Under The Radar- Bradley Beal

Bradley Beal has been a top twenty shooting guard over the past two weeks but he continues to fly under the fantasy radar.

Analysis: Bradley Beal has averaged 17.0 PPG, 1.6 3PM, 1.0 SPG and 3.6 RPG over his last five games. Beal may not have been a sexy pick for Washington at the number three spot but he is producing well at the NBA level at only nineteen years of age. He’s taken a minimum of 12 shots in each of his last five games all while averaging well over thirty minutes per game. What’s not to like? He’s contributing well in four fantasy categories(3PM, PPG, FT%, SPG) and he’s also throwing in some blocks and assists from the shooting guard position as of the last few weeks.

Beal’s field goal percentage sits at 36% for the year and at 41% over his last five games. This problem should solve itself when Mr. John Wall returns to action for the Wiz. Wall’s career 8.2 APG will most certainly help Bradley Beal out in the points and field goal percentage departments. Beal will start hitting more threes and at a higher percentage and then Beal will no longer be under the radar. At the moment Beal is available in well over seventy percent of fantasy leagues.

Blocks And Boards- Okafor

Emeka Okafor is once again rebounding at an elite level as the fantasy world takes notice.

Analysis: Emeka Okafor is averaging 12.1 RPG with 2.4 BPG over his last five games. Yes, his minutes are around the thirty minute mark in this span but his play has improved considerably as well. He will always hurt you at the line with a 62% average this year but he only gets to the line twice per game. But unlike a Reggie Evans(3.1 PPG) or a Bismack Biyombo(4.8 PPG) he won’t kill you in the points department. Okafor only averages 7.6 points per game this season but he is averaging 10.4 points per game over his last five games which is a step in the right direction.

December was a fine month from the UConn product which saw him average 7.9 boards, 1.3 blocks and average 49.5% from the field. With each passing month this year his minutes are increasing and so is his fantasy production. He still remains a lower tier fantasy center but if he continues to receive nearly thirty minutes per game he will rebound and block shots at a more than serviceable rate.

 

Stock Rising- Mike Dunleavy

After missing some time in early December with knee issues Mike Dunleavy is posting some solid fantasy numbers.

Analysis: Mike Dunleavy has always been a fringe fantasy player but when his three point attempts rise one has to take notice. Dunleavy is averaging 1.8 three pointers made and shooting 5.2 threes per game over his last five contests. Thus far this year Dunleavy is averaging 1.7 threes made per game and is shooting 41% from beyond the arc. He is supplementing his three ball success with other fantasy categories as well. He’s a career 80% free throw shooter and he is averaging 4.7 RPG this year. While his rebounding and steals(0.7/g) are not anything special, they are a must for a small forward who is only going to give you 11-14 points per game.

At this point in the season Dunleavy is well under the radar and only owned in twenty percent of fantasy leagues. He is consistently on the end of 25-28 minutes per night, so the floor time and opportunity will be there for him unlike what we are seeing from Danny Green in San Antonio. If the streaky Kyle Korver isn’t available in your league then Mike Dunleavy is worth a look.

Streaming Defenses- Week 17

We should expect Atlanta and possibly a few other playoff bound teams to be resting their starters come week seventeen. This will clearly impact which defenses can be relied upon in the last week of the regular season.

Analysis: An interesting defense to take a look at is the Chargers defensive unit. They have played well this year and have Oakland in week seventeen. We don’t know what the status of Carson Palmer will be but we do know that the Raiders haven’t scored over 20 points in a game since week nine. San Diego’s defense is in the top five of the NFL in sacks and ranks in the top half of the league in takeaways, interceptions, yards allowed and points against.

The Bills are another team to take a look at this week. They are at home against the Jets in week seventeen and that is always good news. The Jets rank in the bottom five of the NFL in points per game, yards per game and giveaways. It is a risk starting the Buffalo D especially when considering they turn the ball over a ton and struggle to put up points and dictate games but they are worth a look.

Mike Williams Strikes Again

Tampa Bay may not be playing well but Mike Williams is still putting up numbers.

Analysis: Mike Williams caught 7 balls on 17 targets for 132 yards and a score Sunday afternoon against the Rams. This now leaves Williams with 8 touchdowns and over 900 receiving yards this year. His targets have been inconsistent this season but he is averaging nearly 11 targets per game over his last four games. Keep in mind that Tampa is one of the more pass heavy teams in the NFL as evidenced by Josh Freeman’s 43.5 passing attempts per game over his last four games. Up next for Tampa Bay is Atlanta which should be resting plenty of starters in week seventeen.

The biggest surprise in all this seems to be that Williams is only being started in less than half of fantasy leagues. He may not be a consistent WR2 but he is an elite WR3/FLEX option that is not being utilized nearly enough in fantasy leagues. Williams is a top twenty fantasy wide out this year yet we see guys like Jeremy Maclin and Brandon Lloyd get more attention even though they have a combined 9 touchdowns in 29 games this year. It doesn’t make sense.