Fantasy Basket Blog

Waiver Wire Pick Ups

Craver — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:13:52 +0000

Now that the NBA trade deadline is done and gone, let’s take a look at some players that you might want to target on the waiver wire. We all know that when a player is traded from one team to another that there is a good chance that his fantasy value will change, whether it be for better or worse.

But, on the flip side, there are new opportunities available sometimes when a starting player is shipped out and the shipping team is left with a vacancy at a starting position. Here is a list of some players that might be available on your waiver wire that you should take a look at.

Beno Udrih- Now that Kevin Martin and Sergio Rodriguez have been shipped out of town, Udrih will have every chance to redeem himself and revert back to the form he had when he got that lucrative extension from the Kings a few years ago. He could get you 15 pts. 4 assists, a steal and good free throw % each night.

Andray Blatche- With Brendan Haywood and Antawn Jamison gone, Blatche should be rostered in all formats. He will see plenty of minutes and has shown in the past that he can be a fantasy starter. Expect double digit scoring, 8+ rebounds, around 1 block and a good field goal % each game.

Drew Gooden- After being traded to the Clippers, he should see an increase in minutes which you can expect his standard line of 7 rpg, 1 block and half a steal. He should compliment Chris Kaman nicely and be able to flaunt his decent mid-range jumper from the PF position.

Sergio Rodriguez- If D’Antoni decides to start Rodriguez for the long run, he could flourish in that system. D’Antoni has had his problems with his PG this year and he’s probably going to look for some stability from Rodriguez. I personally don’t see how anybody wouldn’t benefit from that system.

High Risk/High Reward

Craver — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:59:45 +0000

Andre Miller is a player that fits the high risk/high reward category pretty well. Pick him up now if you need help in assists, free throws or fg%. Now is the time before he gets too expensive to trade for. He most likely will be traded in real life, which would most likely solidify playing time so get him now.

Tyrus Thomas is also a candidate for high risk/high reward. He absolutely blew up last year and should be able to once he regains his minutes. He can instantly boost your steals and blocks which are very hard to get both categories out of one player.

Corey Maggette will be getting his playing time. The Warriors are always banged up and Maggette can carry a team in points, free throws and fg%. He is always an injury risk but he could be a difference maker for your team.

Arenas Pulls a Gun Outta His Wizard Cap

Craver — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 07:02:20 +0000

What the hell is going on here? Are the Washington Wizards thinking of changing their name back to the Washington Bullets? Everybody knows what has happened (or what has been speculated). Did Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton pull guns out on each other during a locker room argument or were they really just arguing over who has the “bigger gun”?

There are a few things about this idiotic situation that really stand out to me:

First of all, how dumb is Arenas to actually pull a gun out on a teammate, let alone while he is being investigated for having those guns in his locker in the first place?

Secondly, how stupid are the Wizards for allowing Arenas to keep the guns in his locker after the NBA and authorities decided to investigate him?

Third, How dumb is Crittenton for his role in this whole mess (brandishing a firearm, brandishing a firearm against a teammate, brandishing a firearm against a teammate when it is painfully obvious that he is not allowed to have guns in his locker)?

And lastly, how will the real Wizard, David Stern make this problem disappear?

There are a lot of problems with what is going on here but what I want to know is what level of punishment will these to clowns face? The NBA has been known to suspend players for fighting, for coming off of the bench to aid in a fight and in some cases coming off of the bench onto the court without even coming near the two fighters. And don’t forget about that special night with Ron Artest when he jumped into the stands to fight that fan that threw a beverage at him. Under normal circumstances this would be an in house fix like any other time two players get in a fight during or after practice. But this is the first time I can think of where weapons are involved.

Personally, I think that both men deserve jail time and indefinite suspensions from the League. This is absolutely ridiculous and these two need to be made an example of.

Nate Robinson on the Block?

Craver — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:33:50 +0000

The New York Knicks are looking to trade benched Nate Robinson. At this point they will probably take whatever they can get for him. Mike D’Antoni is not going to play him anytime soon so if he is on your roster he needs to stay on the bench for now. That’s not to say that he doesn’t have value. It all depends on what system he goes to. Who knows? Maybe the Warriors will make a trade for him. We all know how they like playing small players. For now, keep him benched but if it starts to look like a Stephon Marbury deal cut him loose.

Beno Steps it Up

Craver — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:59:48 +0000

With the loss of Kevin Martin the Kings were in need of a pick me up. Beno Udrih stepped right in and is filling in nicely. If you are looking for a player that can get you respectable numbers, Udrih is your man. As long as Martin is out that is. Udrih could work his way into a regular fantasy gig if he can get his game going consistently and keep it going once Martin returns.

Either way he is worth picking up for the near future as he will be looked to for scoring as well as running the floor. He has showed in the past that he is capable of being a starter worthy PG in spurts and right now is one of those spurts with the upside of him proving that he can sustain the play needed to be a fantasy starter week in and week out.

Fantasy Basketball Preseason Rankings

Craver — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:25:45 +0000

Here is the first set of rankings for the upcoming Fantasy Basketball season. These are just preliminary rankings and they will change as we near the beginning of the season.

1	Chris Paul NO, PG	-
2	LeBron James Cle, SF	-
3	Dwyane Wade Mia, G	-
4	Kobe Bryant LAL, SG	-
5	Danny Granger Ind, F	-
6	Kevin Durant OKC, GF	-
7	Dirk Nowitzki Dal, PF	-
8	Pau Gasol LAL, PF/C	-
9	Amar’e Stoudemire Pho, PF/C	-
10	Chris Bosh Tor, PF/C	-
11	Brandon Roy Por, G	-
12	Kevin Garnett Bos, F	-
13	Al Jefferson Min, PF/C	-
14	Deron Williams Utah, PG	-
15	Chauncey Billups Den, PG	-
16	Jose Calderon Tor, PG	-
17	Caron Butler Was, F	-
18	Andre Iguodala Phi, F	-
19	Tim Duncan SA, PF,C	-
20	Antawn Jamison Was, F	-
21	Steve Nash, Pho, PG	-
22	Devin Harris NJ, G	-
23	Jason Kidd Dal, PG	-
24	Gerald Wallace Cha, F	-
25	Joe Johnson Atl, G	-
26	Brook Lopez NJ, PF/C	-
27	Kevin Martin Sac, SG	-
28	Troy Murphy Ind, PFC	-
29	Paul Pierce Bos, G/F	-
30	Vince Carter Orl, G/F	-
31	Rashard Lewis Orl, SF	-
32	Shawn Marion Dal, SF	-
33	Dwight Howard Orl, PF/C	-
34	Gilbert Arenas Phi, PG	-
35	Elton Brand Phi, PF/C	-
36	David West NO, PF	-
37	Josh Smith Atl, G/F	-
38	Jason Richardson Pho, G/F	-
39	LaMarcus Aldridge Por, PF/C	-
40	Manu Ginobili SA, SG	-
41	Monta Ellis GS, G	-
42	Ray Allen Bos, SG	-
43	Carlos Boozer Utah, PF/C	-
44	Andris Biedrins GS, C	-
45	Marcus Camby LAC, PF/C	-
46	Mehmet Okur Utah, PF/C	-
47	David Lee NY, PF/C	-
48	Carmelo Anthony Den, SF	-
49	Derrick Rose Chi, PG	-
50	Stephen Jackson GS, G/F	-
51	Rajon Rondo Bos, PG	-
52	Jameer Nelson Orl, PG	-
53	Hedo Turkoglu Tor, G/F	-
54	Nene Hilario Den, PF/C	-
55	Michael Redd Mil, SG, SF	-
56	Andrea Bargnani Tor, PF/C	-
57	Al HorfordAtl, PF/C	-
58	Rudy Gay Mem, F	-
59	Baron Davis LAC, G	-
60	O.J. Mayo Mem, G	-
61	Mo Williams Cle, PG	-
62	Charlie Villanueva Det, F	-
63	Mike Bibby Atl, PG	-
64	Leandro Barbosa Pho, G	-
65	Andre Miller Por, PG	-
66	Tony Parker SA, PG	-
67	Russell Westbrook OKC, PG	-
68	John Salmons Chi, G/F	-
69	Ben Gordon Det, SG	-
70	Andrew Bynum LAL, C	-
71	Anthony Randolph GS, F	-
72	Paul Millsap Utah, F/C	-
73	Al Harrington NY, PF/C	-
74	Jeff Green OKC, F	-
75	Eric Gordon LAC, G/F	-
76	Jason Terry Dal, G	-
77	Rasheed Wallace Bos, PF/C	-
78	Zach Randolph Mem, PF/C	-
79	Blake Griffin LAC, PF	-
80	Lamar Odom LAL, F	-
81	Spencer Hawes Sac, PF/C	-
82	Emeka Okafor NO, PF/C	-
83	Michael Beasley Mia, F	-
84	J.R. Smith Den, SG, SF	-
85	Josh Howard Dal, SG, SF	-
86	Tyrus Thomas Chi, F	-
87	Andrew Bogut Mil, C	-
88	Kevin Love Min, PF/C	-
89	T.J. Ford Ind, PG	-
90	Ron Artest LAL, SG, F	-
91	Wilson Chandler NY, G/F	-
92	Chris Kaman LAC, C	-
93	Luis Scola Hou, PF/C	-
94	Trevor Ariza Hou, SF	-
95	Brad Miller, Chi, C	-
96	Andrei Kirilenko Utah, F	-
97	Richard Jefferson SA, SF	-
98	Luol Deng Chi, SF	-
99	Marvin Williams Atl, F	-
100	Mike Conley Mem, G

Arenas Is Ridiculous

Craver — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:48:25 +0000

Now Gilbert Arenas is saying that it is the Wizards’ fault that he hasn’t been able to return from his injuries successfully. You have got to be kidding me!!! The nerve of this guy to come out and say what he has said about the Washington Wizards. If you don’t already know, Arenas is blaming the Wizards for letting him do what he wanted to do.

He actually believes that since he couldn’t restrain himself from trying to return to the court, the franchise player who wines about everything on his blog, the Wizards are the one to blame for his troubles returning to full time duties. Not himself, the diva who has to have everything his way or else. He pisses and moans until he gets things his way and now that somebody has been able to get it through his thick stubborn skull that rest is what he needed the entire time, he feels that he needs to blame his employer for what he did to himself.

I truly can’t believe what comes out of the mouths of professional athletes sometimes. “If you have a kid that loves basketball, that eats, sleeps, drinks and thinks basketball and all he knows is basketball and he gets hurt and he’s your franchise player, you need to hold him back from himself” is what Arenas had to say. You are 29 years old and have been in the league for 8 seasons. YOU ARE NOT A KID ANYMORE!!! I would understand if O.J. Mayo or Kevin Durant said something like this but Arenas is a veteran, not some young buck that is itching to prove himself.

Take some responsibility for yourself Gilbert. Learn to listen to the people around you that want what is best for you.

Luis Scola Will Blow Up This Year!!!

Craver — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:39:25 +0000

Yes, you read that correctly. Luis Scola will blow up this year and he will be the best fantasy option on the Houston Rockets. Better than Tracy McGrady, better than Trevor Ariza and better than Yao Ming. Well, the Yao Ming prediction shouldn’t be a surprise since he is out for the season after having another surgery.

The fact that Ming will be out for the season is precisely why Scola will blow up this year. He will be the only inside scoring presence the Rockets will have this year and that means he will have to carry the offense. McGrady has seen his better years pass by and now will be a nice accent to Scola for this season. McGrady can score with the best of them but he can’t be counted on to stay healthy.

Aaron Brooks will be the main outside scoring threat and the Rockets will call upon Scola to make his own scoring opportunities which in turn will open up the outside game. McGrady is no longer a dominant playmaker so Scola will have to pick up the pieces. This will be a huge season for him now that he will have the scoring responsibility. He has already shown he can play defense and rebound. Look for him to be a very solid if not almost great source of fantasy points this yearM

Jackson Wants Out of Golden State

Craver — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:41:29 +0000

Stephen Jackson has made it clear that he wants out of Golden State and would prefer being traded to a perennial contender. Who doesn’t want to play for a perennial contender. I’ve always hated the term “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” and for good reason. Gone are the days where athletes take pride in being part of a team that does it on their own. There are no more Magic Johnsons or Larry Birds. Nobody cares about integrity anymore. It’s all about winning a championship no matter what it takes.

I know, Jackson didn’t start with the Warriors but he did help them make their first playoff run in 12 years. Now he wants to up and leave because he feels that “At this point, I’m 31 years old. I have four or five years left, I want to be in a situation where I can continually be in the playoffs and get another ring. So that’s where my mind is at now.” That is what he had to say to Dime Magazine.

So, in terms of fantasy relevance Jackson will most likely take a big hit in value unless he is traded to New York (which will not happen). Golden State is the perfect place for S-Jax and he knows it. I guess now all he wants is another ring and he is willing to abandon a franchise that took him in when he was considered a major risk and turned his career around. Good riddance Mr. Jackson, and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Meanwhile, scoring opportunities should skyrocket for Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. Not to mention Anthony Randolph and Corey Maggette should see a bump in offensive production. The move could allow Randolph to move over to the SF position occasionally also. It will be interesting to see how the Warriors and their fans handle this situation.

Fantasy Top 100 NBA ‘09-’10

Craver — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:00:42 +0000

Here is a list of the top 100 NBA players in terms of fantasy basketball. I’ve asked two colleagues of mine to rank them along with me. Hopefully this can be of some help to you. Now, as the season nears, the rankings will most likely change so keep checking back for more updates. BC= Brandon Craver, SH= Steve Hampton and TJ= Terrance Jackson.

Player Pos. BC SH TJ AVG.

1	LeBron James, Cavaliers	SF	1	1	1	1.0
2	Chris Paul, Hornets	PG	2	2	2	2.0
3	Dwyane Wade, Heat	SG	3	3	3	3.0
4	Kobe Bryant, Lakers	SG	4	4	4	4.0
5	Kevin Durant, Thunder	SF/SG	5	5	6	5.3
6	Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks	PF	6	8	5	6.3
7	Danny Granger, Pacers	SF	7	7	7	7.0
8	Dwight Howard, Magic	C	8	6	11	8.3
9	Deron Williams, Jazz	PG	10	10	9	9.7
10	Amar’e Stoudemire, Suns	PF/C	11	9	10	10.0
11	Chris Bosh, Raptors	PF/C	9	11	13	11.0
12	Pau Gasol, Lakers	C/PF	12	17	8	12.3
13	Brandon Roy, Trail Blazers	SG	13	13	12	12.7
14	Andre Iguodala, 76ers	SG/SF	14	12	14	13.3
15	Tim Duncan, Spurs	PF/C	15	15	16	15.3
16	Joe Johnson, Hawks	SG/SF	16	20	15	17.0
17	Al Jefferson, Timberwolves	PF/C	20	18	17	18.3
18	Steve Nash, Suns	PG	18	16	22	18.7
19	Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets	SF	17	19	27	21.0
20	Chauncey Billups, Nuggets	PG	32	14	19	21.7
21	Kevin Garnett, Celtics	PF/SF	19	32	18	23.0
22	Devin Harris, Nets	PG	27	23	21	23.7
23	Paul Pierce, Celtics	SG/SF	21	25	28	24.7
24	Josh Smith, Hawks	PF/SF	30	24	24	26.0
25	Caron Butler, Wizards	SF	22	27	30	26.3
26	Jason Kidd, Mavericks	PG	36	22	25	27.7
27	Antawn Jamison, Wizards	PF	23	30	32	28.3
28	Rashard Lewis, Magic	SF/PF	41	21	23	28.3
29	Carlos Boozer, Jazz	PF	37	31	20	29.3
30	Rajon Rondo, Celtics	PG	24	26	38	29.3
31	David West, Hornets	PF	25	38	31	31.3
32	Vince Carter, Magic	SG/SF	26	34	35	31.7
33	Kevin Martin, Kings	SG	31	36	29	32.0
34	Jose Calderon, Raptors	PG	38	41	26	35.0
35	Gerald Wallace, Bobcats	SF/PF	40	33	34	35.7
36	David Lee, Knicks	PF/C	34	35	41	36.7
37	Hedo Turkoglu, Raptors	SG/SF	28	44	45	39.0
38	Elton Brand, 76ers	PF	47	29	46	40.7
39	Derrick Rose, Bulls	PG	42	40	40	40.7
40	O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies	SG	33	54	36	41.0
41	Troy Murphy, Pacers	PF/C	57	28	44	43.0
42	Baron Davis, Clippers	PG	43	39	48	43.3
43	Monta Ellis, Warriors	SG/PG	39	37	58	44.7
44	Tony Parker, Spurs	PG	29	51	54	44.7
45	LaMarcus Aldridge, Trail Blazers	PF/C	52	48	39	46.3
46	Andre Miller, Trail Blazers	PG	46	61	37	48.0
47	Nene, Nuggets	PF/C	50	52	43	48.3
48	Stephen Jackson, Warriors	SG/SF	35	64	49	49.3
49	Brook Lopez, Nets	C	63	53	33	49.7
50	Rudy Gay, Grizzlies	SF/PF	49	47	57	51.0
51	Mo Williams, Cavaliers	PG	51	56	47	51.3
52	Mehmet Okur, Jazz	C	44	43	70	52.3
53	Ray Allen, Celtics	SG	69	42	52	54.3
54	Gilbert Arenas, Wizards	PG	48	60	60	56.0
55	Ron Artest, Lakers	SF	62	50	56	56.0
56	Allen Iverson, UFA	PG/SG	56	49	65	56.7
57	Michael Redd, Bucks	SG	55	58	59	57.3
58	Andris Biedrins, Warriors	C	53	70	50	57.7
59	Ben Gordon, Pistons	SG	45	67	63	58.3
60	Manu Ginobili, Spurs	SG	58	78	42	59.3
61	Jason Richardson, Suns	SG	65	59	55	59.7
62	Josh Howard, Mavericks	SF	72	45	67	61.3
63	Marcus Camby, Clippers	PF/C	54	81	53	62.7
64	Emeka Okafor, Bobcats	C	68	55	68	63.7
65	Zach Randolph, Grizzlies	PF	66	66	62	64.7
66	Jameer Nelson, Magic	PG	64	80	51	65.0
67	John Salmons, Bulls	SG/SF	61	71	66	66.0
68	Rasheed Wallace, Celtics	C/PF	NR	46	73	68.3
69	Russell Westbrook, Thunder	PG	73	57	75	68.3
70	Al Harrington, UFA	PF/C	60	62	NR	69.3
71	Jason Terry, Mavericks	PG/SG	75	77	61	71.0
72	Andrew Bynum, Lakers	C	67	63	NR	72.0
73	Boris Diaw, Bobcats	SF/PF	59	NR	76	73.7
74	Eric Gordon, Clippers	SG	77	76	71	74.7
75	Andrea Bargnani, Raptors	PF/C	71	75	NR	77.3
76	Lamar Odom, Lakers	SF/PF	70	NR	78	78.0
77	Al Horford, Hawks	PF/C	NR	NR	64	78.7
78	Jeff Green, Thunder	SF/PF	76	74	NR	78.7
79	Lou Williams, 76ers	PG/SG	NR	65	NR	79.0
80	Mike Bibby, Hawks	PG	NR	68	NR	80.0
81	Shawn Marion, Mavericks	SF/PF	NR	85	69	80.0
82	Stephen Curry, Warriors	PG/SG	NR	69	NR	80.3
83	Tyrus Thomas, Bulls	PF	81	NR	74	80.3
84	Charlie Villanueva, Pistons	SF/PF	78	NR	79	81.0
85	Trevor Ariza, Rockets	SF	NR	73	84	81.0
86	Richard Hamilton, Pistons	SG	NR	72	NR	81.3
87	Luol Deng, Bulls	SF	NR	NR	72	81.3
88	Andrew Bogut, Bucks	C	74	NR	NR	82.0
89	Wilson Chandler, Knicks	SF	NR	NR	77	83.0
90	J.R. Smith, Nuggets	SG	82	NR	81	83.0
91	Mike Conley, Grizzlies	PG	79	NR	85	83.3
92	Blake Griffin, Clippers	PF	NR	79	NR	83.7
93	Michael Beasley, Heat	PF	84	82	NR	84.0
94	Paul Millsap, Jazz	PF/SF	80	NR	NR	84.0
95	Kevin Love, Timberwolves	PF	NR	NR	80	84.0
96	Joakim Noah, Bulls	PF/C	NR	NR	82	84.7
97	Luis Scola, Rockets	PF/C	85	NR	83	84.7
98	Shaquille O’Neal, Cavaliers	C	83	NR	NR	85.0
99	T.J. Ford, Pacers	PG	NR	83	NR	85.0
100	Richard Jefferson, Spurs	SF	NR	84	NR	85.3