Fantasy Basketball: The Week’s 4 Best Pickups (1.28)

Basketball demands we break down its players not just by stats, but by the time and place they occur. That’s not the case in NBA fantasy hoops, though, where cold calculations rule the day and the matchup. Who are the Fantasy Doctor’s choices for this week’s best pickups? Hit the jump to find out.

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FRESH PICKINGS
TERRENCE ROSS, Toronto Raptors (33 percent owned in Yahoo!, 27 percent in ESPN)
Terrence Ross has been inconsistent, to say the least, in the fantasy game, but how can you let someone that just dropped 50 points sit on the wire? He really won’t contribute too heavily to any one category besides threes, but Ross has potential as both a scorer and defender. Ross should see plenty of floor time while DeMar DeRozan is out with injury. Hopefully he can build on Saturday night’s performance.

DERRICK WILLIAMS, Sacramento Kings (17 percent owned in Yahoo!, 28 percent in ESPN)
While DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay have been out with injury, D-Will has been picking up all of the slack, averaging 14.5 points and 11.3 rebounds, with 1.0 threes, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks over his last four games. Neither Gay nor Cousins will be on the shelf so long, so understand that it’s just a temporary move, but we all know that Williams has the talent to compete in this league. If you’re looking for a big man to help you compete better in a couple categories this week, look no further than Derrick Williams.

PHIL PRESSEY, Boston Celtics (one percent owned in Yahoo!, one percent in ESPN)
Pressey’s stat lines haven’t been overly impressive, but the Celtics were willing to trade away Jordan Crawford just to see what they had in the rookie, so you might as well see what we can do for your fantasy squad too. Over his last three games, Pressey is putting up 11.0 points and 4.3 assists with 2.3 treys and 1.3 steals. While Rajon Rondo sits out back-to-backs, Pressey will be filling in as the starter, and has even seen some shooting guard minutes when Rondo is in. Pressey is considered more of a stash than anything else right now, but he could pay off big time down the stretch. Go ahead and add him if you’re in need of a long-term potential point guard.

RONNY TURIAF, Minnesota Timberwolves (three percent owned in Yahoo!, one percent in ESPN)
Nikola Pekovic left last night’s game with an Achilles injury, which doesn’t sound pretty. In the meantime, Turiaf filled in nicely, putting up 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. With Gorgui Dieng being the only other center on the roster, Turiaf shouldn’t have much competition for minutes while Pek is on the mend. If you’re in need of a shotblocker, then Turiaf is your guy, for now.

LAST CALL
These guys were mentioned in previous editions and are listed in order of desirability. Go grab them if they’re still around.

Brandon Knight
Lance Stephenson
Isaiah Thomas
John Henson
Terrence Jones
Kendall Marshall
Reggie Jackson
Ersan Ilyasova
Miles Plumlee
D.J. Augustin
Darren Collison
Gerald Green
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Glen Davis
Jared Sullinger
Patrick Beverley
Jordan Hill
Jordan Crawford
Harrison Barnes
Alec Burks
Marvin Williams
Danny Granger
Kirk Hinrich
Jeremy Lamb
Lou Williams

INJURIES
Waiting on injured players is tough, especially once the zeros start piling up. However, this is the time of year to do it. If you start slipping too much in the standings, you can go ahead and drop these guys, but for now, they’re worth the stash. This list is limited to guys with long-term injuries, so be sure to keep your eye out for players that are day-to-day too.

Chris Paul (out at least two weeks)
Russell Westbrook (out until after the All-Star break)
Kobe Bryant (re-evaluated in early February)
Eric Bledsoe (out 2-4 weeks)
Kemba Walker (out two weeks)

Who are you looking to make a move for right now?

Follow Kevin on Twitter at @DimeFantasyDoc.

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