Beast of the Night: Kobe Bryant had a nice overall line last night, finishing with 27 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks and 2 turnovers. He hit 1 three and shot 53 percent (10-19) from the floor and 75 percent (6-8) from the line. Kobe has been taking fewer shots since Pau Gasol returned to the starting lineup but he’s also handing out more assists since then. The Black Mamba remains one of the superior fantasy killers out there.

Noteworthy Lines:
Brandon Roy – 11-21 FG (52%), 6-10 FT (60%), 1 3ptm, 29 Pts, 7 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 TO; Many figured that Roy would benefit from Greg Oden’s absence and so far that forecast seems to be correct.

Allen Iverson – 3-10 FG (30%), 5-6 FT (83%), 11 Pts, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 6 TO; He’s still at least a few games away from being in game shape and his owners will have to stomach some mediocre lines if they want to keep him in their starting lineups.

Rodney Stuckey – 10-19 FG (53%), 7-7 FT (100%), 27 Pts, 5 Reb, 8 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO; He abused Iverson and even put him to the ground with a crossover (with some contact) in the first half. Stuckey’s finally showing signs that he can be a very productive fantasy point guard.

Anthony Randolph – 4-7 FG (57%), 3-3 FT (100%), 11 Pts, 9 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 Blk; He played 20 minutes off the bench and looks to remain out of the starting lineup for the remainder of the season, barring an injury to a starter. Randolph can still produce relevant fantasy numbers but it’s time for still-hopeful owners to lower their expectations.

Courtney Lee – 6-12 FG (50%), 3-4 FT (75%), 15 Pts, 8 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 TO; He’s playing heavy minutes lately and though Lee’s struggling with his shot, he’s still putting up nice overall numbers. His steals are clearly his best asset for fantasy owners.

Kevin Love – 5-7 FG (71%), 1-2 FT (50%), 1 3ptm, 12 Pts, 11 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk, 2 TO; Love’s already a double-double machine and is finally utilizing the three-point range he showed at UCLA. The cherry on top of his successful return is that he hasn’t affected Al Jefferson’s rebounding (16 last night) at all.

Richard Jefferson – 11-18 FG (61%), 1 3ptm, 23 Pts, 8 Reb, 3 Ast, 4 TO; This line is a relief for owners who have stuck with him lately. He’s still far from being consistent and isn’t going to the free throw line as much as he has in the past, which dents his value.

Waiver Wire Appeal:
Tyler Hansbrough – 13 Pts, 11 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl; Not many people mentioned his name as a beneficiary of Danny Granger’s injury but he could be a quiet producer with the Pacers’ star out.

Jonas Jerebko – 17 Pts, 1 3ptm, 10 Reb, 2 Ast, 4 TO; He continues to do well with his starting job.

C.J. Watson – 18 Pts, 2 3ptm, 2 Reb, 2 Ast, 5 Stl, 1 TO; Despite Anthony Morrow’s return to the lineup, Watson played 30 minutes and put up another nice line. He should be picked up in most leagues.

Omri Casspi – 20 Pts, 2 3ptm, 7 Reb, 2 Ast, 3 TO; He continues to produce on a near-consistent basis and should continue to do so until Kevin Martin returns.

Delonte West – 14 Pts, 2 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 4 TO; So long as he’s in the right court, West should be considered in deeper leagues.

C.J. Miles – 14 Pts, 2 3ptm, 5 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Blk, 2 TO; With the Jazz’s short bench, Miles is turning out in some decent lines and should be considered in deeper leagues.

Jordan Farmar – 11 Pts, 1 3ptm, 4 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO; He’s played well since the last week of November and though his value is mostly based on his threes, Farmar deserves monitoring.

Injuries:
Brandon Jennings (knee): returned after hurting it in the third quarter, keep an eye out for news

Joe Smith (thumb): dislocated it, day-to-day

Marquis Daniels (thumb): had surgery, out until February

Tyrus Thomas (arm): out another two weeks

Daniel Gibson (hand): left the game last night

Richard Hamilton (ankle): expects to return before 2010

Ben Gordon (ankle): status unknown for tonight

Michael Finley (ankle): out two to four weeks

Andrea Bargnani (ankle): not serious, could be back soon

Andrei Kirilenko (back): unlikely tonight

For Tonight:
Expect Dwight Howard to have another beastly line against the Jazz, a team he usually manhandles at will.

Chauncey Billups should redeem himself after a clunker Tuesday as he returns to Detroit.