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.
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FRESH PICKINGS
KENDALL MARSHALL, Los Angeles Lakers (32 percent owned in Yahoo!, 34 percent in ESPN)
The Los Angeles Lakers point guard carousel continues, this time putting Kendall Marshall at the forefront. Marshall had a monster weekend, averaging 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 16.0 assists and dropping 20 points, six rebounds and 15 assists on the Jazz on Saturday night. He may lose time once Steve Nash and Steve Blake return from injury, but that’s too far down the road to interfere with Marshall’s current hot streak. As long as he’s starting and conducting the D’Antoni offense, he’ll have definite 10-team league value.
DARREN COLLISON, Los Angeles Clippers (39 percent owned in Yahoo!, 42 percent in ESPN)
You aren’t getting the double-double Darren Collison from the New Orleans days of backing up Chris Paul, but he will still hold tons of value until CP3 gets back from his shoulder injury. In his first game leading the first unit, he put up 14 points, six assists and three steals. His stat lines will probably increase as he becomes more comfortable in his role, so it’s best to pick him up before he truly breaks out.
IMAN SHUMPERT, New York Knicks (28 percent owned in Yahoo!, 40 percent in ESPN)
Shumpert has been as hot as any other shooting guard over the past three games, averaging 20.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 treys and 2.3 steals. Against San Antonio and Houston, he combined for 53 points, shooting 12-for-14 from behind the arc. He’s been horribly inconsistent this season, so there’s always fear of a drop off, but he’s a safe bet for steals and threes, if nothing else. Deeper leaguers can give him a speculative look.
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
Isaiah Thomas
Jared Sullinger
John Henson
Terrence Jones
Jordan Crawford
Brandon Knight
Reggie Jackson
Ersan Ilyasova
Terrence Ross
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Miles Plumlee
Glen Davis
Jordan Hill
Harrison Barnes
Alec Burks
Marvin Williams
Danny Granger
Kirk Hinrich
Jeremy Lamb
Lou Williams
D.J. Augustin
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.
Marc Gasol (out for 1-2 weeks)

Chris Paul (out 3-5 weeks)
Russell Westbrook (out until after the All-Star break)
Kobe Bryant (out four weeks)
Rajon Rondo (no set timetable)

Ryan Anderson (no timetable)
What do you think?
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