of his abnormally poor FG percentage, and he's picked it up in December at 45.7 percent. During both OT and double-OT on Friday, he was frequently handed the ball in top-of-the-key isolations, and he either made the correct pass or scored (including two clutch buckets on half-hook/half-runners in the paint). JJ is 31 years old, so there's no reason to expect a drop-off this year, and I think his value will only increase as he adjusts to his new team/teammates/coaches/city/etc. One trend worth noting, which has severely reduced his fantasy value in category leagues, is that he's gone without a steal in eight consecutive games.
Gerald Wallace also had a huge game for Brooklyn, accumulating 25 points, three 3-pointers, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks in a whopping 50 minutes. He made a variety of smart and athletic plays to help the Nets win in double-OT and he's obviously healthy, so he needs to be owned in all 10-team leagues. He's not a focal point of the Nets' offense, but he's versatile enough to provide value even when he's not scoring.
Tayshaun Prince racked up 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists vs. the Nets -- the Pistons lost, but Prince's fantasy owners walked away happy. I don't love his upside, and he's returning just 12-round value on the season, but makes for a useful end-of-bench option in most leagues.
Tyreke Evans returned to the starting lineup with a team-high 21 points in a loss to the Thunder on Friday, hitting 8-of-12 FGs and 5-of-7 FTs with four rebounds, two assists and three steals in 35 minutes. Keith Smart seems keen on installing Tyreke as the Kings' primary playmaker, which (as I've said before) is not good for the Kings in reality, but endless isolation plays will work wonders for his fantasy value. The man he replaced in the starting five, Francisco Garcia, somehow had a +/- rating of -23 in just 13 minutes. I'm interesting in watching tonight's tape to see what went wrong, but in any case he shouldn't be on fantasy rosters.
Meanwhile, Isaiah Thomas freaked out with 26 points in a mere 16 minutes off the bench. Thomas doesn't feature in the discussion of per-minute value which follows, but this game highlights his explosive potential. My Rotoworld colleague Aaron Bruski (@aaronbruski) has been shouting at the top of his lungs about Thomas' superior talent -- Thomas may not have been in any fantasy lineups on Friday, but this is still nice to see for everyone who pegged him as a breakout candidate.
Greivis Vasquez exploded with 15 points, five rebounds, 17 assists and one block on Friday vs. the Wolves. I've been pretty rough on Vasquez, mostly in chats where I routinely deride his value, but it's justified -- on the season (even after this big game), he's returning late-ninth-round value in eight-cat leagues, and 16th-round value in nine-cat.
Austin Rivers scored 27 points on 9-of-14 FGs, a far cry from his season-long 34.5 percent shooting average, and when you throw in poor FT shooting (65 percent) and muted across-the-board numbers, I'm avoiding him in all leagues. Both Rivers and Al-Farouq Aminu were lambasted by Monty Williams for their lousy defense, which has become an early-season trend for the Hornets.
Kevin Love yet again struggled from the field, making just 4-of-18 FGs, while grabbing 'only' nine rebounds, with zero steals or blocks on Friday. He also bruised his thumb, leaving him iffy to play on Saturday, and his fantasy owners must be beyond frustrated. He also publicly berated the Wolves' management and ownership in an interview with Yahoo! this week, stirring up all sorts of pointless debates, and this is a perfect buy-low opportunity. Love was shooting 36 percent on the season prior to this debacle, and in five December games (which includes a 36-point eruption) he's a horrific 25-of-79 from the field (31.6 percent), with 0.2 steals and 0.2 blocks. Nobody should be relying on Love for assists, steals or blocks, but his lack of reliable across-the-board contributions make him more susceptible to prolonged slumps in fantasy-land, since an off-shooting night will basically ruin his value. To wit, he's the No. 131 ranked player in eight-cat leagues this season. Please, please use this opportunity to buy-low on a bona fide first-round fantasy player who is motivated to make the playoffs and to prove that he's a franchise player worth a maximum contract. (Update: in light of Love's thumb injury Friday, owners would be wise to wait for potential MRI results before making their next move.)
Chandler Parsons flirted with a triple-double, posting 15/9/8 vs. the Celtics, and he's easily one of the year's nicest surprises in fantasyland (third-round value in eight-cat).
Larry Sanders double-doubled with three blocks in his return to the starting lineup on Friday. Enough said...but I have more to say so just keep reading.
Marcin Gortat had one of his best games in weeks vs. the Jazz, racking up 12 points, 14 rebounds and three assists. Nothing to marvel at, but Gortat also blocked two shots and remains something of a buy-low candidate. His owners may still be uncomfortable with his reliability after his recent slump and apparent loss of minutes to Jermaine O'Neal, which is understandable, but there is 0.00 percent reason to trust J.O.'s durability, and the Suns aren't going anywhere without Gortat as a solid presence playing heavy minutes in the middle every night.
Jared Dudley is getting hot (on Friday he had 22 points, two 3s, four boards, five dimes and three steals) and he's worth scooping up as long as he's starting for Phoenix. Michael Beasley logged 19 minutes off the bench and he's more of a threat to the sanity of Suns fans than Dudley's playing time.
Gordon Hayward scored three points in 16 minutes before getting benched by Tyrone Corbin. He has plenty of upside, but I'm willing to cut him in most leagues for a hot (or at least more reliable) free agent.
Jerryd Bayless handed out 11 assists without any points for the Griz on Friday, a random evening which shouldn't affect his ubiquitous presence on waiver wires.
I am sticking with the general format that's developed for the Saturday Dose -- a few injury updates, news and notes from Friday's games, and a discursion into some topic of my choosing -- so let's jump right in.
Injury News
Ricky Rubio is expected to make his season debut on Saturday. He shouldn't be on any waiver wires, of course, but I also don't think he should be in any active lineups -- let's see how rusty he is, and to what extent the Wolves monitor his playing time, before throwing him into the fray.
Carmelo Anthony (ankle) is questionable to play on Saturday, but all signs point to the Knicks resting him for at least one game.
Kevin Love bruised his thumb during Friday's game. X-rays were negative, but he may have a precautionary MRI and he didn't sound totally confident that he'll be able to play on Saturday. His owners should feel lucky if he avoided any ligament damage, even if he is forced to miss a game or two with the painful injury.
LeBron James (shoulder) didn't practice on Friday but fully expects to play vs. the Wizards on Saturday, and Dwyane Wade (neck) also appears good to go after briefly leaving Wednesday's game.
Jrue Holiday (foot) went through shooting drills on Saturday and is a game-time decision for Sunday.
In high-profile knee injury news...Dirk Nowitzki (knee) could begin practicing as soon as next week, John Wall has been cleared to "test" his knee on Monday but isn't yet practicing, and Pau Gasol (knees) appears doubtful for Sunday and iffy for Tuesday.
Anderson Varejao exited Friday's game with a left leg injury, but X-rays were negative and he soon returned -- check our player news pages for an update, but he should be safe to keep active this weekend.
For updates on every injured player, check out Rotoworld's very own NBA Injury Report.
Game News and Notes
Andre Iguodala vigorously shook off his December slump vs. the Grizzlies, piling up 20 points on 8-of-11 FGs, four rebounds, seven assists, five steals and two blocks in 38 minutes. Playing time has never been an issue and it was only a matter of time before Iguodala broke out, so there's not much more to say here. It's been suggested that his struggles stem from playing SG rather than SF, but I'd need to watch a lot more video on the Nuggets before ascribing to that theory.
Evan Turner continued his phenomenal recent play with 22 points, two 3-pointers, 10 rebounds, five assists and one steal vs. the Pacers. He coughed up five TOs but that's of little concern to his owners on a night like this. Jason Richardson started at SG but hit a low point, scoring three points with two rebounds in a season-low 20 minutes. He was marginalized by a strong bench effort from Dorell Wright, who had nine points, nine boards, four assists and one steal in 30 minutes off the bench -- keep reading for more perspective on Dorell's potential this season. I'm not reading a ton into these development considering the absence of Jrue Holiday (sprained foot), which prioritized play-making for Doug Collins -- J-Rich, for instance, is a barely adequate defender who nevertheless thrives as an off-ball shooter with Holiday at PG, and his value is gutted when Philly doesn't have a reliable distributor on the court.
In the 76ers frontcourt, Kwame Brown started but was utterly forgettable with five points and one rebound in 21 minutes, Lavoy Allen had six points, two rebounds and three fouls in 13 minutes off the bench, and Spencer Hawes got hot to score 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting, with three rebounds in 24 minutes. Allen was a low-end option while starting at center, but he should only be owned in deep leagues. Hawes is the only one of Philly's centers with fantasy upside, but even with Andrew Bynum out he's failed to earn a starting job, and there's no reason to expect a sustained surge in the near future.
Thaddeus Young is having a career season with 15.1 points on 53.3 percent FGs, 7.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.0 blocks and just 1.3 turnovers in 36 minutes per game. I just wanted to point that out again.
Paul George has been boom-or-bust for most of the season, but his high points are more than worth waiting for -- Friday's game was a perfect example, as he racked up 28 points on 9-of-17 shooting, with five 3-pointers, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, three blocks and just one turnover in 39 minutes. Nasty.
Gerald Green started at SG in place of Lance Stephenson (ankle) but he turned in probably his bleakest performance in a season full of gloom -- seven points, two rebounds, two assists and four fouls in 32 minutes. He recently admitted he's in a slump and said that when he gets hot he tends to stay hot for a long time, which I feel is worth remembering, but apparently the opposite is true -- when he's cold, he stays cold.
Jarrett Jack's multi-cat contributions continued on Friday with 12 points, two 3s, seven boards, six dimes, two steals and one turnover in 36 minutes off the bench. I was anticipating this sort of production the moment Brandon Rush (knee surgery) went down, and have viewed him as a very high-upside guy to own in light of Steph Curry's injury history, so it's nice to see him breaking out in December (even if he's torching me in multiple leagues this week...I should have stuck with him longer, I guess). The Warriors lost on Friday but they're still a surprising 15-8, and I see no reason why Jack's role would diminish at any point his season, barring Andrew Bogut's unlikely return as a go-to offensive option, and a consequential team-wide shift in playing time.
Nikola Vucevic's 12 points, 17 rebounds and two assists led the way in Orlando's win vs. the Warriors. His tolerant owners have to be pleased, but Vuc has been streakier than a long-haul trucker's windshield this season, and some extended droughts have to be expected. If you can't stand the inconsistency, try selling high once he strings together a few big double-doubles.
Meanwhile, there is some interesting competition developing at PF for the Magic, between Glen Davis (eight points, two rebounds, two turnovers in 28 minutes) and rookie backup Andrew Nicholson (15 points, nine rebounds, four blocks in 25 minutes). I have never once voiced unmitigated support for Big Baby, whose limitations are glaringly obvious (to quote myself, "Big Baby gets swatted more often than flies at a dairy farm"), and his minutes will probably just decline as the 9-13 Magic slowly work their young players in the rotation more often.
Mike D'Antoni and the Lakers barely escaped with a necessary victory vs. the short-handed Wizards on Friday, 102-96, propelled by Kobe Bryant's 30 points and Jodie Meeks' 24 points, four 3-pointers, five rebounds and three steals off the bench. Kobe needed 29 shots to get his points, but at least this may stave off the incessant chatter about L.A.'s poor record in games in which he scores 30+ points, arguments which ignore the obvious necessity of Kobe's high-volume shooting in a broken and confused offense, not to mention the Lakers' overall 10-14 record.
Jordan Hill was out with back spasms and Devin Ebanks started for the Lakers but had just eight points and five boards in 27 minutes, yet Antawn Jamison only logged six minutes off the bench. His dud probably ruined more than a few fantasy lineups, but it was not wholly unexpected. I picked up Antawn in one league thanks to the Lakers' four-game schedule (which didn't include a game on an already over-stuffed Wednesday), but after reviewing some recent games I cut him for Shawn Marion. Why? Antawn is a cardboard-cutout defensively, rarely bending his knees or pushing himself to challenge shots (going as far as a failure to even raise his arms in easy 'contest' situations), and he is consistently slow or non-existent on defensive rotations. That's the main problem, but he also spends too much time wasting away in the corners for a Lakers team that currently doesn't have the personnel, and definitely doesn't have the know-how, to effectively run D'Antoni's proposed spread pick-and-roll offense. Wanted: Steve Nash.
Our Jodie Meeks blurb from Friday sums up what I'd say about him, so here it is: "Jodie Meeks scored 24 points off the bench on Friday against the Wizards, hitting 9-of-14 shots (including four threes) with five rebounds, one assist, and three steals in 30 minutes. Meeks is averaging 24.0 minutes, 11.9 points, 2.1 threes, and 1.3 steals while shooting 94.7 percent from the foul line over the past two weeks. That's good for mid-to-late round value in 8- and 9-cat formats, so give him a look especially if you're hunting triples."
George Hill, facing a Sixers team without Jrue Holiday, erupted for a triple-double with 15 points, two 3s, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and two blocks. He's been struggling from the field(33.7 percent FGs with 4.5 assists and 0.7 steals in December, and just 39.3 percent FGs on the season) and while I don't expect a repeat performance this season, he needs to be active in 10-team lineups, for better or worse.
Greg Smith went off for 20 points in 22 minutes off the bench on Friday, making 8-of-9 FGs and 4-of-6 FTs. He chipped in six rebounds and three blocks
The Wolves won on the road in New Orleans, improving to 11-9, behind Nikola Pekovic's career-high 31 points on 14-of-18 FGs with five rebounds and zero blocks in 32 minutes. Pek's 0.9 blocks per game will be a season-long irritant for fantasy owners, but he's warmed up nicely in the past few weeks and seems unimpeded by the return of Kevin Love.
Joe Johnson has begun to heat up for the Nets. I cautioned in the past that his muted value was largely on account of his abnormally poor FG percentage, and he's picked it up in December at 45.7 percent. During both OT and double-OT on Friday, he was frequently handed the ball in top-of-the-key isolations, and he either made the correct pass or scored (including two clutch buckets on half-hook/half-runners in the paint). JJ is 31 years old, so there's no reason to expect a drop-off this year, and I think his value will only increase as he adjusts to his new team/teammates/coaches/city/etc. One trend worth noting, which has severely reduced his fantasy value in category leagues, is that he's gone without a steal in eight consecutive games.
Gerald Wallace also had a huge game for Brooklyn, accumulating 25 points, three 3-pointers, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks in a whopping 50 minutes. He made a variety of smart and athletic plays to help the Nets win in double-OT and he's obviously healthy, so he needs to be owned in all 10-team leagues. He's not a focal point of the Nets' offense, but he's versatile enough to provide value even when he's not scoring.
Tayshaun Prince racked up 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists vs. the Nets -- the Pistons lost, but Prince's fantasy owners walked away happy. I don't love his upside, and he's returning just 12-round value on the season, but makes for a useful end-of-bench option in most leagues.
Tyreke Evans returned to the starting lineup with a team-high 21 points in a loss to the Thunder on Friday, hitting 8-of-12 FGs and 5-of-7 FTs with four rebounds, two assists and three steals in 35 minutes. Keith Smart seems keen on installing Tyreke as the Kings' primary playmaker, which (as I've said before) is not good for the Kings in reality, but endless isolation plays will work wonders for his fantasy value. The man he replaced in the starting five, Francisco Garcia, somehow had a +/- rating of -23 in just 13 minutes. I'm interesting in watching tonight's tape to see what went wrong, but in any case he shouldn't be on fantasy rosters.
Meanwhile, Isaiah Thomas freaked out with 26 points in a mere 16 minutes off the bench. Thomas doesn't feature in the discussion of per-minute value which follows, but this game highlights his explosive potential. My Rotoworld colleague Aaron Bruski (@aaronbruski) has been shouting at the top of his lungs about Thomas' superior talent -- Thomas may not have been in any fantasy lineups on Friday, but this is still nice to see for everyone who pegged him as a breakout candidate.
Greivis Vasquez exploded with 15 points, five rebounds, 17 assists and one block on Friday vs. the Wolves. I've been pretty rough on Vasquez, mostly in chats where I routinely deride his value, but it's justified -- on the season (even after this big game), he's returning late-ninth-round value in eight-cat leagues, and 16th-round value in nine-cat.
Austin Rivers scored 27 points on 9-of-14 FGs, a far cry from his season-long 34.5 percent shooting average, and when you throw in poor FT shooting (65 percent) and muted across-the-board numbers, I'm avoiding him in all leagues. Both Rivers and Al-Farouq Aminu were lambasted by Monty Williams for their lousy defense, which has become an early-season trend for the Hornets.
Kevin Love yet again struggled from the field, making just 4-of-18 FGs, while grabbing 'only' nine rebounds, with zero steals or blocks on Friday. He also bruised his thumb, leaving him iffy to play on Saturday, and his fantasy owners must be beyond frustrated. He also publicly berated the Wolves' management and ownership in an interview with Yahoo! this week, stirring up all sorts of pointless debates, and this is a perfect buy-low opportunity. Love was shooting 36 percent on the season prior to this debacle, and in five December games (which includes a 36-point eruption) he's a horrific 25-of-79 from the field (31.6 percent), with 0.2 steals and 0.2 blocks. Nobody should be relying on Love for assists, steals or blocks, but his lack of reliable across-the-board contributions make him more susceptible to prolonged slumps in fantasy-land, since an off-shooting night will basically ruin his value. To wit, he's the No. 131 ranked player in eight-cat leagues this season. Please, please use this opportunity to buy-low on a bona fide first-round fantasy player who is motivated to make the playoffs and to prove that he's a franchise player worth a maximum contract. (Update: in light of Love's thumb injury Friday, owners would be wise to wait for potential MRI results before making their next move.)
Chandler Parsons flirted with a triple-double, posting 15/9/8 vs. the Celtics, and he's easily one of the year's nicest surprises in fantasyland (third-round value in eight-cat).
Larry Sanders double-doubled with three blocks in his return to the starting lineup on Friday. Enough said...but I have more to say so just keep reading.
Marcin Gortat had one of his best games in weeks vs. the Jazz, racking up 12 points, 14 rebounds and three assists. Nothing to marvel at, but Gortat also blocked two shots and remains something of a buy-low candidate. His owners may still be uncomfortable with his reliability after his recent slump and apparent loss of minutes to Jermaine O'Neal, which is understandable, but there is 0.00 percent reason to trust J.O.'s durability, and the Suns aren't going anywhere without Gortat as a solid presence playing heavy minutes in the middle every night.
Jared Dudley is getting hot (on Friday he had 22 points, two 3s, four boards, five dimes and three steals) and he's worth scooping up as long as he's starting for Phoenix. Michael Beasley logged 19 minutes off the bench and he's more of a threat to the sanity of Suns fans than Dudley's playing time.
Gordon Hayward scored three points in 16 minutes before getting benched by Tyrone Corbin. He has plenty of upside, but I'm willing to cut him in most leagues for a hot (or at least more reliable) free agent.
Jerryd Bayless handed out 11 assists without any points for the Griz on Friday, a random evening which shouldn't affect his ubiquitous presence on waiver wires.
Playing Time = Upside
Fantasy owners are, or at least should be, constantly on the lookout for players with elusive 'upside', particularly guys whose value is only limited by a lack of playing time. The following is a list of players with solid per-36-minute fantasy value during the 2012-13 season, but who only average between 15-30 minutes per game. I'm only listing players' nine-cat values, because otherwise this column would get unwieldy, so use it as a reference for your specific formats. Each player's name in this section is followed by a summary of their nine-cat rank per 36 minutes, and their current playing time.
By the way, if you enjoy Rotoworld's blurbs, depth charts, columns and other content, you should absolutely have signed up for the 2012-13 NBA Season Pass.
Hedo Turkoglu (No. 5, 16.7 minutes) stands out atop the rankings, but he played in only one game so the sample is virtually meaningless.
Jason Kidd (No. 13, 28.3) has been an under-the-radar source of elite fantasy value for years and years, and he's not disappointing this season. I drafted him in a few leagues this year and invariably received scoffs on the message board, but if you can look past his muted scoring he's simply filling up the stat sheet.
Eric Bledsoe (No. 17, 18.6) has been phenomenal off L.A.'s bench this year and he's even been worth owning in 10-team leagues, despite his limited minutes. If Vinny Del Negro ever turns him loose, patient fantasy owners could find themselves with a bona fide stud.
Lou Williams (No. 25, 25.3) seems stuck in his 25-minute role off the Hawks' bench, unfortunately, but he's heating up from the field and has been worth owning in 12-team formats for the past few weeks. There are a few more high-ranking bench players in a similar situation, such as Kevin Martin (No. 29, 29.5), Manu Ginobili (No. 39, 25.0) and Jamal Crawford (No. 50, 29.6).
Jermaine O'Neal (No. 37, 17.6) seems physically incapable of playing more than 20 minutes on a nightly basis, so there's not much upside here.
Andray Blatche (No. 43, 21.4) has been a pleasant surprise this season, returning above-average value at minimal cost for both the Nets and fantasy owners. The return of Brook Lopez, however, ensures that he won't log more than 25 minutes per game off the bench.
Kyle Korver (No. 52, 28.3) is draining 2.6 threes per game this season and has a steady role as a starter for the Hawks -- even without 35 minutes per game, he's worth owning.
Ed Davis (No. 54, 17.2) should already be gone from all waiver wires in light of Andrea Bargnani's torn elbow ligament, and Davis' subsequent huge game on Wednesday. He was quiet on Friday, but don't let that dissuade you.
DeMarre Carroll (No. 55, 17.8) is a surprise this high on the list, but his fantasy appeal is buoyed by solid steals (1.0) and blocks (0.7) in very limited action.
Brandan Wright (No. 58, 17.8) swats enough shots, and shoots at a high enough percentage, that he'd well worth owning in an expanded role. He's not likely to have one while Chris Kaman is healthy, however, and Dirk Nowitzki's return will further reduce his potential for playing time.
Larry Sanders (No. 59, 23.7) is no surprise on this list, thanks mostly to his shot blocking, and his playing time is on the rise now that he's firmly in Scott Skiles' good graces and starting rotation.
Matt Barnes (No. 62, 25.2) and Corey Brewer (No. 69, 23.3) are in strikingly similar situations, both athletic swingmen who provide nice all-around numbers in 20-25 minutes off the bench. The eventual return of Chauncey Billups and Grant Hills cuts into Barnes' long-term prognosis, while Brewer could be threatened by Wilson Chandler if he ever returns from his hip injury.
C.J. Watson (No. 67, 18.2) is a sneaky presence on this list, and owners should pounce on him if Deron Williams ever goes down with an injury.
Tiago Splitter (No. 80, 19.4) seemingly always goes off when Tim Duncan is rested by the Spurs, but good luck figuring out when the odd DNP-CD will occur. With Duncan playing at an All-Star level and showing no signs of fatigue, there's probably too much risk to bother with Splitter in most formats.
Jose Calderon (No. 88, 27.8) makes for a very nice pre-trade-deadline stash. The Raptors aren't going anywhere this year and may opt to get some value for the veteran rather than keep him while they drift toward an early summer. A starting gig on virtually any team would make Calderon a must-start fantasy option.
Dorell Wright (No. 91, 20.1) is mired in a shooting slump, making just 33 percent of his FGs this season, yet his overall contributions still make him a potential 10-team option if his role were to expand.
Beno Udrih (No. 93, 18.7) would be well worth a pickup if either Brandon Jennings or Monta Ellis get injured.
Amir Johnson (No. 109, 20.4) has enough upside for rebounds and blocks that he's worth watching closely now that Andrea Bargnani is out indefinitely.
Marcus Morris (No. 121, 20.0) is a borderline option and could have value if Patrick Patterson continues to slide out of favor with Kevin McHale, but that doesn't seem very likely -- Morris had two points in 17 minutes on Friday.
J.J. Barea (No. 127, 22.1) finished Friday's game with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal in 23 minutes, a near-perfect articulation of his current value. Unfortunately, his upside is buried beneath solid play of Alexey Shved and the impending return of both Brandon Roy and Ricky Rubio.