Welcome to a recession-free zone. It's always a bull market when it comes to Fantasy Basketball, whether or not any Bulls are hot on the market remains to be seen, however. This is the Fantasy Stockwatch, post-preseason edition, looking for the biggest winners and losers in the games before the games that really count.
Unlike the recent state of the Dow, where even the major players like Apple and Google had reports in the doldrums, this Stockwatch is experiencing calm waters, so we won't be mentioning players like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in this space. If you didn't know James was worth the money, they've got a comfortable spot for you in last place of your league.
Instead, we'll be monitoring those second-tier players that under certain circumstances have been performing well above, and well below, their expectations. These are the guys that might still be available off the waiver wire in some leagues, not the first few picks of your draft.
 | Derrick Rose, PG, Chicago  We knew the Bulls already had established guards in Larry Hughes, Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich when they drafted the Memphis product No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft, but for some reason, the Bulls weren't planning on starting their new star right away. Well, with Hughes out for at least the season's first month, Rose moves right on into the starting lineup next to Hinrich. The Bulls play three games the first week and Rose has lit up the preseason averaging 13.9 points -- second on the team -- and five assists per game in 28 minutes per night. Rose is still relatively unknown in Fantasy circles and is well worth a start in the first week of the season as he vies to become the Rookie of the Year. |
 | DeMarcus Nelson, SG, Golden State The former Duke leader is one of the more unlikely rookies to have a significant impact in Fantasy, but that is what injuries can do to teams. The Warriors, who lost Baron Davis to the Clippers in the offseason, were planning on starting C.J. Watson at point guard. Watson is now out at least a month with a torn ligament in his elbow and the Warriors will replace him in the starting lineup with Nelson with Marcus Williams as the backup. Nelson averaged 21.5 minutes per game during the preseason and produced 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in six games. Nelson's upside isn't in the clouds, but with the keys to a very high-powered offense, he'll be well worth a look in deeper leagues. |
 | T.J. Ford, PG, Indiana This guy was once an absolute wizard with the basketball but injuries have decimated the early stages of his career. Starting anew with the Pacers after two tumultuous years in Toronto, the 25-year-old Ford is ready to anoint himself as one of the league's best point guards. Ford was getting picked in the deeper middle rounds of Fantasy drafts, but after leading Indiana in several categories in the preseason it looks like he'll be well worth starting in all leagues. Ford averaged 15.1 points, 4.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 3.8 rebounds and almost one three pointer per game over eight preseason contests and his numbers should only improve when the regular season begins. |
 | Andrew Bynum, C, L.A. Lakers Coming out of high school, expectations were high for this 7-footer, who only turns 21 the day before the Lakers play their first game of the season on national television against Greg Oden and Portland. Oden might be the story, but Bynum will get the better of that matchup. Bynum is on the Stockwatch now, but by midseason he should be in the category of superstars that don't even need mentioning and should be started at all times in Fantasy. Just check out his stat line from Friday's preseason game against Oklahoma City. He scored 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting with eight rebounds and three blocks in 29 minutes. In fact, he's dominated the preseason for the Lakers and should be a rebounding, blocked shot and scoring machine for L.A. this season. He's ready for a breakout and his stock is way, way up right now. |
 | Matt Barnes, SF, Phoenix A terrific rebounder for a small forward, Barnes gets a nod here because he was officially named the Suns starter at the position after a solid preseason. Barnes is one of those Rotisserie-type players who can help your Fantasy team in many different categories. During the preseason he's averaged 12.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals and a three pointer in seven games. As a permanent member of the starting lineup, Barnes can only expect those numbers to go up. If you are still drafting, you might have to grab him before the latest rounds since he's not exactly a sleeper anymore, but Barnes will be well worth it as a starter for the new-look Suns in 2008-09. |
 | Marvin Williams, SF, Atlanta  Williams is here for a number of reasons as the regular season begins. For starters, he's suspended for the first game of the year against Orlando on Oct. 29 and the Hawks only play one more game in the week. That alone would make the usual No. 2 Fantasy forward a poor start but Williams has disappointed over five preseason games as well. Williams averaged 10.2 points, 3.6 boards, 2.0 assists, .80 steals and a below .500 shooting percentage over 26 minutes per game. The former Tar Heel might have more upside than actual Fantasy worth as he's yet to live up to his vast potential after three NBA seasons and should definitely be avoided during the season's opening week. |
 | Chauncey Billups, PG, Detroit The biggest deterrent to another year of solid point guard play from Billups will be sitting on the bench when the Detroit opens the season Wednesday against Indiana. If anything should happen to Billups, Rodney Stuckey is waiting in the wings and will certainly take minutes away from the grizzled veteran this season. The Pistons were even highly considering trading Billups this offseason to pave the way for Stuckey to rise into the starting lineup. That didn't happen, obviously, but it shows that Detroit feels it would not miss a beat with the second year man out of Eastern Washington. To make matters worse, Billups averaged just 8.9 points per game in the preseason and Stuckey dropped a team-leading 12. Billups is still a worthy starting Fantasy option, but will start the year lower than he has in some time. |
 | Lamar Odom, PF, L.A. Lakers Although most feel that Odom's foray into sixth-man land could help the former Rhode Island Ram, since he'll no longer be the third option on the front line but the top option on the back line, the bottom line is that his stats will take a hit. You want proof? Odom averaged 20 minutes per game while coming off the bench for most of the preseason and his numbers don't look like the Odom of old. He averaged just 5.5 points and 4.8 rebounds and was actually a team leader in turnovers. Obviously the preseason isn't a great indication of what happens when the real games begin, but it was a decent look at what will happen with lesser minutes coming off the bench. |
 | Jamario Moon, SF, Toronto Moon made a name for himself last year -- because who wouldn't giggle reading his name -- when he became a producer with the Raptors. He was in and out of the starting lineup and gave your Fantasy team a nice boost off the waiver wire if you were lucky enough to pick him up during a hot streak. Well, call it a lunar eclipse but Moon's stock is way down this season. He put up poor numbers in the preseason, never figured to see as much playing time because of Jermaine O'Neal's addition to the starting lineup and is now suffering from an Achilles' injury that he expects to play through. He's not recommended without an injury so a nagging heel is certainly going to slow down his already low totals. |
 | Grant Hill, SF, Phoenix The Suns are already limited in their Fantasy potential in relation to last year's team with Mike D'Antoni at the helm since they don't figure to run and score nearly as much. Hill gets knocked down here because Phoenix has decided to start Matt Barnes over the one-time NBA superstar whose career has been decimated by injuries. Hill will still be useful in the larger Fantasy leagues, but gone are the days when he'll really be a benefit to draft. The Suns have decided to go with Barnes, who out-played Hill in the preseason in all aspects of the game. |
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