FANTASY / PLAYER NEWS
Beno Udrih: Leg Injury Keeps Him Out
Update: Udrih (leg) missed Wednesday night's game at Phoenix.
Analysis: Francisco Garcia started at point guard in his place. Udrih exited Tuesday's game midway through the third quarter after hurting himself. There's been little information regarding his status, but team officials said his injury isn't serious.
Gerald Wallace: Leaves Game with Head Injury
Update: Wallace left Wednesday's game against the Wizards just before halftime after hitting his head on the backboard and landing awkwardly, the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: No word on the severity of the head injury. Consider him day-to-day.
Rasheed Wallace: Leaves Game with Sore Knee
Update: Wallace did not play in the second half against the Knicks on Wednesday night because of a sore left knee, the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: Wallace had eight points and three rebounds at halftime. No word on the severity of the injury.
Ron Artest: Will Not Play on Wednesday
Update: Artest will not play against the Suns Wednesday night due to personal reasons, the East Valley Tribune reports.
Analysis: He did not accompany the Kings to Phoenix after Tuesday's home loss to the Suns. He may re-join them in time for Friday's game at Portland. John Salmons should start in his place at small forward.
Vince Carter: Game-Time Decision Wednesday
Update: Carter (ankle) is being called a game-time decision by the Nets, but he participated in Wednesday morning's shootaround, the New York Daily News reports.
Analysis: Carter has missed the last five games because of the injury, but returned to practice Tuesday and is obviously nearing a return to game action.
Antonio Daniels: Takes Over for Injured Arenas
Update: With news that Gilbert Arenas is going to miss about three months due to a knee injury, Daniels will fill in at point guard for the Wizards going forward.
Analysis: Obviously, Daniels is not going to match Arenas' offensive numbers, but he's worth a pickup if you need guard help, given the bump in minutes he is in line for.
Cedric Simmons: Will Miss Wednesday's Game
Update: Simmons suffered a mild left ankle sprain last Friday and will miss Wednesday night's game against the Timberwovles, the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Analysis: Despite a paucity of big men on the Cavs, Simmons is little used, having played in just four games this season.
Gilbert Arenas: Undergoes Knee Surgery
Update: Arenas underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and may be out for three months, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis: This is the same surgery Arenas had in April. Arenas, who underwent an MRI prior to the surgery Wednesday, re-injured the knee Friday night against Minnesota. He said he won't be able to do any basketball related activity for three weeks. "It's a downer because I really thought I was getting back," Arenas said. "It's a big setback but I guess I'll start all over again." Antonio Daniels will likely take his place in the starting lineup.
Kenny Thomas: Doubting Thomas
Update: Thomas (shin) returned to action Tuesday night after missing three consecutive games.
Analysis: He played eight minutes and scored four points with three rebounds against Phoenix. Thomas has logged minor minutes this season with first-year coach Reggie Theus at the helm. His future with the Kings doesn't look particularly promising.
Rodney Stuckey: Not Yet Cleared to Practice
Update: Stuckey (hand) can beging dribbling and catching a basketball, but he has not been cleared to practice, the Detroit Free Press reports.
Analysis: The Pistons will make their next determination of Stuckey's recovery schedule when he meets with team doctors next week.
Taurean Green: Back to the Bench
Update: Green has been demoted to the bench after just one game in the second unit, The Oregonian reports.
Analysis: Green has absolutely no fantasy value now that he won't even play.
Antonio McDyess: Could Return Wednesday
Update: McDyess (shoulder) practiced Tuesday and appears ready to return for Wednesday night's game with the Knicks, the Detroit News reports.
Analysis: The Pistons lost two of the three games McDyess missed, so they'll happily bring him back into the fold. Jason Maxiell heads back to the bench.
Sergio Rodriguez: Promoted back to Second Unit
Update: Rodriguez has been promoted back to the second unit in place of Taurean Green, The Oregonian reports.
Analysis: This promotion will result in a slight boost in minutes but Rodriguez will continue to make no fantasy impact playing behind two point guards.
James Jones: Moved to Inactive List
Update: Jones (knee) has been placed on the inactive list, The Oregonian reports.
Analysis: Healthy or not, Jones is a garbage time player so far this season and not worth a pickup.
Josh McRoberts: Activated
Update: McRoberts (ankle) has been activated to take the place of James Jones, The Oregonian reports.
Analysis: McRoberts will probably play as a strictly garbage time and foul trouble player. He is not worth a pick up this season.
Joakim Noah: Led the Bulls in Scoring Tuesday
Update: Noah led the Bulls with 16 points and added eight rebounds in 22 minutes of action in the team's 112-91 loss to Denver Tuesday.
Analysis: Noah saw additional minutes due to the blowout and made the most of them. With Chicago looking for some energy on the floor, Noah could see some additional playing time in the near-future.
Antonio Daniels: Fills in for Arenas
Update: Daniels scored 15 points (on 4-of-6 shooting) and added eight assists and six rebounds in 31 minutes of action in Tuesday's win over the Sixers.
Analysis: Daniels got his second straight start in the absence of the injured Gilbert Arenas, and is likely in line for another one Wednesday.
Jose Calderon: Likely Starter on Wednesday
Update: With TJ Ford in the locker room for most of the second half Tuesday, Calderon played over 25 minutes and scored 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting with six assists.
Analysis: Ford is a game-time decision for Wednesday's game due to his arm injury but it seems unlikely that he'll play, leaving the door open for Calderon to pick up his first start of the season. He averaged nearly a double-double (14.4 points, 9.5 assists) over an eight game stretch last season when Ford was sidelined, so expect good fantasy numbers from Calderon if he does start on Wednesday.
T.J. Ford: Could Miss Wednesday's Game
Update: Ford, who suffered a 'stinger' in his left arm after trying to take a change from Josh Howard Tuesday night, is unsure if he'll be able to play on Wednesday against the Grizzlies, the Toronto Star reports.
Analysis: "You ever hit your funny bone? It's kind of that tingling feeling, but it hurts... just in my (left) arm," Ford said Tuesday night. Ford was hospitalized during the playoffs last season with a similar injury, but this doesn't seem quite as severe. Jose Calderon would get starter's minutes against Memphis if Ford can't suit up.
Beno Udrih: Listed for Wednesday Start
Update: After leaving Tuesday's game with a right quadriceps contusion, Udrih is listed as the starting point guard Wednesday at Phoenix, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Analysis: He left midway through the fourth quarter and did not return. It didn't appear that the injury was too serious as Udrih sat on the bench icing his leg after he was replaced. Swingman Francisco Garcia filled his role on the floor for the remainder of the game.
Beno Udrih: Listed to Start Wednesday
Update: After leaving Tuesday's game with a right quadriceps contusion, Udrih is listed as the starting point guard for Wednesday at Phoenix, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Analysis: He left midway through the fourth quarter and did not return. It didn't appear that the injury was too serious as Udrih sat on the bench icing his leg after he was replaced. Swingman Francisco Garcia filled his role on the floor for the remainder of the game.
Louis Williams: Scores a Career-High Tuesday Night
Update: Williams scored a career-high 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the floor Tuesday night in a loss to Washington.
Analysis: Williams played 29 minutes in all and was making shots from all over the floor. He shot 4-of-4 from beyond the arc and is turning heads with his offensive ability.
Andre Iguodala: Has An Off-Night Shooting Tuesday
Update: Iguodala shot just 3-of-11 from the floor Tuesday night in a loss to Washington and finished with 10 points (2-5 3PT, 2-3 FT), five assists and three rebounds.
Analysis: Iguodala played just 28 minutes as the 76ers were down big early. The team then went to the bench and didn't look back. Iguodala has not been shooting well this season but you have to stick with him for his other contributions.
Samuel Dalembert: Started Tuesday Night After Knee Trouble
Update: Dalembert (bruised left knee) started Tuesday night in a loss to Washington but played just 22 minutes and finished with eight points (4-6 FG) and five rebounds.
Analysis: Dalembert can't blame this performance on foul trouble since he committed just one in the contest. The team just played poorly and Dalembert couldn't get going on the defensive end.
DeShawn Stevenson: Bags 19 Points on Tuesday
Update: Stevenson scored a season-high 19 points (on 7-of-11 shooting) and added five rebounds in Tuesday's win over the Sixers.
Analysis: There were some extra shots available for Stevenson, who made 3-of-5 three-pointers, with Gilbert Arenas scratched on Tuesday. Arenas is likely out again on Wednesday, but keep in mind Stevenson was scoreless on Saturday (with Arenas out), so there's no guarantees he'll continue to be featured prominently in the offense.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas: Ilgauskas Averaging 16 pts./12 rebs. Through 11 Games
Update: Ilgauskas is averaging 16-points/12-rebounds through the Cavaliers first 11 games.
Analysis: With the announcement of Donyell Marshall out six to eight weeks, you should expect Ilgauskas to at continue his solid play. Shooting 50% from the field and almost 84% from the foul line, in addition to his block and a half per game, Ilgauskas could earn his spot back in the All-Star game for the eastern conference.
Kareem Rush: Ice Cold
Update: Rush was just 1-for-6 from the field in Tuesday's loss to the Lakers and is 9-for-32 over his last six games.
Analysis: Rush's struggles are emblematic of the Pacers' recent shooting woes. The trouble with their uptempo style is that if they're not hitting from outside, they're going to have a hard time keeping up. They need to get a lot more out of their outside shooters like Rush.
Andray Blatche: Upside on Display Tuesday
Update: Blatche, who recorded a career-high 26 points on 12-of-14 shooting and added eight rebounds and four assists in Tuesday's win over the Sixers, could be in line for extra minutes Wednesday if Brendan Haywood (ankle, game-time decision) is scratched or limited against the Bobcats.
Analysis: If nothing else, Tuesday's high-energy effort has to be a confidence builder for Blatche, and should serve as a reminder of the 21 year-old F/C's upside.
Brendan Haywood: Game-Time Decision Wednesday
Update: Haywood, who left Tuesday's game late in the third quarter with a left ankle sprain, underwent treatment afterward and said he will be a game-time decision Wednesday, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Haywood's self-diagnosis seems to indicate that his injury is not severe, but he'd need to be a quick healer to be out there on Wednesday against the Bobcats.
Juan Carlos Navarro: Is Earning Minutes
Update: Navarro's playing time has gone from fluctuating to an average of nearly 30 minutes a game during the past three games, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. "I'm trying to find minutes," Navarro said. "I'm confident with my shot and comfortable with the offense. Everything is much better than the first game. My worry is to make it a good year. I want to be able to make my contract better for the future. So I worry every day to find minutes. I would play 48 minutes, but I know that's impossible."
Analysis: Navarro's strengths are his 3-point shooting and scoring potential. It will be interesting to see if Navarro's increase in playing time continues once Darko Milicic returns from his thumb injury.
Gilbert Arenas: Unlikely to Play Wednesday
Update: Coach Eddie Jordan indicated that Arenas (knee), who was a late scratch Tuesday, likely would shoot for a return in Friday's game against Golden State, the Washington Times reports.
Analysis: "We'll probably target Friday as something possible," Coach Eddie Jordan said before Tuesday's game. "It's going to be the way he feels and I've said it all along: It's about the recommendation of the doctors and the way he feels. Sometimes with professional athletes, they'll try to push it and the doctor will say it's iffy. In this case, it's a mutual agreement." In any case, we'd be very surprised to see Arenas out there Wednesday, when the Wizards take on Charlotte.
Ron Artest: Sightings at Power Forward
Update: Artest, who has been opening games at small forward, has also been playing in the post to boost frontcourt production, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Analysis: There was rampant speculation that Artest (domestic abuse) may start at power forward before he came back from his seven-game suspension, but it never transpired. He is definitely planting himself closer to the basket on the defensive end. On Tuesday night, he collected 12 rebounds as a result.
Cuttino Mobley: Questionable Against the Nuggets
Update: Mobley (groin) is a game-time decision Wednesday against Denver.
Analysis: Team officials have said he will rest until his injury is healed. According to Mobley, his groin was about 70% on Monday. With Quinton Ross (knee) and Al Thornton (ankle) game-time decisions as well, Los Angeles coach Mike Dunleavy has some difficult choices to make in Denver. Mobley should be benched until he plays a generous string of games.
Tim Thomas: Coach Wants Him Inside
Update: Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy wants Thomas to regularly take his game inside, the Orange County Register reports.
Analysis: Thomas has shot very well from the outside this season, but Dunleavy needs him to utilize pump fakes and drives to the rim. The Clippers' power forward ranks among the league leaders in 3-pointers made with 25, and he is shooting 37.3 percent from behind the arc. Thomas, who averages more than 33 minutes per game, the highest amount in his 11-year career, is a strong start in most fantasy leagues. If he takes Dunleavy up on his advice, look for an increase in rebounds, free-throw attempts and field-goal percentage.
Jianlian Yi: Yi Scores Five in Limited Playing Time
Update: Yi scored just five points in 16 minutes against the Cavs on Tuesday night.
Analysis: It was the second game in a row that Yi played less than 20 minutes without getting into foul trouble. This is going to happen throughout the season as coach Larry Krystkowiak will play either Yi or Charlie Villanueva depending on the matchup.
Royal Ivey: Big Game off of the Bench
Update: Ivey scored 15 points in 15 minutes against the Cavs on Tuesday night.
Analysis: Ivey has been getting around 14 minutes of playing time, when he plays. Tuesday night was by far his best game of the season and probably isn't an indication of what he'll do on a regular basis.
Devean George: Could Practice Next Tuesday
Update: George (foot) could return to practice as early as next Tuesday, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Analysis: George's return will probably eat into the reserve minutes of Trenton Hassell, though neither is terribly fantasy relevant.
Eddie Jones: Expected to Start Running Friday
Update: Jones (ankle) is expected to start running Friday and could be back as early as next week, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Analysis: Jones should regain his starting shooting guard spot when he does return, supplanting Mo Ager.
Jerry Stackhouse: Held Scoreless Against Raptors
Update: Stackhouse was held scoreless in Tuesday's 104-99 win over the Raptors, missing all six of his shots.
Analysis: Stackhouse is 33 years old now, and has Jason Terry supplanting him in the designated bench scorer role. Look for Stack's production to therefore drop significantly this season.
Jason Terry: Scores 19 Against Raptors
Update: Terry had 19 points, five assists and three rebounds in the Mavs' 104-99 win over the Raptors on Tuesday night.
Analysis: Another solid game from Terry, who connected on seven of his eight free-throws, and should be a source of strong free-throw shooting the rest of the season.
Josh Howard: Nears Double-Double Against Raptors
Update: Howard had 15 points and nine rebounds in the Mavs' 104-99 win over the Raptors on Tuesday night.
Analysis: Another solid game from Howard, who may see his shot opportunities drop with the offensive emergence of Devin Harris.
Erick Dampier: Grabs Six Rebounds Against Raptors
Update: Dampier (shoulder) had two points and six rebounds in the Mavs' 104-99 win over the Raptors on Tuesday night.
Analysis: Dampier played 16 minutes against Toronto, and may still be a few games away from regaining his starting center spot.
Devin Harris: Scores 19 Against Raptors
Update: Harris had 19 points, three rebounds and two assists in the Mavs' 104-99 win over Toronto on Tuesday night.
Analysis: Harris' lack of assists still worries us, but his turnovers (zero Tuesday night) are way down, and should at least prevent him from being benched like he was last year.
Dirk Nowitzki: Scores 32 Against Raptors
Update: Nowitzki had 32 points and seven rebounds in the Mavs' 104-99 win over the Raptors on Tuesday night.
Analysis: This was the game that Nowitzki owners had been waiting for, as he led the team back from a 24-point deficit, while shooting 12-19 from the field and 4-6 from three. Expect this to touch off a scoring explosion from last year's MVP.
Luke Walton: Scores 11 Against Pacers
Update: Walton had 11 points, five rebounds and four assists in the Lakers' 134-114 win over Indiana on Tuesday.
Analysis: Walton had a good game on Tuesday, but two factors should concern Walton owners: 1) Tuesday's game was a blowout, and much of Walton's time was garbage time and 2) the arrival of Trevor Ariza in a trade may cut into Walton's already-limited minutes.
Jordan Farmar: Scores 18 Against Pacers
Update: Farmar had 18 points, four assists and two steals in the Lakers' 134-114 win over the Pacers on Tuesday.
Analysis: Farmar's scoring has been way up over the last few games, and his minutes are going up accordingly. He played more minutes than starter Derek Fisher on Tuesday (22 to 21), albeit in a blowout.
Ronny Turiaf: Plays 17 Minutes Against Indiana
Update: Turiaf (ankle) came off the bench to play 17 minutes in the Lakers' 134-114 win over the Heat on Tuesday night.
Analysis: Turiaf had one point, four rebounds and five assists, and may see limited playing time over the next few games.
Kenyon Martin: Starts and Plays 23 Minutes
Update: Martin (back spasms) started and played 23 minutes against the Bulls on Tuesday night posting 13 points and eight boards.
Analysis: Martin's back issues were clearly just minor as he looked very solid on Tuesday against the Bulls. He continues to have his minutes regulated so we still don't recommend starting him unless you have no other options.
Carmelo Anthony: Has Another Strong Scoring Night
Update: Anthony led all scorers with 26 points on 8-of-20 FGs and 10-of-13 FTs during the Nuggets 112-91 win over the Bulls on Tuesday night.
Analysis: Anthony also added four assists and two rebounds in this 30 minutes of action. He continues to deliver 20+ points a night with regularity and although his other stats have suffered lately that has more to do with limited minutes due to blowouts than anything else. Keep him in your line-up.
Quentin Richardson: Elbow Still Hurting
Update: Richardson's hyperextended elbow is still causing him pain, Newsday reports.
Analysis: Since missing one game because of the injury, Richardson is shooting 24.3 percent (9-for-37) and missed all seven of his 3-point attempts. "It hasn't gotten any better," Knicks head coach Isiah Thomas said of Richardson. "It definitely affects his shooting." On a side note, Thomas did not make the change in the starting lineup he had been considering -- David Lee at small forward for Richardson -- so Richardson remains part of the starting five for now.
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