Earlier this year the Knicks brought Jason Kidd in to mentor Jason Lin. With Lin long gone and Raymond Felton hurt, Kidd is the new starting point guard in New York. Earlier this year, Shelvin Mack was drafted by the Maine Red Claws of the NBA D-League. Today he is the starting point guard for the Wizards. Hakim Warrick had 15 DNPs this season yet with Byron Mullens out he becomes the starting power forward for the Bobcats. It’s a funny league and a seasoned NBA day trader has to be ready for anything. Here are some serious investments to consider for your fantasy portfolio this week – and some duds to consider cutting your losses on.
Buy:
Jason Kidd: Strong Buy. With Raymond Felton (broken finger) landing on the injured list for the next 4-6 weeks, Kidd will take over starting point guard duty for the Knicks until at least February. He has already been starting but will see more assist and scoring opportunities with Felton gone. In his first start at point Wednesday, he put up 23 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds.
Hakim Warrick: Strong Buy. With Byron Mullens hitting the injured list with an ankle injury, the previously completely irrelevant Warrick steps into his starting job – and minutes. In his first start Wednesday against Miami, Warrick played 38 minutes and put up 18 points (on 8 of 12 shooting) and 9 rebounds.
Shelvin Mack: Solid Buy. In his very first game since being signed back by the Wizards, Mack got to start at Jordan Crawford‘s point guard slot and played 29 minutes. See more on Crawford below. Mack is the starter for now and while he didn’t light it up in his season debut his 6 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and nearly 30 minutes of game time all point to good things to come.
Eric Gordon: Strong Buy. Some owners got restless waiting for Eric Gordon to recover from knee surgery which means now is the time to snatch him up in any league he’s available. He will likely be back by this weekend or shortly thereafter. Prior to his injury he was a fantasy star averaging 22 PPG and nearly 5 APG for the Clippers.
Dorell Wright: Short-Term Buy. It’s unclear how much time Jason Richardson will miss with a back strain but Wright is a good short-term get while he’s out. Starting in Richardson’s place on Wednesday, Wright played over 35 minutes and put up 28 points (including five three-pointers), 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal.
Greivis Vasquez: Strong Buy. His inconsistent shooting is evening out and at this point there is no reason he shouldn’t be started in every league. Over the past seven games Vasquez is averaging 17 PPG, 10 APG, and 5 RPG and typically plays over 35 minutes.
Sell:
DeAndre Jordan: While the Clippers are red hot, Jordan has found himself ice cold and being squeezed out of playing time. He has played 21 minutes or less in his last three games and has combined for just 15 points and 17 rebounds during that time. He may be starting but he is definitely not getting starter minutes or giving starter production.
Elton Brand: Although he is owned in half of Yahoo fantasy leagues, Brand was a minimal fantasy option at best and now that Dirk Nowitzki is back and Brand has a sore groin he has no fantasy value. After missing three games with the groin injury, Brand played just 13 minutes and scored just two points Sunday against San Antonio.
Andrei Kirilenko: Kirilenko was experiencing a bit of resurgence for the injury-riddled Wolves after spending all of last season playing in Russia. With guys like Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio back in full swing, Kirilenko’s minutes and opportunities are drastically receding. Over his last three games he has combined for just 21 points and 13 rebounds – shooting just over 30% from the floor.
Jordan Crawford: Crawford was having a nice little season as the Wizards point guard but after 28 turnovers in his last seven games the team had seen enough. He is back on the bench and saw just 26 minutes Wednesday against the Cavs. Although he did score 17, his assists and rebounds are mostly gone meaning he is a double-digit scorer off the bench but not much else.
