Beast of the Night: LeBron James put up 41 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals, a block and a three-pointer last night in a start at shooting guard for the Heat. He shot 60 percent (15-25) from the floor and 77 percent (10-13) from the free-throw line, and had four turnovers. James’ recent slip in production dropped him to No. 2 overall in fantasy basketball, but he’s still a monster.
Lines for Discussion:
Carmelo Anthony: 17-31 FG (55%), 4-5 FT (80%), 1 three, 39 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO; He looks primed to finish the season strong, even when a fragile Amar’e Stoudemire returns to the lineup. Nevertheless, this season was a huge disappointment for his fantasy owners.
Steve Nash: 7-12 FG (58%), 2-2 FT (100%), 2 threes, 18 Pts, 6 Reb, 12 Ast, 1 TO; You’ve got to hand it to the 38-year-old Nash. He’s maintained top 60 value throughout the season and is a dependable double-double machine — one with a worrisome back.
DeMarcus Cousins: 16-25 FG (64%), 9-14 FT (64%), 41 Pts, 12 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO; Cousins has worked himself into a near-top 50 fantasy basketball player this season. He should be viewed as such heading into next season’s drafts.
Pau Gasol: 11-20 FG (55%), 22 Pts, 12 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO; He’ll see a nice boost so long as Andrew Bynum is out. Also, Pau has finally overtaken his little brother, Marc, in terms of overall fantasy value this season.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
J.R. Smith: 11 Pts, 1 three, 9 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 TO; Give him a look if you need threes (but monitor a possible suspension for his flagrant foul last night).
Landry Fields: 15 Pts, 2 threes, 4 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO; Maybe this will be the start of a turnaround – maybe.
Danny Green: 19 Pts, 4 threes, 3 Reb, 2 Stl, 1 TO; He’s not worth a look unless you’re in a deep league.
Patty Mills: 20 Pts, 4 threes, 2 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 TO; Just monitor him for now.
Byron Mullens: 20 Pts, 1 three, 14 Reb, 2 Blk, 1 TO; That’s back-to-back 20-point outings for Mullens, who deserves a look.
Evan Turner: 26 Pts, 8 Reb, 1 Ast, 4 TO; Turner’s magic carpet ride is over, but he remains a decent all-around asset.
Glen Davis: 31 Pts, 1 three, 10 Reb, 3 Stl, 1 Blk; Dwight Howard‘s absence boosts his otherwise mediocre value.
Ben Gordon: 18 Pts, 1 three, 6 Reb, 7 Ast, 2 Stl, 3 TO; When healthy, Gordon is worth a pickup in many leagues.
Jeremy Tyler: 9 Pts, 11 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO; Roll the dice with him if you need a big man in a deeper league.
Terrence Williams: 16 Pts, 6 Reb, 5 Ast, 2 Blk, 2 TO; So long as Marcus Thornton is out, Williams appears set to play 30+ minutes a game, which will allow him to put up usable lines.
Injuries:
Tyrus Thomas (jaw): day-to-day
Dwyane Wade (knee): hopes to play tonight
Marcus Thornton (calf): day-to-day
Gary Forbes (knee): day-to-day
Vladimir Radmanovic (back): doubtful for tonight
Ray Allen (ankle): will play tonight, barring any setbacks
Anderson Varejao (wrist): could return to action next week
Lamar Odom (illness): questionable for tonight
Andrew Bynum (ankle): day-to-day
Ryan Anderson (ankle): day-to-day
Dwight Howard (back): day-to-day
John Salmons (hip): day-to-day
Devin Harris (ankle): game-time decision tonight
Andre Iguodala (eye): monitor his status
For Tonight:
Monitor Nikola Pekovic‘s progress, as the Timberwolves host the Warriors.
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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