Fantasy Related But Great Info.........
Championship Week
The Week Ahead has been slightly tweaked to reflect the needs of still-competitive fantasy owners. Most head-to-head leagues with weekly lineups will require you to lock in players for the duration of the season, which means Week 24 as well as the abbreviated Week 25.
Every team
(other than the Knicks and Lakers) plays twice in Week 25, so simply add two games to the total you see below. Finally, the specific opponents for Week 25 are listed separately under each team, in case you're only interested in Week 24.
The decisions you make this week will make or break your championship aspirations, obviously, so pay particularly close attention to matchups and injuries. You wouldn't have made it this far without a solid team...benching one injured star (
Kevin Martin?) in favor of a more reliable option might be the smartest thing you've done all season.
Four games -- Grizzlies, Hornets, Kings, Knicks, Lakers, Magic, Raptors, 76ers, Spurs, Thunder, Trail Blazers
Three games -- Bobcats, Bulls, Cavaliers, Celtics, Clippers, Hawks, Heat, Jazz, Mavericks, Nets, Pacers, Pistons, Rockets, Suns, Timberwolves, Warriors
Two games -- Bucks, Nuggets, Wizards
Four-game teams
Grizzlies (POR, orl, PHO, lal)
This is a rough way to start such a crucial week. Over the past 10 games, the Trail Blazers have given up the second-fewest points (92.1) and second-fewest assists (17.1) of any team in the league. The Magic, meanwhile, allow their opponents the third-lowest FG% (43.3%) and third-fewest 3-pointers (5.4) on the third-lowest 3PT% (34.4%). The Suns are way more lenient, near the bottom in most defensive categories, but this is still a difficult slate for the Grizzlies.
Week 25 -- (pho, ATL) -- This gives the Griz two games against the Suns, who give up the second-most steals (8.6) and third-most 3-pointers (7.6) of any team. That balances out the rough patch discussed earlier -- guys like
Mike Conley,
Rudy Gay and
Marc Gasol have been lighting it up lately, so you'll probably want to keep them (and
O.J. Mayo) active.
Hornets (mia, PHO, dal, DAL)
Peja Stojakovic scored seven points in 25 minutes off the bench on Friday. He didn't shy away from contact, but was clearly rusty and you can't expect his minutes to increase too quickly. Personally, I'd avoid him.
Tyson Chandler is aiming to play in the final three games of the season (in a best-case scenario) and shouldn't be owned in most leagues.
Rasual Butler continues to play heavy minutes (he averaged 39 minutes per game in March), but in the past five games he's lost his shooting touch, averaging just 10.0 points on 17-of-58 (29%) shooting.
Week 25 -- (hou, sa) -- These two games aren't very favorable matchups, so the outlook of the aforementioned players doesn't change significantly.
Chris Paul and
David West have reestablished their 'dynamic duo' act lately...if you're not sure whether to start them, ask your physician for advice.
Kings (LAL, HOU, lac, SA)
Kevin Martin's ankle injury looms large for his owners, and as of Saturday afternoon there is no definitive word on his condition. He scored a career-high 50 points on Wednesday, but this is the same ankle that's bothered him all season and I'm starting to worry that he's going out on a high-note. Check for updates until the last possible second -- fortunately, the Kings play on Sunday so we should have some news before long.
Whether or not K-Mart can go,
Francisco Garcia has emerged as a dominant fantasy player down the stretch. He has at least one steal in the past eight games, has drained 20 three-pointers (that's right) in the past six games and is averaging 25.5 points in April.
Spencer Hawes and
Jason Thompson both scored career-highs against the Suns on Friday (22 points and 23 points, respectively) and should be solid options again this week. Hawes' split stats against the Spurs (4.0 points, 6.5 rebounds in two games) and Rockets (9.0 points, 8.0 rebounds in two games) are rather poor, but it's tough to judge him by those numbers since he's elevated his game since March 1st.
Week 25 -- (den, min) -- Nothing too extraordinary worth mentioning here...the Nuggets and Wolves both get plenty of their shots blocked (6th- and 1st-most in the league, respectively), which should give a slight boost to the Kings' aforementioned big men.
Knicks (chi, DET, orl, mia)
The Knicks face four playoff-bound teams who are scrapping for position or, for the Bulls and Pistons, their spot in the playoffs. Nothing will come easy, therefore, and guys like
Chris Duhon might be better off on your bench this week. Duhon continues to struggle down the stretch, averaging 6.3 points on 6-of-21 shooting, 8.7 assists and 0.3 steals in the past three games. Avoid him unless you really need assists and a couple of threes per game.
Quentin Richardson and
Larry Hughes are both returning from ankle injuries -- Q-Rich is due back on Saturday, while Hughes is expected to play on Sunday. Both guys are streaky even when they're 100% healthy, so only deploy them with extreme reluctance. Watch
Nate Robinson's weekend stats closely, since he's been poking his head in-and-out of Mike D'Antoni's doghouse for the past few weeks.
Week 25 -- (NJ) The Knicks are one of just two unfortunate teams to play one game in the final week. Fortunately, since they play four times in Week 24, it's not a crippling blow to their fantasy values.
Lakers (sac, DEN, por, MEM)
The Kings give up the second-most points of any team in the league (109.5), and nobody allows their opponents to shoot a higher percentage from the field (48.5%) or three-point land (40.7%). The Lakers only have three players offering consistent value right now (Kobe, Pau and Lamar), but some owners might consider starting
Derek Fisher to capitalize on the Kings' and Nuggets' lenient 3PT defense.
Andrew Bynum is targeting a return against the Grizzlies on April 12th, but he hasn't participated in 5-on-5 drills and it's very unwise to start him for the possibility of one rusty game (or two).
Week 25 -- (UTAH) -- This Week 25 schedule is great in real life, giving L.A. time to rest and prepare for whichever opponent they're bound to decimate in Round One of the playoffs. It's not so great in fantasy leagues, obviously, and could tip the scales against a borderline option like
Trevor Ariza.
Magic (hou, MEM, NY, nj)
Orlando sits one game behind the Celtics in the East right now, so I don't expect any of their key players to pick up random DNPs.
Dwight Howard,
Hedo Turkoglu and
Rashard Lewis (who appears to have overcome his recent knee problems) should all be active.
Rafer Alston is coming off one of his best games of the season (against the Cavaliers, no less) on Friday, when he posted 11 points, 10 assists and four steal in just 27 minutes. That doesn't change the fact that he's a terrible shooter (38.5% for his career), but the Grizzlies, Knicks and Nets could yield a few more nice returns for Alston's owners.
Week 25 -- (mil, CHA) Depending upon what happens this week, these two games could either be laden with playoff implications or they could be meaningless. The former scenario would maximize Orlando's fantasy values, so keep your fingers crossed.
Raptors (ATL, ind, WAS, PHI)
Toronto is riding an improbable five-game win streak into this weekend's back-to-back games against the Knicks, which gives them a good chance of facing the Hawks with a seven-game streak on the line.
Chris Bosh and
Jose Calderon have elevated their games at just the right moment (for fantasy owners, at least) and should have little trouble piling up impressive stats against the Pacers and Wizards.
Andrea Bargnani fouled out on Wednesday (for just the second time all season) with 16 points and two rebounds. He should be fine going forward.
Shawn Marion is also playing well lately, perhaps spurred by the fact that someone named "Pops" was outplaying him, but I'm not above finding something to gripe about. Where have the 3-pointers gone? He hasn't even attempted a shot from downtown in the past nine games, and is 0-of-11 dating back to February 4th (16% on the season). Someone's been tampering with his binary codes.
Week 25 -- (was, chi)
76ers (cha, chi, CLE, tor)
Andre Miller posted a triple-double on Saturday, so there's no reason to be concerned about his nagging injuries.
Andre Iguodala scored a season-high 31 points in the same game, in case you needed more incentive to start him in a four-game week.
Thaddeus Young is out for the next two-to-three weeks and should be dropped in all leagues.
Reggie Evans continues to start, but
Marreese Speights and
Lou Williams have also seen their minutes increase slightly in his absence. Realistically, none of those three guys is getting enough run to be must-starts in average leagues.
Week 25 -- (BOS, cle) -- Ouch. This is the worst two-game schedule imagineable, as it pits Philly against the league's top two defenses. Guys like Iguodala and Miller are basically immune to poor matchups, but borderline options (
Samuel Dalembert,
Lou Williams, etc.) should be used with extreme caution, if at all.<!--RW-->
Spurs (okc, POR, UTAH, sac)
Manu Ginobili is expected to start for the rest of the season and into the playoffs, according to coach Gregg Popovich. That just gives his owners one more reason to start him -- he played 36 minutes on Friday and should continue to get heavy playing time as the Spurs attempt to find a championship rhythm in the next two weeks.
Week 25 -- (gs, NO) -- A trip to Golden State usually means bountiful fantasy production, but one Spur might not be able to get his fill. Roger Mason is clearly struggling to adjust to his 'new' bench role, averaging 3.3 points on 3-of-16 shooting in the past three games. He'll get his act together eventually, and those games against the Kings and Warriors are tempting, but I'd avoid him wherever possible.
Thunder (SA, den, CHA, mil)
The Thunder got crushed by the Trail Blazers on Friday, leading to a team-wide lack of decent fantasy stats (
Kevin Durant scored a team-high 13 points), but there's no reason to think that performance will linger this week. The Spurs are surprisingly allowing their opponents to shoot a league-worst 46.6% from downtown over the past 10 games, which bodes well for Durant and
Jeff Green, who each average 1.3 threes per game.
Thabo Sefolosha's slump won't have escaped his owner's attention, since he's averaging a mere 5.6 points on 36% shooting in the past seven games. His contributions go beyond scoring, of course, but he's managed just 1.0 steals and 1.3 blocks over that same stretch -- solid numbers, but not good enough to overcome his glaring lack of offensive production.
Week 25 -- (por, lac)
Trail Blazers (mem, sa, LAL, lac)
LaMarcus Aldridge is having an out-of-body experience right now, and his corporeally dispossessed body just got done torching the Thunder for 35 points and a career-high 18 rebounds on Friday. Hopefully nobody will disturb his chi.
Rudy Fernandez returned from his back spasms on Friday but had infinitely more fouls (five) than points (zero). His return diminishes the appeal of
Nicolas Batum and
Travis Outlaw, and all three guys are probably best avoided.
Brandon Roy reportedly almost sat out Friday's game with a sore knee, but decided to play and had 15 points and six rebounds in 27 minutes. It looks safe to keep him active, but check back for updates just in case.
Week 25 -- (OKC, DEN) -- We can only hope that this matchup with the Thunder isn't as a much of a blowout as Friday's game, since Aldridge was the only starter to log more than 31 minutes.
Three-game teams
Bobcats (PHI, okc, chi)
There's no need to discuss
Boris Diaw,
Gerald Wallace and
Raymond Felton, each of whom continues to play at a very high level (Wallace, in particular, is probably playing his best ball of the season).
Raja Bell's calf injury is worth discussing, however -- the most recent report is that it's not as serious as initially thought, which is bad news for anyone who eagerly snatched
D.J. Augustin off their waiver wire this weekend. Don't give up on Augustin yet, unless there's another equally promising FA available in your league.
Week 25 -- (nj, orl)
Bulls (NY, PHI, CHA)
John Salmons recorded team-highs in points and minutes when he returned from his groin injury on Saturday, so feel free to get him in your lineups. That game against the Knicks goes a long way to soften this three-game schedule, since NY is allowing their opponents to shoot 51.6% from the field over the past 10 games.
Week 25 -- (det, TOR)
Cavaliers (WAS, phi, BOS)
If the Cavs lose to the Spurs on Sunday (which would be their second home loss all season), they'll head into Wednesday's game with an unprecedented three-game losing streak. The Wizards defeated the Cavs last Thursday, and owners should be wary of a revenge-oriented blowout in Cleveland.
Delonte West is averaging 9.5 points, 0.5 threes, 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 0.0 steals in April. He's been struggling for weeks and you might want to avoid him if at all possible.
Ben Wallace could return to practice this week, and the goal is to play him in a few games before the playoffs. That should concern
Anderson Varejao's owners, as if there's not already enough to be ambivalent about.
Week 25 -- (ind, PHI) -- The season finale against Philly will be a hard-fought game (assuming there is playoff positioning still at stake), but owners can always rely on the Pacers for a dose of soft defense and inflated offensive stats.
Celtics (NJ, MIA, cle)
I don't even think
Kevin Garnett should be owned in fantasy leagues, which answers the question, "Should you use him this week?"
Glen Davis has scored 19 points in three of the past four games, and is a decent source of points, rebounds and (somewhat surprisingly) steals.
Tony Allen has returned! Which, unfortunately, means pretty much nothing in fantasy leagues.
Week 25 -- (phi, WAS)
Clippers (MIN, SAC, POR)
Injured Clippers are piling up faster than corpses in Macbeth.
Marcus Camby is questionable to return this season (he recently spoke of "erasing" this season from his memory).
Al Thornton is still out with a bruised foot, and for the moment is listed as day-to-day.
Mardy Collins (plantar fasciitis) is likely done for the season.
Chris Kaman missed Saturday's game with the flu.
Ricky Davis (knee) isn't going to play again this season.
That leaves
Baron Davis,
Zach Randolph and
Eric Gordon as the Clippers' primary options, and their only "reliable" fantasy options.
Fred Jones could make some noise if Thornton gets shut down, and Kaman's owners should check back frequently for updates on his condition.
In short, if you own any Clippers or are interested in their fantasy fates over the next two weeks, keep Rotoworld's Injury Page open in your browser and refresh it every 15 minutes.
Week 25 -- (utah, OKC)
Hawks (tor, mil, IND)
There aren't many extenuating circumstances for the Hawks this week (
Marvin Williams is still out, etc.) so use them as you have been.
Week 25 -- (MIA, mem)
Heat (NO, bos, NY)
The Heat weathered a storm of injuries on Friday, but
Udonis Haslem seems like the only long-term casualty. Haslem has stitches and swelling in his thumb and is expected to miss about a week --
Yakhouba Diawara started at PF on Saturday, but
Michael Beasley should benefit the most. Beasley (ankle) and
Jermaine O'Neal (knee) each left the game briefly but were ready to go on Saturday. Finally,
Jamario Moon temporarily lost his starting job in the second half on Friday (finishing with no stats in seven minutes) but was starting again on Saturday. Avoid him like the plague.
In terms of Miami's schedule...those games against the Celtics and Knicks basically cancel each other out.
Week 25 -- (atl, DET)
Jazz (dal, sa, GS)
The biggest change for Utah this week is
C.J. Miles' dislocated finger, which is expected to shut him down for at least a week.
Kyle Korver will likely start at SF, with
Andrei Kirilenko picking up extra minutes off the bench, and both guys are worth considering depending upon the depth of your team/league.
Carlos Boozer is a combined 8-of-32 in the past two games -- he swears there is nothing wrong physically, so keep him active and hopefully the double-doubles will continue to roll in (accompanied by more accurate shooting).
<!--RW-->
Week 25 -- (LAC, lal)
Mavericks (UTAH, NO, no)
If the Mavericks lose to Phoenix on Sunday, they'll be fighting for their playoff lives --against very stiff competition-- down the stretch. The only unknown is whether
Josh Howard will be healthy enough, or stay healthy enough, to play. He looked very good in his two games back, but aggravated his ankle injury and missed Friday's disappointing loss to the Grizzlies. He is questionable for Sunday's game, and owners might have to base their decisions on whether he plays, and if so, how he looks.
Week 25 -- (MIN, HOU)
Nets (bos, det, ORL)
The Nets' playoff aspirations reached a dead-end when they lost to the Bulls on Saturday, and this schedule is about as demoralizing as it gets.
Devin Harris is a must-start of course, while
Keyon Dooling has been very impressive as the starting SG the past two games. It's probable that Dooling will start for the rest of the season, so don't hesitate to use him.
Meanwhile,
Vince Carter scored just four points on Saturday after tweaking his left Achilles during practice on Friday. He plans to play on Sunday, but NJ has no incentive to push him in the final few games of a lost season. If he does miss any time,
Jarvis Hayes figures to be the primary beneficiary and could produce gobs of three-pointers even against these stingy defenses.
Week 25 -- (CHA, ny)
Pacers (TOR, atl, DET)
Marquis Daniels (wrist) is showing no signs of returning this season, which is wonderful news if you own late-season-sleeper extraordinaire
Brandon Rush. Rush has scored double-digit points in a season-high seven straight games, averaging 1.7 threes per game during that stretch.
Troy Murphy is once again a double-double machine and
Danny Granger has scored 30+ points in a career-best four consecutive games.
Jarrett Jack has been solid as the team's starting PG, while
T.J. Ford has adjusted surprisingly well to his role off the bench. All of those guys are reliable enough options in a three-game week, though Jack and Ford might be borderline depending on your team's depth.
Week 25 -- (CLE, mil) -- When 1/5 of your 'fantasy championship' schedule is against the Cavaliers, there is reason for concern. The Cavs are near the top of virtually every defensive category, which takes some of the shine off guys like Rush, Jack and Ford.
Pistons (ny, NJ, ind)
Allen Iverson is done for the season, and the world continues to turn. It wasn't terribly surprising to hear that he was shut down...he had zero chemistry with the Pistons and was simultaneously concerned about aggravating his back injury, not getting enough minutes and being asked to play off the bench. To put it bluntly, he's starting to seem like a spoiled, insulated and selfish adolescent. He has been all along, I suppose, only now he doesn't have the otherworldly athleticism to dazzle us with.
Now that I've vented...
Rasheed Wallace has been serviceable since returning and is worth starting against this slate of watered-down defenses, though it appears
Kwame Brown will continue to start indefinitely. Perhaps the most important development in the Pistons' frontcourt is the collapse of
Antonio McDyess. His heavy minutes appear to have caught up with him, as he's averaging just 6.0 points on 14-of-39 shooting in the past five games. You might have no choice but to bench him.
Week 25 -- (CHA, mia)
Rockets (ORL, sac, gs)
Week 25 -- (NO, dal)
Suns (no, mem, min)
Leandro Barbosa played 15 minutes in his return on Friday, and it'll be tough to justify starting him unless he has an unexpectedly huge game against against the Mavericks on Sunday.
Matt Barnes seems to be emerging from his recent slump, averaging 13.5 points, 2.5 threes, 10 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals in two April games. He'll still have rough nights (a result of playing out of position as a PF), but should be fairly reliable as the Suns try to claw their way into the playoffs.
Week 25 -- (MEM, GS)
Timberwolves (lac, gs, PHO)
Randy Foye (hip) and
Craig Smith (calf) are both questionable to return this season, so they shouldn't be in any starting lineups barring a positive update. As I've mentioned in various blurbs recently, their absence has improved the fantasy stock of
Mike Miller and
Ryan Gomes, each of whom is suddenly worth starting in a week that features such a welcoming series of terrible defenses.
Rodney Carney and
Sebastian Telfair have also stepped up in recent games, though Telfair's inconsistency and horrendous FG% (37% on the season) prevent me from actually recommending him. Carney is a more promising option, as he's scored 13+ points in six of the past seven games and has been absolutely raining three-pointers (3.3 per game) during that stretch.
Week 25 -- (dal, SAC) -- The addition of a game against the Kings completes Minnesota's fantasy trifecta -- the Warriors, Suns and Kings give up more points than any other Western team. That of course benefits all of their fantasy-worthy players -- Miller, Gomes, Love, Carney and Telfair.
Warriors (MIN, HOU, utah)
Keep a close eye on
Monta Ellis' (ankle) condition this weekend -- the Warriors play on Sunday, so we should get at least one more update before lineups are due.
With so many Warriors injured (no need to list them all here),
Anthony Randolph,
Anthony Morrow and
Ronny Turiaf have each emerged as surprisingly reliable options down the stretch.
Jamal Crawford also put on a show on Friday (39 points) and looks ready to thrive in the final five games...better yet, the Warriors many injuries minimizes the danger of Nellie arbitrarily benching him.
Week 25 -- (SA, pho)
Two-game teams
Bucks (ATL, OKC)
Unfortunately the Bucks, Nuggets and Wizards are the only teams with just four games over the final two weeks of the season. That's awful news for owners of
Ramon Sessions,
Richard Jefferson,
Carmelo Anthony,
Chauncey Billups, Nene,
Antawn Jamison,
Caron Butler...you get the idea.
Examine these schedules and determine whether you have better options on your roster -- someone like Jamison can probably outproduce most players even with one or two fewer games, but guys like
J.R. Smith and
Charlie Villanueva may not have what it takes.
Week 25 -- (ORL, ind)
Nuggets (OKC, lal)
Week 25 -- (SAC, por)
Wizards (cle, tor)
Week 25 -- (TOR, bos)
</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Bynum wants to play Sunday vs. Clips </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Andrew Bynum - C - LAK - Apr. 5 
