Sits & Starts
Nash once again will return to the desert this week.
Steve Nash only plays a couple games this week. However, I expect with Kobe out he will put up numbers similar to what he was consistently posting last season. Look for Nash to continue being his efficient self while providing elite assists and a couple steals. Nash should be particularly motivated as he looks to redeem himself against his former team the Phoenix Suns.
One guard I expect will get extended minutes this week is Eric Bledsoe. The Clippers play three games this week and should blow out their competition relatively early in two out of their three match-ups. Look for the Clippers to rest their star point guard Chris Paul and let Bledsoe carry the team most of the week.
Bledsoe is a great play for steals and a sneaky good contributor when it comes to blocks. With the minutes given to him Bledsoe should dominate Isaiah Thomas and use his physicality to frustrate Jrue Holiday. Bledsoe is almost a guaranteed lock to have a sensational week.
Some guards you should look at sitting are Dion Waiters and the aforementioned Jrue Holiday. Waiters has been highly regarded as a “must-play” guy since Irving went down. This week Waiters faces the Indiana Pacer’s outstanding defense as well as the scorching Miami Heat. Even when he faces the Houston Rockets Omer Asik will be waiting down low for him.
Waiters has seen an uptick in his shot attempts since Kyrie Irving went down (understandable, someone has to score), but with that has come a decrease in his percentages. For this week, Waiters is best left on the shelf.
Sanders should be considered for the Most Improved Player award this season.
I like this week’s match-up for Most Improved Player candidate Larry Sanders. Sanders has turned into an absolute monster this year and a vital cog to the Bucks future. Milwaukee has four games this week all against decent competition. Portland and Atlanta (who they face twice this week) like to run their offense through the post so Sanders should be getting lots of individual defensive match-ups and potentially get lots of opportunities to block shots.
Sanders does not often have plays run for him so the fact that he is facing some good defensive teams should not alter his efficiency. I expect him to average close to a double-double this week and get plenty of blocks. Sanders is nearly always a safe play so you should feel good about him being in your line-up.
I mentioned earlier that this is a bad week for the Sixers. I expect Spencer Hawes will have a particularly rough week. Hawes is a streaky player in the first place and he faces a lot of athletic opposition this week. I suspect that not only will Hawes struggle with his efficiency, but that he will be the victim of a few high-flying dunks.
With the exception of Satuday, Marc Gasol just had a remarkable week. It is safe to assume that Marc will continue his torrid play this upcoming week. The only defender that could give Gasol any real trouble would be Kevin Garnett. Oklahoma City plays good team defense but will struggle to match-up with him individually.
Ride Gasol while he is hot. He is a great fantasy play and and even better player in real life. If you can play Gasol, do your best to utilize his versatility as it may be greatest contribution.
Luol Deng is a wonderful player. He never should have been an all-star this year but he does bring exceptional value quite consistently. This week Deng will be smothered by the long arms of Paul George, the feisty defense of Andre Iguodala and the mix of length of Nicholas Batum. Andrei Kirilenko should also be healthy by that time and he is no push-over either.
Small forwards do not get much tougher weeks than that. Look for Deng to shoot poorly all week. Chicago needs Deng to score so he will continue get a high volume of shot attempts. Deng can still provide you some value across the board but you might be better off finding someone more efficient who can provide similar peripheral stats.
Each Sunday during the NBA season, the Fantasy Planner previews the upcoming week. Get updates every morning from Kent Williams in the Fantasy Spin and follow us on Twitter @SheridanFantasy.