Going into Tuesday's game, Bucks guard Luke Ridnour was on a roll. Sure, Ramon Sessions has gotten most of the love in Fantasy hoops leagues, but Ridnour stands to be the better Fantasy option once Michael Redd returns from his injury.
Fantasy owners have enjoyed solid production from both Ridnour and Sessions since Redd sprained his ankle back on Nov. 2. Ridnour has averaged 14.0 points, 5.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds while Sessions has averaged 15.9 points, 5.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds. But for some reason, it's Sessions who is owned in 89 percent of leagues while Ridnour is owned in just 64 percent.
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Owners could do much worse than Luke Ridnour as a second-tier Fantasy guard.
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Perhaps it is the fact that Sessions has had three 20-point games and had at least eight assists in each of his first three games while Ridnour has just one 20-point game and has topped seven assists just once this season. When looked upon that way, it makes more sense.
Sessions is the flashier player. He has more offensive upside and has had some better overall performances than Ridnour since Redd has gone down. There is no doubt about it, Sessions is the better scorer and has been the better Fantasy option these last couple of weeks.
But when Redd comes back, what then?
The Bucks plan on keeping Ridnour, the more experienced player, in the lineup as the starting point guard while Sessions will return to the bench. Head coach Scott Skiles wants to keep Ridnour as the primary point guard because he is a better defensive player than Sessions. That means that when Redd returns, likely later on this week, Ridnour will remain in practically the same situation he is in now while Sessions will return to a bench role.
Ridnour has put up good numbers in the past. He averaged 11.5 points and 7.0 assists per game durng the 2005-06 season while with the then Seattle SuperSonics. He has averaged 5.0 assists through his five-year NBA career. He may not put up jaw-dropping numbers and he'll have an occasional clunker, but he can be more than serviceable as a low-end Fantasy starter when the right matchups arise.
Coming into play Tuesday, Ridnour had at least 14 points in three of his last four games with double figures in six of his last seven. He's good for a around five assists per night with double-figure scoring and a few rebounds. If a 13-5-3 line suits your needs, Ridnour is a player who can provide it.
In case you didn't notice ... Undrafted rookie Anthony Morrow went from zero to 60 in four quarters Saturday. He was owned in zero percent of leagues prior to his 37-point, 11-rebound performance in his first career start against the Clippers Saturday night, but saw his ownership increase to 61 percent almost immediately. The Warriors have tried DeMarcus Nelson and C.J. Watson at point guard and have not been happy with their production. Now it will be Morrow's chance to fill the Monta Ellis gap until some time in late December. He is not going to be taking anybody by surprise like he did the Clippers again, but he should at least get a chance to produce in the coming games. He will have to be good to keep Don Nelson from making yet another lineup move, so why not take a chance and hope for the best?
Add 'Em
Mickael Pietrus, G/F, Magic
Owned: 61 percent of leagues
Analysis: He's still the starting point guard in Orlando and is averaging 15.3 points per game to go with 3.9 rebounds in the month of November. He has job security, playing time and a significant role in the offense. Fantasy owners cannot ask for much more than that off the waiver wire. He will not provide much in the way of assists for a guard, but will make up for it with three-point shooting and excellent shooting percentages across the board.
Michael Finley, G, Spurs
Owned: 16 percent of leagues
Analysis: The old man is proving he can still be useful in spurts. He's averaging 15.6 points over his last five games, and has scored at least 14 points in four of his last five games as his team continues to deal with the absence of Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Finley is 14-for-31 from beyond the arc in November and is also chipping in a handful of rebounds and assists. He's no long-term option, but he can easily be a plug-and-play stopgap if you need a fill-in.
Adam Morrison, F, Bobcats
Owned: 14 percent of leagues
Analysis: Don't look now, but the former Gonzaga Bulldog is finally making an impact in Fantasy leagues and it's not just because Jason Richardson is out with a knee injury. Richardson has missed the team's last two games, but Morrison's surge began on Nov. 3 when he chipped in 10 points off the bench including a couple of three pointers. Since then, he has earned more playing time and his three-point shooting has been expanded. He has made at least two threes in four of his last five games and has attempted at least five treys in the games in which he made two or more. He has scored at least 14 points in three straight going into Tuesday's games and should be in line for a similar role even when Richardson returns. In Rotisserie leagues or any category-based format, he's a nice addition for his threes.
Andrea Bargnani, F/C, Raptors
Owned: 58 percent of leagues
Analysis: The Raptors inserted him into the starting lineup at small forward following his 15-point game against Philadelphia last week. He scored 12 points in a game against Miami on Sunday and gave the Raptors a serious size advantage that they would like to take advantage of in the future. Playing a frontcourt of Bargnani, Bosh and O'Neal could make them tough to handle and the fact that Bargnani has center eligibility in leagues that use multiple positions only helps matters. In leagues that use individual positions, he could wind up being eligible at all three positions very soon.
Avoid' Em
Jason Thompson, F, Kings
Owned: 56 percent of leagues
Analysis: He has not done anything to warrant us labeling him as a player to avoid, but his situation has changed some since his red-hot start to his rookie campaign. The return of Brad Miller has forced the Kings to move Spencer Hawes into a power forward role and that has cut into Thompson's role a bit, making him slightly erratic. The talent is still there, but the stability no longer is. He scored in double figures in his first five games and has managed to do so just twice in his last six games. The difference? Miller served a five-game suspension to begin the year.
Erick Dampier, C, Mavericks
Owned: 25 percent of leagues
Analysis: Many Fantasy owners rushed to add him off the waiver wire (his ownership went up 14 percent last week) after he had a couple of double-doubles last week in back-to-back games. But those were fluky performances for the big man who has averaged just 8.1 points and 7.4 rebounds over a 13-year career. He totaled just four points and 10 rebounds in two games following his sudden explosion. He is too spotty to trust in Fantasy.
Stash 'Em
Daequan Cook, G, Heat
Owned: 17 percent of leagues
Analysis: He has been playing a bigger role off the bench for the Heat of late and is getting around 10-15 shots per game. He's playing around 30 minutes in a scoring role and should parlay that into some Fantasy success. He may not be worth starting in all formats yet, but he's definitely worth stashing. In category-based leagues, he can be a real asset in the three-point shooting department. He's made at least three three-pointers in four straight games.
Trevor Ariza, F, Lakers
Owned: 32 percent of leagues
Analysis: He's scored at least 10 points in three straight games going into Tuesday's action and four of his las five. He is getting steady minutes off the Lakers' bench and is providing more energy off the bench than even Lamar Odom is, emerging as a defacto sixth man. As long as he continues to see around 25 minutes per night, he'll be worth stashing for good matchup weeks in leagues of 12-plus teams.
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