Player News – Page 20 – FantasySP Blog

Stock Rising- George Hill

George Hill dropped 37 points in an overtime win against the Blazers on Friday night. He recorded 8 assists, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 threes made.

Analysis: George Hill is the weakest link in the Indiana starting five but he still has a place in the fantasy realm. Over the last month of the season Hill is the 29th rated fantasy point guard. He is solid in most guard categories with the exception of assists. Hill is averaging just 3.3 assists per game this year. He’s at about 4 assists per game over the last month but it still isn’t much when compared to other average fantasy point guards like Jeremy Lin and Mario Chalmers.

Hopefully the Portland game is more of a marker of progress than a blip on the radar. Hill does have eight double-digit point games in his last ten games played which is interesting for a player who only averages 10.5 points per game. He also has 12 threes made and 11 steals in that ten game span which means he is consistent in most areas.

Currently, Hill is available in 15-25% of fantasy leagues.

Felton Still Eating Minutes

Raymond Felton is playing some pedestrian basketball at the moment but he is still eating tons of minutes for the lowly Knicks.

Analysis: Ray Felton is averaging 32.5 minutes per game this year which is 18th most in the NBA among point guards. Felton is on a decent five game streak at the moment- 6.6 APG, 9.2 PPG, 1.4 SPG. Unfortunately, Felton is still outside of the top 20 fantasy point guards over the last two weeks. Guys like Patty Mills and George Hill have put up better numbers than Felton over the last two weeks.

Even if we take it a bit further it doesn’t get any better for Felton. He’s shooting 40% from the field this year and 29% from three. He is hitting about one three per game and he averages one steal per game as well, but that is it on the positives.

Currently, Raymond Felton is available in 20-40% of fantasy leagues. He is serviceable and eats tons of minutes but his poor play cannot be ignored. Even on his recent “streak” he is still playing mediocre ball on an awful Eastern Conference squad.

Stock Rising- Lin

Jeremy Lin recorded his first career triple-double Saturday against the Cavs.

Analysis: Lin has played very well over his last three games- 17.0 PPG, 8.3 APG, 1.3 3PM. However, he’s only the 27th rated fantasy point guard thus far this year. He’s having another above average year but he’s far from a fantasy force. His minutes, points, boards and threes are all identical to his marks last season but he is averaging 1.6 fewer assists per game this year.

You would think 31 minutes per night would be enough for Lin to be universally owned but he just doesn’t have an elite fantasy skill set. He is shooting 4.4 free throw attempts per game at an 80% clip which is a big improvement over last year, however, he’s only averaging 1.0 steals per game which is 25th among point guards while his steals/48 minutes is 56th among point guards.

Over the last two weeks Lin has been the 16th best fantasy point guard. He averaged 33 minutes per game in the month of January so he has plenty of opportunities to produce but the assists need to be more than 4.5 per game which is his current mark. Lin is available in 10-15% of fantasy leagues.

Stock Falling- Sullinger

Jared Sullinger put up 24 points and 17 rebounds in his last game against the Sixers but his stock is falling.

Analysis: It took Sullinger 25 shots to put up those 24 points earlier this week. He shot 9 of 25 from the field and for the year he is shooting an awful 42% from the field. Keep in mind that he has power forward and center position eligibility, so 42% is an abysmal mark. Guys like Marvin Williams are shooting better from the field than Sullinger.

We must also take a look at his previous three games prior to his 24 point outburst. In those three games Sullinger scored a combined 16 points and 12 total rebounds in 66 minutes of play. He is averaging about 12 points and 8 boards this year in 26 minutes per night but Sullinger isn’t producing as of late. He’s only averaging 0.5 blocks and 0.5 steals this year which is unacceptable for a fantasy big man. He’s a fringe add in standard leagues but there are better options available on the wire.

Sullinger is available in 10-40% of fantasy leagues. His rebounding has been great in the moderate amount of minutes he plays but the field goal percentage and the lack of blocks are worrisome. Own at your own risk.

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.