Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is our weekly look at the best and worst matchups from around the NBA and how they might affect lineup decisions for your Fantasy Basketball team. We are not in the business of stating th obvious, so you won't be reading here why you need to start LeBron James or why you need to sit Brian Scalabrine. We want to give you some help with some of the tough lineup decisions.
We would like to welcome those of you who are joining us now that the Fantasy Football season has come to a close. That includes you, Hakim Warrick.
Warrick must be a huge football fan. This fall and last, he has been a ghost in Fantasy while football is in the air only to come on strong once the gridiron gladiators go on vacation. He seems to be coming out of his pigskin hibernation a bit early this year and his recent play as well as a promising forecast make him the Start of the Week for Fantasy Week 10 (Dec. 29-Jan. 4).
Last season, Warrick averaged under nine points and four rebounds through January and was a Fantasy bust midway through his third NBA season, often a breakout year for players. Then, something happened.
In February, Warrick's production increased. He went from averaging 8.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in January to 15.6 points and 7.5 rebounds in January and did not look back the rest of the season. He wound up averaging 16.0 points and 6.7 rebounds after the All-Star break, leading to some high hopes for him in Fantasy heading into this season.
Warrick was a breakout candidate once again and, for the first month of the season, was once again a letdown.
The former Syracuse standout averaged just 8.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in November, losing minutes to rookie Darrell Arthur. His role in the offense was very erratic and so where his minutes off the bench as a result. He had a few games that showed flashes of last season's second half brilliance. There was an 18-and-7 game here, a 21-and-10 game there, but there was no consistency.
Then, Warrick began to click in early December. He scored in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time this season on Dec. 5 and Dec. 6. Two straight turned into four straight and four out of five. The minutes began to increase, leading to more shot attempts and more rebounds. This is the Warrick we were expecting coming into the season.
Warrick is averaging 17.0 points and 5.3 rebounds over his last four contests and is in line to maintain that type of production. His minutes stand to increase as Darko Milicic and his minutes will have to be replaced over the next four to six weeks due to a broken knuckle. Warrick will have four games in Week 10, with two of those games coming against weak defensive teams.
The Grizzlies will start the week off Monday by facing the Timberwolves in Minnesota. Kevin McHale's bunch is allowing 102.8 points per game. Warrick should see anywhere from 10 to 15 shots in a game in which the Grizz should score 100-plus points. They will return home following that game to host a Suns team that gives up 102.5 points game. The matchups get tougher after that against San Antonio and Dallas.
Available in 45 percent of leagues, Warrick is coming off his best week of the season. He totaled 105 Fantasy points in standard Head-to-Head play and seems to be ready for another second-half surge like the one he had last fall.
Guards
Start 'Em
Nate Robinson, Knicks (Dec. 30 at CHA; Jan. 2 vs. IND; Jan. 4 vs. BOS): It would appear that most Fantasy owners have overlooked Robinson's production recently considering his start percentage. He is averaging a 22-4-4 line since returning from his groin injury and is averaging a 25-5-4 line over his last five contests. Those are Kobe Bryant numbers, people. That included a 23-4-3 game against Boston last Sunday, a team he will meet again this week in what would appear to be his toughest matchup. Ownership: 95 percent Starting: 66 percent
Randy Foye, Timberwolves (Dec. 29 vs. MEM; Dec. 30 at DAL; Jan. 2 vs. GS; Jan. 3 at CHI): The T'Wolves have some favorable matchups this week against Memphis (99.9 points against), the Warriors (111.3 points against) and Bulls (103.1 points against). Add to that the fact he is averaging 20.3 points over his last four games and he's got the makings of a real big week. Ownership: 91 percent Starting: 66 percent
Sleeper Alert: Mike James, Wizards (Dec. 29 at HOU; Dec. 30 at NO; Dec. at BOS; Dec. 4 vs. CLE): The Wizards have some tough matchups this week, but there are four of them and that's a plus in cumulative formats. James has averaged a 12-4-3 line since joining the Wizards and a 17-5-3 line since being promoted to starting point guard. Even if he lands somewhere in between those two lines due to the tough matchups, it would be more than useful in Fantasy. Ownership: 56 percent Starting: 38 percent
Sit 'Em
Manu Ginobili, Spurs (Dec. 30 vs. MIL; Jan. 2 at MEM; Jan. 3 vs. PHI): The Bucks and Sixers each allow under 97 points per game and Ginobili has not been the automatic Fantasy producer he has been over his career this season. The Spurs saw players like Roger Mason and George Hill emerge while Ginobili was sidelined for the first month of the season. He isn't needed to pull as heavy a load as he has in year's past when the Spurs got almost all of their production from Manu, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Ginobili is a mere mortal Fantasy option these days and that means he is subject to matchups. A three-game scoring period that includes two unfavorable matchups qualifies as a week to consider using other options. Ownership: 98 percent Starting: 63 percent
Chris Duhon, Knicks (Dec. 30 at CHA; Jan. 2 vs. IND; Jan. 4 vs. BOS): The Knicks have a pair of tough matchups against the Bobcats and Celtics. Both teams allow under 94 points per game and the scoring may not be quite as high as it normally is for the Flying D'Antoni's. Duhon has been held under 10 points in two of his last four contests and while his long-term value is that of a No. 2 or 3 guard, he's more of a No. 4 or 5 this week and can be reserved for weeks with better matchups ahead. Ownership: 97 percent Starting: 60 percent
Bust Alert: Michael Redd, Bucks (Dec. 30 at SA;. Dec. 31 at HOU; Jan. 2 vs. CHA; Jan. 3 at CHA): The Bobcats have some real tough matchups this week and will not face a single team that allows over 94.5 points per game. All three teams rank among the top seven defensive teams in the league. Redd has been held to six points or fewer in two of his last three games and has failed to crack 15 points in three of those games. He is in a little bit of a scoring slump at the moment and could be in for a sub-100 week in cumulative Head-to-Head formats.Ownership: 91 percent Starting: 76 percent
Forwards
Start 'Em
Al Thornton, Clippers (Dec. 30 at SAC; Dec. 31 vs. PHI; Jan. 2 at PHO; Jan. 4 vs. DET): Thornton has some favorable matchups this week against the Kings (105.8 points against) and Suns (102.5 points against). He had 20 points in his only meeting against the Kings this season and should put in a solid four-start week for his Fantasy owners. Ownership: 94 percent Starting: 63 percent
Andrea Bargnani, Raptors (Dec. 29 at GS; Dec. 31 vs. DEN; Dec. 2 vs. HOU; Dec. 4 vs. ORL): Bargnani is a very streaky player and he's on a surge lately. He scored 14 points against the Kings on Dec. 26 with two threes and 13 points on Dec. 27 against Portland with three threes. He gets to start off the week against everyone's favorite Fantasy opponent, the Warriors and is in for a four-game week. Ownership: 53 percent Starting: 19 percent
Sleeper Alert: Andres Nocioni, Bulls (Dec. 29 at NJ; Dec. 31 vs. ORL; Jan. 2 at CLE; Jan. 3 vs. MIN): Nocioni has been a productive Fantasy option throughout his career whenever he has been given playing time and he's been getting minutes lately due to injuries to Luol Deng (ankle) and Drew Gooden (ankle). Deng is expected to miss the entire week and Nocioni should be able to maintain his six-game double-digit scoring streak with healthy rebounding and some threes. Ownership: 35 percent Starting: 17 percent
Sit 'Em
Shawn Marion, Heat (Dec. 30 vs. CLE; Jan. 2 at ORL; Jan. 3 vs. NJ): This isn't the old Matrix. In Miami, he is not getting nearly as many shot attempts as he did under Mike D'Antoni in Phoenix and he has been held under 10 points in each of his last three games. He is rebounding well, but could be in for some low-scoring outputs all week with tough matchups against the Cavaliers (89.1 points against) and Magic (93.7 points against). Think about giving him a week off. Ownership: 99 percent Starting: 77 percent
Charlie Villanueva, Bucks (Dec. 30 at SA; Dec. 31 at HOU; Jan. 2 vs. CHA; Jan. 3 at CHA): As mentioned above with Redd, Villanueva will be facing some stingy defensive teams all week. He is averaging just 7.4 points over his last five contests and is once again falling behind Luc Richard Mbah a Moute in what has been an up-and-down battle at the four all season. Ownership: 77 percent Starting: 30 percent
Bust Alert: LaMarcus Aldridge, Trail Blazers (Dec. 30 vs. BOS; Jan. 2 vs. NO; Jan. 4 at LAL): Aldridge and the Blazers will face three very tough matchups this week. The Celtics allow the second fewest points in the league (90.8) and the Hornets allow the third fewest (91.6) while the Lakers allow under 100 points as well (97.6). Aldridge was held to just eight points and four rebounds in his only meeting with the Lakers this season. Ownership: 100 percent Starting: 75 percent
Centers
Start 'Em
Tyson Chandler, Hornets (Dec. 30 vs. WAS; Jan. 2 at POR; Jan. 3 at DEN): Chandler seems to finally be getting over his slow start with three double-digit rebounding games over his last six contests and just as many double-digit scoring games in that span. He is averaging 1.8 blocks in December. He's ready to be used as a No. 2 center again and could be returning to the form he had when he averaged 11.8 points and 11.8 rebounds last season. Ownership: 93 percent Starting: 58 percent
Brook Lopez, Nets (Dec. 29 vs. CHI; Dec. 31 at DET; Jan. 2 vs. ATL; Jan. 3 at MIA): Lopez is averaging a double-double over his last five games with at least two blocks in that span. The four-game scoring period that features a matchup against a banged up Bulls team that allows 103.1 points per game bodes well for a big week for the rookie. Ownership: 82 percent Starting: 60 percent
Sleeper Alert: Marc Gasol, Grizzlies (Dec. 29 at MIN; Dec. 30 vs. PHO; Jan. 2 vs. SA; Jan. 4 vs. DAL): The Grizzlies have a pair of matchups against teams that allow 102 points per game. Just like Warrick, Gasol will be in for a boost now that Darko's minutes will be up for grab. That was evident Saturday when he scored 15 points with 10 rebounds in 42 minutes of action at the Kings. Ownership: 79 percent Starting: 43 percent
Sit 'Em
Andrew Bynum, Lakers (Jan. 2 vs. UTA; Jan. 4 vs. POR): The Lakers have just two games this week and will not play a game until after the new year. Bynum was held to eight points and three rebounds in his only matchup against the Blazers this season and a repeat of that performance would set a lot of Fantasy owners back this week. Ownership: 99 percent Starting: 55 percent
Mehmet Okur, Jazz (Dec. 29 vs. PHI; Jan. 2 at LAL): Okur has missed three straight games and while he is expected back soon, he is no guarantee to play in Monday's game against Philadelphia. That's a big problem for a player who just two matchups this week. He may only play one game this week and it would come against the Lakers. Even if he plays both games, he may be at less than 100 percent due to the lingering back injury. Ownership: 96 percent Starting: 51 percent
Bust Alert: Andrew Bogut, Bucks (Dec. 30 at SA; Dec. 31 at HOU; Jan. 2 vs. CHA; Jan. 3 at CHA): As mentioned above, the Bucks are dealing with horrible matchups all week. In average-based formats, this could be one of his slower scoring periods of the season as a result. He will be facing defensive stalwarts like Tim Duncan, Yao Ming and Emeka Okafor all week long. Ownership: 99 percent Starting: 79 percent
Do you have a lineup question for our staff? You can e-mail us at DMFantasyHoops@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Start/Sit in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state.
