Fantasy Outlook - Reserves Playing Like Fantasy Starters
Sessions, Martin Putting Up Solid Numbers
By Matt Rochinski
bobcats.com
November 26, 2012
Fantasy basketball players are always looking for those players that might be accidentally overlooked if their opposing fantasy coaches are just looking at NBA depth charts. A great fantasy owner looks further down the bench than just the starting five. After all, if you didn’t, players like James Harden in OKC last season would never have cracked your fantasy lineup. Well, Harden is starting in Houston now, but the Cats matchup with the Thunder on November 26 will still feature two NBA reserves playing like fantasy starters for their respective teams.
Ramon Sessions does not start in Charlotte, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t finishing for the Cats. Sessions ranks second on the team in scoring (17.2 points), has had five 20+ point games this season and has scored in double digits in all 12 Bobcats games. He connects on 40.2 percent of his shots from the field and 81.7 percent from the charity stripe, but he’s not just a scorer. Sessions is second on the team with 4.3 assists and also grabs 3.8 rebounds to go with 1.00 steal. While he might not be in Head Coach Mike Dunlap’s starting lineup, he’s third on the Cats behind Kemba Walker (38.3 minutes) and Byron Mullens (33.8) with 29.4 minutes per game. Dunlap has found great success with Walker and Sessions in the lineup together to help close out games, so Sessions should be in your lineup too.
Kevin Martin went from a starter with the Rockets to the Thunder’s sixth-man role when he was acquired in the deal for James Harden. Martin has found the same type of success coming off the bench in OKC, scoring 15.9 points in 30.7 minutes off the bench while knocking down 46.0 percent of his shots from the field, 93.8 percent from the free-throw line and 50.0 percent from long range. He’s also tied for third in the NBA with 34 treys this season. Throw in 2.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.29 steals, and Monday’s matchup could feature two of the early-season frontrunners for Sixth Man of the Year with Sessions and Martin.