Week 3 Outlook (after a 4 day delay)

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Evil’s Outlook goes around the league and examines which players are hot and cold and which players you should keep an eye on. Listed first are the # of games played for each team, followed by 5 teams with poor and favorable schedules. I have also used Yahoo’s “% Owned” stat to focus on players who are owned in less than 2/3 of their leagues but should really be owned in almost every normal sized league.

If you’re in a league with weekly lineup changes and no games played limit and are unsure who to start, simply take a look at the start/borderline/bench recommendations. This week’s outlook suggests 92 players who are solid starts and 59 players who are borderline, so adjust accordingly if your league is much smaller or larger. Enjoy the Week 3 Outlook!

4 games: DAL, GSW, HOU, LAC, MIN, NOR, OKC, PHI, PHO, POR, TOR, UTA
3 games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, DEN, DET, LAL, MEM, MIA, NJN, NYK, ORL, SAS
2 games: IND, MIL, SAC, WAS

5 Poor Schedules

1. Washington Wizards (2 games – @Miami, Detroit)
2. Charlotte Bobcats (3 games – Orlando, @Detroit, Portland)
3. Orlando Magic (3 games – @Charlotte, Cleveland, New Jersey)
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (3 games – @Orlando, @Miami, Utah)
5. New Jersey Nets (3 games – Philadelphia, @Orlando, @Miami)

5 Favorable Schedules

1. Golden State Warriors (4 games – Minnesota, @Indiana, @New York, @Milwaukee)
2. Houston Rockets (4 games – @Dallas, Memphis, @Sacramento, @LA Lakers)
3. Phoenix Suns (4 games – @Philadelphia, New Orleans, @LA Lakers, Toronto)
4. Los Angeles Lakers (3 games – Phoenix, @Denver, Houston)
5. Memphis Grizzlies (3 games – Portland, @Houston, Minnesota)

Should Be Owned (but AREN’T in 35% or more of Yahoo leagues)

1. Kevin Love
2. Tyreke Evans
3. Brendan Haywood
4. TJ Ford
5. Roy Hibbert

Solid Short-Term Pickups

1. Beno Udrih
2. Rafer Alston
3. Terrence Williams
4. Quentin Richardson
5. George Hill

Atlanta Hawks (3 games)

The Hawks dominated Denver on Saturday and looked very good doing it. Josh Smith had one of the best all-around games of the season thus far, scoring 22 points on 8-10 FG and 6-8 FT shooting, to go along with 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 blocks, and just 1 turnover. J-Smoov’s shot selection has been MUCH better this season, and during the post-game interview with NBATV, he flat-out said that there’s no need for him to take any threes this year since the rest of his teammates (minus Horford & Pachulia) are solid outside shooters. This confirms that his FG% will remain well over 50% (currently 57.3% FG) for the entire season, and as long as he can stay healthy, Smith will be a Top 25 fantasy player this season, despite the poor free throw shooting. Mark my words. I firmly believe this after watching today’s game and the follow-up interview. It’s his 6th year in the league, and J-Smoov finally “gets it.” Jamal Crawford also remained hot, and has now scored 25+ points in 3 of his last 4 games. On the flipside, Bibby’s value has been quite limited with Crawford & Teague around.

START: J. Johnson, J-Smoov, Horford, Crawford
BORDERLINE: Bibby
BENCH: M. Williams

Boston Celtics (3 games)

The Celtics finally gave up 100+ points and lost their 1st game of the season to the Suns recently, but still look very sharp early on. KG dropped 26 points on the Suns and followed it up with 13 boards and 3 steals vs. the Nets, so the superstar fantasy potential is still there. Rondo picked up 5 more steals on Saturday and is now averaging a ridiculous 3.1 thefts per game. Ray Allen is averaging just 11.8 points in his last 4, so expect a bounceback game soon.

START: Garnett, Rondo, Pierce
BORDERLINE: R. Allen, Perkins, R. Wallace

Charlotte Bobcats (3 games)

Gerald Wallace is one of the more interesting fantasy players early on, as he currently leads the league with 13.8 rebounds per game, but is shooting just 32% from the field. As a TEAM, the Bobcats are shooting under 40% FG, so there have been plenty of rebound chances. Boris Diaw had his 1st really strong game of the season on Saturday, dropping 20 points, 7 boards, 5 dimes, 3 threes, 3 steals, and 1 block on 8-14 FG shooting. After a poor start, this is a really good sign for Diaw owners. Tyson Chandler has also picked up his play recently, averaging 10.3 points, 8.3 boards, and 2.7 blocks in his last 3 games. Unlike Kevin Martin, Raja Bell is playing thru his wrist injury, which is not good news for DJ Augustin owners. To make matters worse, Flip Murray has returned from his chin injury and actually got more PT than Augustin on Saturday (14 minutes to 11). If a solid replacement is available, feel free to cut him, but I’m personally not going to give up on DJ just yet. Charlotte has a very unfriendly schedule this week, so I suggest benching Felton & Chandler.

START: G. Wallace, Diaw
BORDERLINE: Felton, T. Chandler
BENCH: Augustin, R. Bell
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: R. Bell
DROP or LOOK TO REPLACE: Augustin

Chicago Bulls (3 games)

It was a brutal week for Tyrus Thomas (and his fantasy owners), that culminated with him needing surgery to fix a broken left arm. Part of me wonders if Vinny Del Negro is secretly smiling now, and TT owners have a tough decision to make. Of course, the only league where I owned Thomas has daily lineup changes and no IR spot, so I almost HAD to drop him. Chicago is basically using a 7-man rotation now, which is good news for owners of Noah and Deng in particular. Joakim exploded for a career-high 21 points, 16 boards, and 4 blocks on Saturday, and should be a fantasy force while Thomas is out. Deng is pulling down more rebounds than ever before as well, and I expect the trend to continue. Great news for John Salmons owners, as the swingman had his best game of the season on Saturday (27 points on 9-16 FG, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 threes) and appears to be heating up. Taj Gibson hasn’t done much yet, but keep an eye on him if you need blocks.

START: D. Rose, Salmons, Noah, Deng
BORDERLINE: Hinrich, B. Miller
BENCH: Ty Thomas (in deep leagues)
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: T. Gibson
DROP or LOOK TO REPLACE: Ty Thomas (in shallow leagues)

Cleveland Cavaliers (3 games)

The Cavs lost their 3rd game of the year on Thursday, but LeBron returned on Friday to drop an easy 33 points on 12-17 shooting vs. the Knicks. He also dropped 9 dimes and is now averaging 8 assists per game, well above his career average of 6.7. Despite coming off the bench vs. the fast-paced Knicks, Anderson Varejao still managed to pull down 14 rebounds and add 2 steals and 2 blocks. He’s still a fine source of threes, but Anthony Parker has been very unreliable since Delonte returned, and you should look to replace him if you haven’t already. Meanwhile, JJ Hickson started on Friday to give the Cavs a faster lineup, but only had 6 points and 2 boards in 13 minutes. Still, he should now be on your radar, because Hickson is very talented and athletic.

START: LeBron, Mo Williams
BORDERLINE: Varejao, Shaq
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: Delonte, Hickson
DROP or LOOK TO REPLACE: Big Z, A. Parker

Dallas Mavericks (4 games)

Josh Howard finally returned from his offseason ankle surgery on Saturday, and the Mavs rolled to a 129-101 win over Toronto. Howard racked up 16 points and 3 steals in just 24 minutes, so he’s worth starting for the week ahead. Surprisingly, Howard’s return didn’t hurt either Marion (18 points, 8 boards in 29 minutes) or Terry (19 points, 3 treys in 32 minutes off the bench), but the situation bares monitoring. JJ Barea dropped 12 dimes in just 24 minutes on Saturday, while Kidd had just 6 assists in 26 minutes. Barea will continue to get extra PT whenever there’s a blowout, so consider him in deep leagues with daily transactions. After an impressive start to the season, Dampier finally fell back to Earth on Saturday, recording just 6 boards and 1 block in 18 minutes. You didn’t expect 12 boards and 3 blocks to last, did you?

START: Dirk, Kidd, Marion, J. Howard, Terry
BORDERLINE: Dampier, Barea
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: Dampier, Barea

Denver Nuggets (3 games)

Kenyon Martin left Friday’s game with a leg injury and is going to miss more than a week, so keep him on your bench for now. Balkman started in his absence, but had just 2 points, 1 rebound, and 5 fouls in 11 minutes on Saturday. Both Balkman and Birdman should get extra playing time while Martin is out, and Melo will spend extra time at power forward as well. Nene has yet to score 20+ points yet, but I’m predicting a big scoring night for him very soon. JR Smith will make his season debut this Tuesday, but he’ll likely be a little rusty, so I don’t suggest starting him yet.

START: Carmelo, Billups, Nene
BORDERLINE: JR Smith, Birdman
BENCH: K-Mart, Lawson
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: Lawson

Detroit Pistons (3 games)

After a slow start, Villanueva is finally getting comfortable, as he scored 28 points on 11-17 FG shooting on Friday and had 16 points and 7 boards in the game prior. Consider picking him up if he was dropped, as he should continue to get better. Despite shooting just 34% FG over his last 5 games, Stuckey is still averaging 17.4 points, 7 boards, and 4 assists. So when his shooting efficiency improves, his numbers should be very solid. Hamilton is day-to-day, but Prince is out indefinitely with a lower back injury, so look for healthier options. Will Bynum had just 7 points and 2 assists on Friday, but is still averaging 11.5 points and 3.5 dimes for the season, making him a solid play in deep leagues. Rookie forwards Jonas Jerebko and Austin Daye have gotten playing time with Prince out, and both have used their length to block shots. Keep an eye on them in deep leagues, as both guys have nice potential.

START: B. Gordon, Stuckey, Villanueva
BORDERLINE: Hamilton, W. Bynum
BENCH: Prince
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: B. Wallace, Jerebko, Daye

Golden St. Warriors (4 games)

In a very embarrasing home loss, the Warriors got blown out by the Clippers on Friday. You can’t blame Anthony Morrow, as the sweet shooter has scored 42 points and made 7 treys on 16-26 FG shooting in his last 2 games. You shouldn’t have dropped him after his poor start, but if you did, I suggest picking him back up. Curry has seen his minutes decline due to Morrow’s solid play, but he’s still a solid starter in most leagues. Both Turiaf and Biedrins missed Friday’s game with injuries, which enabled Anthony Randolph to record season-highs in minutes (29), points (13), and rebounds (14). Still, he shot just 5-15 from the floor and most of his PT came in garbage time. His upside is too high to drop him, so hang on a little while longer if you can. Maggette played just 18 minutes on Friday and is now shooting just 36% FG on the season, and I don’t see his value increasing any time soon. The Warriors have a very favorable schedule in week 3, so start them if you have them.

START: Ellis, Curry, S. Jackson, Morrow, Azubuike
BORDERLINE: Biedrins, A. Randolph, Maggette
BENCH: Turiaf

Houston Rockets (4 games)

The Rockets have recently beaten the Thunder, Jazz, and Blazers, and lost by just 1 point to the Lakers. At 4-2, they now stand atop the Southwest division, and I’ve got to give credit where credit is due. Despite having the flu, Ariza played on Friday and dropped 21 point, 6 assists, and 2 threes. Scola had another strong game (19 points, 10 rebounds), and should be a rock solid starter the rest of the way. After a poor start, my boy Carl Landry (I drafted him in several leagues) has recorded 41 points and 17 boards on 71% FG shooting in his last 2 games! Despite being questionable with an ankle injury, Chase Budinger managed to score 16 points on Friday. He’s been very productive off the bench thus far, and is even more worthy of a pickup now. In one of the more impressive statlines thus far, 6-foot PG Kyle Lowry managed to dish out 8 assists and block a whopping 4 shots in just 20 minutes on Friday! Perhaps most deserving of a mention is Chuck Hayes. He continues to rack up the hustle stats, and is now a legit fantasy starter in deep leagues. For more on Hayes, please see here and here.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/justice/6706326.html
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/10419/world-please-notice-chuck-hayes

START: Ariza, Brooks, Scola, Battier, Landry, Hayes
BORDERLINE: Budinger, Lowry
BENCH: T-Mac
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: Budinger, Lowry, Hayes

Indiana Pacers (2 games)

Despite not having Troy Murphy, the Pacers have won 2 games in a row. Granger continues to struggle shooting the ball, but has amassed 11 steals and 4 blocks in his last 3 games. TJ Ford FINALLY played big minutes on Friday, scoring 18 points, dropping 4 dimes, and grabbing 10 boards in 40 minutes. Dahntay Jones also played 40 minutes and is now averaging 16 ppg over his last 5 games. I still don’t believe that he can keep this pace up, but he’s now worth consideration in deep leagues. Roy Hibbert blocked 5 shots on Friday and is now tied for 1st in that category with Erick Dampier. Rookie Tyler Hansbrough had an impressive NBA debut vs. Washington, posting 13 points and 5 rebounds in just 14 minutes. Still, he’ll only have value if Murphy is out for an extended period of time. Rush injured his ankle on Friday, so monitor his status moving forward.

BORDERLINE: Granger, Hibbert
BENCH: Murphy, Ford, B. Rush
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: D. Jones, S. Jones

L.A. Clippers (4 games)

Shockingly, the Clippers have won 3 straight games, albeit against the Grizzlies, Warriors, and T-Wolves. Chris Kaman continues to dominate, and I’m guessing that every team that owns him is doing fairly well. Eric Gordon also continues to stuff the stat sheet, with 15 treys and 9 steals in his last 5 games. Rasual Butler is now officially the Clippers starting small forward, but he’s shooting just 33% from the field in his last 5 games. Still, Rasual got 7 rebounds and 17 shot attempts on Saturday, and should be a decent starter moving forward. I advised people to avoid Thornton completely, and he should now be dropped if you were still hanging onto him. Sebastian Telfair has been getting decent burn recently, and is now worth consideration in ultra-deep leagues.

START: Kaman, Baron, E. Gordon, Camby
BORDERLINE: R. Butler
BENCH: Griffin
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: R. Butler, Telfair
DROP or LOOK TO REPLACE: Thornton

L.A. Lakers (3 games)

Bynum missed Friday’s game with a strained elbow, but the injury is supposed to be minor (check for an update before setting your lineup). DJ Mbenga got the start in his place and responded with an impressive 13 boards and 4 blocks. However, Lamar Odom had just 3 points on 1-6 shooting, and that’s very disappointing considering the injuries. Kobe has scored 41 points in back-to-back games, and you may want to sell high on him before Gasol comes back. Ron Artest has made 8 threes and grabbed 7 steals in his last 3 games, and is now a must-start in most leagues.

START: Kobe, Artest, Odom
BORDERLINE: Bynum
BENCH: P. Gasol, Fisher

Memphis Grizzlies (3 games)

Always the center of attention, Allen Iverson was granted permission to leave the team for personal reasons on Saturday. Marcus Williams had 6 assists in 16 minutes in his absence, but is not worth adding unless AI is going to be out for an extended period. This should give Mike Conley a slight confidence boost however, so feel free to gamble on him this week. Rudy Gay is RED HOT, averaging 26.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 threes on 51% FG shooting over his last 4 games. Meanwhile, Mayo has been awfully quiet since his 40-point game, and attempted 0 free throw attempts on Saturday (inexcusable for someone who’s supposed to be a big-time scorer). Marc Gasol continues to inhale rebounds, but his scoring has been down in recent games. Zach Randolph’s stats look very juicy right now, making him a strong sell high candidate (do you really want to rely on Z-Bo all year long?).

START: Gay, Mayo, M. Gasol, Z. Randolph
BORDERLINE: Conley
BENCH: Iverson

Miami Heat (3 games)

After beating the Nuggets on Friday, the Heat are now 5-1 and tied for 1st in the Southeast division. That’s surprising because D. Wade is shooting just 44.6% FG thus far, which is well below the norm for him. Jermaine O’Neal had 18 points, 7 boards, and 3 blocks vs. Denver, and looks much healthier this season. Beasley continues to sit in crunch time, and that’s really limiting his fantasy value. Mario Chalmers finally got hot from outside, draining 4 threes en route to 16 points on Friday. Q-Rich shot just 1-7 from beyond the arc, but is still grabbing rebounds at a very high rate. Daequan Cook is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury and James Jones is out of the rotation, so Richardson is now a decent pickup and Dorell Wright may get more PT as well.

START: Wade, J. O’Neal
BORDERLINE: Beasley, Haslem, Chalmers, Q-Rich
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: Q-Rich

Milwaukee Bucks (2 games)

Surprisingly, the Bucks have won 2 games in a row and are now over .500 on the season (enjoy it while it lasts Milwaukee fans). Jennings had just 3 assists to 5 turnovers on Saturday, but continues to rack up points and steals. Andrew Bogut is starting to play with a lot of confidence, and is now averaging 18.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2 blocks on 57% FG shooting over his last 3 games. Congrats if you gambled on the Aussie this year. Unfortunately, everyone else is still a risky start at this point. Delfino has made 6 treys in 4 games, but has yet to score in double digits. Ilyasova surprised with 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in just 23 minutes on Saturday, so he may earn more PT moving forward. Ditto for rookie Jodie Meeks, who nailed 5 threes en route to 19 points in his first extensive NBA action.

BORDERLINE: Jennings, Bogut
BENCH: Redd, Warrick
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: Delfino, Ilyasova, Meeks

Minnesota Timberwolves (4 games)

After winning their season opener, Minnesota has dropped 5 straight and need lots of help. Al Jefferson is averaging just 15.3 points and 6.0 rebounds, and I have a hard time believing that he’s 100% healthy. Both Ramon Sessions and Ryan Gomes have been major disappointments thus far, and I suggest looking for replacements for both guys. Jonny Flynn had 20 points and 3 steals on Friday, and has gotten 33 minutes in each of the past 2 games (a good sign for his owners moving forward). Oleksiy Pecherov AKA Stewie has posted decent numbers recently, and is worth a short-term pickup if you’re desperate for help. Just remember that he’ll be worthless when Kevin Love returns in a couple of weeks.

START: A. Jefferson, Flynn, C. Brewer
BORDERLINE: Sessions, Gomes, Pecherov
BENCH: Love
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: Pecherov
DROP or LOOK TO REPLACE: Sessions, Gomes

New Jersey Nets (3 games)

The Nets are really hurting right now, as Devin Harris could miss the rest of November with his groin injury, Yi is still out, and Douglas-Roberts is out with the swine flu. Courtney Lee is also dealing with a groin injury, and if you were thinking about cutting him, this could give you the extra motivation to make the move. Rafer Alston has been up and down as the starting PG, but he posted a solid line of 44 minutes, 20 points, 7 assists, and 3 treys on Saturday vs. Boston, and is a nice fill-in while Harris is out. Rookie Terrence Williams is shooting just 36% from the floor, but showed off his versatile skills recently by dishing out 9 assists on Friday and then grabbing 9 boards on Saturday. Another guy to watch & consider is Josh Boone, as the big man pulled down 12 rebounds in 37 minutes on Saturday and may start at power forward until Yi comes back.

START: B. Lopez, Alston
BORDERLINE: T. Williams
BENCH: Harris, Jianlian, Douglas-Roberts
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: Alston, T. Williams, Boone
DROP or LOOK TO REPLACE: C. Lee

New Orleans Hornets (4 games)

The Hornets fell to 2-4 on Friday, and Chris Paul cannot be happy. CP3 is doing everything he can, but his teammates simply aren’t stepping up. David West had just 4 rebounds and 2 FT attempts, and he clearly needs to be more aggressive. Mo-Pete is shooting just 34% FG, and he’s about to be replaced by Devin Brown in the starting lineup. However, Bobby Brown also continues to get big minutes off the bench, and has scored 34 points and made 4 threes in his last 2 contests. Keep an eye on Bobby since none of their other shooters are producing. Peja is just 3-14 in his last 2 games, but is worth consideration since the Hornets have 4 games this week.

START: Paul, D. West, Okafor
BORDERLINE: Stojakovic, B. Brown
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: B. Brown, D. Brown
DROP or LOOK TO REPLACE: J. Wright

New York Knicks (3 games)

The Knicks lost to Milwaukee by 15 points on Saturday and have dropped to 1-6 on the season. They gave up a whopping 58 points in the paint to the Bucks and were outrebounded 54-34, and clearly need some help defensively. Even D. Lee has been pretty quiet on the glass, which is very surprising. Wilson Chandler had just 3 points on 1-10 shooting on Saturday, and is now shooting just 34% FG. After a couple of poor games, Gallinari has bounced back quite nicely (7 threes, 3 steals in his last 2 contests), which is a good sign for his long-term value. Larry Hughes has put up decent all-around numbers recently, and is worth owning as long as he’s getting 30+ minutes per game. Rookie guard Toney Douglas managed to score 16 points and drain 4 threes in just 17 minutes vs. the Bucks, and will have value if Duhon gets hurt.

START: D. Lee, Harrington, Gallinari
BORDERLINE: W. Chandler, Duhon, Hughes
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: Hughes

Oklahoma City Thunder (4 games)

Kevin Durant recently complained that the energy he’s spending on defense is taking away from his offensive game, and while that’s a convenient excuse, 15% 3P shooting is simply unacceptable no matter what. Still, I expect a monster game from KD very soon. Jeff Green shot just 3-15 on Friday, but still managed to salvage his line with 2 steals and 2 blocks. Westbrook exploded for 33 points and 7 assists on 14-25 shooting, and he even made a three for good measure. Rookie James Harden played just 10 minutes on Friday and has yet to score in double digits. I just dropped him for Q-Rich, and you should look to replace him as well. Nick Collison played a season-high 22 minutes on Friday and Etan Thomas has been very effective, so you probably want to dump Krstic as well.

START: Durant, Green, Westbrook
BENCH: Sefolosha
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: E. Thomas, Collison
DROP or LOOK TO REPLACE: Harden, Krstic

Orlando Magic (3 games)

Dwight Howard hasn’t had a monster game in awhile, but he made 8-of-9 free throws on Friday and is now shooting 69% FT for the season. How long will it last? Jameer Nelson has shot the ball better recently, so hopefully he can keep it up. Ryan Anderson has been rock solid to start the season, but he left Friday’s game with a sprained ankle and is out for Sunday’s game. Carter is still sidelined with an ankle injury of his own, so only start him if he plays in Sunday’s game. Matt Barnes has posted strong all-around numbers recently, but his playing time will dwindle when Lewis returns. Redick has made 13 treys in his last 4 games, but I would still be hesitant to start him this week.

START: D. Howard, Nelson
BORDERLINE: V. Carter, R. Anderson, Barnes
BENCH: Lewis
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: Redick

Philadelphia 76ers (4 games)

Lou Williams is playing great thus far, averaging 17.2 points, 5.6 boards, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 steals on 53% FG and 84% FT shooting. Elton Brand continues to disappoint, averaging just 7 points in 23.5 minutes in his last 2 games. If you weren’t worried before, you should be now. Meanwhile, Speights continues to play well, and has earned more playing time moving forward. Thaddeus Young has been really quiet recently, but I’m expecting a bouceback game soon. Jason Kapono had his best game of the season on Friday, scoring 14 points and making 4 treys in 20 minutes. Keep an eye on him in deep leagues, since Philly always needs outside shooting help.

START: Iguodala, Lou-Will, Brand, T. Young, Speights
BORDERLINE: Dalembert
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: Kapono

Phoenix Suns (4 games)

The Suns upset the Celtics in Boston on Friday, and Amare is starting to play better. Stoudemire posted 22 points on 8-13 FG shooting, but his rebounding numbers continue to be below average. After going scoreless last Wednesday, J-Rich exploded for 34 points, 6 threes, and 10 rebounds on Friday. While the threes were impressive, the fact that he cleaned the glass well and also got to the line 11 times is what makes me feel good about owning him. Channing Frye has scored in single-digits in 3 straight games, so expect him to bounce back soon. Barbosa could return on Sunday, so be ready to pick him up if he plays well. The Suns have a favorable schedule this week, so don’t be afraid to start them.

START: Nash, Amare, J-Rich, Hill, Frye
BORDERLINE: Barbosa, Amundson
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: Amundson

Portland Trail Blazers (4 games)

In perhaps the most important lineup change of the week, Andre Miller was moved into the starting lineup ALONGSIDE Steve Blake on Friday, with Martell Webster moving to the bench. Since the Blazers played well and Nate McMillan said that he’s going to stick with it for at least another week or two, Miller is worth a pickup if he was dropped. The move also seemed to help Blake, as he scored 15 points and made 3 treys in 38 minutes. The move really hurts Webster however, as he played just 13 minutes off the bench. If you picked up Martell recently, start looking for a replacement. Ditto for Rudy Fernandez. Oden has struggled to stay out of foul trouble recently, but scored a season-high 14 points on Friday, against Tim Duncan no less.

START: Roy, Aldridge, Oden, A. Miller, Blake
BORDERLINE: Webster, Outlaw, Przybilla
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: A. Miller
DROP or LOOK TO REPLACE: Webster, Fernandez

Sacramento Kings (2 games)

Of course, the big news out of Sacramento is that Kevin Martin has decided to have surgery on his left wrist and will miss around 8 weeks. Considering that the injury is on his NON-shooting hand and that Martin had 29 points and 11 rebounds on 11-22 FG shooting last Wednesday (when he already had the injury but didn’t know about it yet), he could have probably played thru it if he really wanted to. But Kev-Mart doesn’t seem to mind being labeled as SOFT, and it’s okay for fantasy owners and Kings fans to hate him for it. If he returns in 8 weeks, then he could be back for Sacramento’s January 2nd game at home vs. Dallas. The Kings would have 50 games left on their schedule then, meaning the maximum # of games Martin could play in this year would be 55. Sadly, that’s par for the course now, as Kev played just 51 games last year and 61 the year before. As a result, Beno Udrih has been moved back into the starting lineup, with Evans sliding over to shooting guard.

With the injury-prone ball-hog out of the lineup, the Kings should have a more balanced scoring attack. They shocked Utah on Saturday by beating them in Salt Lake City, and Tyreke Evans had a season-high 32 points and 7 assists on 7-15 FG and 16-19 FT shooting. He’ll get more scoring opportunities with Martin out, and will have less pressure to initiate the offense and create for others with Beno helping him out. The rook should now be owned in almost all leagues, but don’t expect him to be NEARLY this efficient on most nights. Udrih had 15 points and 4 assists in 33 minutes, and is also worth a pickup in deep leagues. Just remember that Udrih’s upside is limited. Andres Nocioni shook off his DUI arrest (a suspension will likely follow) to drain 4 threes en route to 14 points vs. Utah, and the Kings will need his outside shooting to space the floor. They combined for just 19 points on Saturday, but I’m expecting both Hawes and Thompson to play larger roles on offense now that Martin is out. Since both Spencer and JT got off to slow starts, both youngsters are solid trade targets. Also keep an eye on Ime Udoka and Omri Casspi, as the Kings bench is very thin now and those are their best guys.

BORDERLINE: T. Evans, Hawes, Thompson
BENCH: Kev-Mart, Nocioni, Udrih
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: Udrih, Casspi, Udoka

San Antonio Spurs (3 games)

Surprisingly, the Spurs have lost 2 games in a row and are now just 2-3. Tony Parker sprained his ankle on Friday and will be out for a week or so, so make sure he’s on your bench this week. George Hill had just 8 points and 0 assists in 32 minutes, but is a decent short-term pickup with Parker out. Look for Ginobili and Jefferson to pick up some of the scoring slack as well, making both decent plays for the week ahead. Keith Bogans has replaced Finley as the starting 2 guard, but should only be considered in the deepest of leagues.

START: Duncan, Ginobili, R. Jefferson
BORDERLINE: Blair, G. Hill
BENCH: T. Parker
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: Blair, G. Hill, Bogans

Toronto Raptors (4 games)

Chris Bosh had 26 points and 12 boards on Saturday while playing in his hometown of Dallas, but he also gave up 29 and 9 to Dirk on the other end. Jose Calderon finally woke up and has totaled 29 points, 15 assists, and 3 steals in his last 2 games, so hopefully he can keep it going for awhile. Still, I worry about Jose’s consistency and recommend dealing him if you can get a solid player in return. DeRozan, Wright, and Belinelli continue to do very little, while Jack has suddenly made 5 treys in his last 2 games, so keep an eye on Jarrett in deep leagues.

START: Bosh, Calderon, Bargnani, Turkoglu
ADD or KEEP AN EYE ON: Jack

Utah Jazz (4 games)

The Jazz lost to the Kings on Saturday and are now just 2-4 on the season. Deron Williams had 29 points, 15 assists, 3 threes, and 2 steals, and if he could duplicate those threes and steals every night, he’d easily be a Top 5 fantasy player. Boozer continues to get the bulk of the minutes at power forward and is racking up double-doubles, while Millsap hit a new low with just 5 points and 3 boards in 19 minutes on Saturday. It’s been tough for Millsap owners, but his upside is too high to drop him. Ronnie Brewer has been very quiet recently, but I’m predicting a breakout game for both he and Millsap on Monday vs. the Knicks.

START: Deron, Okur, Boozer, Kirilenko
BORDERLINE: R. Brewer, Millsap

Washington Wizards (2 games)

The Wizards got blown out by the Pacers on Friday, and neither Flip Saunders nor Arenas were happy about it. Caron Butler had season-highs in both points (24) and FG attempts (21), and that should continue for awhile because Mike Miller & Jamison are injured. Miller hurt his shoulder recently and will be out 7-10 days, so keep an eye on Randy Foye. Blatche played just 16 minutes on Friday, while Haywood had a monster night with 19 boards and 4 blocks. Soon of you may have dumped Brendan for Blatche after Andray’s hot start, but Haywood is the much better long-term option. Not only does Washington only have 2 games this week, but both the Heat and Pistons are not very fantasy-friendly.

BORDERLINE: Arenas, C. Butler
BENCH: Haywood, Blatche, Foye, M. Miller, Jamison

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