fBasketballBlog

The quickly approaching Dec. 25 start to the somewhat unexpected 2011-12 NBA season means fantasy owners are like students cramming for a big exam. Here are a few tidbits to help you ace your drafts:

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  Love will have to lift less weight off the ground when grabbing 'bounds this season. (Flickr/Keith Allison)

  Kevin Love is reportedly “25 pounds lighter than when he left following last season.” This bodes well for his ability to maintain, if not exceed, his stellar fantasy value from last season. I can’t see any reason why Love would fall out of the top five spots in any fantasy basketball draft this season.

• Vince Carter is expected to be waived by the Phoenix Suns, which opens up the door (as expected) for Jared Dudley to step in and start. In 15 starts last season, Dudley averaged 51.8% FG, 77% FT, 1.7 3PTM, 16.3 Pts, 5.9 Reb, 2.2 Ast, 2.1 Stl, 0.5 Blk, 1.2 TO. In the 65 games he played (15 of which he started, 50 of which he came off the bench) from Dec. 2, 2010, through the end of last season, Dudley put up top 80 value. Call him a sleeper if you want, but Dudley should’ve already been on your radars. He’ll be a bargain if he falls into the last quarter of your draft. Carter, meanwhile, could land on a team in need of a SG, but don’t be fooled — his days of being a reliably productive fantasy asset are over. (continue reading…)

This would've been a fun group to watch, but only two of these dudes are definitely returning for whatever is left of 2011-12. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Depth chart:
PG: Ty Lawson, Andre Miller
SG: Arron Afflalo**, J.R. Smith*^
SF: Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler**^, Gary Forbes**, Jordan Hamilton
PF: Kenyon Martin*^, Al Harrington, Kenneth Faried, Melvin Ely*
C: Nene*, Timofey Mozgov, Chris Andersen, Kosta Koufos

* unrestricted free agent
** restricted free agent
^ locked into overseas contract with no opt-out clause (continue reading…)

In light of the NBA lockout, here's a photo of some salmon. (Flickr/Andrea Pokrzywinski)

Though that horrible “L” word has finally slammed the NBA’s doors shut, fantasy basketball fans can rest assured that this young (and abruptly suspended) offseason has already offered morsels of activity to chew on. Old faces have landed in new places, which means there’s some fantasy analysis to be had.

Here’s a look at how these early-summer trades will impact fantasy basketball once this real-life mess gets sorted out. (continue reading…)

'Melo's got his fantasy owners doing a lot of this lately. (Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Weekend Wonder: Carmelo Anthony averaged 29.5 points, nine rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, two blocks and four threes in two games over the weekend. He shot 44 percent from the field and 85 percent from the foul line in that stretch. In the last 30 days, Anthony has put up top-three averages.

Lines for Discussion:
Jrue Holiday (4/8): 3-11 FG (27%), 7-7 FT (100%), 13 Pts, 4 Reb, 11 Ast, 4 Stl, 1 Blk, 5 TO

J.J. Hickson (4/8): 11-20 FG (55%), 0-3 FT (0%), 22 Pts, 15 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 4 TO (continue reading…)

Howard was unfair last night. (David Liam Kyle/NBAE/Getty Images)

Beast of the Night: Dwight Howard posted 28 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, four steals and four blocks last night. He shot 82 percent (9-11) from the field, 83 percent (10-12) from the free-throw line and had four turnovers. With this monstrous line, Howard has amassed eight steals and nine blocks in his last two games. Though his boost in scoring has received the lion’s share of attention this season, it’s worth noting that Howard has also boosted his rebounding and thieving from last season’s marks.

Lines for Discussion:
Marcus Thornton: 9-14 FG (64%), 5-6 FT (83%), 2 threes, 25 Pts, 3 Reb, 4 Ast, 3 Stl, 2 TO

Ty Lawson: 7-10 FG (70%), 7-7 FT (100%), 2 threes, 23 Pts, 4 Reb, 8 Ast, 2 TO (continue reading…)