There's a player out there on the waiver wire in 65 percent of CBSSports.com leagues that's coming off a 20-point performance and is averaging 16.6 points this season.
How can this be? Usually, if a player has a couple of big games and a pulse Fantasy owners are all over it like a tattoo on Allen Iverson.
But that's the case with Wizards guard Nick Young, who is off to a great start in his second NBA season. In his first five games, he has scored 20-plus points twice and has scored at least 14 points in all but one of those contests. He has quickly become the team's go-to-guy for energy and scoring off the bench and has become a third scoring option behind Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison.
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| Nick Young should still have a role even when Gilbert Arenas returns to action. (Getty Images) |
A lot of Young's success this season can be attributed to getting more playing time. It really is that simple. He is getting 28.5 minutes per game this month despite playing off the bench. Compare that to the 15.4 minutes he got as a rookie and it is clear to see why he is averaging more than double what he did a year ago. Young is getting 11.2 shot attempts per game this season as a result of his added playing time. He took 6.4 shots per game as a rookie.
But it would not matter if Young was getting more shots if they were not falling. He is shooting 55.4 percent from the field so far this season, which is outstanding for a guard. Usually, that is the type of shooting percentage one would expect from a big man who takes a lot of high percentage shots. He has done an excellent job of creating high-percentage shots for himself, driving to the basket for layups and dunks. The shooting percentage is an added bonus for Fantasy owners in Rotisserie leagues, as is his 90.5 free-throw percentage.
Fantasy owners who may be scared away from Young because they view him as a short-term option should not be so quick to write him off. He's becoming firmly entrenched into his role as sixth man and the current rotation should not change much even once Arenas comes back. Young will still rotate with starting shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson and his performance so far this season will go a long way into maintaining a prominent role. Juan Dixon and Antonio Daniels will lose playing time, not Young.
In case you haven't noticed ... Brandan Wright has stepped into the starting lineup in Golden State and he's making the most of it. The second-year power forward showed what he can do on Nov. 5 against Denver when he scored 18 points with 13 rebounds and has scored in double figures in three of his last four contests. And with Al Harrington more likely to be traded than to return to the Warriors' rotation, Wright will continue to see solid playing time as long as he can remain productive.
Add 'Em
Yi Jianlian, F, Nets
Owned: 71 percent of leagues
Analysis: Yi was only drafted in 58 percent of leagues because of his rocky and unproductive rookie season with Milwaukee. But he's fitting in well with his new team in New Jersey. He has been extremely active on the glass, bringing down at least eight boards in each of his last four games. But it is not just the rebounding that has made him so appealing in Fantasy, he's also shooting the ball extremely well. He had five three-pointers Monday in Miami when he finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds. The Nets are in need of a secondary scoring option with Richard Jefferson in Milwaukee, and Yi may be the guy.
Wilson Chandler, F, Knicks
Owned: 60 percent of leagues
Analysis: The Knicks have inserted Chandler into the starting lineup in place of David Lee as a reward for his strong play early this season and also as a result of Lee's sluggish start. He has proven to be a reliable scorer this season, scoring 17 or more in three of his six games. His latest game against the Spurs did not go so well with just seven points, an assist and a rebound. But the Spurs held the Knicks to just 80 points in the game. The Knicks are not going to be held to that few points often. They went into the game averaging the third most points in the league (102.5). Thank Mike D'Antoni for that.
Ronald Murray, G, Hawks
Owned: 11 percent of leagues
Analysis: Prior to Tuesday's slow shooting night, "Flip" had scored 14 or more points in four of five games. He has provided energy off the bench and should play a big role this fall as long as he can stay healthy. He and Maurice Evans will be the team's primary options off the bench. He'll help you with some double digit scoring, steals, some three-point shooting and decent assist totals as well.
Avoid 'Em
Paul Millsap, F/C, Jazz
Owned: 48 percent of leagues
Analysis: Millsap has put together some nice lines this season and he had another good one Tuesday with 16 points and six rebounds off the bench. But remember that Mehmet Okur is away from the team as he tends to a personal issue in Turkey and Millsap will return to being just a promising young forward with an erratic role once he gets back.
Gerald Green, G, Mavericks
Owned: 9 percent of leagues
Analysis: The former dunk champion has been playing his best ball of late with at least 13 points in each of his last three games. He had 17 points and six rebounds on Tuesday against the Lakers and will be a popular pickup off the waiver wire in a lot of leagues. But he has seen his success with Josh Howard out with an injury and he will be forced back to the bench soon. The five turnovers he committed Tuesday are a sign he still has some things to work on.
Stash 'Em
George Hill, G, Spurs
Owned: 12 percent of leagues
Analysis: With Tony Parker out of the lineup for at least the next month, Hill steps into the starting lineup along with Roger Mason He had 12 points, five rebounds, a steal and a block Tuesday against New York. He's certainly worth taking a flier on in deeper leagues. Monitor his production this week before deciding if he is worth activating or not in your league's format.
JaVale McGee, C, Wizards
Owned: 15 percent of leagues
Analysis: With Brendan Haywood out for most of the season if not all of it, Etan Thomas and Andray Blatche have filled in without much results. The Wizards have said they want to let some of their young players show what they can do on the floor and one of those players is McGee. He had 12 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in his first chance at real playing time against the Knicks last Friday. He had just nine points and six rebounds in nearly half the playing time in his next game against Orlando. He's worth stashing away in the hopes that he wins out over Haywood and Blatche. He certainly has the tools as a seven footer with excellent wingspan for rebounding and blocking shots. There is some real sleeper potential here.
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