Timmy (and his fantasy owners) are excited. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Beast of the Night: Tim Duncan finished with 19 points, 17 rebounds, three assists, two steals and five blocks. He shot 64 percent (9-14) from the floor, 100 percent (1-1) from the free-throw line and had three turnovers. Truth be told, Duncan’s having himself a fine season so far, giving his owners about the value that was expected of him heading into the season. Nevertheless, whenever Duncan has a strong string of games, he’s a good sell-high candidate.

Lines for Discussion:
Andrew Bynum: 8-13 FG (62%), 4-6 FT (67%), 20 Pts, 20 Reb, 3 Ast, 3 Blk, 5 TO; he’s a top 40 stud and will remain that so long as he’s healthy

Lou Williams: 7-12 FG (58%), 7-8 FT (88%), 3 threes, 24 Pts, 2 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; though his low field-goal percentage is a downer, Williams has been a mostly reliable fantasy player this season

Dwight Howard: 15-21 FG (71%), 3-8 FT (38%), 33 Pts, 14 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk, 4 TO; if you exclude his 48.3 percent accuracy from the free-throw line, Howard is just as valuable a fantasy asset at LeBron James this season

Jason Richardson: 8-15 FG (53%), 1-1 FT (100%), 3 threes, 20 Pts, 1 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO; J-Rich is averaging 18.7 points and three three-pointers in his last three games, so sell high

John Wall: 10-19 FG (53%), 11-14 FT (79%), 31 Pts, 5 Reb, 7 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk, 4 TO; this season will go down as a disappointment for Wall, but he remains a solid keeper

LaMarcus Aldridge: 14-28 FG (50%), 11-11 FT (100%), 39 Pts, 6 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 4 TO; he has managed to slightly outperform his stellar 2010-11 NBA campaign and is putting up top 10 averages so far this season

Waiver-Wire Watch (four stars = must add; one star = keep an eye on him):
Jameer Nelson: 15 Pts, 1 three, 3 Reb, 12 Ast, 3 TO (**)

Linas Kleiza: 30 Pts, 4 threes, 5 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 3 TO (***)

C.J. Watson: 14 Pts, 2 threes, 7 Reb, 11 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO (**)

Markieff Morris: 7 Pts, 1 three, 7 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 Blk (*)

Jeremy Lin: 28 Pts, 1 three, 2 Reb, 8 Ast, 2 Stl, 8 TO (****)

Steve Novak: 19 Pts, 5 threes, 2 Reb (*)

Isaiah Thomas: 17 Pts, 3 threes, 5 Reb, 6 Ast, 1 Stl (**)

Chris Kaman: 10 Pts, 12 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Blk, 2 TO (**)

Chase Budinger: 16 Pts, 4 threes, 5 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Blk (**)

Injuries:
Danilo Gallinari (ankle, foot): monitor his status

Corey Brewer (personal): day-to-day

Arron Afflalo (ankle, toe): day-to-day

Nene (heel): day-to-day

Chauncey Billups (Achilles): will have an MRI today; it doesn’t sound good, but monitor his status

Kevin Love (suspension): suspended for two games, will return Friday

Anthony Morrow (personal): monitor his status

DaJuan Summers (knee): day-to-day

Carmelo Anthony (groin): day-to-day

Amar’e Stoudemire (personal): monitor his status

Jamaal Tinsley (personal): out tonight

Rashard Lewis (knee): day-to-day

Richard Hamilton (groin): day-to-day

Daniel Gibson (neck): out tonight

Anthony Parker (back): ditto

Jason Kidd (calf): didn’t practice Monday; return is up in the air

Will Bynum (foot): practiced Monday; monitor his status

Ben Gordon (shoulder): ditto

Nate Robinson (groin): didn’t practice Monday

Tony Allen (hip, knee): day-to-day

Mehmet Okur (back): will have another procedure on his back

Jason Smith (concussion): day-to-day

Jarrett Jack (knee): day-to-day

Baron Davis (back, elbow): isn’t expected back until next week at the earliest

Elton Brand (thumb): day-to-day

Raymond Felton (foot): day-to-day

For Tonight:
Nikola Pekovic will have even more value with Love and possibly Darko Milicic out, as the Timberwolves host the Kings.

[See another version of this post on DimeMag.com]

Being a sell-high guy must be contagious. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Buy Low:
Wesley Matthews

Dirk Nowitzki

Josh Smith

Kyle Lowry

Channing Frye

Brook Lopez, Manu Ginobili, Luol Deng and any other productive fantasy players who are injured should be considered buy-low candidates.

Sell High:
Landry Fields

Vince Carter

Tim Duncan

Jamal Crawford

Al Harrington

[See another version of this post on DimeMag.com]

The one in the front might look awesome in this photo, but he should be sold high; the one in the back should be bought low. (AP Photo/Bahram Mark Sobhani)

We’re going back to the tried-and-true “Buy Low, Sell High” posts for Fridays. Cheers!

Buy Low:
Dirk Nowitzki

Paul Pierce

Serge Ibaka

DeMar DeRozan

Carlos Delfino

Zach Randolph, Marcus Thornton, Jason Kidd and any other productive fantasy players who are injured should be considered buy-low candidates.

Sell High:
Tim Duncan

Iman Shumpert

Kobe Bryant

Brandon Jennings

Richard Jefferson

[See another version of this post on DimeMag.com]

Don't worry: KD is in full control of his fantasy value. (Flickr/Keith Allison)

Beast of the Night: Kevin Durant finished his big night with 29 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, one steal, four blocks and three three-pointers. He shot 65 percent (11-17) from the field, 67 percent (4-6) from the free-throw line and had three turnovers. This was his third consecutive double-double. After a “slow” start, Durant is back on track, notching more rebounds, assist and blocks than he did last season, while shooting an improved 49 percent (up from 46 percent last season) from the floor.

Lines for Discussion:
Danny Granger: 9-16 FG (56%), 3-3 FT (100%), 3 threes, 24 Pts, 5 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 TO; his points, rebounds, assists, three-pointers made, field-goal percentage and free-throw percentage are all down from their marks last season

DeMarcus Cousins: 6-11 FG (55%), 9-11 FT (82%), 21 Pts, 19 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 5 TO; his assists-to-turnovers ratio (0.6:3.3) is laughable, but he’s averaging 15.5 points, 11.0 boards, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks, good for top 60 value

Tyreke Evans: 7-22 FG (32%), 14-14 FT (100%), 1 three, 29 Pts, 7 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 TO; weak FG%, 3PTM and fewer assists per game than last season hamper his fantasy appeal

Carmelo Anthony: 9-24 FG (38%), 8-8 FT (100%), 1 three, 27 Pts, 9 Reb, 5 Ast, 3 Stl, 5 TO; he’s a top 10 fantasy player despite shooting 43 percent from the floor and turning the ball over 3.4 times per game

JaVale McGee: 5-13 FG (39%), 10 Pts, 14 Reb, 1 Ast, 5 Blk, 2 TO; he’s returning top 30 value for his owners so far, thanks mostly to his improved rebounding (9.8 per game) and shot-blocking (3.2 per game, good for No. 2 in the league)

Tim Duncan: 7-17 FG (41%), 3-6 FT (50%), 17 Pts, 11 Reb, 5 Ast, 3 Stl, 2 Blk, 4 TO; sell high

Kobe Bryant: 14-31 FG (45%), 11-11 FT (100%), 1 three, 40 Pts, 8 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO; his trade value might be at its peak

Paul Millsap: 14-24 FG (58%), 1-2 FT (50%), 29 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 TO; Derrick who? Millsap’s putting up top 20 averages so far this season

Anthony Morrow: 9-17 FG (53%), 5 threes, 23 Pts, 4 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl; Morrow has hit 18 threes in his last four games

Chris Paul: 11-21 FG (52%), 5-5 FT (100%), 27 Pts, 6 Reb, 11 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 TO; vintage CP3

Waiver-Wire Watch (four stars = must add; one star = keep an eye on him):
Zaza Pachulia: 11 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Stl, 3 TO (**)

Isaiah Thomas: 20 Pts, 3 threes, 3 Reb, 6 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO (*)

Evan Turner: 16 Pts, 7 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 TO (****)

John Lucas: 25 Pts, 1 three, 8 Reb, 8 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO (*)

Kyle Korver: 14 Pts, 2 threes, 6 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 TO (***)

Omer Asik: 8 Pts, 14 Reb, 5 Blk, 1 TO (***)

Trevor Booker: 8 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Blk, 1 TO (***)

Delonte West: 12 Pts, 1 three, 4 Reb, 3 Ast, 3 Stl, 3 TO (**)

Jordan Farmar: 26 Pts, 6 threes, 2 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO (**)

Rudy Fernandez: 15 Pts, 2 threes, 5 Reb, 8 Ast, 4 Stl (****)

Injuries:
Al Horford (shoulder): left last night’s game early and didn’t return; monitor his status

Tracy McGrady (back): day-to-day

Derrick Rose (toe): reportedly doesn’t have turf toe; day-to-day

Cole Aldrich (personal): day-to-day

Richard Hamilton (groin): day-to-day

Ty Lawson (foot): day-to-day

Rodney Stuckey (groin): limited in his workout Tuesday; day-to-day

Troy Murphy (gastroenteritis): day-to-day

Trevor Ariza (groin): day-to-day

Spencer Hawes (back): day-to-day

T.J. Ford (hamstring): tear in his left hamstring will keep him out 4-6 weeks

Andray Blatche (shoulder): day-to-day

Andrea Bargnani (calf): left last night’s game early; monitor his status

Joakim Noah (thumb): monitor his status

Earl Watson (knee): day-to-day

For Tonight:
See if Dorell Wright and Jason Richardson can both keep things going, as the Magic visit the Warriors.

[See another version of this post on DimeMag.com]

Nope, ain't no one taking this man's "Beast" honors. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Beast of the Night: Derrick Rose put up 31 points, three boards, 11 assists, a steal, two blocks and four three-pointers last night against the Timberwolves. He shot 55 percent (12-22) from the field, 75 percent (3-4) from the free-throw line and had three turnovers. For the season, Rose is scoring less than he did in 2010-11, but he’s dishing out 8.6 assists per outing, an improvement of nearly a full assist per game. Rose has put up top 15 averages so far, a bit disappointing given his first-round expectations heading into the season.

Lines for Discussion:
John Wall: 3-12 FG (25%), 2-3 FT (67%), 8 Pts, 2 Reb, 9 Ast, 3 Blk, 2 TO; Wall has been straight-up terrible this season

Elton Brand: 10-14 FG (71%), 1-4 FT (25%), 21 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Ast, 3 Blk; most of his numbers are down from last season, but he’s still a top 75 player

Russell Westbrook: 12-20 FG (60%), 6-10 FT (60%), 30 Pts, 6 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Blk, 2 TO; he’s averaging 20.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, a steal and 0.5 threes in January, while shooting 48 percent from the field and turning the ball over 2.5 times per game

Tim Duncan: 9-12 FG (75%), 2-3 FT (675), 20 Pts, 8 Reb, 7 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 Blk, 3 TO; he remains a decent low-end starter in most leagues, but DNPs are a concern late in the season

Stephen Jackson: 12-17 FG (71%), 7-7 FT (100%), 3 threes, 34 Pts, 1 Reb, 8 Ast, 3 TO; Captain Jack is still hitting just 38 percent of his shots from the floor this season, which drags down his otherwise decent fantasy value

Andrew Bogut: 7-15 FG (47%), 14 Pts, 11 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO; Bogut is posting top 40 averages so far, despite his mediocre 44 percent shooting from the field and 58 percent shooting from the free-throw line

Caron Butler: 8-19 FG (42%), 2-3 FT (67%), 2 threes, 20 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 TO; he’s not thieving like we’re used to seeing him (1.1 per game), but he’s hitting more threes than expected (1.6 per game)

Dwyane Wade: 11-23 FG (48%), 12-16 FT (75%), 34 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Ast, 4 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO; his owners must still monitor his status for each game

Dorell Wright: 7-15 FG (47%), 6 threes, 20 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO; Wright’s not completely out of the doghouse just yet, but this is an encouraging sign

Kobe Bryant: 18-31 FG (58%), 12-13 FT (92%), 48 Pts, 5 Reb, 3 Ast, 3 Stl, 2 TO; “Not bad for the seventh-best player in the league.” – Kobe after the game

Waiver-Wire Watch (four stars = must add; one star = keep an eye on him):
Trevor Booker: 8 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO (**)

Jordan Hill: 12 Pts, 12 Reb, 1 Ast, 5 Blk, 3 TO (*)

Chandler Parsons: 20 Pts, 2 threes, 7 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 TO (****)

Byron Mullens: 15 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk (**)

Evan Turner: 16 Pts, 10 Reb, 8 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 TO (**)

Kyle Korver: 13 Pts, 3 threes, 1 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO (**)

Kawhi Leonard: 19 Pts, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 4 Stl, 1 Blk (***)

Anthony Randolph: 18 Pts, 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO (*)

Derrick Favors: 14 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Blk, 1 TO (**)

Nate Robinson: 24 Pts, 2 threes, 4 Reb, 5 Ast, 4 Stl, 2 TO (****)

Injuries:
Mickael Pietrus (knee): plans to play tonight

Tyrus Thomas (ankle): day-to-day

Richard Hamilton (groin): day-to-day

Charlie Villanueva (ankle): day-to-day

Rodney Stuckey (groin): day-to-day

Courtney Lee (calf): day-to-day

Beno Udrih (shoulder): day-to-day

Luc Mbah a Moute (knee): day-to-day

Mike Dunleavy (groin): out 2-4 weeks

Spencer Hawes (back): left last night’s game early; day-to-day

Andray Blatche (shoulder): day-to-day

Troy Murphy (illness): day-to-day

Jason Kapono (personal): missed last night’s game for the birth of his twin girls

T.J. Ford (hamstring): day-to-day

Marcus Thornton (thigh): day-to-day

Kwame Brown (shoulder): day-to-day

J.J. Barea (ankle): monitor his status

For Tonight:
After playing a season-high 35:50 last night, expect Duncan to get limited run tonight against the Rockets.

[See another version of this post on DimeMag.com]

As his frontcourt mate continues his decline, Blair has a shot at making some noise at the center spot for the Spurs this season -- but will he? (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Depth chart:
PG: Tony Parker, Cory Joseph, Chris Quinn*
SG: Manu Ginobili, Gary Neal, Danny Green, Adam Hanga
SF: Richard Jefferson, Kawhi Leonard, James Anderson, Da’Sean Butler, Davis Bertans
PF: Tim Duncan, Matt Bonner, Steve Novak*
C: DeJuan Blair, Tiago Splitter, Antonio McDyess

* unrestricted free agent

Relevant fantasy players and their projected draft positions/per-game stats:
- Manu Ginobili, SG/SF (Rd. 3): 45% FG, 85% FT, 1.7 Threes, 17 Pts, 3.7 Reb, 4.7 Ast, 1.5 Stl, 2 TO
- Tim Duncan, PF/C (Rd. 6): 50% FG, 70% FT, 12.5 Pts, 8.5 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 1.7 Blk, 1.5 TO
- Tony Parker, PG (Rd. 7): 50% FG, 75% FT, 18 Pts, 3 Reb, 6.5 Ast, 1 Stl, 2.5 TO
- DeJuan Blair, PF/C (Rd. 11): 50% FG, 65% FT, 9.5 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Ast, 1.3 Stl, 0.5 Blk, 1.5 TO
- Gary Neal, SG (Rd. 12+): 45% FG, 80% FT, 1.5 Threes, 9.5 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 1 TO
- Tiago Splitter, PF/C (Rd. 13+): 55% FG, 55% FT, 6 Pts, 5 Reb, 0.5 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 0.5 Blk, 0.7 TO

Sleeper:
Neal

Most likely to surprise:
Blair

Most likely to disappoint:
Duncan

Category specialists:
- Threes: Ginobili, Neal, Bonner
- Steals: Ginobili
- Blocks: Duncan

Things to consider:
- whether a prolonged offseason could benefit Duncan and Ginobili’s production
- how much Blair asserts himself at C
- who, if anyone, emerges with reliable value at SF

Team’s statistical NBA ranks from 2010-11:
- Pts: 6th
- FGM: T-5th
- FGA: 16th
- FG%: 4th
- FT%: 14th
- 3PTM: T-4th
- Reb: 12th
- Ast: 8th
- TO: 6th
- Stl: T-14th
- Blk: T-18th
- Pace: 14th
- Offensive Efficiency: 2nd
- Defensive Efficiency: 11th

Fantasy-friendliness for 2011-12: B

Bonus:
Manu Ginobili meets Raja Bell

That pose should say it all. (Flickr/Keith Allison)

[Read the full post at DimeMag.com]

Buy Low:
Joakim Noah

Luol Deng

Roy Hibbert

Raymond Felton

David West

Chauncey Billups, Rudy Gay, Tyrus Thomas and any other productive fantasy players who are injured should be considered buy-low candidates.

Sell High:
Tim Duncan

Paul Millsap

Andrew Bogut

Jarrett Jack

Vince Carter

Love has been a beast this season, but his weak playoff schedule kind of makes him a scumbag.

[Read the full post at DimeMag.com]

Fantasy playoffs are right around the corner, with most playoff matchups beginning in Week 21 (3/14) or Week 22 (3/21). This means most fantasy owners who are still in contention for a playoff spot in their leagues should start pondering whether or not they want to swing some deals to bulk up their teams’ schedules during that all-important stretch of the season. In essence, fantasy owners should see this as another way of buying low (on players whose teams have favorable fantasy playoff schedules) and selling high (on players whose teams have weak fantasy playoff schedules).

Below is a quick rundown of how many games each team plays in Weeks 21-25 (Week 25 might be combined with Week 24 in leagues that play to the very end of the NBA regular season). Keep in mind that this post is meant to be read through the lens of your teams’ specific situations. So, for example, if your team is fighting for a spot in the playoffs, you might want to worry a bit less about playoff schedules than an owner whose team has a strong hold on the No. 1 overall spot in their league.

18 games:

17 games:

16 games:

15 games:

14 games:

Give Hill a standing ovation, then sit back down and sell him off. (NBA.com)

[Read the full post at DimeMag.com]

Buy Low:
Aaron Brooks

Stephen Jackson

Roy Hibbert

David Lee

Hedo Turkoglu

Joakim Noah, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer and any other productive fantasy players who are injured should be considered buy-low candidates.

Sell High:
Corey Maggette

John Wall

Tim Duncan

Danny Granger

Grant Hill

Gordon's got a lot of fantasy owners whispering sweet nothings into his ear, too. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

[Read the full post at DimeMag.com]

Beast of the Night: Eric Gordon blasted the Timberwolves with 36 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 5 steals and 5 threes. He shot 61 percent (14-23) from the field, 60 percent (3-5) from the free-throw line and had just one turnover. Gordon’s previous three games were a bit mild, but he’s still having a stellar season, improving his numbers in every category except for three-pointers made and turnovers.

Lines for Discussion:
Daniel Gibson: 8-15 FG (53%), 6-6 FT (100%), 7 threes, 29 Pts, 4 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 TO

Kirk Hinrich: 7-14 FG (50%), 4-4 FT (100%), 18 Pts, 6 Reb, 11 Ast, 2 Stl, 3 TO

Hedo Turkoglu: 1-4 FG (25%), 5-6 FT (83%), 1 three, 8 Pts, 6 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl

Trevor Ariza: 1-13 FG (8%), 2-2 FT (100%), 4 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO

Robin Lopez: 5-5 FG (100%), 4-5 FT (80%), 14 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Blk, 1 TO

Tim Duncan: 10-17 FG (59%), 20 Pts, 15 Reb, 6 Ast, 2 Stl, 3 Blk, 3 TO

LaMarcus Aldridge: 12-18 FG (67%), 5-6 FT (83%), 29 Pts, 19 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk

Monta Ellis: 15-20 FG (75%), 11-14 FT (79%), 3 threes, 44 Pts, 1 Reb, 7 Ast, 3 Stl, 3 TO

Waiver-Wire Watch:
C.J. Miles, Raja Bell, Nick Young, Marcus Thornton, Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers, Jared Dudley, Keyon Dooling, Rudy Fernandez, Martell Webster

Injuries:
Darren Collison (ankle): keep an eye on him

Brandan Wright (back): aiming to return Saturday

Andrew Bynum (knee): after practice Monday, said he felt same soreness he did on Sunday, in addition to a “sharp pain”

Jamal Crawford (back): day-to-day

Gerald Wallace (ankle): likely out tonight

Taj Gibson (concussion): doubtful tonight

Corey Maggette (concussion): dealing with concussion symptoms, didn’t travel with the Bucks for their three-game road trip

Dante Cunningham (ankle): day-to-day

Joel Przybilla (ankle): could miss the next three games

Mehmet Okur (ankle): sprained his right ankle in pregame warmups last night

Keyon Dooling (leg): monitor his status

Willie Green (personal): return date uncertain

Malik Allen (leg); day-to-day

Amir Johnson (back): monitor his status