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Rotisserie specials for Week 4

by Adam Moore | Fantasy Writer
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This will be the second shortened scoring period Fantasy owners will have to deal with this season, as the league did not schedule any games on Thanksgiving this year.

The entire league will now be off Thursday, which means each team will play one less game during Fantasy Week 4 (Nov. 19-26). We have once again listed the five options who may be a bit under the radar but who, we feel, will make a meaningful impact in Rotisserie formats this week. Conversely, we have also compiled a list of players who could do more harm than good this week.

Find a place for 'em

Ramon Sessions, G, Bobcats (MIL, TOR, ATL, @WAS): Sessions continues to serve as Kemba Walker's primary backup and has performed well in that role. He has scored in double figures in all eight of his games thus far and is averaging a healthy 15.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. While he is shooting just 41.7 percent from the field and a putrid 19 percent from the behind the arc, he looks to have a chance to improve on those numbers in the upcoming scoring period. The Bucks, Raptors, and Hawks all rank in the bottom half of the league in opponent field-goal percentage while the Wizards have surrendered an average of 95.3 points over their last six games. Despite his poor 3-point shooting and lack of steals thus far, Sessions has been productive and efficient enough to leave active in most formats and that trend should continue this week. Continue to roll with the 26-year-old in most category-based formats during the upcoming scoring period.(owned in 74 percent of leagues)

Jason Richardson, G, 76ers (TOR, @CLE, OKC, @PHI): Richardson did not get off to the best start in Philadelphia as he scored just 10 points in his season opener before missing the next four-plus games with an ankle injury. However, the veteran was able to return to the starting lineup last week and responded by posting 15.3 points, 5.5 rebounds. 2.0 assists and 1.8 steals over the four games since he came back. He is also shooting 42.6 percent from the field since his return, including an impressive 48.1 percent from downtown. While most figure the 31-year-old's best days are behind him, he remains one of the better 3-point shooters in the game and has received the green light by coach Doug Collins. Richardson is still capable of lighting up the scoreboard when he is on and looks to have a plethora of favorable matchups on tap this week. The Cavaliers, Suns and Raptors are allowing their opponents to shoot at least 46.4 percent from the field while Phoenix and Toronto are also allowing opponents to hit over 40 percent of their shots from behind the arc. Look for Richardson to come out firing this week and we would expect him to make more than he misses in the upcoming scoring period. (owned in 64 percent of leagues)

Kyle Korver, F, Hawks (ORL, WAS, @CHA, LAC): After shooting just 32 percent from the field and averaging 7.0 points over his first four games of the season, Korver has finally found his range for the Hawks. The 31-year-old is averaging 14.3 points per game over his past four games and has made 65 percent of his shots from the field, including 65 percent from behind the arc. He is also averaging a healthy 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals over that stretch and is seeing just over 30 minutes per game while splitting time at shooting guard and small forward. It seems Korver has finally readjusted himself to being a full-time starter for the first time since the 2005-06 season and now will face the defensively challenged Magic, Wizards and Bobcats in the upcoming scoring period. Even the Clippers are allowing opponents to shoot nearly 35 percent from the field from downtown, which bodes well for the free-shooting Korver. Fantasy owners should continue to ride his hot hand this week. (owned in 23 percent of leagues)

Metta World Peace, F, Lakers (BKN, @SAC, @MEM, @DAL): After almost completely disappearing from Fantasy relevancy the past two years, it appears World Peace is back. The veteran was a Rotisserie owners' dream during his better years as he offered solid mid-teen scoring numbers while filling up the stat sheet. However, he has seen his numbers and stock completely plummet during his two years in Los Angeles and entered this season as merely an afterthought to most owners. World Peace has found his scoring prowess again as he has scored in double figures in seven straight games and is averaging 15.7 points over that stretch. He is shooting 47 percent from the field -- including 38 percent from downtown -- to go along with 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals. While most don't think he will be able to maintain his current pace -- especially once new coach Mike D'Antoni takes over -- World Peace's production has been too hard to ignore. It will likely take D'Antoni a few weeks to get his system in place, which should allow World Peace to continue to chuck it up for a few more games. Fantasy owners should take advantage of his hot hand and leave the 33-year-old active for at least one more week. (owned in 52 percent of leagues)

Tristan Thompson, C, Cavaliers (PHI, ORL, MIA): While Kyrie Irving and Dion Waters have been getting all the attention in Cleveland of late, Thompson has very quietly been having a productive sophomore campaign. After going through some ups and downs early on in the year, the 21-year-old enters Week 4 averaging a solid 9.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in six straight contests and is shooting 49 percent from the field during his run while also posting an assist and one steal over that stretch. While Thompson continues to see starts at power forward, he is also eligible at center and looks to have somewhat of a favorable schedule on tap this week. Despite the Magic, Heat and 76ers all holding their opponents to less than 100 points per game, all three teams are allowing clubs to make over 44 percent of their field goals, which is way above the league average. The one knock on Thompson thus far has been his lack of blocked shots; however, the fact that he is averaging nearly a double-double to go along with a steal and assist over his last six games is reason enough to leave him active in most category-based formats this week. (owned in 78 percent of leagues)

Put 'em on your bench

Jerryd Bayless, G, Grizzlies (DEN, LAL): After averaging 11.4 points per game with the Raptors a year ago, Bayless has been surprisingly quiet during his first year in Memphis. He has only scored in double figures in two of his nine games on the year and is averaging just 6.9 points, 2.9 assists and 1.3 rebounds. He is making 47 percent of his field-goal attempts and 50 percent of his shots from behind the arc, so his lack of production seems to be the result of a lack of playing time rather than because of poor shooting. Bayless is seeing an average of just 15.9 minutes per game thus far, which is well below the 22.7 minutes he saw during his final year in Toronto, and we don't see that changing this week. The Grizzlies are the hottest team in the league right now, so don't expect coach Lional Hollins to mess with his rotation much. Combine that with the fact that the Grizzlies only play twice this week against the Lakers and surprisingly stingy Nuggets, and we feel Bayless is best left on the bench for at least another week.(owned in 29 percent of leagues)

Austin Rivers, G, Hornets (NY, @IND, @PHO, @DEN): Rivers was one of the few rookies to enter the league this season expected to make an immediate impact. However, that has not been the case over the first three weeks of the season. The 20-year-old has struggled with injuries and the speed of the NBA game, which has resulted in him averaging 6.7 points, 2.7 assists and 1.9 rebounds thus far. He has only scored in double figures once over his first seven games -- which was 10 points -- and is shooting a dreadful 28 percent from the field and 23.1 percent from behind the arc. While the Hornets seem content to leave Rivers in the starting lineup and have him learn on the fly, we strongly recommend owners do not follow suit. New Orleans will face some of the leagues' better defensive teams in the upcoming scoring period as the Knicks and Pacers rank in the top 10 in opposition field-goal percentage. Even the Nuggets have been stingier than expected on defense thus far, so Fantasy owners should leave Rivers sidelined for at least one more scoring period. (owned in 45 percent of leagues)

Gerald Green, F, Pacers (@WAS, NO, SA): Green got himself off to a fairly productive start this season, but like the rest of the Pacers, he has hit a wall of late. The 26-year-old was moved to the bench after beginning the year in the starting lineup and as a result has seen a dip in production. He is averaging 8.3 points on 37.5 percent shooting from the field -- including 33 percent from downtown -- to go along with 5.8 rebounds. His numbers have been lacking in the steals and blocks departments, and he has just one block and no steals over his last five games. While Green's ability to fill up the stat sheet and post a decent field goal (49 percent) and 3-point (39 percent) percentages made him a popular pickup in deeper category-based formats last season, he has been more of a liability in those leagues so far this year. Even with the lowly Hornets and Wizards on the schedule, Green is not worth activating in most formats for the upcoming scoring period. (owned in 37 percent of leagues)

Taj Gibson, F, Bulls, (@HOU, @MIL): Gibson had high expectations entering the season as the departure of Omer Asik was supposed to open up more minutes and elevated production for the 27-year-old, But so far neither of those two things have happened. Coach Tom Thibodeau has kept his minutes right around the 20-per game mark and as a result, Gibson is actually averaging over a point less than he did a season ago, thanks to his 41 percent field goal shooting from the field. He is also averaging the same number of shot attempts this season as he did last year, so even if he starts knocking down more shots, his numbers aren't likely to increase from what they were last year. The only thing Gibson has been thriving at is blocking shots as he is averaging just under two per contest (1.9). However, that isn't enough to stand on its own, especially when he is putting up just 6.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. With the Bulls only slated to play twice in Week 4 and no hint at any extra minutes in the near future, owners may want to sit Gibson down for a week. (owned in 47 percent of leagues)

Brandan Wright, C, Mavericks, (GS, NY, LAL): Wright got off to a red-hot start this season and as a result became a very popular pick off the waiver wire. But as in all aspects of life, things change and so has Wright's Fantasy value. After posting a solid 12.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks over his first six games, he is averaging 5.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.3 blocks over his next five contests. His recent lack of production has landed him in the doghouse with coach Rick Carlisle, who benched him because of poor effort and has since reduced his role to that of a benchwarmer. Wright is only averaging 12.5 minutes over his last five contests and most of that has been in mop-up time. To be fair, the return of Shawn Marion and Chris Kaman would have reduced his playing time anyway, but not to where it is right now. Until Wright is able to get back in Carlisle's good graces, he should be left on the bench in all Rotisserie formats this week. (owned in 33 percent of leagues)

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Player News
Tony Parker
Parker disappears in second half
Tony Parker, PG, SA
6/14/2013
News: Spurs point guard Tony Parker as able to play through a Grade 1 hamstring strain in Game 4 for the NBA Finals Thursday. Parker made a trip to the locker and was held scoreless in the second half. He finished with 15 points, nine assists and four rebounds in a 109-93 loss. "[My hamstring] was kind of weak," he said. "I didn't know what to expect. So the first three, four minutes, I was testing it. And the first half, it felt OK. And the second half I think I got fatigued a little bit. But overall, I'm just happy I didn't make it worse. That was the goal, to not try to get hurt because Pop was not really happy, meaning I wanted to play and took a little risk. So I'm happy I'm not worse."
Analysis: Parker was obviously not at full strength during the second half and Miami took advantage of his inability to score. Still, Parker will receive two days of rest before Game 5, so we expect him to be ready to go. Parker missed 17 games in the regular season due to injury, which was the most since his 2009-10 campaign. He averaged 20.3 points on 52.2 percent shooting, along with 7.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds this season. Consider grabbing him in the first few rounds on Draft Day next season.

Jason Kidd
Kidd calls it quits
Jason Kidd, PG, NY
6/3/2013
News: The Knicks announced Monday that guard Jason Kidd will retire. Kidd, 40, spent 2012-13 with the Knicks in a reduced role and averaged 6.0 points, 3.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds while making 114 3-pointers. For his 19-year career, Kidd averaged 12.6 points, 8.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds. He should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer as one of the best point guards in NBA history.
Analysis: Kidd was an elite Fantasy option for the majority of his career and should go down as one of the best point guards of all time. He is no longer worth drafting in any Fantasy leagues.

Grant Hill
Hill decides to retire
Grant Hill, SF, LAC
6/3/2013
News: USA Today reports that Grant Hill has decided to retire. The 18-year veteran and seven-time All-Star, who played for the Clippers this past season, announced his retirement Saturday on TNT moments before the start of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Heat and Pacers. Hill, 40, hinted at retirement this season but didn't come to his decision until earlier in the week. "The last four or five years I would take about a month (after the season to decide to continue) and within a month, if I still wanted to do it, I would. Putting it simply, after a month, I just realized I didn't want to play anymore," Hill said. "There's a lot of reasons for that, but you know when you know. It just felt right. I'm excited and looking forward to moving on and doing other things. I worked hard. I put a lot into it, and I enjoyed every minute of it. But now is the time to move on. I feel great physically. It's important to go out feeling good, particularly considering all the setbacks I had health-wise throughout my career."
Analysis: A gifted all-around player – he could score, pass and rebound – Hill seemed destined for a Hall of Fame career before ankle injuries derailed him. For his career, he averaged 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals. He was once a great Fantasy option, but now that he's retired he should no longer be owned in any leagues.

Tyson Chandler
Knicks hoping old Chandler can learn new tricks
Tyson Chandler, C, NY
5/29/2013
News: Knicks center Tyson Chandler has made his reputation in the NBA on being a stout defensive presence, but that did not prove to be enough as the Knicks were handled fairly easily by Pacers' big man Roy Hibbert in a playoff series loss. As a result, Chandler is hoping to expand his offensive game this offseason, with the hopes of becoming a bigger part of the team's plans. “I definitely want to be a more involved, more consistent on the offensive end,” Chandler told NBA.com. “I would like for us to develop some consistency with the offensive game plan. Right now we are a jump shooting team and I would like us to have a more free flowing offense that we all can be comfortable with and we’ll go from there.” Head coach Mike Woodson plans to work with Chandler on developing his offensive game as a go-to option on the block, as well.
Analysis: Chandler averaged a double-double this season, but managed 10.4 points per game on just 6.1 field-goal attempts per game. He can post gaudy rebound totals and contributes in blocks, but a more well-rounded offensive game would certainly be a boon to his Fantasy value at such a shallow position. Chandler turns 31 before the season begins, so it is fair to wonder how much room there is for him to grow. Fantasy owners should not expect a big increase in Chandler's offensive production when they target him on Draft Day, but it would be a nice bonus. He remains an early-middle round Fantasy option at this point.

Greivis Vasquez
Vasquez goes under the knife
Greivis Vasquez, PG, NO
5/29/2013
News: Hornets guard Greivis Vasquez had surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle last week, and tweeted from his personal account that he will likely need 12 to 16 weeks to recover fully from the procedure. That will likely put his return to the court between August and September, giving him plenty of time to be fully healed for training camp.
Analysis: Hopefully Vasquez does not suffer from any lingering effects heading into the season, as he was a true breakout Fantasy option last season. The 26-year-old not only posted career highs in almost every major offensive category, but also established himself as a high-end Fantasy option. Vasquez averaged 13.9 points, 9.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game on 43 percent shooting. He finished as the 11th highest scoring Fantasy guard in standard formats last season. Fantasy owners should plan on targeting Vasquez in the middle rounds of all formats on Draft Day next fall.

Wesley Matthews
Matthews undergoes surgical procedure
Wesley Matthews, SG, POR
5/29/2013
News: Blazers guard Wesley Matthews underwent an athroscopic debridement of his left elbow Wednesday, a procedure that is expected to require three to four weeks of recovery time. He is expected to be fully recovered in time for training camp.
Analysis: Matthews averaged 14.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, a career high, in 2012-13 with the Blazers. He missed 13 games due to a variety of injuries, mostly related to his ankle. Matthews is a solid scorer and three-point shooter, but he doesn't bring a ton to the table otherwise, which limits his Fantasy value. Fantasy owners should plan on targeting Matthews in the later rounds in most draft formats next fall, assuming he does not have any setbacks with his elbow.

Richard Jefferson
Jefferson opts in for one more
Richard Jefferson, SF, GS
5/29/2013
News: It comes as little surprise, but Warriors forward Richard Jefferson opted into the final year of his player option Wednesday. He will make $11 million for 2013-14, despite appearing in just 56 games last season, averaging 3.1 points per game.
Analysis: Jefferson's days are clearly behind him, but the Warriors are saddled with a big contract they have no use for. He will likely play a similarly limited role in the upcoming season, and can be safely ignored in all Fantasy formats on Draft Day.

Mario Chalmers
Chalmers back in action vs. Pacers
Mario Chalmers, PG, MIA
5/24/2013
News: Heat guard Mario Chalmers, who left Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals with a shoulder injury, returned to action in Game 2 Friday against the Pacers. Chalmers scored six points on 2 of 6 shooting and dished out five assists in a 97-93 defeat.
Analysis: Chalmers seemed shaken up during a few sequences on Friday, but was healthy enough to stay on the floor. We'll continue to keep an eye on his status throughout the postseason. Chalmers shot 40.9 percent from three-point range this season, and that is where his Fantasy value will always come from. This injury is unlikely to linger into the offseason, so it should not change his Fantasy value for next season. He remains useful in deeper Rotisserie Fantasy formats on Draft Day.

Aaron Gray
Gray to remain in Toronto
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5/23/2013
News: TSN.ca reported last week that Raptors forward Linas Kleiza and center Aaron Gray picked up their player options for the 2013-14 season. Kleiza's option will pay him $4.6 million, while Gray will make $2.6 million, in the final years of both of their deals.
Analysis: Gray averaged just 2.8 points per game over the course of 42 games, and he saw his role dramatically reduced as the team leaned on younger options. He will likely assume a similar role for Toronto this season, and should be ignored in most Fantasy formats on Draft Day.

Linas Kleiza
Kleiza picks up option
Linas Kleiza, SF, TOR
5/23/2013
News: TSN.ca reported last week that Raptors forward Linas Kleiza and center Aaron Gray picked up their player options for the 2013-14 season. Kleiza's option will pay him $4.6 million, while Gray will make $2.6 million, in the final years of both of their deals.
Analysis: Kleiza did not play after Dec. 28, thanks in part to lingering issues with his surgically-repaired knee. He averaged just 7.4 points on 33.3 percent shooting in the 20 games he appeared in, and is unlikely to be worth targeting in any Fantasy formats on Draft Day.

 
 
 
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