Each week, Fantasy Basketball Writer Sergio Gonzalez takes a look at situations that Fantasy owners should monitor over the course of the upcoming week. Have a look at the top storylines in Fantasy hoops and how they might affect your team going forward.
Will the real Nate Robinson please stand up?
Fantasy owners are having a tough time trying to figure out what to expect from Nate Robinson and, after this weekend, so are the Knicks.
Robinson returned from a 14-game absence with 41 points against the Hawks on Friday, sending shockwaves through Fantasy leagues. He followed that up with just 6 points and a poor shooting night against the Pacers in a blowout win Ssunday.
Obviously, Fantasy owners should expect something in the middle, but this week will go a long way in showing exactly where he will fit in. What we already do know is what role he will play.
Coach Mike D'Antoni has come out and announced that Robinson will replace Larry Hughes in the rotation and that means he will come off the bench behind Chris Duhon and Wilson Chandler.
Robinson is able to play both guard positions and gives D'Antoni more flexibility than Hughes and he should continue to get around 30-35 minutes per game.
The Knicks will use Robinson as their energy guy off the bench, something he's been able to do with some success in the past. Last season, Robinson averaged 25 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists over an entire month and while that's far fetched for Fantasy owners to expect that on a regular basis, he could still be a very valuable asset for owners in the near future.
Use the two-game week the Knicks will play in Week 11 to determine if he'll be someone who can help your team.
Is Michael Redd finally ready to roll?
Redd's 27-point outing against the Thunder was a welcomed sight for his Fantasy owners, but this week will determine if that was just a random flash of his past brilliance or a sign that he's ready to get rolling.
Redd added 7 rebounds and 2 assists in 43 minutes against the Thunder in what was a reminder of the type of numbers he can put up when he is at full strength.
The reason we're not ready to completely jump on the Redd bandwagon just yet is because Redd has had a few games like this since returning from his knee injury on Dec. 12. But each time, he was unable to back it up.
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Redd scored 25 points against the Lakers on Dec. 16, but totaled just 10 points in his next two games. He scored 32 points against the Wizards on Dec. 23, but followed that up with 14 points over the next three games prior to Sunday's showing.
Coach Scott Skiles had noted in recent games that he felt Redd was still trying to get into a groove following a long absence. We'll see this week if he's finally got his groove back.
Will Andris Biedrins get back to being useful?
Over the last three seasons, Andris Biedrins has been a very reliable Fantasy center. He hasn't yet been able to help Fantasy owners much this season, but that could change very soon.
Biedrins missed nearly two months with a back and abdominal issue before returning on Dec. 28 against the Boston Celtics. But his early returns have not been very inspiring.
In three games since coming back, Biedrins has averaged 2.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists. However, he's averaging just 20.3 minutes per game and is slowly being worked back into the mix.
This being his second full week back from the injury, Fantasy owners could begin to see his minutes increase and should start to see signs of the player who averaged 11.9 points and 11.2 rebounds last season with over a block per game.
The interesting thing to keep an eye on here will be how Biedrins and Anthony Randolph fit in together, as Randolph has established himself as a useful low-post presence in Biedrins' absence.
Is Luther Head for real?
The Indiana Pacers continue to shuffle their back court rotation and their latest move seems to have created a viable Fantasy starter out of nowhere.
Luther Head averaged 17.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists over his last six games entering Week 11 and Fantasy owners have to wonder how long this can continue.
With T.J. Ford pushed out of the rotation for now, the Pacers are going with Earl Watson at the point and Head at shooting guard with Dahntay Jones and Brandon Rush playing behind them.
Mike Dunleavy Jr. is playing the three spot while Danny Granger remains sidelined with his heel injury. This seems to be the rotation the Pacers are going to go with for now, but while Fantasy owners are advised to make the most out of Head's recent surge we should also warn you that this may not last.
With Granger possibly back within the next two weeks, it will likely spell the end of this run for Head. Granger would come back to play his usual small forward role, which will likely push Dunleavy over to the two-guard spot, and that will mean Head will return to the bench where he will have to battle Jones, Rush (and possibly Ford) for minutes and touches.
Do you have a Fantasy hoops question for our staff? You can e-mail us at DMFantasyHoops@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Fantasy Fast Break in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. You can also now follow Sergio on Twitter ( @CBSGonzalez ) where he'll also answer questions.