Chat Transcript

Getting ready for your Fantasy Basketball draft? Have you already drafted your team but enter the season with more questions than answers?

Our award-winning Fantasy Basketball writer Sergio Gonzalez will make his chat debut this Thursday, Oct. 22, at 3 p.m ET to address your questions leading up to the start of the season.

Feel free to submit a question now or stop by on Thursday.

(10/22 15:00 PM) Hey everyone, thanks for participating in our first Fantasy hoops live chat. We'll be doing these once per week during the regular season. We'll answer as many of your questions as we can. Let's get going, shall we?

(10/22 15:01 PM) Peter, Green Bay, WI - Sergio, how concerned are you about Al Jefferson's tendonitis? Would you take a 2nd round chance with him or play it safer with someone like Bosh? Thanks in advance!

(10/22 15:03 PM) Great question Peter. I am actually very concerned with Big Al coming off a major knee surgery. He is one of those risk/reward picks, but those are usually easier to digest in the middle to late rounds -- as opposed to your first or second round pick. Personally, I would suggest playing it safe and going with a player like Pau Gasol who may be just a tad underneath what Jefferson can offer statistically, but won't come with the added stress of having to worry about a setback that could keep him out for the season. My advice: Play it safe and let Jefferson be someone else's problem unless he falls to something crazy like the third or fourth round (unlikely).

(10/22 15:04 PM) matt weinberg, san diego, california - Who are your top 3 breakout players this year?

(10/22 15:08 PM) Matt, I'm very big on Sacramento's Jason Thompson this season. I got the chance to ask him a question this offseason about where he thought he would land statistically and he told me very frankly, 15-and-10. I think Sacramento is in rebuilding mode and will be looking to build on their youth (Thompson, Tyreke Evans, Spencer Hawes). It could be a huge year for Thompson. I'm also very big on Brook Lopez, who is in a very similar situation in New Jersey. He's a great option in category-based play for his help in scoring, rebounding, blocks and percentages and typically, the second year is when we see the biggest production boost in Fantasy. I've given you a forward and a center so I'll give you my favorite guard breakout and that's Aaron Brooks this year in Houston.

(10/22 15:09 PM) alligno, Rio de Janeiro - Can Roy Hibbert win the Most Improved Player award?

(10/22 15:11 PM) Rio! Thanks for paying attention all the way from Brazil. Yes, I absolutely think Hibbert will be one of the candidates for most improved player this season and he's one of our favorite sleeper options this year. He is severely outperforming veteran Jeff Foster in the preseason and is going to win the starting job at center for the Pacers. He's been a strong rebounder and shot blocker so far in the preseason, but what has impressed us most is his scoring touch. He's reached 20 points already a few times this preseason. He is well worth a pick in even the middle now as his stock has taken a huge leap in these past few weeks.

(10/22 15:11 PM) Kevin, New York, NY - What are the chances Sessions can have a breakout year this year? Is there any chance Sessions gets starter minutes if Flynn is not performing well.

(10/22 15:14 PM) Sessions has been a very big contributor in spurts throughout his brief NBA career, but he has not been tabbed as a player that NBA teams would like to build around for whatever reason. In Minnesota, he has been brought in to be almost a caretaker for Jonny Flynn. He offers the T'Wolves options as he can play the point if Flynn struggles or he can play off the ball alongside Flynn if they like what they get out of the rookie. Either way, he'll get minutes which is something that was not always guaranteed for him in the past. I think he'll be a steady contributor this season and will be available to you as a No. 3 guard despite his ability to turn in solid No. 2 numbers.

(10/22 15:14 PM) dash24, binghamton, NY - what can I expect from Dejuan Blair this season n long term for a keeper league?

(10/22 15:17 PM) Blair was a heck of a steal for the Spurs in the second round of the NBA draft and the rookie has been perhaps the biggest story of the preseason. He has put in some eye-opening lines (including something like 19 boards in his first preseason game), but his ability to produce will be severely capped by the presence of Tim Duncan. In keeper leagues, Blair is looking like a must-own. However, in seasonal formats, we see Blair as more of a handcuff for Duncan owners. He's likely looking at no more than 20-25 minutes per game if Duncan is healthy, which would keep him as a low-end contributor. Don't expect his preseason numbers to carry over to the regular season.

(10/22 15:17 PM) canastakid, yuma az - Carlos Boozer....will he have a good year or is he just playing out his contract?

(10/22 15:20 PM) Boozer scares us. The situation in Utah could get a little dicey as Boozer was hoping to get traded this offseason after picking up the option on his contract. That didn't happen and the Jazz did give Paul Millsap a big contract so they'll have more reason to go to him than they have in the past. Millsap has proven to be a stud when filling in for Boozer, but he'll be capped by the presence of Boozer. We are very concerned with how the Jazz will rotate Millsap, Boozer and even Mehmet Okur this season and think that Fantasy owners should consider all three somewhat risky options. Boozer has 20-and-10 ability under the right circumstances, but what if he gets into a situation where it's a 50-50 split with Millsap? It's a risk with Boozer unless he falls to you somewhere around Rounds 5-6 due to the uncertainty.

(10/22 15:21 PM) Bud Anderson, Hartford, CT - Sergio, do you think DJ Augustine will be a stud now that Raja Bell is out for 4 months. Do you think he will now be a 28 point fantasy guard night in and out? thank you

(10/22 15:24 PM) The Raja Bell injury should open things up for Augustin in a major way. As a starter last season (something like 10-12 games), he averaged in the neighborhood of 18 points and six assists. He'll be looking at around 35-40 minutes per game now on a team that is looking for more offense after finishing toward the bottom of the league in scoring last season. Augustin gets a HUGE boost now and could be a steal in the middle rounds. We could see him winding up somewhere around 15-5-3 over the full season.

(10/22 15:24 PM) Yoni, Germany - What do you think about Brooks this year? Isn't he stuck in a timeshare with Lowry

(10/22 15:25 PM) Not a timeshare, no. Lowry should get his minutes yes and the GM said very nice things about him when he traded for him last year, but Brooks is their guy in Houston. And with McGrady out of the picture until at least late December, I see Brooks having to take on a big scoring role.

(10/22 15:26 PM) Proven_Fact_Stats, Edison, NJ - Sergio! First of all i'm your biggest fan! I'm a statistical maniac! i think you have the best job in the world! lol Ok here goes my question; I have the 8th pick in 2 different leagues (heads-up and roto) who do you suggest i should pick in each league? BTW- I'm the defending champ in both leagues ;)

(10/22 15:29 PM) Thanks for the kind words! I think you are going to be looking at Brandon Roy, Dirk Nowitzki or Deron Williams around pick eight. Personally, I Dirk is a pretty safe pick there that Fantasy owners don't seem to be too thrilled about. He puts up "big man" stats with the boards to go with the scoring while also not killing you in free throw shooting. Throw in some threes and you can't go wrong in H2H or Roto. Go with the German!

(10/22 15:30 PM) Mark, Omah,Ne - Is Lebron the clear number one pick?

(10/22 15:32 PM) This is a great question. In H2H leagues, it's a no brainer. In Rotisserie or category-based play, there is some argument that Chris Paul deserves to be No. 1 pick because of his high level of assists and the way his production is so well spread out. But, in our opinion, LeBron has surpassed that in each of the last two years, leaving Paul behind. You won't find anyone in the league that is capable of giving you 30-7-7 other than LeBron and his peripheral stats (three-point shooting, FTP, blocks, steals) get better with each passing year. LeBron is No. 1, without a doubt.

(10/22 15:33 PM) Danial, Portland, Or - I think Devin Harris will have a monster season...what do you think?

(10/22 15:34 PM) I agree with you, Danial. Some people are shying away from Harris because the Nets don't figure to be a very good team this year. The thought is that without Vince Carter around, Harris' production will fall. It could be quite the opposite. Harris, who is a big scorer despite being a point guard, will have to take more shots in the offense and while the Nets could have some bumps in the road this season, he'll be able to spread the ball around to players like Brook Lopez, Courtney Lee and Chris Douglas-Roberts where his assist numbers won't take too much of a hit. Feel safe taking Harris in the second round of any format.

(10/22 15:35 PM) JustFunk, Los angeles - Corey Brewer, only a preseason stud? should i add him and drop warrick? or should i go the CDR or Courtney LEE route?

(10/22 15:37 PM) I was not a big Brewer fan coming into the season, but he is winning me over with his preseason production. The injury to Kevin Love likely means the team could start both Brewer and Ryan Gomes in the front court now and Brewer is showing that he can be more than just a defensive specialist. Warrick is a player we like in Milwaukee this season, but it's worth taking a shot on Brewer to see if he can translate the preseason numbers into the regular season.

(10/22 15:38 PM) Steve, Miami, FL - What can we expect from Tyreke Evans this year?

(10/22 15:39 PM) Tyreke Evans is a very interesting rookie for Fantasy purposes this year. Even if the Kings choose to go with Beno Udrih as their starter, they'll be looking to get their future point guard involved early and often this season. With the Kings building for the future, I think Evans could be looking at double-digit scoring this season easily with a handful of assists and good three-point shooting.

(10/22 15:40 PM) cavsnation23, wichita, kansas - how much can i count on stephen jackson this year? is he the type of player i should try and trade, or deal with him as my no. 4 forward behind Dirk Nowitzki, Danny Granger, and Antawn Jamison?

(10/22 15:42 PM) Jackson worries us. He is in a very tenuous situation in Golden State after asking to be traded, berating his coach and getting suspended and also relinquishing his captaincy. The writing is on the wall in Golden State and odds are that it doesn't end pretty. However, the ability to produce well-rounded stat lines is there and he could get off to a good start before it really hits the fan. If he does, look to sell high. Would anybody really be surprised to see him suspended by the team for a lengthy amount of time this year?

(10/22 15:42 PM) Smarticus, SLC, UT - What are the chances that Duncan and Amare pick up Center eligibility, and when?

(10/22 15:44 PM) Great question. In Commissioner leagues, it take five starts for a player to get eligibility at a new position. It doesn't look like that will happen with Amar'e as the team feels he is more comfortable at power forward and they are going to be starting Channing Frye at the five. The Spurs also haven't been starting Duncan at center in the preseason. I'd say the chances are slim.

(10/22 15:45 PM) goldeybombers, Baltimore, MD - I drafted Jordan Hill of the Knicks in a keeper league, but Larry Hughes is still available. I read that Hughes may not fit into D'Antoni's system this year. Who would you rather own?

(10/22 15:47 PM) Jordan Hill. The upside with Hughes -- even in New York -- is minimal. Hughes is going to kill your field-goal percentages and, as you mentioned, isn't a player D'Antoni is very high on. He had a lot of input on selecting Hill in this Summer's draft and would like to get him good minutes even as a rookie. Hill has far more upside than Hughes at this point.

(10/22 15:47 PM) Jbas5, Elmsford, NY - Hey, my draft is next monday and i was wondering which players that would most likely be available after the draft should i pick up?

(10/22 15:48 PM) As far as "leftovers" we like Chris Wilcox to do something at some point in Detroit. He is currently blocked by Kwame Brown and Ben Wallace and could see himself starting at center very soon in Detroit. He averaged 13-and-7 as recently as two seasons ago with the Sonics.

(10/22 15:48 PM) Meathook, Chicago illinois - In your opinion, which positions are the deepest and which are the most shallow? We start 2 Centers.

(10/22 15:50 PM) Center is by far the shallowest position in Fantasy hoops. It's a position where if you don't make a conscious effort to address it early, you could find yourself reaching in the middle rounds in order to fill a need as opposed to going with players with better upside. Have a plan as far as who your absolute worst-case scenario player is as your No. 1 center and your No. 2 center in order to avoid making bad picks.

(10/22 15:51 PM) Warren, Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Thanks for the insight you provide...wondering your thoughts on on Tj Ford and Tryus Thomas are either of them ready to "breakout"?

(10/22 15:54 PM) Hey Warren. It seems like we always have this question about Ty Thomas each year. I do think he's coming into a situation this year where he could start to show some consistency for the first time in his career. He's a blocks machine and is going to start being a focal point in the offense for the Bulls. He's a big breakout candidate this year (we know you've heard that before). T.J. Ford is a player who has put up significant numbers already in his career, the question with him has just been, can he stay healthy? We'd all like to think so. View him as a No. 3 guard with upside.

(10/22 15:54 PM) Carlos, Los Angeles, CA - Who will have more value by the end of the season? Jermaine O'Neal or Roy Hibbert?

(10/22 15:55 PM) Roy Hibbert! By a mile. Don't hesitate.

(10/22 15:55 PM) anthony randolph, gstate warriors - will i live up to the hype and perform like a 4th rounder?

(10/22 15:56 PM) He's been getting a lot of hype this season and I think his value has been inflated too much. When you're talking about taking him in the fourth round, you are at risk of a severe letdown. Yes, he'll have a chance to start with the Warriors. But Golden State will lead the league in different starting lineups and consistency will be hard to come by for Randolph. He averaged just 8-and-5 last season. I liked him as a sleeper. I don't like him as a breakout.

(10/22 15:57 PM) alligno, Rio de Janeiro - Can Rajon Rondo finally become the best Fantasy player in Boston?

(10/22 15:58 PM) Yes! I think he can. It used to be "The Big Three" and then Rondo. I think we've seen Rondo come into his own the past two years with aging players like Garnett and Allen declining in production. Personally, I'd rather have Rondo than Garnett at this point. It's a toss-up between him and Pierce, but that could change by season's end. I expect big things for Rondo, who could find himself being a high second rounder next season.

(10/22 15:59 PM) stefan Radunovic, westmont IL - Who do u think will turn out a better guard derrick rose or derron williams

(10/22 16:00 PM) I don't know if Derrick Rose will ever be able to average 20 points with 10 assists like Williams can. There aren't many players that can do that. Rose is going to be an absolute stud, but I'd have to favor Deron for now.

(10/22 16:01 PM) Thanks for all your questions. We'll do this again next week and every week this Fantasy hoops season. Good luck in your drafts this season and don't forget to check out Fantasynews.cbssports.com for everything you need to get ready to dominate!