Feb. 10 -- I had this whole opening planned about the Superbowl, but when the best thing you can say about the game is about the commercials… maybe it’s best left unsaid.

Let’s hit the files….

Should I drop Kenny Thomas or Kyle Korver for Jameer Nelson?

When is Nelson due back and how productive will he be when he does return?

The latest reports indicate that Jameer Nelson will be out for close to another week. He was absolutely on fire before getting injured, having scored 18 or more points in 10 of his last 11 games (21.7 points per game in that span). He also averaged 6.7 assists to 3.2 turnovers per game (2.1 assist/turnover ratio) in that 11 game stretch. Taking into account that his terrific numbers started appearing once his minutes were increased, it’s safe to say that Jameer Nelson is an absolute stud when healthy and given the court time.

I would drop Kyle Korver for Nelson. Korver has been nothing short of anemic over the last month, averaging just 8.2 points and 1.7 threes per game on 32.6% shooting. That’s 32.6 percent as in less than one third of his shots. While his three point contributions (which are well below his usual average, by the way) are helpful, he’s doing more harm than good with the terrible shooting percentage and lack of production nearly everywhere on the board. With Nelson expected back in about a week, you would essentially make a sizable long-term upgrade without taking much of a hit in the short term. Drop Korver for Nelson and don’t look back.

Pietrus started for the Warriors tonight, and put up 16pts, 6rebs, 3 ast and 2 stls. Is this what we can expect from him night in and night out?

Long term, Mickael Pietrus is about as for real as it gets. Right now? He’s getting better and better with every game. He’s starting and consistently logging minutes in the low-to-mid 30’s. Quite frankly, his numbers since breaking the starting lineup – 15.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game with a good shooting percentage and plenty of threes – are absurd for a first-time starter.

Pietrus has been consistently productive since becoming a starter, and at age 24 – he’ll only improve. I honestly believe he can keep this up as long as he starts, and with his potential and all-around production (points, threes, rebounds, field goal percentage, steals) being what it is, not to mention his guard/forward eligibility, I’ll go out on a limb and say that Pietrus will be an above-average fantasy option for the remainder of the season.

Why didn’t Jaric play tonight? Carter started for him (kind of surprising).

Is McCants worth picking up (already grabbed Banks)?

Its official: Marco Jaric has lost his starting job. He has now sat consecutive games, and that is a coaching decision, not an injury. Now seemingly buried behind both Marcus Banks and Anthony Carter at point guard, Jaric will struggle to get minutes for the foreseeable future and has lost nearly all of the fantasy value he had before.

Jaric is about as far in the doghouse as it gets. With Marcus Banks playing like he made a deal with the devil, and Anthony Carter now the starter (4.5 assists per game in his two starts, despite less than 20 minutes in both games), it would be a shock to see Jaric make an impact any time soon. The Banks/Carter combo combines to make a scoring/passing threat that is more than enough at point guard; Banks is scoring like a madman (at least 15 points in three of his last four games) and is logging the majority of the minutes at point guard (30-plus minutes in four of his last five games) and Carter is an experienced point guard that has apparently earned the coach's trust, starting two games in a row.

Before all is said and done, I’d expect Jaric to at least get back to the 20 minutes/game level. Sure, he was playing terrible, but this is the same Marko Jaric that had a better than three-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio last season. He’s done it before, he can do it again – it’s just a matter of earning back trust in practice (and games, if he ever suits up again) and slowly creeping out of that doghouse.

At this point, I can only recommend Banks as a fantasy option. He’s getting the minutes, and the Wolves are showing no signs of confiscating those minutes, so there’s no justifiable reason to believe the production won’t continue. If you’re in a deeper league, and/or a league with a deep bench, Jaric still holds some value. You could try and deal him to an unsuspecting owner, explaining that he was producing until recently and could regain his starting job despite the struggles. Maybe mention his assist-to-turnover ratio from last year. If you could get anything of value for him at this point, it’d be worth it.

As for Rashad McCants, he’s too inconsistent to warrant a roster spot at this point. He routinely mixes goose eggs in with double digit point totals, and – despite the fact that he’s seen a modest increase in minutes since Wally Szczerbiak’s departure – it shouldn’t be ignored that he’s been in the doghouse himself, which could cause the minute fluctuation to continue. He’s got undeniable potential, but it's potential that likely won’t surface until farther down the road. Leave him alone for now.

I’m introducing a new feature to this week’s column – the “On the Money” section. I realize the shock of this all-out column transformation may be a lot to handle, but as Sheryl Crow once put it, “A change can do you good”. Consider this a column equivalent of a minor league call up, a way to review advice given in previous columns and presenting it in light of all new data. So without further ado, let’s find out where I was (queue choppy voice that sounds like the one which says “Wheel of Fortune”) On… the… Money!

In my January 27th column, I was asked about Chucky Atkins and how I thought he’d fare with the Grizzlies. Keep in mind, at this point he was riding pine. I responded with this:

Potentially, Chucky Atkins could make sizable fantasy contributions for Memphis. Bobby Jackson has not played well since taking over for Damon Stoudamire (38 percent from the field, only 4.3 assists per game in the last month), and minutes are there for the taking if Atkins can play well enough. In his two starts this season, Atkins recorded a stellar 2.6 assist/turnover ratio, stats that would be welcomed in the Grizzlies’ starting lineup if they were put up with consistency.

Since my writing that, Chucky Atkins has made five starts. If his zero-point, 16-minute outing on February 4th is conveniently ignored, Atkins is averaging 28.8 minutes, 14.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game – with a 3.5 assist-to-turnover ratio to boot – since breaking into the Grizzlies’ starting lineup. Not too shabby. That’s this week’s On the Money….

Unfortunately, that’s all I’ve got this week. Thanks for playing along in this little game we call the Cates Files. I’ve made it a personal goal to set the all-time e-mail mark for next week’s column; so – if you want to be a part of history – send your questions and comments to CatesFiles@talentedmrroto.com. If you’re crazy, and don’t want to be a part of history – well, to each his own. Until next week, The Cates Files are officially closed.

Chris Cates is a fantasy expert for NBA.com. His column The Cates Files runs every Friday as part of the NBA.com Premium Scouting Report. Contact him at CatesFiles@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.