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
BRANDON KNIGHT, Milwaukee Bucks (56 percent owned in Yahoo!, 93 percent in ESPN)
It’s impossible to predict what Larry Drew is going to do with his lineup, but Milwaukee was interested in Knight all summer long, so you have to think that this current stretch for him is going to stick. After a slow start, Knight is finally turning it on, putting up double figures in points in each of his last six games, while also pitching in 4.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.8 threes and 1.3 steals over that span. He appears to be the favorite in the Milwaukee backcourt, so he’s worth a look if you need guard help.
ALEC BURKS, Utah Jazz (16 percent owned in Y!, 14 percent in ESPN)
Also heating up after a slow start to the season is Alec Burks. He’s still coming off the bench, but has cleaned up his shot selection and has earned the trust of Tyrone Corbin. In his last six games, Burks is averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steals with rock solid percentages. As long as he’s earning close to 30 minutes a night, Burks will have tons of value, so he’s definitely worth a look.
P.J. TUCKER, Phoenix Suns (13 percent owned in Y!, two percent in ESPN)
Any player on Phoenix can go off on any given night, but it’s been Tucker who has been on fire of late. In his last two, he’s at 18.0 points and 9.5 rebounds with 2.0 treys. He won’t keep averages up like this for long, but if he’s going to see a spike in minutes, he’ll have a lot more value. It’s definitely a situation to monitor.
JEFFERY TAYLOR, Charlotte Bobcats (four percent owned in Y!, one percent in ESPN)
Taylor replaced the injured Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in the starting lineup and went off for 20 points and eight rebounds with a steal, a block and a trey. There’s certainly some offensive upside here. Taylor will continue to get run while MKG is on the mend, but you should probably wait to see if he can keep it up. Taylor already has the confidence of the coaching staff, so he should have yours too.
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
Andrea Bargnani
Steve Blake
Miles Plumlee
John Henson
Tobias Harris
Jordan Crawford
Jordan Hill
Kirk Hinrich
Harrison Barnes
Kosta Koufos
Reggie Jackson
Lou Williams
Glen Davis
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 (out for 1-3 more weeks)


Larry Sanders (out at least 2 more weeks)
Anthony Davis (out 3-5 more weeks)
Marc Gasol (out for 4-6 weeks)

Andre Iguodala (no set timetable)
Rajon Rondo (no timetable for a return yet)


What do you think?
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