Category: NBA

Stock Watch- Webster

Martell Webster is coming off of a 34 point game against the Suns and his stock seems to be on the rise.

Analysis: There are plenty of positives when it comes to Martell Webster’s fantasy value. He’s averaging 35 minutes per game, 3.4 threes made per game and 16.7 points per game in the month of March. Those are great numbers from the twenty-six year old but there are causes for concern. Webster is averaging a combined 0.8 blocks plus steals per game this year in 29 minutes. That simply won’t cut it especially from a guy with his type of athleticism playing tons of minutes. Webster is also averaging 3.8 rebounds per game this year which is awful from a 6’7″ small forward in again… 29 minutes per game this season.

You have to know what you are getting yourself into with Webster. He hits threes and scores while shooting a respectable percentage from the field but he hurts you in the blocks, steals and rebounds department as a small forward. If he’s the right fit for you he may still be on the wire, he’s available in 50% of fantasy leagues.

Stock Rising- Trevor Ariza

Trevor Ariza’s minutes are on the rise in Washington and so are his numbers.

Analysis: Ariza has averaged over 30 minutes per game over the past five games and in that span Ariza is averaging 2.2 3PM, 1.8 SPG, 15.8 PPG and 4.4 RPG. He has always been a great asset in the three point and steal departments when he’s getting minutes but he does have his flaws. Ariza is shooting 41% from the field this year and is only shooting 42% from the field for his career. He does get banged up more than most but he is a disposable piece on any fantasy team.

Ariza does have shooting guard/small forward eligibility so you can fill him in where the need is greatest on your squad. As long as he’s getting around 30 minutes per game like he was with the Hornets the last two years then his steals and threes will be there for you. His 4.4 rebounds per game this season is a fine number for a fantasy shooting guard as well. He’s available in 60-80% of fantasy leagues and he is worth a look while his minutes remain on the high end.

Stock Rising- Jermaine O’Neal

Jermaine O’Neal was a rebounding machine in the month of February, averaging 8.5 boards per in just 21 minutes of action per game.

Analysis: Yes, 8.5 rebounds per game is nice but O’Neal is playing even better as of late. He’s averaging 10.4 RPG in his last seven contests. O’Neal is also averaging 2.2 BPG in that seven game span while shooting over fifty percent from the field. He has not done fantasy owners any favors in the last two years but his numbers cannot be ignored right now. His minutes are up in the mid-twenties recently and he can handle those minutes, he’s still only thirty-four years old.

O’Neal is still available in 80% of fantasy leagues and we all know there isn’t much depth at center in fantasy basketball. For a big man he isn’t bad at the line either. He’s shooting 81% from the free throw line this year and is 71% for his career. He outperformed Roy Hibbert, Robin Lopez, Tristan Thompson and Nene in the month of February. The great part is that he’s playing his best ball entering this month and he’s widely available.

Deep League Help- Henderson

Gerald Henderson is averaging 33 minutes per game in his four games since the All-Star break.

Analysis: With his increased playing time Henderson is putting up some solid numbers. He is averaging 16.25 PPG and 6.25 RPG since the All-Star break. For the month of February Henderson is averaging 15.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 0.9 SPG and is shooting 82% from the stripe in over 30 minutes per game. For a shooting guard his five plus boards per game this month really is a strength considering he’s only hitting 0.5 threes per game this season.

Henderson makes a solid deep league addition as he is available in 40-60% of fantasy leagues. His field goal percentage is pedestrian but as a shooting guard he’s only going to hurt you a bit in the three point department. Henderson is a two guard but he does have small forward position eligibility in most leagues which is always a bonus. At the moment he is a better fantasy option than more heavily owned guys like Ray Allen and Kyle Korver.

Up next for Gerald is the Clippers Tuesday night followed by the Jazz on Friday.

Jeff Green Is Surging

Jeff Green is getting tons of minutes over the last three weeks coming off the Boston bench.

Analysis: Green is averaging 31.6 minutes per game over his last week of action. In this five game span he’s averaging 14.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.4 BPG and he’s shooting 47% from the field. He’s always been the athletic small forward/power forward that can contribute in the rebound, steal and block departments but other aspects of his game are coming along. He’s shooting 92% from the stripe over the last week and is shooting 81% from the stripe this year, up 4% from his career average of 77%. With his increased playing time his rebounds are starting to creep back up into the five per game range. We also cannot forget that he does hit nearly one three per game.

Jeff Green is available in 50-75% of fantasy leagues nationwide. Any player with his type of athleticism that is getting thirty plus minutes per game makes an intriguing add. He’s contributing in seven of eight fantasy categories and over the last two weeks he is outperforming Kyle Korver, Martell Webster, Taj Gibson and Tiago Splitter.