Daily Fantasy Diagnosis: 11.25

Beast of the Night: Anthony Morrow poured in 27 points last night, hitting 6 treys and racking up 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals in a full 48 minutes of work for a very short-handed Warriors squad. He shot 56 percent (9-16) from the floor and was perfect (3-3) from the free throw line. This is Morrow’s second consecutive solid line and he should remain a valuable, though somewhat inconsistent, fantasy player for the rest of the season. He’ll see extra minutes and touches during the next week or so as the Warriors slowly recoup.
Noteworthy Lines:
Thaddeus Young – 10-19 FG (53%), 1-1 FT (100%), 2 3ptm, 23 Pts, 4 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; If Elton Brand’s bum hammy keeps him out for an extended period of time, Young could be putting up similar numbers on a more consistent basis.
Lou Williams – 10-17 FG (59%), 2-2 FT (100%), 4 3ptm, 26 Pts, 4 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO; He continues to impress and there’s little reason to expect him to slow down anytime soon.
Troy Murphy – 4-9 FG (44%), 1-1 FT (100%), 2 3ptm, 11 Pts, 8 Reb, 5 Ast, 2 Blk; He started last night and looks ready to contribute big numbers. Start him with confidence.
Roy Hibbert – 3-6 FG (50%), 2-3 FT (67%), 8 Pts, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 TO; He only played 13 minutes off the bench while Jeff Foster returned to the starting lineup and played 21 minutes. Hibbert will start tonight, but keep an eye on this.
Jose Calderon – 8-11 FG (73%), 3-3 FT (100%), 2 3ptm, 21 Pts, 3 Reb, 7 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO; That’s more like it. It’s not too late for Calderon to turn his disappointing season around, but don’t get too excited just yet.
Devin Harris – 4-14 FG (29%), 11-15 FT (73%), 19 Pts, 7 Reb, 6 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO; He played 31 minutes off the bench and looks good to go for his fantasy owners.
Chauncey Billups – 1-8 FG (13%), 2-2 FT (100%), 1 3ptm, 5 Pts, 4 Reb, 7 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; He only played 28 minutes in a blowout victory but his offensive struggles this season are disconcerting. Billups should turn things around eventually and is a good buy-low candidate.
Kobe Bryant – 14-20 FG (70%), 5-7 FT (71%), 1 3ptm, 34 Pts, 5 Reb, 4 Ast, 3 Stl, 4 TO; Another great line from Bryant, who played 41 minutes last night. He’s averaging nearly 38 minutes a game so far this season and his owners have to be expecting that number to dip as the season wears on.
Waiver Wire Appeal:
Samuel Dalembert – 15 Pts, 9 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 4 Blk, 1 TO; If Brand misses some time, Dalembert could turn into Dalembeast for a good stretch.
Nick Young – 20 Pts, 2 3ptm, 4 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 TO; He’ll see enough minutes to be productive while Mike Miller and Caron Butler are both sidelined.
Drew Gooden – 14 Pts, 12 Reb, 1 Stl, 3 Blk; Gooden will continue to thrive as long as Erick Dampier is out.
Arron Afflalo – 15 Pts, 1 3ptm, 8 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO; He’s inconsistent but deserves consideration in deeper leagues.
Jason Smith – 14 Pts, 1 3ptm, 3 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk, 1 TO; With Brand possibly missing time and the absence of Marreese Speights, the Sixers’ big man could see enough minutes to be productive for a spell.
Injuries:
Corey Maggette (hamstring): day-to-day
Elton Brand (hamstring): day-to-day
Eddy Curry (knee): sat out second half last night, steer clear for now
Tyson Chandler (back): practiced Tuesday, looks ready to go tonight
Shawn Marion (ankle): questionable tonight
Erick Dampier (illness): return date still unknown
Quinton Ross (back): questionable tonight
Shaquille O’Neal (shoulder): could return tonight
Eric Gordon (groin): game-time decision
Shane Battier (foot): questionable tonight
Andris Biedrins (abdomen): strained muscle, out at least another week
Mike Dunleavy (knee): ready to play, could return tonight
Quentin Richardson (back): didn’t practice Tuesday, unlikely tonight
Chris Paul (ankle): about two to three weeks away from returning
Manu Ginobili (groin): out tonight
Caron Butler (foot): day-to-day
For Tonight:
Coach Jim O’Brien says Hibbert will start tonight against the Clippers, but watch his minutes tonight and going forward. Also, see if Chris Kaman can pick things up again.
Watch for which big man for the Sixers steps up against the Celtics tonight.
Look to see if the Warriors are weary as they visit the Spurs in the second game of a back-to-back. Expect some sloppy play and a fair number of turnovers from the Oakland crew.
Throughout the season, be sure to leave your questions, comments, concerns, trade offers, roster problems and more in the comments below.
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November 25th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
hahns says:
wow i totally forgot about jason smith…guy was a beast before he got injured last year. what was it…a torn acl?
November 25th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Antouan says:
Hi Doc,
2 questions:
Should I drop JJ Hickson for Dunleavy? I like Hickson’s fg%, but I need points and 3’s.
I wanna sell high on Camby, but my trades are getting rejected…would it be wise to offer him for Tyrus Thomas?
Thanks for your help
November 25th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
mememememe says:
sup doc.
can you recommend a guy that provides assists/steals?
this is my current squad. find myself always dominating on the boards and blks, but short on stl’s ast’s pt’s and 3’s.
while i dont care about the 3’s or points, i think im going to pretty much lose all the time with those, i can pick up the assist and steals.
Al Jefferson
Deron Williams
Brook Lopez
Josh Smith
David Lee
Al Horford
Tony Parker
Ben Gordon
Luol Deng
Andrei Kirilenko
Aaron Brooks
Drew Gooden
Ersan Ilyasova
November 25th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@Antouan: If you need threes, Dunleavy’s a nice wait-and-see pickup. Shaq’s return could cut into Hickson’s production a bit.
Keep on selling high, but Thomas is a bit too little for Camby.
November 25th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@mememememe: If you’re talking about waiver wire players, check out Kyle Lowry, Raymond Felton, Jarrett Jack and Darren Collison.
It depends on your league’s depth, too.
November 25th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
mememememe says:
my league is deep, only 10 players. i actually drafted raymond felton but his downsides outweigh his upsides entirely way too much. and darren collison and stephen curry are on my watch list for assists, and kind of steals
November 25th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
AM says:
yo doc… i need a big and i am overloaded in pgs… what kinda big do u think i can get for aaron brooks
November 25th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@AM: Anthony Randolph, Gerald Wallace, David West, Lamar Odom, Mehmet Okur.
November 25th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
FK says:
Doc,
I have a jones on for Morrow, almost grabbed him before the last game. Options for drops are Tyreke Evans and John Salmons. JS has been killing me on FG% (I am also sitting on Harris and D-Rose)
On the big man front I also find myself with a man crush on Griffin. Does the grass just look greener or do I want him over Frye, M Gasol or the guys above?
November 25th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@FK: I think Salmons is a good swap for Morrow at this point. Evans could be a good swap once Kevin Martin returns, but that’s still far away.
Definitely don’t swap Frye or Gasol out for Griffin. If Griffin’s return is around the same as Martin’s, consider swapping out Evans, but it’s tough to expect Griffin to hit the ground running in L.A. The Clippers will limit his minutes and treat him with kid gloves in the early going.
November 25th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
WallaceNGromit says:
Hey Doc.
A.Randolph or Tyrus Thomas?
November 25th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@WallaceNGromit: Randolph.
November 25th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
@ says:
WHAT?!? Danny Granger doesn’t even get mentioned for 7 threes, 36 pts, 9 rebs, and 5 assists?
November 25th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@@: He’s a stud and he had a studly line with not much else to say. Though I’d love to recount all the big lines from big-time players each night, most of you guys probably already know about them so it’d do little good to discuss them here unless there was something else to say.
But yes, Granger had a huge night and was up for “Beast” consideration.
November 25th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
gilbo says:
whats going on with Rip Hamilton?
November 25th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@gilbo: Could be at least another week away…again.
November 25th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
alex says:
hey doc,
i hear lou williams is out for 2-4 weeks, should i drop him for someone, or wait for him to return? hes been amazing for me so far. thanks
November 25th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@alex: Hold him, for sure.
November 25th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
@Duck says:
@FD
I’m still trying to get rid of Odom and Ariza, but I don’t know who to offer them for to get a “high sell.”
Do you have any ideas on who I should look at to offer them to?
Also, do you think Nick Young will get enough minutes/stats to be a pickup in an 8 man league?
November 25th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@Duck: It depends on which positions you’re looking for and whether you’re aiming to do a 2-for-1 deal or a 2-for-2, but target top-25 players in your league in any deal you try to pull.
November 25th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
BrickLayer says:
Hey Doc,
What do you think of this trade: i get haywood and rondo, i give up brook lopez and ersan ilyasova?
Thanks
November 25th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Jamal says:
Doc,
should I trade Arenas for elton brand? Fair trade?
November 25th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@BrickLayer: Right now, you lose a bit on that deal. But if you expect Ilyasova to slow down soon, this could be fair.
November 25th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@Jamal: If you need big-man stats and aren’t too discouraged by his recent injury, yes, this seems fair.
November 25th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
zippy says:
fantasy doc,
should I trade d wade for arenas + al jefferson?
thanks
zippy
November 25th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@zippy: If you’re in a deeper league and really need the depth, that deal seems barely OK. Just know that dealing the best player in a one-for-two usually isn’t usually a good idea.
November 25th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
the truth says:
doc, I’m tired of Flynn’s TOs and thinking of dropping him for Nate. Should I reconsider? I’m tops in my leagues in AST, 3PTM but I also have the most TOs. Thanks.
November 25th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@the truth: That’s a fair swap.
November 26th, 2009 at 1:29 am
Tom says:
Sup Doc,
What do you think I should change on my roster? I’m been hovering in the middle area since.
Devin Harris
Paul Pierce
Danny Granger
Grant Hill
Boris Diaw
Richard Hamilton
Al Harrington
Zach Randolph
Nate Robinson
Thaddeus Young
Bench:
Chris Anderson
Erick Dampier
Will Bynum
November 26th, 2009 at 2:26 am
Duck says:
@FD
Back to what we were talking about earlier.
I have a solid PG/PF/C, so I guess I’d need to find a good SG and/or SF.
You said aim for the top-25, but who could I try to package those two for, whether it be two-for-two or two-for-one?
Any specific person/people? Or just the “top-25″ range.
Thanks.
November 26th, 2009 at 2:47 am
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@Duck: If you’re willing to wait, try to get Kevin Martin on the cheap in a two-for-two. Also, with Danny Granger hurt, you can try to buy low on him in a two-for-one or two-for-two if you’re willing.
You can try to target Josh Smith or Antawn Jamison in a two-for-one, or Rudy Gay, Andrei Kirilenko, Jason Richardson, Joe Johnson or Andre Iguodala in a two-for-two.
But yes, overall, target players in the top-25 range in whatever deal you engineer.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
alex says:
doc,
just saw a post that lou williams is out for 8 weeks now. Anybody worth dropping him for? FA include felton, foye, nelson, sessions…
thanks
November 26th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
The Fantasy Doctor says:
@alex: Yes, tough blow for his owners (including yours truly in two leagues).
It’s tough to drop him considering how well he’s played, but consider Foye and Jrue Holiday, who’ll get his minutes now.
Nelson is decent too, but he’s not much closer to returning either.
November 26th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
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