Here’s looking at you NBA week 12/10-12/16:

Four games: Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Golden State, Indiana, LA Clippers, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, Seattle, Toronto, Utah.

Three Games: Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, LA Lakers, Memphis, Miami, New Jersey, New Orleans, Phoenix, San Antonio, Washington.
 
Plug ‘em in, Plug ‘em in:

John Salmons, GF: An obvious pick-up with Kevin Martin out for the next 6 weeks. Salmons is averaging a relatively ridiculous 20/5/4 and 1.4 steals as a starter this season. Similarly, Francisco Garcia (18/4/3, 1.5 spg as a starter) is another nice option with Martin and Bibby both sidelined. Minutes can truly work wonders for a player’s fantasy value (with the exception of Jarron and Jason Collins of course). Salmons and Garcia are nice Christmas gifts for those who were able to snatch them off waivers. The Kings got four games on tap this week. Enjoy.

Travis Outlaw, F: He’s scored in double figures in 5 of his last 6 games despite still coming off the bench in Portland. Outlaw is seeing more playing time mostly at the expense of Martell Webster, who’s numbers have dwindled recently. Many folks have talked about a breakout season for Outlaw every year since 2003, and it may finally happen. His situation reminds me of how Jermaine O’Neal was handled by the Trailblazers in the 1990s.  Like Outlaw, O’Neal was drafted straight out of high school, and was brought along very slowly… never averaging more than 14 minutes per game in his first four seasons in the league. After those four quiet years in Portland, O’Neal was traded to Indiana where he was finally given the opportunity to flourish. He became an All-star almost overnight and has averaged nearly 20/10 ever since. Outlaw has not yet been given that chance, but he could be on the verge of commanding a starting spot in the Blazers’ lineup. Portland plays four times this week and my boy makes a solid fantasy start.

Marko Jaric, GF: Yes, I have an excuse to mention his girlfriend again this week. After missing a couple games with a sprained ankle, Jaric returned to action Thursday and dropped 18/8/9, then helped the Wolves defeat the Suns with 19 points on Saturday. It’s worth noting that Sebastian Telfair and Jaric are both seeing starter’s minutes right now, and they should continue to be decent fantasy starts for at least one more week. Randy Foye has just been cleared by team doctors to return to practice, so be sure to pick him up if you haven’t already done so.

Larry Hughes, G: With the NBA’s scoring leader currently sidelined, the Cleveland Cavs have lost 6 straight games by an average of 16 points. Aside from Lebron, nobody on the team averages more than 14.5 ppg. Needless to say, they are desperately looking for someone to try to fill some of that scoring void. Enter 10-year vet Larry Hughes, who’s missed nearly a month with a bone bruise. Hughes led the Cavs with 22 points, en route to a tough 96-93 loss at Charlotte last night. LBJ will likely be back on the floor this week, but Hughes has an opportunity to be a part of reviving the team. Hughes has averaged at least 15 ppg the last four seasons, and at 28 years old he’s certainly not over the hill. So there’s good reason to believe he can bounce back and have another solid season if he can maintain his health.

Quentin Richardson, GF: He’s averaging only 7.2 ppg and shooting a horrid 32.2% from the floor this season. So why the hell should you start him? Well, let’s just say November wasn’t a good month for Q. He’s playing 40 mpg so far in December and has already seen a uptick in most of his numbers. He’s averaged 1+ treys per game every season since 2001, and cleans the glass quite often for a swingman. He actually averages more rebounds (6.9 rpg) than teammate and so-called center Eddy Curry (5.9 rpg). The Knicks tipoff four times this week (three at home), so don’t be scared to plug him into your lineup in deeper leagues.

Please take a seat:

Andrew Bynum, C: He has been slowed by the flu, and Chris Mihm is inexplicably stealing some of his minutes recently. The Lakers only play three times this week, so you may want to sit Bynum down.

J.R. Smith, SG: He’s hit only 1 trey in four games this month, and he has yet to top 30 minutes in a single game this season. Bench him or drop him. Whatever you prefer.