Tayshaun Prince missed the last two games due to a family matter, but was averaging 17.8 points per game in his last five contests. (photo by Keith Allison)

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Brook Lopez NJ | C

There comes a time when guys that were dropped because of an injury need to get picked back up, that time has come for Lopez. He should be back at some point in mid February, and I think waiting him out around a month is a small price to pay for a guy like Lopez. The only reason I would suggest not picking him up is if your team is towards the bottom of your standings and you need to win now. (about 55% owned)

Byron Mullens CHA | C

I was surprised to see that Mullens is still only owned in about half of leagues. The Bobcats don’t have a lot of options at the center position, and there are even more minutes to go around with Diaw in the doghouse. Mullens isn’t going to blow you away with his production, but he has solid percentages across the board and should put up decent point totals. The former 1st round pick of the Mavericks doesn’t have an extremely high ceiling, but I still think he is worth an add in pretty much all leagues. (about 55% owned)

Carl Landry NO | SF/PF

When Landry gets the minutes has the ability to put up big numbers, and he should be seeing a decent amount of minutes for the Hornets. Landry might not find the starting lineup but if he plays over 25 minutes per game he should have value in most leagues. Another reason I like Landry is because if someone gets hurt for the Hornets and he starts getting over 30 mins, then he could have a ton of value. (about 50% owned)

Trevor Ariza NO | SG/SF

I liked Ariza this year as a potential bounce back candidate from his days in Houston. After getting hurt and getting off to a slow start he has begun to wake up. Since coming back from his injury he has been filling up the stat sheet and he has scored in double digits in each of his last 4 games. Ariza has a big upside and he needs to be owned in way more leagues at this point. (about 65% owned)

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Baron Davis NY | PG

Davis is still recovery from his back injury, but it looks like we might finally be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. He should be back to full speed in a couple weeks and could have an instant impact in the assists category. At this point of his career he has a limited upside, but with guys like Anthony and Stoudemire on your team assists should be easy to come by. (about 45% owned)

Zaza Pachulia ATL | C

I know Zaza doesn’t have the biggest upside in the world but I was shocked to see he is only owned in about 10% of leagues. He isn’t going to fill up the stat sheet, but he does have the potential to average close to a double double with a decent amount of free throws made. With Horford all but done for the year this makes Zaza a decent role player center. (about 10% owned)

Tayshaun Prince DET | SF/PF

What has gotten into Prince lately? In the last 2 weeks he has been on fire, scoring in double digits in all of his last 7 of his last 8 games, and 20 or more points 3 times during that stretch. I doubt he will keep up this pace, but if you are looking for a scoring specialist then you might as well ride out this hot streak. (about 45% owned)

O.J. Mayo MEM | SG

There is no denying that Mayo can put the ball in the basket, his problem has always just been getting the playing time. I doubt Mayo will find the starting lineup without an injury, but he is consistently getting between 20-25 minutes a game. Mayo has also been the subject of a lot of trade rumors over the last year, and if he lands in the right situation he could be a great fantasy player. (about 45% owned)

Richard Hamilton CHI | SG/SF

Hamilton is back from his early season injury and he is starting to do what he does best, which is score. You aren’t going to get much else from him than points, but he still has the ability to be a nice role player for your team. Once everyone is healthy for the Bulls I don’t expect Hamilton to have too many 20 point nights, but he should easily average around 15 points per game while Deng is out. (about 40% owned)

Luke Ridnour MIN | PG/SG

The arrival of Rubio in Minnesota made Ridnour a scary pick this year, but he has proven that they can co-exist. Ridnour and Rubio have both been spending a lot of time on the court together, and this has enabled Ridnour to stay fantasy relevant. He offers solid percentages across the board, and while his assists are down from last year his points are up. (about 45% owned)

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Tiago Splitter SA | PF/C

Duncan just isn’t the same player and the Spurs are going to have start giving their younger guys like Splitter more playing time. When given the time on the floor Splitter is capable of putting up big numbers, and if Duncan gets hurt he could be huge. In most leagues I don’t think Splitter is worth a roster spot, but he needs to be on everyones radar at this point. (about 15% owned)

Mike Miller MIA | SG/SF

With the big 3 out in Miami there isn’t that big of a need for scoring from other members of the team, but Miller still has some upside. With all the attention that the big 3 get this opens the door for Miller to get a lot of open shots. He will not have a ton of value if all of the big 3 are healthy, but if you are looking for a 3 point specialist he could be a nice role player for some teams. (about 20% owned)

James Johnson TOR | SF/PF

Johnson is one of those streaky players that has a lot of upside, but he just can’t find the consistency to be a great fantasy player. He has been getting a lot of minutes this year, but he has only scored in double digits twice on the season. If he is able to find more consistency with his production he could be a great pickup. The former 1st round pick is still only 24 years old and he needs to be added to everyones watch list. (about 20% owned)

Brook Lopez is right on schedule with his recovery, and barring any setbacks, he could be back on the court in about a month. (photo by Keith Allison)

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Iman Shumpert NY | PG/SG

The rookie out of Georgia Tech has been getting a lot of playing time for the Knicks as of late. It’s going to be a mess once Davis gets healthy, but Shumpert could hold onto a lot of those minutes. It’s yet to be seen if he will find the starting lineup if everyone is healthy, but I think he could still have value as the Knicks 6th man. (about 35% owned)

Tyrus Thomas CHA | PF/C

Thomas has yet to live up to the hype, but this could be the year. The Bobcats have a decent amount of young talent with their big men, but Thomas has a big upside. I expect him to get at least 25+ minutes, and he should be a good source of blocks and rebounds. (about 55% owned)

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Baron Davis NY | PG

The Knicks could use a healthy Davis to run their offense, and he could have some value in deeper leagues. If Davis is able to get healthy he could easily average over 10 points and be a great role player assist guy. It looks like Davis could be back in a couple weeks, so you might want to snag him now if you need help with assists. (about 45% owned)

Tristan Thompson CLE | PF

The Cavaliers are actually winning a few games, but I still expect Thompson to get more minutes as the season goes on. He has put up amazing numbers with the amount of minutes he is currently getting, and if he gets closer to 25 minutes per game he could be a nice role player for blocks and rebounds. (about 20% owned)

Derrick Favors UTA | PF/C

Favors has a huge upside, the only problem is how crowded the front court is for the Jazz. Favors would start for most NBA teams, and if he gets a chance for consistent minutes with the Jazz he is going to be a double double machine. (about 40% owned)

Evan Turner PHI | SG/SF

Turner has been somewhat inconsistent this year, but I think he needs to be owned in more leagues. The thing I like most about Turner is his rebounds from the guard position. If there is an injury in Philly that increases Turner’s playing time then he could put up big numbers. (about 30% owned)

Gordon Hayward UTA | SG/SF

Hayward ended last year on fire, but he hasn’t exactly picked up right were he left off. He has been very inconsistent, but I have high hopes that he will be a solid fantasy option later this year. He has the ability to fill up the stat sheet and as long as he continues to get the minutes he should put up solid numbers. (about 55% owned)

Markieff Morris PHO | PF

The Suns have a lot of young talented big men, but Morris has played well enough to continue to get solid minutes. He was the Suns 1st round pick in 2011 and they seemed committed to see what he can do. As long as he continues to play 25+ minutes he should be a double double threat. (about 15% owned)

Drew Gooden MIL | PF/C

When healthy Gooden still has the ability to pull down some boards and score. He isn’t going to do much else, but if you need help in those categories he could be a decent pickup. He isn’t a very exciting player to own and he will not offer much trade value, but he is a decent add if he can stay healthy. (about 15% owned)

MarShon Brooks NJ | SG

The Nets are awful and they are having a hard time finding a spark on offense. Brooks has quickly become one of the only bright spots on this young team and I see no reason why his minutes will be taken away. He isn’t going to do much more than score, but I could easily see him averaging over 15 points per game. (about 45% owned)

Brook Lopez NJ | C

Lopez is right on schedule with his recovery and it looks like he could be back in about a month. That is not that long to wait for a guy that could give you over 20 points per game and solid blocks and rebounds. There is always the chance of a setback, but Lopez is too good not to be owned. (about 70% owned)

Byron Mullens CHA | C

Mullens has put together an impressive stretch over the last 5 days and he has proven he can put up decent numbers with limited minutes. The Bobcats don’t have a ton of options with their big men so I see no reason why he can’t keep getting at least 20+ minutes a game. If for some reason he starts playing close to 30 minutes he will easily be a double double guy. (about 15% owned)

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Goran Dragic HOU | PG/SG

Dragic proved that he can put up big numbers if he gets the minutes, so we need to keep a close eye on the Lowry injury. The current injury to Lowry doesn’t seem serious, but if Lowry goes down again Dragic is going to be a hot pickup. (about 10% owned)

Kenneth Faried DEN | PF

I have no clue why Faried is owned in about 30% of leagues, but I do think he is someone worth keeping an eye on. If he gets the minutes he could be a nice role player rebounder and blocks guy. There probably needs to be an injury to Hilario or Harrington for Faried to have a lot of value, but if one of those guys goes down then he is worth a look. (about 30% owned)

Chris Singleton WAS | SF

The Wizards are the worst team in the league and at some point they have to give their young guys more playing time. Rashard Lewis is not happy about his current situation and I wouldn’t be surprised if they start phasing him out. The Wizards have nothing to play for this year so they might as well see what their 1st round pick from 2011 can do. (about 5% owned)

If you have any waiver wire questions, feel free to post them in our Fantasy Basketball Forum.

2011-2012 Rankings: PG | SG | SF | PF | C | Cheatsheet

2011-2012 Rankings: PG | SG | SF | PF | C | Cheatsheet

2011-2012 Rankings: PG | SG | SF | PF | C | Cheatsheet

2011-2012 Rankings: PG | SG | SF | PF | C | Cheatsheet

2011-2012 Rankings: PG | SG | SF | PF | C | Cheatsheet

As a rookie John Wall, averaged a near double-double (16.4 ppg and 8.3 apg) and it's safe to expect him to improve across the board this season. (photo by Keith Allison)

Danilo Gallinari DEN |SF

With half the team stuck in China (Smith, Martin, and Chandler all signed contracts with no out clause) and Nene all but out the door the Nuggets are certainly behind the eight ball. This is terrible news for all Nuggets’ fans but great news for anyone that ends up drafting Gallinari. He steps in as the top scoring option on an offense that will not only relay great shooting ability but his ability to put on the ball on the floor and create his own shot.

Serge Ibaka SEA | PF

Post All-Star break Ibaka averaged over 10 points, close to 9 boards but most importantly a league leading 3 blocks a game. Sure Ibaka does not put up huge point totals so he is going to fall on draft day but don’t let him fall too far as his defensive stats can really help round out your team.

Paul Millsap UTH |SF

Everyone just assumed that Millsap would be on his way out of Utah as it is a crowded front court with Al Jefferson and third overall pick Kanter in the mix but not so fast. It turns out that the Jazz simply love Millsap’s game and believe he is a viable option to start at small forward for them. Now this is not his natural position and he might get traded but either way his minutes should increase this season. Millsap was simply amazing last year averaging over 17 points, over 7 boards, a steal and a half, and a block a game.

Tristan Thompson CLE | PF

Sometimes an opportunity is just as important as talent in terms of fantasy sleepers and Thompson is a prime example of that. Sure the 4th overall pick has leaping ability and could be a great NBA player but the real reason we like him is because the Cavs should be terrible this year. That means Thompson will not only get the minutes because he will probably be one of the best players on the team but also to get some experience for him and fellow rookie Irving. If you need a late round pick upside rebounding and blocks upside Thompson is your guy.

Roy Hibbert IND | C

One of the best stats about Hibbert is the fact he has played 81 games in back to back years – that is almost unheard of as a 7 footer. To keep this going Hibbert has lowered his body fat percentage and apparently looks great in camp. Hibbert is a center that you can get in the middle rounds of your draft that could pay huge dividends as 15 points, 10 boards, 2.5 blocks is not out of the question for him.

DeAndre Jordan LAC | C

DeAndre is a poor man’s Ibaka, he has the leaping ability and the talent to be a double double guy with a decent amount of blocks however, he has yet to really prove himself like Ibaka so you should be able to get him more than a couple of rounds later. Jordan should get more minutes this year and have a chance to prove himself as a viable fantasy option for years to come.

LaMarcus Aldridge POR | PF

Due to Brandon Roy having knee issues all year long the Blazers looked to Aldridge to carry the load for them and Aldridge stepped up in a big way. Averaging over 21 points, almost nine boards, over a block, a steal , all while shooting over 50%. That is a fantasy stud and should be drafted as one yet again this season. The reason we have him on the sleeper/undervalued list is some bigger names will go over him but he should not last past the second round in any draft.

Kyrie IrvingCLE | PG

As stated above when discussing Thompson, opportunity is almost as important as talent and no one is going to have more freedom and opportunity as a rookie this year than Irving. With the Cavs in rebuilding mode the number one overall pick is going to be face of the franchise and the Cavs are going to give him every chance to succeed. Irving is a solid passer but a great scorer as well, he is certainly the early favorite for rookie of the year honors.

John Wall WAS | PG

Due to injuries Wall played just under 70 games in his rookie year and could have missed more however, he is a tough kid and played hurt most of the season. This season he is 100% and ready to take his game to the next level, which we believe he will. He always had the great first step and natural court awareness but we assume the jumper will be better this year. If his floor is 18 points and 8 dimes this season just think how high of a ceiling this kid has.

Ty Lawson DEN | PG

Post All-Star break Lawson got starter minutes and produced at a high level averaging over 14 points and 6.9 assists per game. This season we don’t see how the Nuggets could give him any less minutes so a slight improvement can be expected, which is great numbers considering how late you can snag him.

If you have any fantasy basketball questions about a sleepers, busts, or who to draft, feel free to post them in our Fantasy Sports Forum.

Kevin Garnett can still be productive when he's on the court, but he has little upside and plenty of risk at this stage in his career. (photo by Keith Allison)

Tim Duncan SA | PF

Duncan still has the potential to put up decent numbers, but I don’t think he will get enough minutes to even match his numbers from a year ago. His minutes played per game have gone down every year since the 05-06 season, and I expect another decline. Duncan is still worth owning in most leagues, but I am not expecting much from him this year.

Marcus Camby POR | C

Camby enters the 2011-2012 as a huge injury risk for any fantasy team. He is now 37 years old, and you have to ask yourself how much does he have left in the tank. If he gets the minutes he can still rack up the blocks and rebounds, but I don’t think the risk is worth the reward.

Kevin Garnett BOS | PF

There were times last year when it looked like Garnett was going to have a leg just fall off when he was running down the court. He still managed to play over 31 minutes per game, and only miss 11 games during the season. His numbers weren’t that bad, but at this point in his career I would let someone else take the gamble. Normally Garnett will get drafted a little early because of his name, I strongly suggest you don’t be the person that does it.

Kemba Walker CHA | PG

Everyone is going to remember how well Walker played in the NCAA tourney, and I think this could move him up higher on draft boards than he should be. His talents should translate to the NBA, but I am not sold he will see enough playing time to make a big fantasy impact this season. D.J. Augustin saw a huge jump in minutes and production, and I fully expect him to be the guy for the Bobcats. As long as Augustin is playing well I don’t think Walker will get any more than 25 minutes per game.

J.J. Redick ORL | SG

If the only categories that counted in fantasy basketball were points and 3s, then Redick would have decent value. However that is not the case, and filling up the stat sheet is something the Redick is not going to do. Redick averaged over 25 mins per game last year, and if you add up is rebounds, assists, 3s made, steals, and blocks the grand total would only be 5.7. Even if Redick starts and plays over 30 minutes per game I think he has a limited upside in fantasy.

Blake Griffin LAC | PF/C

You might call us crazy for saying Griffin is overvalued, but this year we think you need to be careful with him. Let’s not forget the major knee injury that caused him to miss his entire rookie year, and the fact that he is a big man that doesn’t get blocks. Griffin is going to be huge with points and rebounds, but with his injury history and lack of blocks this makes him a scary early pick. I still think he is worthy of a late first or early second round pick, but just don’t go crazy and draft him in the mid first.

Baron Davis CLE | PG

At this point Davis is a huge question mark that I am staying far away from on draft day. I don’t like him if he stays in Cleveland, because there is no reason for them not to go with Irving and the youth movement. If he does get kicked out of Cleveland then I doubt he will see even close to 30 minutes a game on any team. Davis is only 32 years old, but I don’t think he will be any more than a role player for the rest of his career.

Mike Bibby NY | PG

Bibby has a new home in New York but we aren’t excited about his potential this year. He hasn’t put up decent numbers since 08-09, and I don’t see him ever going back to a fantasy relevant player. Bibby might get a decent amount of minutes off the bench, but we suggest leaving Bibby on your draft boards on draft day.

Jimmer Fredette SAC | G

Fredette is a fun player to watch, and everyone is going to remember what he did last year in the NCAA tournament. This will more than likely mean that he will go a little too early in most drafts. He is going to come off the bench behind Thornton, and I don’t see Fredette being anymore than a role player this year. He should offer decent value when it comes to 3s and points, but I don’t think he will play enough minutes to fill up the stat sheet.

Elton Brand PHI | PF

Brand had a nice bounce back year last seasons after 5 straight years of declining numbers. During that 5 year span he battled a lot of injuries, but he has been able to stay fairly healthy over the last 2 years. All that being said I think Brand is a big risk for where you have to take him in the draft. He is an aging injury risk, and I think he will be lucky to just match his numbers from last year.

If you have any fantasy basketball questions about a sleepers, busts, or who to draft, feel free to post them in our Fantasy Sports Forum.

Carmelo Anthony is a bulk scorer and a solid fantasy options no matter where he plays. (photo by Keith Allison)

This week’s waiver wire article is formatted a little differently due to the NBA trade deadline just passing. In this article we will break down all the major trades and the fantasy implications. If you have any waiver wire questions, feel free to post them in our Fantasy Basketball Forum.

Trades:

New York Knicks – Acquire Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Renaldo Balkman, Shelden Williams

Denver Nuggets – Acquire Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov, draft picks

Winners: Danilo Gallinari – this might only a slight bump in value but Gallinari will have more shots in Denver than he did in New York.
Losers: Raymond Felton, Ty Lawson – a time share has emerged hindering both point guards fantasy values.
No Change: Carmelo Anthony – he is a bulk scorer and a solid fantasy options no matter where he plays.

Raptors – Acquire James Johnson

Bulls – Acquire draft picks

Winners: James Johnson – he is now starting for the Raptors and should yield some value simply due to his minutes in deeper leagues
Losers: None
No Change: None

Nets – Acquire Deron Williams

Jazz – Acquire Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, draft picks

Winners: Brook Lopez – with Williams in town Lopez should benefit from numerous pick and roll passes right on the money.
Losers: Derrick Favors – whatever minimal fantasy value Favors had he loses it out in Utah. The front court for the Jazz is too deep and it is doubtful Favors will get quality minutes.
No Change: Deron Williams, Devin Harris – both guards should put up very similar numbers with their new teams. Williams might be asked to score a little more in New Jersey but not a significant amount more.

Kings – Acquire Marcus Thornton

Hornets – Acquire Carl Landry

Winners: Marcus Thornton – a productive fantasy option a season ago Thornton came into 2011 with some hype. For reasons still unknown he simply did not get the minutes and his stock plummeted. This trade can only help Thornton and the fact Evans is out means that he will get plenty of minutes to produce early on.
Losers: Landry – he now is squarely behind West and Okafor and there is little chance he sees the starting line again this year.
No Change: None

Rockets – Acquire Goran Dragic

Suns – Acquire Aaron Brooks

Winners: Kyle Lowry – with Brooks out of town there is no chance of him losing the starting job this season.
Losers: Aaron Brooks – at least in Houston there was an outside chance he would take the starting job back from Lowry. Since he has moved behind Steve Nash it looks as if Brooks is a lock for huge bust status this year.
No Change: Goran Dragic – he has little value with the Suns and we expect him to have little value with the Rockets as well.

Cavs – Acquire Baron Davis

Clippers – Acquire Mo Williams

Winners: None
Losers: None
No Change: Baron Davis, Mo Williams – this trade might not even happen since Davis cannot pass a physical, but if it ever does these two point guards swapped running bad teams.

Trailblazers – Acquire Gerald Wallace

Bobcats – Acquire Joel Prybilla, Dante Cunningham, Sean Marks, draft picks

Winners: Gerald Henderson – Wallace’s departure opened the door for this youngster and he should take full advantage of the minutes. Expect a good amount of points and other goodies from Henderson for the rest of the season.
Losers: Gerald Wallace – he is on a better team but his personal numbers should decrease simply since he will not be asked to do as much.
No Change: Joel Prybilla, Dante Cunningham – still no real fantasy value

Celtics – Acquire Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, draft picks, cash

Thunder – Acquire Kendrick Perkins, Nate Robinson

Winners: Perkins – he will get a slight boost in value and a double double is not out of question
Losers: Jeff Green – no chance he averages over fifteen points game from here on out
No Change: None