At this point in the season it is pretty vital to stay sharp in watching the injuries and transactions that go down in the league. Making the right roster moves at this point can set you up for long term success riding into the fantasy playoffs. A few examples:
Randy Foye:
Tonight Foye made his season debut against Chicago and, while he didn’t set the world on fire, showed a very promising return for the second year player. He put up 11 points on 4/8 shooting and included a 3PTM. It’ll be interesting to see how the playing time shakes out once Foye returns to full game form. However, Minnesota intends to build around Al Jefferson and Foye, and his development will take precedence over providing PT for the likes of Sebastian Telfair, Rashad McCants or especially Marko Jaric. I fully expect him to finish out the year strong with numbers similar to what he produced in April of last season: 15/4/4 with 1 STL and 1+ 3PTM.
Elton Brand:
In the last 24 hours, both Brand and Foye have been picked up in both of my leagues. At this point it’s unsure how fast Brand will exactly return, but he’s been cleared to participate in full running and jumping exercises, and upon hearing the news Brand immediately went to work out. It seems that Elton has been missing the court, and even if he doesn’t come back at 100%, he’ll be a significant fantasy force. He rated out at #6 overall on the average player rater last season and is a huge wildcard. For those in H2H leagues, it might not be too early to stash him on your bench. Chris Kaman owners beware of the trickle down impacts that will be felt when Brand finally makes it back to the court and starts to get his share of the points and boards from Kaman.
(Potential) Trade Fallout:
Anyone else hear about Jason Kidd’s trade demands? This could really shake up the roster on a couple of NBA teams, and bring certain players both into and out of fantasy significance. More than anyone else, keep Marcus Williams on your watch list, as when Kidd goes out it’s likely he’ll get the starting nod and put up great numbers (as Point Guards tend to do). Teams including Dallas and Portland have been linked as potential trade partners, and it’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out.
Other Notes:
Kareem Rush came off the bench today, which may not be a great sign; he is somewhat injured and his shot struggled in the last few games and was replaced in the Pacer’s starting lineup by Travis Diener, who put up 18 points tonight. A good example of what playing time does for good, young reserve players…look no further than Leon Powe or fantasy tease Andray Blatche. Powe filled in for an injured KG and responded with career highs of 25 and 11, while Blatche went off for 19/8 while achieving the coveted 1/1/1 blocks, steals and 3PTM stat line. Chris Webber signed with the Golden State Warriors today; it’s uncertain how he’ll respond to Nellie Ball, but it’s possible he could supplant Al Harrington in the starting lineup. Webber probably won’t create as much fantasy value for himself as he might steal numbers from Harrington and Andris Biedrins.