Weekend Wonder: Kobe Bryant averaged 31.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, a steal, 1 block and 3.0 threes in two games over the weekend. He’s shooting less lately, but that’s done nothing to diminish his strong fantasy appeal. It’s not a guarantee that Kobe will keep his top 10 value for the rest of the season, but he’s been one of the surprises of the fantasy season so far.
Lines for Discussion:
Marcus Camby (1/27): 0-4 FG (0%), 20 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk, 1 TO; Camby has racked up 58 rebounds, five steals and seven blocks in his last three games. His owners should look to sell high.
Dorell Wright (1/27): 8-14 FG (57%), 1-2 FT (50%), 6 threes, 23 Pts, 9 Reb, 5 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk; He scored more in this game than in his previous two combined, which is a small sample of his inconsistency this season. Wright will have to do a lot more than this, a lot more frequently, if he wants to truly win over fantasy owners.
Andre Iguodala (1/28): 4-7 FG (57%), 1-2 FT (50%), 1 three, 10 Pts, 10 Reb, 10 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; This clean triple-double was his first of the season. Iguodala continues to average top 25 numbers, thanks in part to his 1.9 steals per game, his highest mark since the 2007-08 season.
Kemba Walker (1/28): 8-18 FG (44%), 2-4 FT (50%), 2 threes, 20 Pts, 10 Reb, 11 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk, 4 TO; Walker’s triple-dip was certainly bigger than Iggy’s, but his poor shooting from the field limits his overall fantasy appeal. Still, with D.J. Augustin out for a while, Walker should continue putting up startable fantasy lines for owners who don’t mind his weakness.
Tyreke Evans (1/28): 12-20 FG (60%), 7-7 FT (100%), 31 Pts, 6 Reb, 9 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 4 TO; Evans was terrible in his previous three games, so this was sigh for his fantasy owners’ sore eyes. For the season, Evans’ low field-goal percentage and lack of threes has put a damper on his otherwise decent fantasy value.
Derrick Rose (1/29): 11-28 FG (39%), 12-14 FT (86%), 34 Pts, 6 Reb, 6 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO; Those two missed free throws were big, weren’t they? Rose looks to be just about back on track since returning from resting his sore toe, an issue that should be monitored by his owners.
Jason Richardson (1/29): 5-11 FG (46%), 1-2 FT (50%), 2 threes, 13 Pts, 7 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO; Richardson has been a shell of himself this season, but his owners have a right to hold onto him in hopes of a recovery later in the season.
Ray Allen (1/29): 9-14 FG (64%), 4 threes, 22 Pts, 3 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; Barring other injuries, Allen should continue to put up solid fantasy numbers, thanks mostly to his 2.7 threes per game. Owners who were able to buy low on him should be proud.
Dirk Nowitzki (1/29): 5-14 FG (36%), 10 Pts, 13 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl; Yes, he’s still a decent buy-low candidate, but it’s hard to see him being a top 12 stud again this season.
Jason Terry (1/29): 14-23 FG (61%), 5-5 FT (100%), 1 three, 34 Pts, 2 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO; Terry is having a solid season, especially for his keen three-point making (2.1 per game). His week-to-week reliability is underappreciated in fantasy circles.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
Mickael Pietrus: he remains worth a look if you need threes
Austin Daye: his last three games have looked promising, and he appears to be winning a steadier diet of minutes
Tiago Splitter: if you need a center, Splitter’s probably on the short list of candidates to consider
Chase Budinger: his two games over the weekend were big, making him worth stashing for owners with dead weight to spare
Jordan Hill: two double-doubles in the weekend make Hill worth a look for owners in need of a big man
Drew Gooden: make sure he isn’t still available in your league
Rodrigue Beaubois: two big starts over the weekend and the absence of Jason Kidd make Beaubois worth owning again
Jerryd Bayless: he started at SG last night and is worth a flier
Jimmer Fredette: he’s hit 14 three-pointers in his last four games
Gordon Hayward: he had a big game over the weekend and is worth an add in deeper leagues
Injuries:
Keyon Dooling (hip): day-to-day
Jermaine O’Neal (knee): day-to-day
Luol Deng (wrist): day-to-day
Jason Kidd (calf): out for at least a week
Will Bynum (foot): day-to-day
Andrew Bogut (ankle): out 8-12 weeks
Darko Milicic (illness): day-to-day
Baron Davis (back): not expected to make his season debut for another week or two
Spencer Hawes (Achilles): day-to-day
Leandro Barbosa (knee): day-to-day
D.J. Augustin (toe): not close to returning
Anthony Parker (back): day-to-day
Kevin Martin (heel): day-to-day
Jeff Foster (back): hoping to return Tuesday
Mehmet Okur (back): day-to-day
Jameer Nelson (concussion): day-to-day with concussion-like symptoms
Chuck Hayes (shoulder): out Tuesday
Raja Bell (groin): day-to-day
Avery Bradley (ankle): probable for Tuesday
Rajon Rondo (wrist): could be out until around the All-Star break
Gerald Henderson (back): day-to-day
C.J. Watson (wrist): day-to-day
Daniel Gibson (neck): day-to-day
DeShawn Stevenson (knee): monitor his status
For Tonight:
See if Serge Ibaka can maintain his mini-hot streak tonight, as the Thunder visit the Clippers.
Throughout the season, be sure to leave your questions, comments, concerns, trade offers, roster problems and more in the comments below.
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