Ah, yes, I had a very nice birthday last Sunday, thanks for asking. I grew up on board games – Stratego, Life, Risk, etc. As I got older, I got more into the group/"party" board games like Taboo and Pictionary. Last weekend, we pulled out the ol' Beyond Balderdash game. Man, I love that one. I hadn't played it in a while. In essence, you make stuff up while hoping the other players believe you. There are different categories, like names, dates, acronyms, definitions, and movies. It's a great game. If you haven't played it before, make a point to do so. You can probably get it on eBay for a decent price.

Speaking of eBay, I saw a story on the local news here (in Rhode Island) about a family that is auctioning off themselves. Yes, you can lease the entire family for five years for a million bucks – if you live in the Bahamas. That's where they want to live and work. Nuts, huh? People in this crazy world of ours never fail to amaze me.

One other quick note – I watched some of the People's Choice awards last Monday. Craig Ferguson is underrated as a comedian – I like him. I was glad to see that Prison Break won the "Best New TV Drama" award – I can't believe that we still have to wait two more months for a new episode. No matter... Jack is back, baby! I couldn't believe that Ray Romano beat out Kiefer Sutherland for the "Male TV Star" award.

Now, let’s get to the good stuff, shall we? I basically go through the five positions and comment on things that I’ve seen around the league over the past week. I try to give you the heads-up on position battles, injuries, hot and cold streaks, upcoming schedules, and how you can get the edge on your league-mates from my analysis. So, let’s get cracking...

Point Guards
Steve Blake, POR – Blake scored 19 points and dished out nine assists Wednesday night. However, in the two previous games, he combined for 15 points and six assists total. In deeper leagues, those desperate for assists can take a flyer on him. Sebastian Telfair lurks in the background, but coach Nate McMillan doesn't seem to be in a hurry to give Telfair more minutes. In medium-to-shallow leagues, Blake can continue to be safely ignored (well, keep him on your radar in medium leagues, I suppose).

Anthony Johnson, IND – I have to share a quote directly from Jamaal Tinsley's mouth (Indianapolis Star)... "I'm not close to coming back," Tinsley said. "I don't normally use my left hand this much. You can't set a timetable on this. When I'm healthy I'll come back. It's been seven games. I thought it would be sooner than that, but [there's] no telling when I'll be ready. I'm working on my conditioning right now." I still say buy Tinsley low, as he could have a good stretch run, but in the meantime, use Johnson in your line-up in deeper leagues. He managed seven assists on Wednesday night.

Shooting Guards
Michael Finley, SA – Finley, who was great while Manu Ginobili was out, is now fantasy toast. If your roster is set up where you have Ginobili and a spot on your bench for Finley, then go ahead and work the handcuff. Otherwise, Finley should be dropped. He has scored two, five, nine, and zero points in his last four games.

Jacque Vaughn, NJ – Vaughn has been filling in for the injured Richard Jefferson. On Tuesday night, Vaughn scored ten points while amassing five assists and five steals. However, Jefferson is expected back any time, so Vaughn can be safely ignored in all fantasy leagues. His one value is in deep leagues, where you should snatch him up if Kidd, Carter, or Jefferson (after he comes back) were to be expected out for a period of time.

Small Forwards
Corliss Williamson, SAC – Corliss has done well in past years filling in for injured starters. He was up to his old tricks again Wednesday night, scoring 19 points in 27 minutes. Is this an aberration or a sign of things to come? I'll call it a fluke, but keep an eye on him this weekend anyway. Kevin Martin has cooled off recently, and the team will certainly take production from wherever they can get it. If Corliss gives us another solid effort or two, consider him for your bench, at least, in deeper leagues.

Ron Artest, IND – By now we've all heard of the rumor about Artest going to the Clippers for Corey Maggette. Great, trade a player with an attitude problem for a player with an injury problem. However, Thursday night on TNT, Cheryl Miller reported that the Pacers doctors don't like the look of Maggette's injured foot and therefore will not approve the trade. It could still go through, but be aware that it may be a dead deal. Still, in your fantasy league, now is the time to trade for Artest if you can get him at a discount.

Power Forwards
Zarko Cabarkapa, GS – He not only has one of the coolest names in the history of the NBA – he scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Thursday night's game against the Suns. He had really done nothing previously. What does this mean? This means that we should keep an eye on him in deeper leagues. He's young (24 years old), so he's at that age where given the minutes, he could break out. With the eternally gimpy Troy Murphy in front of him and the gimpy Adonal Foyle and rookie Ike Diogu at center, more minutes could certainly be in the cards at some point this year. Keep him in the back of your mind and pounce on him if it ever looks like he'll get a consistent 30 minutes per game.

Antonio Davis, NY – Davis had 11 points and nine rebounds on Wednesday night, but this can be ignored. The game went into overtime, where he amassed nearly half of that nice stat line. Should the starting Knick big men Eddy Curry or Channing Frye get hurt, Davis is one to look at as an injury fill-in in deeper leagues. Otherwise, he can safely be ignored.

Centers
Dikembe Mutombo, HOU – "Deke" pulled down 18 rebounds Wednesday night. However, he recorded zero blocks, hadn't done much before then filling in for the injured Yao Ming, and is 39 years old. Ming will be back in a few weeks. Only those desperate for rebounds in deeper leagues should consider picking Mutombo up. One positive is that he'll play all four-game weeks until Yao returns.

Kwame Brown, LAL – Kwame's back! Okay, so he's not breaking out like some thought he would, but he's gotten back to the point where he's useful as a second center / big man in deeper leagues. He's been getting good minutes, and he can apparently get you seven points, seven rebounds, and a block per night. He could still develop into a steady ten-eight-one (points, rebounds, blocks) threat. At least get him on your bench if he was dropped in your league.

That’s all for this edition. Check back in a week for more fantasy basketball fun.

Dave Gawron is a fantasy expert for NBA.com. His column Slam Dunk runs every Saturday as part of the NBA.com Premium Scouting Report. Contact him at Dunk@TalentedMrRoto.com.

The views expressed by the TalentedMrRoto.com represent only the views of the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA team.