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  Anthony to miss at least 3 weeks
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Carmelo Anthony, SF DEN |
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| News: Denver Nuggets All-Star Carmelo Anthony will miss at least three weeks with a broken bone in his shooting hand - but won't need surgery. The team said Tuesday that Anthony will be fitted for a removable splint after breaking a bone in his right hand in a victory over the Indiana Pacers the night before. Anthony was injured early in the third quarter when Pacers center Jeff Foster swatted at the ball, catching part of Anthony's hand. Anthony continued to play despite numbness in the hand, scoring 21 points before leaving late in the fourth quarter of a 135-115 win. |
Analysis: We don't need to tell you that this is a major hit to Fantasy owners of Anthony. He's one of the best players around and a must-start when healthy. Anthony is averaging 21.1 points, 7.3 boards and 3.6 assists per game this season. He's expected to return by the end of January at the earliest. |
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Artest misses 2nd straight
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Ron Artest, SF HOU |
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| News: Houston Rockets forward Ron Artest missed his second straight game with a sore right ankle, sitting out Tuesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. Artest is averaging 16 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Rockets. He stretched his ankle on the court about an hour before tip, but was not healthy enough to play. |
Analysis: Artest is still averaging 18.8 points, 5.5 boards and 2.8 steals per game over his last five contests and remains a must-start Rotisserie stud when healthy. |
 Brand making progress on shoulder
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Elton Brand, PF PHI |
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| News: Elton Brand is making progress while rehabbing his injured right shoulder and the 76ers forward could be back with the team in about two weeks. "I can feel it coming," Brand said Tuesday. "It's not far away and that's very encouraging." Brand hasn't played for the struggling Sixers since he sustained a fracture and tear in his right shoulder on Dec. 17 against Milwaukee. Brand, who signed an $80 million, five-year contract with the Sixers in the offseason, is averaging 15.9 points and 9.8 rebounds in 23 games. Brand hopes to return to practice within the week. "That's the true test is the contact," Brand said. |
Analysis: Brand remains a must-start upon his return to the Sixers, which still figures to be around the end of January. |
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Duhon still playing well for New York
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Chris Duhon, PG NY |
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| News: Knicks PG Chris Duhon had his best scoring night in over a week on Tuesday in a loss to the Thunder. Duhon notched 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting with three three-pointers. He added six assists in 40 minutes. |
Analysis: Duhon is scoring 13.6 points per game over his last five with 7.4 assists and 4.6 boards. The assists are down a bit from his season average but everything else is up and Duhon remains a must-start point guard playing in Mike D'Antoni's system. |
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Collison still out for Thunder
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Nick Collison, C OKC |
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| News: Thunder F/C Nick Collison sat out for the sixth time in the past seven games with a fractured thumb on Tuesday against the Knicks. He's listed as day to day. |
Analysis: Collison hasn't been getting all that much playing time in the first place as the Thunder have been pretty good in the front court. He is a low-end option even when healthy, which he currently isn't. |
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Felton leads Bobcats over Celtics
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Raymond Felton, PG CHA |
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| News: Charlotte PG Raymond Felton scored a team-high 25 points against Boston in an overtime victory on Tuesday. Felton shot well with 9-of-17 from the field and eight assists but turned the ball over seven times. |
Analysis: With Felton, it seems, every positive comes with a negative. He scores 25 points and shoots well but turns the ball over too much. He puts together nice assist and rebound numbers but can't hit water standing in a boat. That inconsistency makes him just a No. 3 Fantasy guard with much higher potential. |
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Augustin contributes in win over Boston
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| D.J. Augustin, PG CHA |
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| News: Charlotte rookie D.J. Augustin added 11 of his 20 points in overtime and the Charlotte Bobcats stunned Boston 114-106 on Tuesday to continue the Celtics' sudden slide. Augustin came off the bench for 35 minutes and was 12-of-12 from the free throw line. He added five assists. |
Analysis: Augustin has scored in double figures in three of his last five contests and is averaging 11.6 points per in that span with 3.6 assists. He's a nice low-end source of points and threes with decent assist numbers. He'll continue to be serviceable in Fantasy for as long as Raja Bell misses time. |
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Powe getting minimal time
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Leon Powe, PF BOS |
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| News: Boston PF Leon Powe came off the bench for 18 minutes in Tuesday's overtime loss to Charlotte. Powe scored six points on 2-of-2 from the field with two boards. |
Analysis: Powe plays about 13-15 minutes per night and records about six points and five boards on his best performances. He's mostly just someone used in the deepest of Fantasy leagues. |
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Perkins getting board happy
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Kendrick Perkins, C BOS |
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| News: Boston C Kendrick Perkins narrowly missed a double-double on Tuesday night in an overtime loss to the Bobcats. Perkins recorded nine points and 10 boards with a block on 3-of-7 shooting. It was his third double-digit rebounding night in his last five games. |
Analysis: Perkins has been an excellent source for cheap rebounds and he's putting up a respectable nine points per game to boot with almost two blocks over his past five. Perkins continues to be worthy of tabbing a No. 2 Fantasy center. |
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Rondo suffers nine turnovers
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Rajon Rondo, PG BOS |
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| News: Boston PG Rajon Rondo scored more points than he has in his last five games on Tuesday night in an overtime loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. Rondo scored 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting with three steals, six assists and four boards. Sounds like a good game, huh? But he also turned the ball over nine times. |
Analysis: Rondo is not exactly a scorer for Boston since they have more than enough of those. He's dropping 9.2 points and 7.2 assists per game over his last five and that comes with a decent number of boards. The turnovers are not something usual for him so we wouldn't worry too much. He remains a No. 2 Fantasy guard. |
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Young playing like yo-yo lately
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Thaddeus Young, SF PHI |
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| News: Philadelphia PF Thaddeus Young scored eight points on Tuesday night in a win over the Rockets. Young played 36 minutes and shot 4-of-10 from the field. He added six boards. Young sometimes struggles shooting the basketball and in his last three games has scored eight, 19 and eight points. |
Analysis: Young was a combined 8-for-20 in the two eight-point games and 8-for-16 in the 19-point effort. That goes to show, when he shoots well, he scores well. We expected a lot from Young to start the season and thought he could break out after averaging eight points per game last year. He's done well with 13.2 per night but has struggled at times in his sophomore season. For as long as Elton Brand is out, however, Young will be a decent stopgap option in deeper leagues when the matchups are good. |
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Speights overtaking Dalembert?
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Samuel Dalembert, C PHI |
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| News: If Philadelphia C Samuel Dalembert is not careful he'll lose his starting job altogether. Dalembert played just 13 minutes on Tuesday night in a win over the Rockets and scored two points with five boards. Backup Marreese Speights played 23 minutes and scored 15 points with eight boards. |
Analysis: Dalembert is averaging 25 minutes per game this season but just 17 in his last five and the number keeps dwindling with each passing game. Speights, on the other hand, is averaging 15 minutes per game on the season and that is up to 17 over his last five and climbing. Notice a trend? Dalembert is an excellent defender and that is what keeps him in the starting lineup but Speights is coming on strong. He's definitely worth more to Fantasy owners right now so if you own Dalembert and Speights is available trade the waiver wire even up. |
 Landry posting double figures
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Carl Landry, PF HOU |
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| News: Houston PF Carl Landry is earning more playing time of late with back-to-back double-digit scoring performances and three in his last four games. On Tuesday night in a loss to the Sixers, Landry came off the bench for 23 minutes and scored 14 points with nine rebounds. He was 5-of-10 from the field. |
Analysis: Landry scored 18 points in 19 minutes on Saturday at Atlanta and shot 5-for-5 in that game. He's scoring 10.8 points and grabbing 5.8 boards in his last five games and is shooting 54 percent from the field. Landry should keep getting decent minutes as long as Ron Artest and Tracy McGrady remain daily injury risks so you might consider taking a flier on him in deeper leagues right now. |
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T-Mac back in action on Tuesday
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Tracy McGrady, SG HOU |
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| News: Houston SG Tracy McGrady was able to play on Tuesday night against the 76ers in a losing effort. He was on the court with his banged up knee for 42 minutes and scored 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting. He was 0-for-5 from long range but added nine assists, four boards and three steals. |
Analysis: McGrady missed the Rockets previous game with the chronically sore left knee giving him trouble and said that he planned to sit in the second game every time Houston plays on back-to-back nights. That would mean he plans to sit Wednesday at Boston. We don't know if he'll hold to that but he's scoring just 10 points and seven assists per game over his last five. Those numbers are useful in most leagues but also realize he will sit on occasion and you won't really know when it is coming. Think of him as a No. 3 option for the time being and realize he's just not going to play every day. |
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Yao bottled up by Dalembert
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Yao Ming, C HOU |
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| News: Houston C Yao Ming played one of his poorer games on Tuesday night in a loss to the 76ers as Philly center Samuel Dalembert was able to limit him to just 14 points on 4-of-9 shooting. Yao added just six boards in the game but did block three shots. |
Analysis: Yao is averaging almost 20 points and 10 boards for the season and that makes him one of the top five centers in the NBA for Fantasy purposes. Still, those numbers are down to 16 and 9.4 over his past five games so you could say he's struggling a bit. Who cares? He's a must-start through thick and thin. |
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Alston struggling with shot lately
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Rafer Alston, PG HOU |
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| News: Houston PG Rafer Alston recorded 10 points and five assists in Tuesday's loss to the 76ers. Alston shot poorly from field as he connected on just 4-of-13 shots with one three in four attempts. |
Analysis: Alston is averaging 8.4 points and 4.4 assists per game over his last five contests, both coming in under his year averages. This marks the second straight game that he's shot 4-of-13 from the field and that kind of percentage will not get it done, especially when it comes with 3-for-17 from three-point land. Alston remains a No. 3 or 4 Fantasy guard but he struggling with his shot right now. |
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Battie gets sparse minutes with Magic
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Tony Battie, PF ORL |
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| News: Orlando C Tony Battie played 27 minutes against the Wizards on Tuesday night and scored eight points on 4-of-9 shooting. He added two boards. |
Analysis: Battie doesn't rebound well for a center, plays about 12-15 minutes per game and scores around four or five points. That sound like a Fantasy viable player to you? Thought not. Avoid him in anything but the deepest of leagues. |
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Lee gets first NBA start Tuesday
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Courtney Lee, SG ORL |
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| News: Orlando SG Courtney Lee played 28 minutes on Tuesday night against Washington for his first career start in the NBA. With Keith Bogans still missing time with an ankle sprain, Lee scored eight points on 3-of-7 shooting with two threes. He added three rebounds and two steals. |
Analysis: Lee's first start was fairly uneventful but he did contribute on a few big shots for the Magic victory. He's scored in double figures twice over the past five games and will likely continue to see minutes with Bogans hurting but his numbers still don't warrant adding him in 10 or 12-team leagues just yet. |
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Young playing little for Wizards
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Nick Young, SG WAS |
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| News: Washington SG Nick Young played 17 minutes on Tuesday and scored four points in a loss to the Magic. Young was 2-of-6 from the field and added a single rebound and no assists. |
Analysis: It was basically junk time for Young, who has dropped out of the Wizards' rotation. He is scoring almost 10 points per game over his last five but doesn't do anything else of significance to Fantasy owners and should not be owned right now. |
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James struggling with shot lately
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Mike James, PG WAS |
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| News: Washington PG Mike James and the Wizards fell to the Magic on Tuesday night. James scored seven points in the game on 3-of-8 shooting and added five assists. Of course, he also turned the ball over five times. |
Analysis: James started off his Wizards' tenure hot but has since cooled off. He's scored in single digits in three straight games and is shooting just 31 percent from the field over that span. James is Washington's starter for the foreseeable future and that makes him worth owning/using in deeper Fantasy leagues but in 10-team leagues he's nothing more than an occasional stopgap. |
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Bell still out for Bobcats
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Raja Bell, SG CHA |
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| News: Bobcats G Raja Bell missed his third straight game with a groin injury on Tuesday night against the Celtics. There is no real timetable for his return. Bell is averaging 9.4 points, 3.0 boards and 1.5 assists per game this season. |
Analysis: Bell has been putting up some decent numbers since coming over from Phoenix in the Jason Richardson deal. He's worth using in deeper leagues when healthy but he's having trouble getting back in action. |
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Stevenson still out for Wiz
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| DeShawn Stevenson, SG WAS |
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| News: Wizards G DeShawn Stevenson missed his third game of the season on Tuesday night against the Magic. He's been out since Friday with a back injury. Stevenson is averaging 6.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists so far this year and has no real timetable for a return. |
Analysis: Stevenson is not all that involved offensively with the Wizards and when the Wizards get a bit healthier, he promises to be even less involved. He's only worth owning in extremely deep leagues at this point. |
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Smith due to appear in court Jan. 13
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| J.R. Smith, SG DEN |
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| News: Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith is due to appear in a New Jersey municipal court next week to face traffic summonses stemming from a car crash that killed a friend in 2007. A Monmouth County grand jury in October declined to indict the New Jersey native on vehicular homicide charges that could have carried a jail term. "It's a relief that I get to keep playing basketball," Smith said after practice Tuesday. Police say Smith drove his SUV around a stopped car at a stop sign and into the path of an oncoming car in Millstone in June 2007. His friend, Andre Bell, was killed in the crash. Smith sprained his left shoulder. The former star at Lakewood High School and St. Benedict's Prep in Newark is due in Millstone Municipal Court on Jan. 13. He said Tuesday he wasn't aware that he had to be in court on that date. The Nuggets host Dallas on Jan. 13. |
Analysis: The good news is that if Smith misses any time for this it will be the one game on Jan. 13 and nothing further. Smith is averaging 15.2 points, 3.2 boards, 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals and over two threes per night over his last five games. He's getting almost 30 minutes per night and is starting to make a major difference for the Nuggets. He deserves a look as at least a No. 4 guard in Fantasy. |
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Curry doesn't return on Tuesday
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Eddy Curry, C NY |
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| News: New York coach Mike D'Antoni said Eddy Curry won't make his season debut Tuesday night when the Knicks play the Oklahoma City Thunder. Curry has missed the entire season with a knee injury. D'Antoni said last week that Curry could return to the Knicks' lineup during a four-game Western Conference road trip that began in Oklahoma City. Curry has practiced twice with the Knicks in recent days but was on the inactive list for Tuesday's game. D'Antoni wants Curry to "have a few more practices in him" before returning to the court. D'Antoni said there is no specific timetable for Curry's return, but added Curry is close. The coach said Curry would probably be listed as day-to-day by Wednesday or Thursday. |
Analysis: Keep an eye on what develops with Curry and how the Knicks plan to use him. He could be a serviceable Fantasy option if given playing time. We know coach Mike D'Antoni doesn't want to slow the game down, which is what Curry will do, but the Knicks could use some inside scoring from a player like Curry. |
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Allen missing time with ankle problem
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Tony Allen, SG BOS |
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| News: Boston Celtics guard Tony Allen missed Tuesday night's game against Charlotte with a right ankle injury. Allen was injured in Sunday's loss to New York and did not participate in the team's shootaround before their game against the Bobcats. A team official said Allen would be evaluated in Boston to determine if he'll be able to play Wednesday against Houston. |
Analysis: Allen is averaging 7.9 points and 2.1 rebounds and plays about 20 minutes per game for Boston. He gets steals but does little else worth mentioning in Fantasy. Leave him on waivers in anything but the deepest of leagues. |
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Richardson apologizes for 'mistake'
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Jason Richardson, SG PHO |
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| News: Phoenix Suns guard Jason Richardson apologized Tuesday for creating a "distraction" after being accused of driving under the influence of alcohol. A citation filed in court says the ex-Michigan State star was stopped by a Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community police officer in the early morning of Dec. 21. "The only thing I really have to say is, I just want to apologize for the distraction to my teammates, to the Suns organization, especially the fans," Richardson said after practice Tuesday. "It's a distraction going on, but I'm just going to let the judicial system take its course." Richardson is accused of having a blood alcohol level above 0.08 percent while driving a 2008 Mercedes. He's also accused of failure to drive in one lane. Richardson declined to discuss the incident further on the advice of his lawyer, whom he did not identify. Richardson called the arrest "one stupid mistake I made," and he said he hopes it doesn't change the public's perception of him. |
Analysis: Richardson likely won't miss any time for this incident, so there's no need for you to alter your lineup. His Fantasy appeal has decreased some, though, since his trade to Phoenix, where he's averaging 15.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Treat him as a low-end No. 2 or No. 3 Fantasy guard. |
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Brown released by Suns Tues.
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Dee Brown, PG PHO |
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| News: The Phoenix Suns have released Dee Brown less than two weeks after signing him to fill the team's need for a backup point guard. Brown appeared in two games for Phoenix and averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 assists. Brown was signed by the Suns on Dec. 24 after appearing in 17 games with the Washington Wizards to begin the season. |
Analysis: Brown has minimal Fantasy value while on an NBA roster. Right now he has absolutely zero. |
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Jackson exits with hamstring injury
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Stephen Jackson, SG GS |
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| News: Warriors SF Stephen Jackson strained his right hamstring on the final play of the first half at Utah on Monday and didn't return. The Warriors' leading scorer had 15 points in the opening half and was chasing PG Deron Williams near midcourt when he suddenly stopped and grabbed his right thigh. He also had four rebounds, four assists and two steals in the contest. |
Analysis: Jackson is an all-around Fantasy stud, contributing in just about all of the major categories, so his loss could have a major impact in Fantasy. For now, though, the severity of the injury is unknown, so check back to see if he plays Wednesday against the Lakers. |
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Maggette back, looks like himself
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Corey Maggette, SF GS |
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| News: Warriors SF Corey Maggette, in his first action back from his own hamstring injury that cost him 15 games, had 23 points, five rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes off the bench Monday at Utah. |
Analysis: Maggette has the ability to produce those kinds of numbers on a nightly basis, and with Stephen Jackson going down with a hamstring injury of his own Monday, he figures to return to the starting lineup soon. Get him active in all Fantasy formats. |
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Dunleavy might return on Wednesday
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Updated 1/6/2009 |
| Mike Dunleavy, SG IND |
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| News: The Pacers may soon have G/F Mike Dunleavy back on the court, possibly even Wednesday at Phoenix. Dunleavy has been out all season with a right knee injury. Coach Jim O'Brien said Dunleavy's minutes will be closely monitored once he returns. |
Analysis: Dunleavy does more than score -- he also averaged 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season -- but the Pacers will probably work him back into the lineup slowly considering the amount of time he missed. Don't plan on activating him just yet in Fantasy, but in time, he can serve as a No. 3 or maybe even No. 2 Fantasy guard or forward. |
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