By Dan O’Shea
There’s some interesting news in the fantasy basketball world that I want to turn my attention to at the outset because the reports are about two certified stars, Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson, and another player who might just be certifiable, Stephen Jackson.
First, it appears that McGrady will be back in uniform sometime next week after knee surgery. That’s good news for fantasy hoopsters who took a flyer on him because a Houston Rockets team without Yao Ming this season will be putting the rock in his hands early and often. Still, don’t depend too much on an early boost because McGrady is bound to see limited minutes per game until sometime next month.
On the bad news front, The Answer owes one to the Memphis Grizzlies, who took a flyer on him for this season. Iverson was hurt in the pre-season and, after a slow start, requested a leave of absence from the Grizzlies. There seems to be a nebulous family reason behind that leave. He reportedly is thinking about retirement. This may not have too much fantasy impact because anyone who drafted him probably did so recognizing that his days as a top-flight scorer were mostly behind him.
What about Stephen Jackson? He wants out of Golden State and there have been rumors he could land in Dallas. Occasionally, Jackson has been a good source of overall points at steals, prone to a big night now and then, but he’s a bit of a loose cannon. If you have him, he will probably prove tough trade bait, but see where he lands before you make any moves.
As the young NBA season progresses, a few players have caught our eye for Fantasy Fix Action Rating consideration:
Player: JR Smith, SG
FFAR: PICK UP
Comment: He is coming off a suspension stemming from off-season trouble with the law, but he almost won the NBA’s Sixth Man Award last year, and tends to have long streaks of a very high scoring games tempered with occasional lapses into mediocrity. He averaged more than 15 points per game last season. Count on him for more this year – if he gets the minutes on the floor to do it.
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Player: Marreese Speights, PF/C
FFAR: PICK UP
Comment: A chic sleeper pick among rookies last season, he was over-shadowed by the likes of Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon and others, but this season he’s averaging almost 15 points per game, almost 7 rebounds and more than one block. Might be reaching a bit on this one, but I think he could finish this season as a top 50-60 player.
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Player: Chuck Hayes, SF/PF/C
FFAR: SKIP
Comment: I have been back and forth about Hayes because his multi-position eligibility is so enticing and he does do a little bit of everything – scoring, steals, rebounds, blocks. But, he just doesn’t do enough of any one of those things, and also tends to get into foul trouble. I’ll probably revisit this later in the season, but for now, I’m saying no.
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Player: Quentin Richardson, SG/SF
FFAR: PICK UP
Comment: Q has somehow straightened himself out this year, shooting at almost a 50 percent clip for a new team, Miami . This is a guy who had a 39 percent field goal shooting rate last year and a truly woeful less than 36 percent the year before. He’s a role player for Miami, so may not get huge totals, but on top of his improved FG shooting, his three-point proficiency provides a nice boost .
Ready For Some Football
The trading deadline is very near in many fantasy leagues. I always have found football trades a tough prospect unless you trade position for same position (RB for RB, for example). Our Fantasy Fix Acton Ratings this week has the lowdown on some potentially trade-able players:
Player: Correll Buckhalter, RB
FFAR: ACQUIRE
Comment: The Denver RB was overshadowed by rookie Knowshon Moreno (as well as upstart QB star Kyle Orton) for most of this year, but Denver has been faltering, and I think they will go to this reliable runner/short-yardage receiver more often. He’s probably been sitting on someone’s bench all year – go find him.
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Player: Steve Slaton, RB
FFAR: HOLD
Comment: Yes, he has fumbled his way out of a true starting job, but oddly, Houston still seems to be turning to him in scoring situations – he has three TDs in the last two weeks – and in short pass situations. He has definitely lost the value that made him a borderline Round 1 fantasy draft pick, but could be good in a flex position if you need him.
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Player: Eli Manning, QB
FFAR: TRADE
Comment: A good move to make at the deadline because he just had a good week after four really bad ones. A stunning season went awry after four weeks, and he has mostly tough pass defenses the rest of the way.
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Player: Kolby Smith, RB
FFAR: ACQUIRE
Comment: A name out of the past. Smith had his moments last season, and came of the injury list just as Larry Johnson was digging a deep hole for himself. With Johnson out of town, Kansas City may actually turn more to Matt Cassel’s arm than its backfield, but Smith is in line for some work, and likely fantasy point totals that at least make him a decent flex choice. He probably was picked up by someone in your league when Johnson was suspended – make an offer.
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Player: Ladell Betts, RB
FFAR: TRADE
Comment: He may start the next two weeks for Washington with Clinton Portis out – or maybe Larry Johnson will fly into town. Betts has done a bang-up job at times filling in for the injury-prone Portis, so a lot of fantasy teams may want him now. But, there’s a lot of uncertainty here, and he may only have a two-week starring role, so I’d ship him for value while you can.
Expert Wire
* Fanhouse has notes on what seemed to be an argument between Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford and the guy who should be his primary target, Calvin Johnson. Maybe Johnson had a problem with the five interceptions Stafford had thrown, the QB’s worst performance in a year that has seen a spike in his fantasy value – at least when he hasn’t been injured. The Lions haven’t been doing much better than last year, but Stafford has shown promise, and needs to be on the same page with Johnson to fulfill that promise.
* Yahoo! Pick-Ups of the Week has Tampa QB Josh Freeman as a moderate buy for Week 10. He has all of one NFL start to his name, but it went pretty well, with three touchdowns. The initial observation has been that his solid fantasy performance in Week 9 came against a stout Green Bay defense, but this week’s outing against Miami probably will provide a much tougher test.
* The Washington Post suggests the hometown Redskins may be keen on picking up Larry Johnson. The Redskins have been in bad shape all year, and now their (declining) star Clinton Portis is out for at least a week or two, but this might be grasping at straws. The Redskins need to give Betts a chance and starting thinking about which new coach they will bring through their revolving door next year.
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Dan O’Shea’s Fantasy Fix appears in this space every Wednesday. Tips, comments, and suggestions are welcome. You can also read his about his split sports fan personality at SwingsBothWays, which isn’t about what it sounds like it’s about.
Posted on November 11, 2009