Basketball demands we break down its players not just by stats, but by the time and place they occur. That’s not the case in NBA fantasy hoops, though, where cold calculations rule the day and the matchup. Who are the Fantasy Doctor’s choices for this week’s best pickups? Hit the jump to find out.
*** *** ***
FRESH PICKINGS
OMER ASIK, Houston Rockets for now (39 percent owned in Yahoo!, 40 percent in ESPN)
I’ve been recommending Asik as a stash ever since he expressed his trade demand, and finally the patience is about to pay off. The Rockets have a self-imposed trade deadline of Thursday to deal the disgruntled big man, and no matter where he goes, Asik is going to grab close to 10 rebounds a game while chipping in some blocked shots. Philadelphia presents the biggest upside for him, but several other teams, including Atlanta and Boston, are still in the mix. Dime will keep you updated throughout the process, but for now grab Asik off the wire before it’s too late.
BRANDAN WRIGHT, Dallas Mavericks (19 percent owned in Yahoo!, two percent in ESPN)
To this point, no one has really stepped up to help out Dirk Nowitzki in the Mavericks frontcourt. After trial runs with Samuel Dalembert and DeJuan Blair, Dallas will now turn to Wright, who returned from a nasty shoulder injury to put up 19 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes on Saturday. Nowitzki missed that game, so the numbers are a little skewed, but he should be a reliable source of rebounding and blocks from now on.
TERRENCE ROSS, Toronto Raptors (20 percent owned in Yahoo!, five percent in ESPN)
Ross has been one of the biggest benefactors of the Rudy Gay trade. Since the deal went down, he has started all three games, averaging 15.7 points and 5.0 rebounds, with 2.7 threes, 0.7 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. The scoring will probably come down a little bit, but anytime you can find a shooting guard that hits threes and blocks shots, it’s a bonus. As long as Ross is starting, feel free to use him in your lineups.
LAST CALL
These guys were mentioned in previous editions and are listed in order of desirability. Go grab them if they’re still around.
Lance Stephenson
Jared Sullinger
Isaiah Thomas
Terrence Jones
John Henson
Harrison Barnes
Jordan Crawford
Brandon Knight
Glen Davis
Tobias Harris
Andrea Bargnani
Miles Plumlee
Marvin Williams
Alec Burks
P.J. Tucker
Jordan Hill
Kirk Hinrich
Reggie Jackson
Lou Williams
Dejuan Blair
Derrick Williams
INJURIES
Waiting on injured players is tough, especially once the zeros start piling up. However, this is the time of year to do it. If you start slipping too much in the standings, you can go ahead and drop these guys, but for now, they’re worth the stash. This list is limited to guys with long-term injuries, so be sure to keep your eye out for players that are day-to-day too.
Tyson Chandler (day-to-day)


Larry Sanders (out at least two more weeks)
Anthony Davis (out 2-4 more weeks)
Marc Gasol (out for 3-5 weeks)

Andre Iguodala (no set timetable)
Michael Carter-Williams (no set timetable)
Bradley Beal (no set timetable)
Rajon Rondo (no set timetable)


Who are you picking up this week?
Follow Kevin on Twitter at @DimeFantasyDoc.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
