Published: March 31, 2008
THE FANTASYFANATICS.COM STOCK REPORT
Injuries and losses are the two greatest factors affecting the Stock Report this late in the season. The big news this week came when Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki sprained his knee and ankle, pushing his season into jeopardy. The good news for those who don’t have Nowitzki on their squad is that someone is going to have to step up with team’s leading scorer out. The other big factor this late in the NBA season has to do with teams losing. Let’s face it, for those teams that miss the playoffs, losses are better than wins. It helps their draft position, and comes at little expense as the teams get to develop their young talent. Here’s a look at this week’s stock report:
On the Rise:
Jerry Stackhouse, SF, Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks have a major scoring void now that Nowitzki will be sidelined with an injury down the stretch. Josh Howard has not evolved into the franchise player that many fantasy sports managers thought he would this season, which leaves the Mavericks thrilled that they were able to hang on to Jerry Stackhouse after their original agreement with the Nets for Jason Kidd fell through. Stackhouse has not had the career that many critics thought after a fine career at UNC. Regardless, even in the late stages of his career, Stackhouse knows how to put the ball in the basket. Stackhouse has averaged 19 points per game the past three games, and has been knocking down three-pointers at an impressive rate. His fantasy value hasn’t been this high in years.
T.J. Ford, PG, Toronto Raptors
When T.J. Ford suffers an injury, the entire basketball world holds its breath. The good news is that he is healthy after a scary fall kept him out many weeks of the season. During his recovery, Jose Calderon manned the point, and put up monster fantasy points. Unfortunately for the Raptors, the team struggled immensely without Ford in the lineup. On Tuesday night, Sam Mitchell was forced to make a change, placing Ford back into the starting lineup. In a tough match-up against Detroit, the Raptors won thanks to 13 points and 9 assists by Ford. Looks like the main playmaker in Toronto should be Ford for the remainder of the season.
Wilson Chandler, SF, New York Knicks
For the first time in years the Knicks will have a decent lottery pick that they will keep. If they can draft a player with the same sort of value as last year’s late first round pick, they’d be very happy. The 23rd pick of the draft last season, Wilson Chandler is a 6′8″ small forward with offensive talent combined with a defensive presence. With Quentin Richardson among others ahead of him in the rotation for much of the season, Chandler struggled to get amble playing time. Now that the Knicks are in full-blown rebuilding mode, he’s starting and making a dent in the fantasy sports world. Chandler has scored in double-digits in the past five games for the Knicks, as he’s averaging 13 points and 6 rebounds. While the Knicks are hoping for a brighter future, fantasy managers can rest at ease in the present with Chandler on their squads.
On the Way Down:
Zach Randolph, PF, New York Knicks
The rebuilding session may be good news for the Knicks youth, but it reaps havoc on their veterans. Always one to put up big numbers on losing squads, the losses seemed to have caught up with Randolph this season, as he is no longer looked upon as a star on the rise, and therefore, the Knicks have benched him to provide opportunity for their younger players including Randolph Morris. Of course, on the season, Randolph again was a double-double machine, scoring 17.5 points, and grabbing 10.3 rebounds. However, reality can plague fantasy, and in this case, the Knicks are looking to the future, and Randolph may very well not be a part of it.
Grant Hill, SF, Phoenix Suns
It seemed like a perfect match, Grant Hill, a player who can do it all, brought into the desert for a team that can score more than anyone. Unfortunately, the results have not met expectations, and the well-respected player should no longer hold a spot in fantasy lineups. Hill may have reached a new low on Wednesday night when the Suns lost to the Celtics by 20 points. Hill was nowhere to be found in that contest, as he chipped in with just 4 points, 2 assists, and no rebounds. Since the All-Star break, the former All Star is averaging just 11 points per game. Once thought as the answer to help bridge the loss of Shawn Marion, Hill has regressed in recent weeks and lost his fantasy value.
Marvin Williams, SF, Atlanta Hawks
He has the size and athleticism of Rudy Gay, Danny Granger, and Rashard Lewis, but Marvin Williams does not have the outside shot that has made the others fantasy stars. Part of the dilemma for Williams is that the Hawks have too many outside scorers already with Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, and Salim Stoudamire taking care of the perimeter. In addition, the Hawks have scorers Josh Smith and Al Horford filling up the paint, leaving Williams as little more than a decent mid-range jump shooter. On the season, Williams has improved to score 15 points per game and grab 6 boards. He does not have the ball enough to rack up many assists, and his defense is solid, but not great when it comes to statistics. Williams is a fine player, but will need greater opportunity to become a fantasy star. He does not do enough to be much of a fantasy factor this season.
Top 10 Fantasy Ballers as of Week 22:
RANK LAST WEEK
1. Chris Paul 1
2. Amare Stoudemire 2
3. Kobe Bryant 3
4. Marcus Camby 5
5. Dirk Nowitzki 4
6. LeBron James 6
7. Baron Davis 8
8. Alan Iverson 9
9. Shawn Marion 7
10. Chauncey Billups 10
Injuries are certainly having an impact at the top of the fantasy hoops world. Shawn Marion, never one to miss extended action, has avoided the hardwood as much as Kyle Korver avoids the paint. While Marion’s absence doesn’t impact his team in reality, Dirk Nowitzki hopes to return as soon as possible to help the Mavericks reach the post-season. Allen Iverson is also in the thick of the playoff race, and it’s to no surprise that he is playing his best basketball down the stretch. He is enjoying a sensational season, while averaging a career best 3 turnovers per game. Most recently, Iverson has helped out his fantasy managers by knocking down 12 three-pointers in the past 4 games. He is shooting a career best 35% from beyond the three-point arch.
