Dalton Del Don, a fantasy basketball expert from RotoWire.com, answered your fantasy hoops questions on Friday, October 19.

Dalton is a RotoWire.com columnist who also contributes to NBA.com/Fantasy content. You can read a number of his pieces inside The Opening Tip!

Dalton Del Don: The time is now. You've been waiting. I shall take on your most pressing questions.

hello : who do u expect to have a better year in fantasy dwight howard or al jeff?

Dalton Del Don: If your league counts turnovers, you have to go with Jefferson first, but if not, I'm taking Howard - he's really worked on his shooting over the offseason, and I expect his touch to be much better from the line this year. He's the favorite to lead the league in rebounding as well.

Deburg: A. Law IV - Atl hawks. sleeper or bust?

Dalton Del Don: Good question, but I'm going with sleeper. There appears to be a logjam at PG in Atlanta on the surface, but I'm really worried about Speedy Claxton's knees, so I wouldn't be surprised if Law takes that job and runs with it. Sometimes that position takes a little longer for rookies to acclimate themselves with, so you might have to be patient in the early going, but I like both his long-term potential and his ability to provide value later in your drafts this season.

Len (Canada): Heard Jason Terry is coming off the bench this season for the Mavs and his preseason mins have been low, do you see his stats dipping significantly?

Dalton Del Don: Not significantly, but it's a situation you have to monitor right now. There's really no telling how serious Avery Johnson is with the idea of making Terry the sixth man (Jerry Stackhouse has looked good as a starter this preseason), but still, I assume Terry would see close to his normal minutes even if coming off the bench. I would move him down my rankings a peg or two but not too much.

Corey Brewer: can teams get something out of me this season?

Dalton Del Don: Yeah, Minnesota is going to give the young guys all the run they can handle. I wouldn't expect a great scoring output, but Brewer should be a solid contributor in the hustle department (steals and blocks). More of an end-game type fantasy pick though.

Jay C (NY): I've got the 3rd pick in my draft and I am leaning towards taking Gilbert Arenas....who would you take between Agent Zero and Kevin Garnett?

Dalton Del Don: I prefer Garnett. I'm not too worried about Arenas returning from knee surgery, but it's another thing to think about when comparing two similar players. As for KG, I think he'll still have a similar scoring average b/c of the lack of depth in Boston, and moving to the East means fewer dominant big men to contend with in the post. Very few players can match his reb/ass/steaks/blocks combo, and plus, he's one of the best free throw shooting PFs as well. I'd take Garnett over Arenas and wouldn't think twice....It's much easier to address three-pointers later on in drafts.

Sonny (Vancouver): With a late pick who has more value in Seattle: Green or Szczerbiak?

Dalton Del Don: Tough call, but I'd go with Szczerbiak. Green is still pretty raw, and I'd obviously rather have him in a keeper league, but I could see Wally having a nice bounce back year this season. Sure, there's always injury risk with him, but he's such a help in percentages and threes, he's probably got more upside in redraft leagues this year.

Aaron (Lafayette): Triple-D, your thoughts on Larry Hughes... is he primed for a comeback or going to continue his slide towards waiver wire status? Scary percentages. THANKS!

Dalton Del Don: What's happened to him? I wonder myself. I think when you combine his injury-proness with the hit you take in percentages, he's someone I'm passing on. But that 2004-05 season was huge. The major decline in steals suggests he's just not as active or quick as he used to be, and playing with LeBron James really stunts his stats overall.

roy England: Is Shaq worth keeping in a H-H league or should i try and trade on his name. I figure i'm going to struggle in ft% anyway as i've also got Duncan and LeBron.

Dalton Del Don: Shaq is definitely more valuable in H2H than he is roto, and if your team makeup consists of other FT drainers, then I think he's totally fine to hold onto. That's actually a good strategy in my opinion. Shaq is going to battle injuries from time to time, but he's still a huge help in FG% and is one of the better scoring centers in the game.

JOn (NY): Fantasy ethics question. I am a commissioner of an auction draft league. Is it wrong to call out a player's injuries and then low-ball on his price?

Dalton Del Don: Hopefully I understand this question, but I think all's fair in fantasy. If no one else wants him, then you're stuck with him because you called him out first, right? So it's a gamble.

Eddie (ID): Jason Kidd...every year I expect him to decline and every year he doesn't. Is this the year? Should I take him with the #8 pick?

Dalton Del Don: Same here: Every year I avoid him expecting the inevitable decline and end up regretting it all season long. Actually, I'm switching up and think he makes a fine pick at No. 8. He's reportedly in great shape, and there simply isn't a better triple-double threat night in and night out in the game. That's right where I have him on my board, eighth.

Ron (Mexico): Which combo do you like more... Al Jefferson and Raymond Felton or Deron Williams and LaMarcus Aldridge?

Dalton Del Don: Very, very close call here, but I'd side with the Williams/Aldridge combo. I am a huge Jefferson fan (think he's worth a 2nd round pick), but Felton simply destroys your percentages to the point he'll be nowhere near my team. D. Williams is a top-5 point guard who is only getting better and plays in a terrific system in Utah, while L. Aldridge is poised for a huge breakout manning the middle in Portland with no Greg Oden around. Aldridge is one of my favorite breakout candidates.

eric (ny via la): i am in a very competitive 12 team, head-to-head league with daily lineup changes...the league has recently instituted a maximum amount of waiver moves that can be made at 40...what are your thoughts on this? do most leagues have a maximum amount of pickups, or is this something new to you? thanks...

Dalton Del Don: I've seen it both ways, and here's why it's something that's necessary - only b/c it's daily transactions. If not, then there's no need for a max - why punish someone for being overly active? However, since it's daily, then if no max was instituted, the person most willing to make pickups (and you can really abuse this by doing it right after midnight every night) will usually win - so it comes down to who is more active instead of who has the better team, and that's not right.

Shabazz (LA): Ray Allen or Paul Pierce?

Dalton Del Don: Hate this question: I'll take Allen. He's slightly older and coming off major ankle surgery, but it seems like Pierce may be hurt more by KG's existence, whereas a jump shooter like Allen should only benefit. Plus, he's a superior free throw shooter and one of the biggest helps in 3PT in the league. There's no wrong answer here, though.

D.C. Fantasy Guru: Andray Blatche, high twenties for minutes? He looks like a pretty good sleeper, what can we expect from him?

Dalton Del Don: Definitely a sleeper in deep leagues. With no Etan Thomas around, only Brendan Haywood stands in his way for minutes at center, and Blatche can play some PF as well. Haywood is nothing special and often battles foul trouble, so 25 mpg might be a reasonable expectation for Blatche, who can definitely score in the post.

Sleeper: Who are the top 5 biggest sleepers in this years draft?

Dalton Del Don: In no particular order, I like Rajon Rondo, Rudy Gay, Andrew Bynum, Danny Granger and Corey Maggette....If you want me to dig for deeper sleepers, I'll go with Marquis Daniels, Trevor Ariza, Gerald Green, Marco Belinelli and Tyrus Thomas.

Justice League (Grand Rapids): Hey Dalton! I have the 11th pick in my draft and considering all the health issues with the crop of big men I am planing to take Dwight Howard with my 14th pick in the second round. Since free throws are out the window who should I pick with the 11th selection to complement him?

Dalton Del Don: Think Josh Smith will be around? If so, I'd def. nab him there. Other options include Chris Paul or Amare Stoudemire. No real terrible FT shooters jump out at me with great value there, however.

Dave (Boston, MA): If I take Dirk in the 1st rnd, should I be looking for the best C available in the 2nd rnd, the best pg, or simply the best player available?

Dalton Del Don: I think position scarcity needs to be taken into account, but for the most part, I suscribe to the best player avilable theory and try to address specific needs later on. That said, personally I'm targeting big men during the early parts of drafts this year. So in your case, that means I'd be taking Yao Ming, Pau Gasol or Tim Duncan in round 2 - or maybe even a Chirs Bosh, Dwight Howard or Al Jefferson. Blocks are hard to come by, and swing men/guards are always available late.

QB1 (Dillon, Tx): I'm keeping Gasol and Amare this year. With my third pick, would you take Okafor, Butler, or the best available PG?

Dalton Del Don: Hey Matt Sarason, if that point guard is Deron Williams, I'd go with him. If not, then give me Okafor. Sure, he's an injury risk, but the potential is massive - he was unstoppable before succumbing to injury last year, and center is a tough position to fill.

Dalton Del Don: Thanks for all of your questions everyone, hope I helped out some. Look forward to doing this again sometime, and good luck with your fantasy season this year!




Expert Chat Homepage | Check out the Draft Kit! | Play Ultimate Fantasy Commissioner!