How the Recent Trade Deadline Affects Your Fantasy Team

Perhaps the biggest trade nearing this year's trade deadline is the one that dealt Danny Granger to Philadelphia in exchange for Evan Turner and LaVoy Allen.  Danny Granger has officially gone from the best team in the Eastern Conference (record-wise) to the the second-to-worst team in the entire league.  Needless to say and absolutely an understatement, Danny Granger is not happy.  I doubt Evan Turner is either.  From a guy getting almost 35 MPG, being demoted to a bench role in Indiana isn't exactly what you hope more, but then again, now he has a chance to win an NBA championship.  So let's talk about how the following trades affect your fantasy team.

1. Warriors receive Steve Blake from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks.  

• Stephen Curry - Stays absolutely relevant
• Klay Thompson - Will keep up his same level of play, three-pointers and a lot of shooting
• Jordan Crawford - Crawford lost fantasy relevance the second he left Boston, and now with the addition of Blake, there's absolutely no reason to have Crawford
• Steve Blake - Blake will be running back-up point guard duties, along with some run with the first string, placing Curry at the shooting guard.  Either way, Blake will be playing limited minutes.  If you're one of the many that picked him up upon his return from injury, I say give a trade a chance or just pick up someone new completely.  In limited minutes, Blake is only valuable in the deepest of leagues.  
• Kendall Marshall - Marshall should be picked up in any and every format.  With Nash riddled by injuries and Blake dealt to the Warriors, the only point guards on the Lakers are Marshall and Jordan Farmar.  On a tanking Lakers team, D'Antoni is going to develop Marshall as opposed to refining Farmar.  Marshall is good for a double-double every game, including multiple three-points and probably 12-13 assists.  Pick-up for sure.
• Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks? - Neither of these guys will really become relevant in fantasy basketball anytime soon.  If anything, Brooks will cut into Jodie Meeks's minutes, hurting him there, but until you see consistent production and minutes from either of these guys, there's no reason to add them.

2. Nets traded Jason Terry and Reggie Evans to the Kings for Marcus Thornton.

• Jason Terry - At this point in his career, Terry is inconsistent and good for a few three-pointers at best, and he will not be playing a large quantity of minutes in Sacramento.  Not worth a pick up.
• Reggie Evans - Evans is a great rebounder, but very little else.  He will be playing behind DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson, and Derrick Williams.  Evans will not be relevant fantasy-wise.
• Marcus Thornton - Thornton hasn't shown much life this season, but given enough minutes he could be a nice low-key pick-up.  However, I wouldn't do that until you see what New Jersey plans to do with him, but I wouldn't be surprised if he got around 25-30 minutes per game, perhaps relevant in deeper leagues.

3. The 76ers acquire Byron Mullens from the Los Angeles Clippers in a trade involving future draft picks.

• Byron Mullens - Mullens is definitely one to keep an eye on.  Mullens's game style is similar to Spencer Hawes, and until Nerlens Noel is ready to come back, Mullens looks to be the main center in Philly considering Hawes has been dealt to Cleveland.  If you have a roster spot open, he's worth a shot.

4.  The Bucks send Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour to the Bobcats for Ramon Sessions and Jeff Adrien.

• Gary Neal - I would venture to say Neal may be worth a pick-up, and if not yet, definitely keep an eye on him.  In Charlotte, Walker mans the point-guard position with Gerald Henderson at the 2-guard.  If they wanted, they could play small-ball and move Henderson to the 3, put Kidd-Gilchrist at the 4, and have Al Jefferson at the 5, starting Gary Neal at the shooting guard.  Neal is a 6'4" guard that can hit from downtown, and he may be just what Charlotte is looking for to space the floor more.
• Luke Ridnour - Ridnour will be handling back-up point-guard duties behind Walker, and will not be getting enough minutes to be relevant.  Even if something were to happen to Walker, Neal would probably take over at the point-guard spot.
• Ramon Sessions - Sessions will not get enough minutes playing alongside Brandon Knight, OJ Mayo, and Giannis Antetokounmpo to hold much fantasy relevance.  However, Sessions is pretty streaky and if the Bucks decide to put him in front of Mayo in the rotation, he might have a shot in deeper leagues.
• Jeff Adrien - Adrien will not be relevant in any circumstances in Milwaukee.  

5. The 76ers send Spencer Hawes to the Cavaliers for Earl Clark, Henry Sims, and two future draft picks.

• Spencer Hawes - With Anderson Verejao ailing with injuries, Hawes steps right into Cleveland as the starting center.  He will have already been owned in your league, and he won't be dominant enough to warrant trading for him, but keep him if you already have him.
• Earl Clark - Not even hours after acquiring Clark, the 76ers waived the forward.  Needless to say, he should not be owned.
• Cavalier forwards - This trade really doesn't effect any other players on the Cavaliers besides Verejao.  When Verejao returns, there may be complications with splitting those minutes, so mind that.  

6.  Houston Rockets send Aaron Brooks to the Denver Nuggets for Jordan Hamilton.

• Aaron Brooks - While Ty Lawson continues to recover from his broken ribs, Brooks will take the start at point.  Brooks has the explosiveness to produce 18 points-8 assists in enough minutes.  If you have a roster spot, I would think about picking up Brooks until Lawson returns to the court.
• Randy Foye - As strange as it may sound, Randy Foye's value will go up with this trade.  Foye is a natural shooting guard, and being tossed into point-guard duties, he could create well but the turnovers and his shooting percentages were very negatively affected.  Now that there is a more natural point guard on the floor, Foye can return to his shooting guard role and become a dead-eye from three.
• Ty Lawson - Lawson will be unaffected.  As soon as he returns from injury, he will resume his role as the starting point guard for the Nuggets.
• Jordan Hamilton - Hamilton will be coming off the bench for Houston.  McHale likes to give the starters significant minutes, so there is pretty much no justification in owning Hamilton, Francisco Garcia, or Omri Casspi.

7. Indiana Pacers send Danny Granger to Philadelphia for Evan Turner and LaVoy Allen.

• Now you've already heard plenty about the Granger Grumblings and his dissatisfaction with his new team, so I'll cut to the chase.
• Danny Granger - Seeking a buy-out from Philly, and considering Granger has not participated in a single basketball-related activity with the team, it's definitely a situation to keep an eye on.  I believe that whatever the case is, Granger will eventually play in Philadelphia.  There's a lot of question about how he'll be resuming a starting role.  I believe he will be effective, and he will be playing hard in order to attract notice from other teams if he wants to leave Philadelphia.  If he begins to participate in practices with the team (which I believe he will within the week), he's a must-add in my opinion.
• Evan Turner - This trade kills Turner's fantasy value.  Turner was playing almost 35 MPG averaging 17.4 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists a game in Philadelphia.  In Indiana, he will take on Granger's workload of a little over half those minutes, cutting Turner's production drastically.  If you can get anyone to take Turner off your hands for whatever you can get, I advise you to do so.
• James Anderson - If Granger keeps this up and either receives the buy-out demand or just doesn't want to play, this opens up the small forward position in Turner's absence.  I would look to James Anderson as the guy that fills the role.  If this is the case, I say pick him up.  He's going to want to prove himself on this team, and if he gets Turner's workload or close to it, he could probably be good for 12-6-3 on a given night, draining a couple of threes in the process.
• Paul George, Lance Stephenson - These guys will be unaffected, just as every other Pacer will be unaffected.  The acquisition of Turner will not mix up the rotation in any way; Turner will just be replacing Granger in the rotation.
  
  
  

I basically covered the majority of the trade-deadline transactions, but if you have any other questions or opinions, feel free to contact me.

Injured Players - Keep or Drop?

In this post, I'm going to discuss in-depth which injured players are worth holding onto and which injured players are not worth holding onto.  So here we are in Week 16, which runs two weeks long, and chances are you've got at least one player on your roster who you've considered dropping or trading because they've been out injured for a few weeks already and won't return until "after the All-Star break," as they always say.  So here's my opinion on each of those players, and why.

Players to keep:

1. Russell Westbrook - This guy's a no-brainer.  He is a constant threat to produce in every single category on any night, posting season averages around 21 pts, 6 rbs, 7 ast, 2 stl per game.  He posted a triple-double the game before he had surgery, and he'll come back just as strong.  Hold onto him.
2. Kobe Bryant - Ah, the most debatable player in fantasy basketball this year.  Should you keep him?  Should you drop him?  Trade him?  Anyone will give you a different answer, but I say keep him, and here's why.  Kobe wants to play.  If Kobe wants to play, then if he can, he will.  There's no reason he won't be back before the end of the season, and although the Lakers might not make playoffs, he'll be back for fantasy playoffs.  Now don't you want an elite scorer with passing and rebounding abilities on your roster?  I do.
3. Kawhi Leonard - He may be one of the guys you're more inclined to drop because he's just an average player on the rotational Spurs team.  Leonard is a must keep.  As the season winds down, especially during fantasy playoffs, Popovich begins resting his stars.  He will mainly rest Parker, Ginobli, and Duncan, and Leonard and Splitter will man the workload of the team.  The starting five for games down the stretch will probably look like Patty Mills, Marco Belinelli, Kawhi Leonard, Boris Diaw, and Tiago Splitter.  Leonard is the biggest asset because now, he has an increased role on the team and as a young player, he will probably play around 40 minutes a game toward the end of the season.
4. Ty Lawson - Absolutely.  Lawson is averaging almost 9 assists per game this season to accompany is 18 PPG.  He's a top-30 fantasy player, and despite his cracked rib, there's no other natural point guard on the Nuggets.  Randy Foye has been shouldering the workload, and now Quincy Miller will be doing some of the work.  Either way, the Nuggets are only 5 games out of playoffs and will be playing hard down the stretch to reach that 8-spot.
5. Eric Bledsoe - Bledsoe had been having a great season before his injury, and there's no reason he won't continue his success upon his return.  The All-Star break is already here, and he will probably be returning late February/early March.  If your roster can stand holding onto him, he's a great add if he's not owned in your league.

Players to release:

1. Anderson Verejao - Now this guy's debatable, and if you could make work out a trade with somebody that you get a pretty good deal on, I say take it.  Verejao is a prolific rebounder, but on a declining Cavs team, they won't rush Verejao back into action if he isn't 100%.  Verejao has a history of injuries, so if you can deal him away somehow, do it.
2. Larry Sanders - Sanders has just been diagnosed with a fracture to his orbital bone (eye), putting him out indefinitely.  Sanders has been dealing with all sorts of various injuries this season, and this just adds to the list.  Now you probably can't trade him before a timetable for his return is released, but it's worth a shot.  None of his previous injuries have crept back up, but as an injury risk, I think he provides for risk than he does reward.  Look for Zaza Pachulia or John Henson to command the most minutes in Sanders's absence.
3. Ersan Ilyasova - Ilyasova has been playing decent basketball lately, but even then, he brings below average scoring and below average rebounding from the power forward slot.  He's been shooting the ball better, but he has been having lingering back issues.  It's never good to hold onto players with lingering issues.  You never know when one game he'll suddenly be ruled out because his back issues flair up.  In most leagues, Ilyasova might not even be worth a trade, but definitely keep an eye on him.  Khris Middleton might be a nice pick-up in the meanwhile.
4. Dwyane Wade - Whatever you have to do to trade this guy, do it.  Wade has been having a injury season, to say the least, playing in just about half of the games.  He has potential if healthy, and he's too valuable to drop, but try and work a trade out where you'd be getting something more consistent.
5. Nick Young - He's a scorer at best, and very little besides that.  He will bring very little to your fantasy team and underproduces from the shooting guard position.  He's injured, and his return will most likely coincide with Kobe Bryant's.  Young is worth a drop; it's hard to justify holding onto him.

If you had any more questions about players I didn't mention, feel free to contact me and I'd be glad to give you my advice.

Kobe Will Return in 2014, "My plan hasn't changed"

For those of you who drafted Kobe Bryant, you've probably been thinking about trading him for a while now.  You're thinking that Kobe is on a struggling team who won't make playoffs, and you think it might be a safer bet to trade him and get whatever you can instead of the possibility that he might not play.

I, on the other hand, am one of the few people who actively sought after Kobe.  I had been trying to acquire Kobe since early on in the season, and luckily for me, the guy who traded him to me barely let him go.  That saved me probably six weeks of a spot on my roster that could've been filled by someone producing.  I bought him cheap, trading away DJ Augustin and Jimmy Butler for Bradley Beal and Kobe.

ESPN Los Angeles reports that Kobe Bryant will be returning to court action this season.  "My plan hasn't changed," said Bryant.  "I'm just going about it every single day just trying to get better.  That's my job.  My job is to get...back out there on the court when I'm healthy enough to play and that hasn't changed."

Basically, here's my advice.  Whoever owns Kobe in your league most likely would give him up if you gave him a decent offer.  The problem is, he's really only worth it if you're comfortable with grabbing a playoff spot.  If you're competing just to get into playoffs, maybe that's not the move for you, because Kobe still probably won't play until early March at the very earliest.  If you can stand to have somebody on your team who's not playing for a couple weeks, this is most likely your best chance at getting somebody who's really going to come through for you come fantasy playoffs.


Does this look like the kind of guy who's body is deteriorating?




I didn't think so.

Week 16 Free Agent Finds

Well I can't say I didn't tell you so.  If you missed out on picking up Randy Foye, there's not a lot of hope left, seeing as he is owned in over 94% of fantasy basketball leagues now.  No Nate Robinson, no Andre Miller, and now Ty Lawson has a cracked rib?  I bet you're just kicking yourself.

Well all that aside, let's take a look at your best prospects for waiver wire pickups here in Week 16.

1. DeMarre Carroll, Hawks SF - Carroll is really having quite a coming out party this year on a pretty banged up Hawks team.  This past month, he's averaging 15.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.1 treys and 1.7 steals.  In my opinion, he's the second best player to own on the Hawks, from a fantasy perspective, right behind Paul Millsap.  Scoop him up if he's available in your league.

2. Steve Nash/Steve Blake, Lakers PG - In shallow leagues, maybe these guys won't be extremely relevant, but in deeper leagues, both of these guys will have fantasy value.  Upon return from injuries, Nash will start at the point guard and Blake will start at the 2-guard.  Both players will have ample opportunities to drop some dimes and hit a few threes.  Jordan Farmar probably won' t have much fantasy relevance.

3. Danny Green, Spurs SG - I'm not a Spurs fan, especially from a fantasy perspective, mainly due to the way Popovich uses his players.  On any given day, Green or Belinelli's minutes could range from 15-35, depending on how they're playing, but you can't overlook the fact that San Antonio is hurting for health, with Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobli both missing a significant amount of time.  Upon Leonard's return in a few weeks, Green will be irrelevant, but he's worth a short add if you need a boost this week.

4. Raymond Felton, Knicks PG - It's hard to imagine that Felton's slump will continue for much longer.  He's never been a top-tier point guard,  but over the past month, he's averaging about 10 points and 6 assists.  Not great numbers, and obviously any point guard on a team with Carmelo Anthony can't expect much more production, but Felton's a guy to keep an eye on if you need a short-term add.

5. Wesley Johnson, Lakers SF - Johnson is a story, no doubt, but when you look at him, just statistically, there's no reason you don't want him on your team.  ESPN analysts have bragged about "1+1+1" players all year long, meaning players that get at least 1 block, 1 steal, and 1 three pointer a game, and Johnson is one of the few players in the league doing that.  But more importantly, since the Lakers have found health at the point guard position, Johnson is averaging almost 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game.  The pressure will be taken off of Johnson, but he'll still be the only player on the Lakers clocking 40 minutes a night.

6. Jordan Hill, Lakers PF/C - Jordan Hill is also worthy of a pick up, at least in the short term.  Gasol will be out at least until after the All-Star Break, so Hill will be a smart add for at least this week of play.  Coming off the bench behind Robert Sacre (probably not for much longer), Jordan Hill has logged 29 points and 15 rebounds over the last two games, and he's worth keeping an eye on.

7. Ryan Kelly, Lakers SF/PF - Now Hill is a great short term add, but if you're looking to the future, pick up Ryan Kelly.  He's impressed coach D'Antoni with his three-point shot, giving himself a spot in the starting lineup.  Over the past month, D'Antoni has given Kelly almost 28 minutes a game, and he's only recently begun starting.  The Lakers don't need a player like Hill in the starting lineup while Gasol is healthy.  The starting line will be Nash, Blake, Johnson, Kelly, and Gasol.  I don't really like any of the Lakers due to their inconsistency this season, but it's hard to think players like Kelly won't benefit from a player like Nash spreading the ball around.

Players who have lost or are losing fantasy relevance very quickly:
If you haven't already traded or dropped these players, try to work out a trade quickly before they lose relevance altogether.

1. Darren Collison, Clippers PG - Needless to say, with the return of Chris Paul, Collison will no longer bring much to any fantasy team unless there are any setbacks with Paul, which is unlikely.

2. Jamaal Crawford, Clippers SG - A lot of Crawford's production over the past few months has been opportunities due to him running the show, and now with the return of Paul, back-up point guard duties are now on Collison.  Crawford will only really help you in deeper leagues, but he's definitely a better option than some.

3. J.J. Redick, Clippers SG - The return of Paul will definitely impact many players, and some may think that Redick's production will return to how it was early in the season with Paul back.  However, I don't really think so.  Redick's got a sweet shot, but I can't see him producing much more than a couple threes a game and maybe a few assists.


How much of a risk are you willing to take?

It might be time to consider trading for Kobe Bryant.  Right about now, picking up Kobe is a gamble to say the very least.  However, he's the kind of player that, if he comes back, he will be great.  If he comes back.  Here's my opinion.  Kobe isn't going to be playing for much longer.  He already announced he would play two more years and retire.  Now there's no telling how this season will affect that, but I guarantee he won't cut his career short.  He's Kobe.  Kobe wants to play, and Kobe wants to win.  There might never have been another player with as much will to win as Kobe.  The Lakers are officially 12 games out of playoffs.  12 games behind the 8 seed.  It's unlikely the Lakers will make the playoffs, as this year the West has taken more shape than previous years.  Needless to say, though, if there's a chance, Kobe will take advantage of it.  I expect Kobe to start playing late February, early March at the latest, and while some people think he might rest, taking days off isn't Kobe Bryant.  I'm not a fan, but I'm just stating the facts.  If you can buy him low right now (and a lot of owners are probably worried about not making playoffs), then go for it.  He's a high risk-high reward player.

Best of luck in Week 16!

Why Randy Foye, Denver SG/PG is a Must-Add In All Fantasy Basketball Leagues

So for those of you who don't know, here's the situation in the mile-high city of Denver, Colorado: starting point guard Ty Lawson is nursing a strained rotator cuff in his shoulder, back-up point guard Nate Robinson just underwent surgery on a torn ACL, third string point guard Andre Miller has unofficially been released from the team, and starting shooting guard Randy Foye stepped into the point guard role and filled Lawson's shoes by dropping 16 assists.

True, Foye also had 8 turnovers and shot 4/13, but regardless, Foye is officially an elite option if he wasn't already before.  Over the past month, the Nuggets guard is averaging 16.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 4.2 APG, while knocking down 3.2 three pointers a game.  Lawson will most likely return in the next one or two games, but even then, Foye has additional value in Robinson's absence.  Foye will command the normal role as starting shooting guard in addition to filling in as the second-string point guard.  We know he can shoot the ball, and now we know he can create plays for his teammates.

Bottom line: Randy Foye is only owned in 57.2% of ESPN leagues and even less in Yahoo! leagues, and is a must-add in all leagues, points or categories, head-to-head or rotisserie.  He's a true shooting guard who can shoot the three about as well as anyone and can make plays for his teammates, and he now has an elevated role in the offense and will be clocking about 40 minutes per game.  He's everything you want in a fantasy basketball player, and he's hot right now and is showing no signs of cooling off.