Dose: Week 7 Preview - 02/06/2012
BY Steve Alexander Week 7 is upon us and the season is more than 1/3 over with already. While the injury list is still large, things have started to calm down a bit. Hot pickups for the upcoming week include Jason Thompson, Jeremy Lin, Bismack Biyombo and Reggie Williams, and Monday’s Dose breaks it all down, team-by-team style. Get the Baseball Draft Guide here! Atlanta 4 games Not much is new in Atlanta, other than Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson and Josh Smith are still reliable as must-start players. Jason Collins is hurt, but in fantasy, that means nothing – even in my 30-team league. Boston 4 games Rajon Rondo is finally back from his wrist injury, while Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are coming in hot. If you were holding Avery Bradley, it’s time to move on. Brandon Bass has a gimpy knee and missed Sunday, but plans on playing Tuesday, while Jermaine O’Neal has a bone bruise in his knee. I know you are shocked and devastated by learning JO has a leg injury, but the weird thing is that he plans on playing through it. We’ll see! . Pierce tweaked his hip on Friday, but looked good on Super Bowl Sunday. Charlotte 3 games Say hello to new starters Bismack Biyombo and Reggie Williams. While nothing’s set in stone here, it makes sense for them to start for a team that has lost 11 straight games, and won just three on the year. Especially for the rookie Biyombo. He had 11 points, 12 boards, a steal and two blocks on Saturday, and while I don’t think he’ll do that very often, he’s worth owning in most leagues as long as he’s starting. And if you’re hurting for blocks, he could be the fix you’re looking for. Williams started at shooting guard and had 21 points, seven boards and six assists on Saturday, just his third game of the season after coming off knee surgery. With Gerald Henderson and Corey Maggette down and out, Williams is a fine pickup right now. The only problem is the Bobcats have just three games this week, when most teams play four. Byron Mullens has fallen out of the loop and should be dropped in most leagues, while there is still no timetable on the return of D.J. Augustin, who is out with a toe injury. Kemba Walker looks like a must-start player here, while Williams, Biyombo, Tyrus Thomas and Boris Diaw are all worth considering. But with just three games, you can do better in Week 7. Chicago 4 games Luol Deng is back from his wrist injury, so those of you holding Kyle Korver should probably make a trip to the waiver wire. Derrick Rose recently tweaked his back but sounds like he’s good to go, while Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer continue to battle inconsistency. With four games this week, all of the Bulls starters should be good to go except for Ronnie Brewer, who will likely share time with Korver, and possibly C.J. Watson, until Richard Hamilton is back from a groin injury. I’m not a real doctor, but I’m not expecting to see Rip back anytime soon. Cleveland 4 games Anthony Parker (back) and Daniel Gibson (neck) remain out for the Cavs, meaning Alonzo Gee is suddenly relevant. He has 10 steals in his last four games and has scored in double figures in all of them, including a season-high 20 points on Friday. He’s not starting, but is getting heavy minutes off the bench for the Cavs. Anderson Varejao is absolutely on fire (averaging 14 & 14 over his last five) and is a great sell-high candidate given his lack of shot blocking, while Kyrie Irving and Antawn Jamison are also solid fantasy options. Tristan Thompson is also out with a sore ankle, but doesn’t have much value when healthy. Dallas 3 games The Mavs play just three times this week, but at least Dirk Nowitzki is finally back. He’s scored 24 & 30 points in his last two games, and finally looks like the guy you drafted. Now just hope he can keep it going. Roddy Beaubois has really cooled off and came off the bench on Saturday. He’ll bounce back at some point, but I’d hit the waiver wire if I owned him. Delonte West started for Jason Kidd on Saturday (11 points, 7 assists), but I wouldn’t use him in a weekly league with just three games. Vince! Carter has cooled off, Shawn Marion has quieted with the emergence of Dirk, and Lamar Odom just looks like a lost puppy dog in Dallas. With three games this week, Dirk is the only one I’d consider starting in weekly leagues. Denver 4 games Andre Miller and Nene both disappeared on Saturday, but it was probably a fluke. Miller, Nene, Ty Lawson, Al Harrington and Danilo Gallinari all look like solid plays this week, while Kosta Koufos is worth a look after blowing up for 16 points and 12 boards Saturday in a start for Timofey Mozgov, who was out with an ankle injury. It could be a severe one, but don’t expect Koufos to be reliable in Mozgov’s absence. Arron Afflalo failed to even score on Saturday and has scored eight or less points in four of his last five games. He could break out this week, but chances are you can find a better option on your bench, or on the waiver wire. Detroit 3 games With just three games, Greg Monroe is the only Piston I trust this week. Brandon Knight is expected back from a broken nose on Wednesday, but there’s still not target date for Ben Gordon to return from his shoulder injury. Keep an eye on Jason Maxiell, who could continue to start at power forward for the Pistons, while Rodney Stuckey and Tayshaun Prince are also possible deep-league starters this week. And if you’re holding Austin Daye, it’s probably time to move on. Golden State 3 games Monta Ellis (wrist), Stephen Curry (groin), Ekpe Udoh (wrist) and Nate Robinson (groin) are all banged up, but my sense is that Curry and Monta will play through their injuries. Klay Thompson had a great game on Saturday, but Mark Jackson benched his starters in the second half. In other words, I don’t trust him, especially with three games this week. Ellis, Curry, David Lee an! d a suddenly hot Dorell Wright are the only guys worth starting this week, but check Rotoworld throughout the day on Monday for updates on the guards’ nagging injuries. Houston 4 games Samuel Dalembert has fallen off the face of the earth and should be benched if you have options at center. He’s scored seven or less in five straight, and his minutes have taken a hit thanks to Kevin McHale. Kevin Martin, Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola remain must-starts, while Chandler Parsons, Dalembert and Patrick Patterson, who had 14 points and five boards on Saturday, are worth a look in deeper leagues. Martin hit just 1-of-10 shots for two point! s on Saturday, but should bounce back this week. Get him in your lineup. Indiana 4 games Danny Granger, Darren Collison, Roy Hibbert, David West and Paul George all look like solid plays this week, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use any of them. George had 30 points and seven treys on Friday, and might have helped owners win for the week. Tyler Hansbrough had 17 points and seven boards off the bench on Saturday, but I don’t have the guts to roll with him as long as he’s not starting for Indy. George Hill’s going to miss a few more weeks and can be dropped due to his ankle injury. Clippers 4 games Lob City is the most fun team to watch in the league and Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul, Caron Butler, Chauncey Billups and Mo Williams should all be in most starting lineups this week. Jordan is dealing with a sore knee, but hasn’t had any problems playing through it. The Clips signed Kenyon Martin and he could play sometime this week, but I’m not expecting m! uch as long as Griffin can walk. Lakers 4 games Ron Artest is starting at small forward, but hasn’t done much of anything. His season highlight thus far was seeing “World Peace” on the big screen at the end of Madonna’s “performance” at halftime of the Super Bowl. Start Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol this week, and ignore the rest of their teammates. Having said that, Andrew Goudelock is playing well and could be worth a look if you’re in a league with 18 teams or more. Memphis 4 games Mike Conley disappeared on Sunday, but remains a solid fantasy starter, along with Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol. O.J. Mayo is also playing well enough to be used, while Tony Allen was a surprise scratch on Sunday due to a sore hip and knee. He looks too risky to me this week, so weigh options carefully before using him. Marreese Speights has looked pretty bad, and probably belongs on waivers in your leagues, while we still don’t have a target date for Zach Randolph, who has been out with a knee injury. Maybe he’ll be ready a month from now. Miami 4 games LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are must-starts, while Mario Chalmers is worth a look in most leagues. Chalmers may be dealing with a sore knee, but played through it on Friday and Sunday. Milwaukee 4 games The nightmare known as Stephen Jackson continued on Saturday, as he got another DNP-CD from coach Scott Skiles. Brandon Jennings and Drew Gooden are the only sure bets in Milwaukee, while Mike Dunleavy and Ersan Ilyasova are worth a look in most leagues. The same can be said for Carlos Delfino, but he just hasn’t been able to get it going, and it’s only going to get worse if Jackson ever gets out of the doghouse. Tobias Harris scored 19 on Saturday, but I don’t trust him. As for Jackson, just keep him on your bench until you see him log more than 20 minutes in a game for the Bucks, or another team if they grant his wish and trade him. Minnesota 4 games Kevin Love is still rolling, and remains a must-start player, along with Ricky Rubio. Darko Milicic’s been dealing with an illness and sore quad, meaning Nikola Pekovic is worth grabbing in all leagues. He could start all four games this week at center, but it might depend on Darko’s health. Luke Ridnour is hot again and is worth a shot in many leagues, while Michael Beasley has seen his scoring drop in three straight games, going for 11, 10 and 6! points. He’ll get it turned around, but you might be able to find a safer option. New Jersey 4 games Deron Williams, Anthony Morrow and Kris Humphries are must-starts for the Nets, while Shawne Williams is worth keeping a close eye on. He’s starting for injured MarShon Brooks, who remains out with a toe injury. I doubt Brooks plays this week. Jordan Farmar might be worth a look in deeper leagues, but will struggle for consistency with Deron and Morrow healthy. New Orleans 3 games Greivis Vasquez is still hot and should remain so as long as Eric Gordon is out with his knee injury. Jarrett Jack has missed two straight with a knee injury of his own, which has also helped Vasquez. We don’t know when Jack will be back, but his injury doesn’t sound serious. Carl Landry is going to miss a few weeks with a knee injury, while Jason Smith took a couple shots to the head on Saturday, making him iffy as well. Chris Kaman is expecte! d to return to the lineup this week after the Hornets pulled him off the trading block, but is very risky, and could be out of shape. Trevor Ariza and Vasquez look like the best options in New Orleans, along with Emeka Okafor, but with three games, none are must-starts in weekly leagues. New York 4 games Jeremy Lin blew up on Saturday for 25 points and seven assists, and Mike D’Antoni is at least considering starting him at point guard for this week. I think picking him up is a good call right now, and he could be a sneaky start with four games, especially if you’ve been holding guys like Devin Harris, Chris Duhon or Jameer Nelson. Carmelo Anthony is playing through his injuries, while Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler are also must-starts. Landry Fields and Iman Shumpert might be worth a look in your league, but weigh your options carefully before using any of them. Oklahoma City 4 games Not much to say here, other than keep rolling with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and James Harden. Thabo Sefolosha remains out indefinitely with a foot injury, which should mean continued success for Harden. Orlando 4 games The Magic are pretty awful right now, but in terms of fantasy, Dwight Howard, Ryan Anderson, Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu are all guys who should remain in lineups. Jameer Nelson could be back tonight from a concussion, but I wouldn’t touch him or |
