Fanhouse Fantasy - nba-waiver-wire

Who's Got Next: Playoff Edition

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-03-13T16:00:00 00:00

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball

You've been warned a number of times, so act like you know. Week 21 is upon us, which means that we are heading into the first round of the fantasy basketball playoffs. Now more than ever you need to make sure that your roster is in order or "tight" -- as they say. This is where the real work begins -- if you want to call it work. In this week's edition of Who's Got Next I'm going to take a look at players who might be able to help you in your playoff run.

The key in working the waiver wires this week is to know which categories you're chasing. Win five categories, that's all you need to do. So before you add players to "stream" into your lineup or to supplant an injured player, make sure you've identified those five categories. There's no reason to add JaVale McGee if you're not going win your blocks category. It's also important to know the schedule. Three teams play only twice in Week 21 -- Dallas, Portland, and Orlando. No need in heading to the wires to pick up Jerryd Bayless. He's not going to help you at all.

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Who's Got Next: Beaubois Back in Town

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-03-06T15:00:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Sleepers, NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball

Who would have thought that over the last two games Dallas rookie Rodrigue Beaubois would have scored 17 and 22 points respectively? I sure didn't think it was possible. Not even after Jason Terry fractured his orbital bone -- he's expected to miss the next 10-14 games. Beaubois had played in only 36 games this season and logged just 11 minutes per game, scoring in double-figures just four times prior to the two-game breakout scoring performances I mentioned above.

It's hard to imagine that Beaubois is going to turn into Jason Terry while he fills in off the bench over the next two weeks. The Mavs still have J.J. Barea and, of course, Caron Butler in the backcourt to play alongside Jason Kidd. That's not to say that Beaubois won't be able to break out and score some bulk points and hit a few 3-pointers. While he did drop 39 points and six 3-pointers over his last two, it's worth noting that the rest of his game is pretty limited. That won't discourage me to take a flier on him during the next 10-14 days. It's especially encouraging with the three game schedule the Mavs have this week -- @MIN, NJN, NYK.

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Who's Got Next: Beyond Blatche

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-02-27T12:00:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball

So, you missed out on Andray Blatche. What can you do? There are nine or 11 other teams in your league that missed out on him too. But that shouldn't deter you from getting back on your horse and seeing what other gems you can discover on the waiver wires. In fact, you can look at Blatche's own team, the Washington Wizards, for a number of waiver adds. Would it help if I told you that they are one of three teams who play 16 games during the general four-week playoff period -- the Spurs and the Rockets being the other two teams.

For those in the market for blocks, JaVale McGee is probably the best option on the waiver wires. He has 14 total blocks over his last six games. There is a little worry about his penchant for picking up cheap fouls, but he's such a talented shot blocker that in each of those last six he hadn't played more than 23 minutes in all but one of those games. Meaning, he blocks shots in bulk. And now with James Singleton suffering with a sprained ankle, McGee might have gotten some more breathing room. If it's scoring you need, there are plenty of options on that front as well. You have Al Thornton, who has taken over Josh Howard's role, and Randy Foye, who after his 22-point, 10-assist performance on Friday night seems to have gotten his confidence back. They may not be as sexy of a waiver add as Blatche, but help is help. Right?

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Who's Got Next: The Bucks Play Five

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-02-20T14:00:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball

This is it! This is all most of us have left. With the trade deadline now behind us, the best you can do to improve your team is to troll the waiver wires. So here on out it'll be more and more important to identify help early. No longer can you trade that aging name for someone with a more attractive resume.

This week the schedule gives us a bit of a gift. I never thought I'd be saying this, but that gift's name is the Milwaukee Bucks. That's right, the Bucks. The reason being because they play a five-game schedule, with road games against the Knicks, Pacers, Heat, and Hawks and a home game against the Hornets. For that reason I'm getting more and more interested in getting Ersan Ilyasova in my lineup. With a three-game, even four-game schedule I might be a bit cautious. But after he double-doubled on Friday night against the Pistons -- 16 points, 12 rebounds and three steals off the bench -- he's looking more attractive. Again, his value is much greater in deep leagues, and he's still a bit of a risk in shallow leagues, but the point being here is that with five games on the docket you should start your Bucks -- Brandon Jennings, Andrew Bogut, Carlos Delfino, John Salmons, and Ilyasova.

[Update: OK, so after his performance on Saturday night, maybe I jumped the gun on Ilyasova. But those five games look so tempting, don't they?]

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Fantasy Spin: Kevin Martin to the Rockets

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-02-18T02:30:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball, NBA Trade Advice

The trades just keep on coming! What a busy, exciting day. The latest trade that has been announced is the one that will send Kevin Martin to the Rockets in exchange for Tracy McGrady. It seems as if the Rockets called the Knicks' bluff. Anyway, the implications here are plenty. The other players involved in this trade are Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey who go to the Kings, and Sergio Rodriguez, Hilton Armstrong, and Kenny Thomas heading to the Rockets.

Kevin Martin gives the Rockets another scoring wing to play alongside Aaron Brooks and Trevor Ariza. I imagine that all three will start, with Ariza slotting over to the small forward position. I think where you can find some value is in the frontcourt. With Landry gone you will probably see more of David Andersen. Who doesn't like to see more David Andersen? Shane Battier is obviously going to take a bit of a hit, but he somehow always finds a way to add decent value. I wouldn't pick up Andersen in 12-team leagues, but unless the Rockets see something in Hilton Armstrong that no one else seems to see, I think we'll be getting a lot more of Andersen.

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Waiver Trend: Antawn Jamison Shipped to Cleveland

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-02-17T19:30:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball, NBA Trade Advice

The Wizards, Cavaliers and Clippers have completed a three-team trade which sends Antawn Jamison to Cleveland for Zydrunas Ilgauskus. The bigger news is that the Cavs were able to get "their man" without having to trade away J.J. Hickson. Other pieces included Al Thornton and Brian Skinner going to Washington, Sebastian Telfair going to Cleveland, and the Clippers getting Drew Gooden. OK, where do we begin.

It's obvious that Antawn Jamison is going to take a bit of a hit in value. In Washington (all season) he was the No. 1 guy. Now he has to defer to that LeBron James fella. I wouldn't go crazy and trade Jamison for lesser value, but he's probably not going to have many nights when he leads the team in scoring.

This also hurts the aforementioned Hickson who will lose some minutes and his starting role to Jamison. They could play small and put both Jamison and Hickson on the court at the same time, but with Shaquille O'Neal still there and Anderson Varejao also coming off the bench the minutes are definitely going to drop for Hickson.

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Fantasy Basketball Chat Wrap

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-02-17T18:00:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Expert Chats, NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball, NBA Trade Advice

The trade deadline is 24 hours away, and while some leagues have a trade deadline that extends late into February it's important for owners to stay on top of the breaking news. We've already had a few major trades go down, with Caron Butler, Josh Howard, Brandon Haywood, Drew Gooden, Marcus Camby and Travis Outlaw as a few names who have changed jerseys. The one trade rumor swirling around which would bring Tracy McGrady to New York has picked up steam, and cooled off at the same time -- depending on who you talk to. Would a trade for T-Mac go any other way? There are also a number of big names floating around in the rumor mill -- Amar'e Stoudemire, Troy Murphy, Antawn Jamison and Tyrus Thomas, to name a few.

So come join me at 6PM ET and we'll talk fantasy hoops. I'm sure many of you have trade offers you'd like to discuss. I'll also try and give you my up-to-date thoughts on what these trades mean not only for the players involved, but also for those players who have a chance to step up in the second half of the season.

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Waiver Trend: Add Tracy McGrady Now, If You Still Can

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-02-17T01:30:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball

While it seems like this trade has been in limbo for weeks, it looks like the Knicks have finally netted the player, or should I say contract they've desired most -- Tracy McGrady. It was important for the Knicks to make this trade not only because they would get T-Mac's expiring contract back in return, but also because they could shed Jared Jeffries' contract for next season. This allows them to sign -- wait for it -- two max players! The sweetest words ever spoken in New York City.

From a fantasy perspective it's clear that you need to add McGrady now while you still can. I know that the reason the Knicks made this move was to clear cap space, but it also seems that Mike D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh are going to try and get him some minutes. They'd love to see what he has left and assess how much he may be worth on the open-market next summer. I think this move makes T-Mac an instant add. If he's still available in your league I would scoop him up.

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Waiver Trend: Clippers-Blazers Trade

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-02-16T10:30:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball

Seeing that the Clippers-Blazers trade that sends Marcus Camby to Portland is nearing completion, the fantasy owner in all of us wants to know how we can benefit from this deal. With Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw and "cash" being sent to Los Angeles, the obvious opening is at the power forward position for the Clips. The two players who seem to be vying for those minutes are Craig Smith and DeAndre Jordan.

My head tells me that Smith is the first guy to look at in this scenario. He's actually played well over his last 20 games, averaging 11.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and just over 61 percent shooting from the floor. Now while those rebounds may seem pretty low, remember that Camby, the league's second best rebounder, is no longer in the equation -- which is also good news for Chris Kaman owners. In fact, looking at Smith's per 36 numbers you'll see that he is a better rebounder than his numbers would indicate -- 16.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per 36 minutes in his career. If you do want to knock Smith, you can say that the guy just doesn't play any defense. He's good for may 0.5 steals and 0.2 blocks per game. So make sure you've got your defensive numbers covered if you take a flier on Smith.

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Waiver Trend: Time to Add Blatche?

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-02-15T17:00:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball

I'm back in the full swing of things after what was a roller-coaster of an All-Star weekend. There were some highlights and plenty of low-lights. But, in the end it's the game that really counts, and if at the very least you watched the second half of the game then I'm sure you came out of the entire festivities in the black.

I'm going to start our post-ASB content with the one question that is on everybody's mind: Should I pick up Andray Blatche? In short, maybe. The reason why everyone seems to be excited about Blatche is of course because the Wizards made a move which sent Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood to the Mavs for Josh Howard and Drew Gooden -- the other pieces have no fantasy relevance. Not only did the Wizards move their starting center in Haywood, but the rumor mill continues to churn out Antawn Jamison trade speculation. So what do you do about the future starting power forward/center for the Wizards? As I said, you should "maybe" pick him up. Let's discuss why.

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Who's Got Next: Miller Time? Hardly

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-02-06T15:00:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball

Who's Got Next is a weekly look at some of the top players widely available on the waiver wires.

The upcoming week is a tough one to read. First you have nine teams who only play once. Then you have 20 teams with two games on the schedule with the Orlando Magic as the only team in the Association with three games on their slate. It's also become trendy to give some key players an extended rest by holding them out until "after the All-Star Break" -- Joakim Noah, Brandon Roy, possibly Carmelo Anthony, etc. That's All-Star week for you. So if you're looking to stream this week, you might have a hard time finding many options.

Two players that intrigue me are Brad Miller and Tyrus Thomas. With Noah out until after the break (plantar faciitis) Miller has replaced him in the starting lineup. He wasn't much of a factor in his first start -- 10 points and five rebounds in 40 minutes against the Hawks. But neither was the other guy I thought would see an increase in production, Ty Thomas -- four points, four rebounds, two steals in 16 minutes. The Bulls play twice this week (@IND, ORL), against two teams who I think Miller could post decent numbers against. Neither Thomas and Miller are must-adds this week, but if you have a fringe center or power forward who plays only once you could consider adding either. Just know that once Noah returns after the ASB, it's back to the wires for both.

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Who's Got Next: The Moment Millsap Was Waiting For

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-01-30T15:00:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Sleepers, NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball

Who's Got Next is a weekly look at some of the top players widely available on the waiver wires.

Calling all Carlos Boozer owners. Calling all Carlos Boozer owners. Now is the time to pick up Paul Millsap. With Boozer down and out -- for a least a few games -- due to a strained right calf, Millsap is now in line for a major bump up in production. In his first start of the season this past Friday, Millsap posted a "what were you waiting for" line -- 32 point on 11-of-17 shooting, 10-of-11 free throws, 14 rebounds and seven assists in 43 minutes. Yes, this is the same Paul Millsap who posted 16 straight double-doubles last season while Boozer was sidelined.

We don't know just yet how much time Boozer will miss, but what we do know is that there is no reason why Millsap is still available in 25 percent of leagues. I thought we learned our lesson last season. Even if last season's breakout campaign isn't fresh in your mind, more recently many Gilbert Arenas owners who slept on Randy Foye are regretting not hurrying to the waiver wires to handcuff their third rounder. At the very least, Jerry Sloan has endorsed giving more minutes to Millsap. He's the hot add right now, so make sure he's not sitting on your wires.

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Who's Got Next: You in There, Lopez?

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-01-23T15:30:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball, NBA Lineup Planner

Who's Got Next is a weekly look at some of the top players widely available on the waiver wires.

The hottest name in fantasy basketball right now is Robin Lopez. And I suppose it's rightfully so. It's not often we see a 7-footer average nearly three blocks, six rebounds and 14 points on 70 percent shooting get thrown into the conversation this late into the season. Obviously, with those numbers Lopez has been flying off the waiver wires and slotted into lineups without reservation. At least that was until Friday night.

Against the Bulls Lopez managed just nine points, three rebounds, one block and one steal in 22 minutes. Credit Joakim Noah's tough defensive presence and the fact that the Suns were just trying to keep pace with the Bulls on the offensive side of the ball, which made Channing Frye much more valuable. Frye hit 4-of-7 3-point attempts and, believe it or not, pulled down eight rebounds and blocked a shot in 25 minutes. Now we're in a timeshare? I still think the minutes will lean in Lopez's favor, but I also believe that more 20-point, 7-rebound performances won't be the norm. In the right matchup, sure. But expect more 12-point, 6-rebound, 2-block performances. And right now, that's about as good as you'll get on the waiver wires.

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Who's Got Next: Blair Is Universal

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-01-16T17:00:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball, NBA Lineup Planner

Who's Got Next is a weekly look at some of the top players widely available on the waiver wires.

DeJuan Blair is the guy every fantasy owner is talking about. The questions are flying in and the general tenor in the e-mails I receive is that people are genuinely excited about Blair but aren't sure if they should pick him up even with Tim Duncan back in the lineup. The 28-point, 21-rebound performance on Wednesday introduced the idea of adding Blair, while his follow-up performance -- 11 points and 16 rebounds in 31 minutes -- might have sealed the deal for many owners. Mostly because even with Duncan in the starting lineup, Blair played 31 minutes and finished the game as the team's most effective fantasy performer.

I generally agree that you should pick up Blair with or without Duncan in the lineup. It's obvious that Coach Popavich is going to ease Duncan's minutes down the stretch. The number one goal in San Antonio is not to pad anyone's stat-sheet, but to win championships. The other thing working in Blair's favor right now is that the options are limited for San Antonio in the frontcourt. Antonio McDyess hasn't been able to do anything but provide five and five as a starter, while Theo Ratliff's $1.3 million contract remains more valuable than his game. Minutes were obviously the key to Blair's value. Looking at his per-36 numbers -- 15.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 1.2 blocks and 56.7 FG% -- you can see how effective he can be when given the green light to play. I don't see anyway Blair's playing time regresses back to 12-15 minutes. It seems to me like we have a universal add on our hands.

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Who's Got Next: 'R' You Ready?

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-01-09T18:00:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball

Who's Got Next is a weekly look at some of the top players widely available on the waiver wires.

You know that each and every one of us who drafted Gilbert Arenas had it in our mind to handcuff the pick with his presumed back-up, Randy Foye. At least the idea ran through your head. Whether or not you pulled the trigger, well, that's a different story. You can easily compare certain aspects to the Foye situation in Washington to that of Paul Millsap last season in Utah. Remember once Carlos Boozer went down Millsap slowly started to trickle off the waiver wires, while most fantasy owners wondered if he was worth taking a flier on. Nineteen straight double-doubles later and just like that you were kicking yourself if you were a Boozer owner who let him slip away.

Foye's case, however, is a little different from Millsap's. First off, Millsap was coming off a 2007-08 season in which he averaged a modest 8.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and nearly a steal and block in 21 minutes. Some signs were there, but no one saw Millsap as a double-double machine in the making. At least not at the start of the 2008-09 season when he started the year coming off the bench behind an all-star power forward. Foye, on the other hand, was coming off his best season -- 16.3 points, 4.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 1.6 threes, and an 84.6 FT% -- and playing behind an all-star who had played just 15 games over the past two season, thanks to injuries.

Had Foye stayed in Minnesota he would have been selected within the top 70-85 picks and deemed as a late-rounder with great upside. Now as the starting point guard for the Wiz, Foye has become a major value option on the wires. In Friday night's start against the Cavs he showed what he's capable of -- 20 points on 5-of-17 shooting, two 3-pointers, 8-of-8 from the line, four rebounds, six assists and two blocks in 34 minutes. Those blocks will likely turn into steals and he probably won't hit the 20-point mark all too often, but threes, steals, assists, a high FT% and low FG% is what you can expect. And with the Wizards playing four times this week he's actually become a must-start in my mind.

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Fantasy Spin: Gilbert Arenas Suspended

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-01-06T22:30:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, NBA Value Machine, Fantasy Basketball

I was planning on putting up a Gilbert Arenas post immediately after the news broke that he had been suspended indefinitely by the league while the authorities complete their investigation into gun-gate -- are we still doing the "gate" thing in 2010? The reason why I held off was because I knew that the Wizards were just hours away from tip-off and it would be a lot easier to asses the situation once we know who Flip Saunders would turn to in Gil's absence.

First, I should start by saying it's probably time to drop Gilbert Arenas in any and all fantasy formats. I did so Wednesday afternoon in one "expert" league -- in case you're wondering, based on my team needs I took a flier on Rafer Alston. It seems pretty clear that this suspension is more like a pre-suspension. A move made to keep Gil from embarrassing the league any further while NBA commissioner David Stern determines how long his actual suspension will be. Meaning, he's more than likely done for the 2009-10 season. Wednesday night was Washington's 33rd game of the season. A modest 50-game suspension would put us into next season. So let's move on and take a look at where the Wizards go from here and determine who, if anyone, in their new-look backcourt is worth
picking up.

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Who's Got Next: Nate the Great

Tom Lorenzo — 2010-01-02T14:00:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Sleepers, NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball

Who's Got Next is a weekly look at some of the top players widely available on the waiver wires.

I, like most of you, didn't waste my time this New Year's thinking about what I'd give up or which bad habit I'd make a conscious effort to quell over the next twelve months. I did, however, put myself to a test: how long can I go this year without cussing. Not very long, apparently. It took until 9:45 PM on New Year's Day. Reason being: Nate Robinson.

I was traveling on Friday night, so I set my DVR to record the Knicks' game against the Hawks. As I was on the road an e-mail came across my phone that read as follows -- Nate Robinson: 38 minutes, 41 points on 18-of-24 shooting, three treys, six rebounds, eight assists. They forgot the steal! This, of course, being Nate's first game since his benching on December 1. Naturally, I began a rant that would have made George Carlin proud. Not because I don't like or care about Nate Robinson, but mainly because I was shocked -- and I had to learn about it via e-mail.

You knew that Robinson was going to get on the court again, but who knew he would be so dramatic about it? Fantasy owners, I say go ahead and pick him up if he's available. I can't imagine that he'll go back to playing a limited role at the end of the bench. You don't put up a line like that in New York and sit afterward. The Knicks' fans and the New York media won't let it happen. Also, this is exactly what Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni wanted. Robinson still is one of the top spark-plugs in the league. He's a bulk scorer who can be had -- at a price that includes Eddy Curry's contract!

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Home Delivery: Big Night for the Big Two

Tom Lorenzo — 2009-12-30T06:00:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, NBA Last Night, Fantasy Basketball

Home Delivery is your morning roundup of last night's action in the NBA from a fantasy perspective.

The great thing about fantasy basketball is how detached you can get from a game's end result. Take the Hornets-Rockets game last night. Even as New Orleans blew a fourth quarter lead and were outscored 34-18 in the final 12 minutes, the ugly nature of the game could not take away the enjoyment I was getting from watching the best point guard in the league, Chris Paul, post his first triple-double of the season -- 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and two blocks. Then there was David West who scored a career-high 44 points on 18-of-30 shooting with two treys, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals. In a losing effort.

Obviously in reality it's the end result that counts, and I kid when I say that it's not important to me. It just makes for having to sit through a brutal performance (Atlanta's fourt quarter last night, anyone?) a bit easier when you personally have something/someone to cheer for.

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Who's Got Next: Tyrus, Tony and Tyler

Tom Lorenzo — 2009-12-27T05:00:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball

Who's Got Next is a weekly look at some of the top players widely available on the waiver wires.

Tyrus Thomas returned to action on Saturday night -- a team-high 21 points on 10-of-17 shooting, nine rebounds, one steal and two blocks in 32 minutes -- and no one is happier than I am. For years I've been staking most of my fantasy success, or lack thereof in certain cases, on Ty Thomas and his "ability" to block shots. Last season he blocked 151 shots in 79 games for an average of 1.9 per game. But if you take a look at his per-36 numbers the blocks shoot up to 2.5 per game. The only problem is that Thomas hasn't played 36 minutes much over his career, touching that mark just 14 times over the last two seasons. Though if he plays the same aggressive style of ball that he showed on Saturday night the minutes won't be much of an issue.

The real problem with Thomas is the lack of consistency in his game. There have been very few times in his three-plus seasons in the league where he's looked more like a basketball player than just a superior athlete. Last season he averaged 5.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in 15 November games. He improved slightly in December (9.7 points, 5.3 rebounds) though his blocks dropped from 1.6 to 1.3 per game. In February he averaged 15.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. That was the Tyrus Thomas I was hoping to get on draft night. He's just not putting it together from month to month. I still won't shy away from grabbing Thomas where possible, especially at his current value on the waiver wires. He showed Saturday night there is no format worth keeping him sitting on the waiver wires any longer. Strangely, I feel like I've written that dozens of times over the past few seasons.

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Who's Got Next: King Casspi

Tom Lorenzo — 2009-12-19T06:00:00 00:00

by Tom Lorenzo

Filed under: NBA Waiver Wire, Fantasy Basketball, NBA Lineup Planner

Who's Got Next is a weekly look at some of the top players widely available on the waiver wires to help you in the week ahead.

No longer should we refer to Omri Casspi as "prince." It is fair to say that he's officially a King. After two notably successful starts, it's time to get serious about adding the rook. Over his last five he's posted three 20-point performances, playing at least 30 minutes in each of those contests. He's a highly skilled player who's got the hustle in him -- he almost reminds me of a spirited version of Mike Dunleavy. The Kings have been slotting him in at the small forward and shooting guard positions. I think there's a 30-minute role in this rotation with his name on it. On Friday night he went for 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting, three rebounds, two steals and a three.

We're seeing him step out more and spreading the floor, hitting 12 threes in his last six games. This week the King play three times -- at Chicago, vs. Cleveland, and vs. Los Angeles Lakers. I would certainly take a flier on Casspi, regardless of the tough back-end of the schedule. If I'm sitting on a fringe fantasy baller who plays twice this week, I wouldn't hesitate to swap him out for the King.

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