Author: TJ Streett

Stock Rising- Elton Brand

Elton Brand has two double-doubles in his last three games.

Analysis: Elton Brand is averaging 13.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG and is shooting 56% from the field over his last five games. His minutes have been close to thirty per game in this span and he may be starting at center for the Mavs relatively soon. At the moment he is available in well over half of fantasy leagues but his stock is on the rise.

Brand also contributes at the line(80%) and is averaging 1.2 BPG and 0.6 SPG in just twenty-one minutes per game this year. He is quite the shot blocker for a 6’9″ power forward and even as a thirty-three year old he is still getting it done defensively. Brand has been a top twenty fantasy power forward over the past two weeks. In this span he has been outperforming Kevin Garnett, JJ Hickson and Ed Davis just to name a few heavily owned big guys.

Even at Elton Brand’s age he is still producing very well. He rebounds, blocks shots, shoots a high percentage and he won’t kill you at the free throw line… exactly what you want from your lower tier fantasy big men.

NHL Rookie Watch

Vladimir Tarasenko is the most polished rookie in the NHL this year and he is wasting no time scoring in bunches. Tarasenko has been a point per game player in the KHL over the last three years and has matured into a very special forward. Vlad already has 3 goals, 2 assists and 8 shots in two games this year. Expect about 40 points from the twenty-one year old Russian in this shortened season. But… keep an eye on his ice time- in two games he’s only averaging 14 minutes per game(the Blues are deep and defense oriented).

Mikael Granlund is probably the most anticipated European rookie this year after having spent the last few years playing in SM-liiga. Granlund does have one point in two games this year but he will not be relied upon much in Minnesota this season unless injuries hit the Wild. The off-season acquisitions of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to go along with Mikko Koivu, Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi will limit Granlund’s impact this year. Granlund is also averaging only 14 minutes of ice time per game thus far but don’t expect 40 points from him this year.

If you want to go the rookie rout in deeper leagues and I’m not talking about Nail Yakupov, you may want to consider Jakob Silfverberg, Cory Conacher or Jonathan Huberdeau(if he stays past five games).

Harrison Barnes Is Heating Up

Harrison Barnes struggled early in his rookie campaign but recently he has taken his game to the next level.

Analysis: Harrison Barnes is averaging 10.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.6 3PM and 1.0 SPG over the last two weeks. He is doing everything a lower tier fantasy small forward needs to do- hit threes, score, steal and rebound at a respectable clip. The rookie is shooting 49% from the field in January as opposed to just 38% in December. He now has nearly forty games under his belt and the stat sheet is reflecting his maturation as a professional.

Barnes is available in over seventy percent of leagues and now is the perfect time to buy this kid. He has been on the end of about thirty minutes per game over the past few weeks which is always good news for fantasy owners. As a result of the increased playing time Barnes is shooting more than ever and rebounding at the best clip of his extremely young career. Barnes is becoming a valuable lower tier fantasy asset and keep in mind that he’s not going to kill you in deeper leagues in any important small forward categories as long as he is getting his 25-30 minutes a night.

Last Call On Dion Waiters

Dion Waiters is finally becoming a productive fantasy shooting guard coming off the bench in Cleveland.

Analysis: Dion Waiters is on fire and it doesn’t matter whether he is starting or coming off the bench. Waiters is averaging 18.6 PPG, 1.2 3PM and is shooting 49% from the field over his last five games. Considering his field goal percentage this year is at 38%, he just may be developing and maturing before our very eyes. I know a lot of fantasy owners were crying when he began coming off the bench but he is still getting twenty-eight minutes per game and he’ll be back in a starter’s role at some point in the future(but who cares as long as he is producing).

Waiters is available in about one quarter of fantasy leagues and he is definitely worth the pick-up. His field goal percentage and free throw shooting has been improving over the past few weeks and he averages fourteen shots per game as a rookie. There isn’t much to hate on if he can keep his field goal percentage up but his rebounding could use a boost. Waiters is rebounding at a 2.4 per game clip in thirty minutes per game this year. Up next for Waiters is Portland Wednesday night.

Value Picks- Marcus Johansson

Marcus Johansson is one of the biggest fantasy hockey sleepers entering this shortened NHL season.

Analysis: Johansson is a former first round pick and he has the most pure talent on the Capitals outside of Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstom. But will all this talent surface in his third year and after a 46 point season as a twenty-one year old?

It is likely that Johansson will land on the first line with Ovechkin and Backstrom which is great news especially with what MoJo’s average draft position will be. But even if Johansson lands on the second line his value is still solid. In a shortened season most young players will see increased minutes and secondary lines will be more heavily relied upon. 48 games in 99 days will take its toll on all players and especially those star forwards who get twenty plus minutes of ice time per game. In contrast MoJo was on the end of about seventeen minutes of ice time per game last year, expect that to bump up regardless of the line he is playing on. He won’t give you many penalty minutes but expect his shots, power play points and his overall offensive production to increase as he establishes himself this year.