Author: TJ Streett

Under The Radar- Derrick Williams

Derrick Williams has been logging some serious minutes as of late for the injured Rudy Gay.

Analysis: Williams will always be a three/four tweener in the NBA but he can still be a productive player. Over his last four games Williams is averaging 11.2 rebounds, 14.5 points and 1 three. Williams is averaging 28.6 minutes in the month of January which is a great sign considering Rudy Gay has played in eleven games this month. Williams is taking about eight shots per game in January and he’s shooting a solid 49% from the field. The former second overall pick may never live up to the hype but he sure is contributing.

Derrick Williams isn’t great in any one particular fantasy area. Yes, the rebounds have been there over the last week of action filling in for Gay but he only averaged 3.6 boards per game in the month of December in 24.5 minutes per contest. Despite his lack of an elite fantasy skill set it is always going to be difficult to ignore an athlete getting thirty plus minutes per night. With Rudy Gay coming back soon it will be time to monitor those minutes. Currently, Williams is available in 50-70% of fantasy leagues.

Andray Blatche On Hot Streak

Andray Blatche has played well over the last few weeks as the Nets continue to play great basketball in the month of January.

Analysis: One of the big reasons for the Brooklyn turnaround is Andray Blatche. Blatche is averaging 16.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals over his last five games. He’s shooting 54% from the field in that span and 52% from the field in the month of January. His minutes are up in the mid-twenties which is just enough for him to put up respectable fantasy numbers.

Blatche does have power forward/center position eligibility but he isn’t a true shot blocker. He will rack up blocks and steals at nearly one per game. Over the last two weeks Blatche is the 30th rated fantasy center and the 36th best fantasy power forward. Keep in mind that when Blatche was getting tons of minutes in Washington a few years ago he did average 16.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals in the 2010-11 season.

Currently, Blatche is available in 25-70% of fantasy leagues. If his minutes remain strong and he cuts down on his awful three point attempts he is a decent lower tier fantasy big man.

Passing On JR Smith

JR Smith has been playing above average basketball recently but he still has very little fantasy value.

Analysis: JR Smith is averaging 15.8 points and 2.4 threes made over his last five games. Aside from those stats he hasn’t done much other than continuing to play in a big media market. Thus far this season Smith is shooting 36% from the field, 61% from the line and 35% from three. He is the 66th rated fantasy shooting guard this year and the 37th best over the last two weeks. It’s amazing he is doing all this playing 32 minutes per game and only missing a handful of games this season.

Currently, JR Smith is available in 20-30% of fantasy leagues. If you need some shooting guard help you may want to consider Jodie Meeks. Meeks is shooting better from three and averaging 38 minutes per night in the month of January. Meeks is available in 15-30% of leagues. Kyle Korver is also available in some leagues and he is shooting a significantly better percentage than Smith from the field, the line and from three. Korver is also outperforming Smith in blocks and steals and is even with Smith in rebounds and assists.

 

Stock Rising- Markieff Morris

Markieff Morris has been on a tear over the last week as his fantasy stock continues to climb.

Analysis: Over his last four games Markieff is averaging 20.7 points, 7 rebounds, 1.2 threes made while shooting 56% from the field. He’s averaging a shade under thirty minutes per game in that span while averaging just twenty-four minutes per contest this season. His minutes must stay in the high twenties if he is to remain a fantasy asset since he isn’t the shot blocking type of big man.

Morris has a few other positives going for him. He’s shooting 47% from the field this year and he’s shooting 77% from the line where he’s averaging 3.4 attempts per game. Markieff is also averaging nearly one steal per game- he’s 14th among power forwards in steals per game this season. He also has power forward and center position eligibility in most leagues. His fantasy value going forward is almost entirely determined by his playing time… so be vigilant. Morris isn’t the most reliable power forward option available on the wire but he certainly has a ton of upside. He is available in 40-70% of fantasy leagues.

Under The Radar- Stuckey/Sanders

Rodney Stuckey and Larry Sanders have been playing well over the last week and deserve a mention as potential mid-to-deep league adds.

Analysis: Rodney Stuckey has put together three consecutive 20-plus point games. Stuckey is a unique fantasy shooting guard option in that he doesn’t rack up tons of threes or steals but he does shoot well from the field and gets to the line often. Currently, Stuckey is shooting 45% from the field and 82% from the stripe where he averages four attempts per game this year. Stuckey is not a long term solution in many leagues unless his minutes remain near thirty per game but he is certainly the hottest scorer in Detroit outside of Josh Smith right now. Stuckey is available in 60-90% of fantasy leagues.

Larry Sanders is another forgotten fantasy option playing on an awful squad. Over his last three games Sanders has 9 blocks, 6 steals, 24 rebounds and 32 points. It seems Sanders is finally putting it together this year after a great 2012-13 campaign when he was 2nd in the NBA in blocks. Larry Sanders is available in 15-40% of fantasy leagues.