Fantasy related but good info.....
Brooks Suspended by HOU
Games Played
2 Games: Hawks
3 Games: Celtics, Bulls, Rockets, Heat, Nets, Knicks, Thunder, Blazers, Jazz and Wizards.
Every other team has four games this week.
Ant-Rand & Murphy
I spoke with some people who are very tuned into what's going on in Minnesota on Saturday and it initially sounded like there was a good chance Anthony Randolph would be traded to the Timberwolves. However, a short time later, the deal died. Randolph is going to probably be traded before the trade deadline, but his two best chances to succeed were miserable failures in New York and Golden State. I honestly don't know where he could go where he'd get a chance to start, and it's really looking like a wasted season for him.
Troy Murphy might be in the same boat, but has a better chance at success than Randolph does. I haven't wasted my time holding either player this season, which I am thankful for. But with the trade deadline approaching, now seems like a good time to stash Murphy if he's available in your league. Just don't expect him to automatically become a fantasy force if and when he's finally dealt.
Who's Hot
Elton Brand, Amir Johnson, Antawn Jamison, Christian Eyenga, Darren Collison, Roy Hibbert, Richard Jefferson, Danilo Gallinari, Jeff Green, Lou Williams, Nicolas Batum, Jose Calderon and Landry Fields are all coming off a solid week and should probably be in starting lineups while they're hot.
Who's Not
Jrue Holiday, D.J. Augustin, DeAndre Jordan, John Wall, Shawn Marion, Andre Miller and Aaron Brooks are all cold right now, and should be started at your own risk. I'm going to run with DJA and Holiday again this week for four games, but I'd happily bench them if I had better options at point guard.
Waiver Wired
In case you haven't seen it yet, you can check out this week's Waiver Wired by clicking here.
Injury News and Notes
Rockets
Aaron Brooks has been suspended for tonight's game by the Rockets after leaving the court early in Saturday's win over the Grizzlies. Brooks is unhappy with being benched and finally snapped on Saturday. This could mean that Kyle Lowry is now a lock to start for the rest of the season, and also leaves Brooks standing with coach Rick Adelman and his teammates. If you own Brooks, try to hang on for another week and see how this plays out, but I wouldn't put him into your lineup until further notice. Lowry now looks like a must-start player again this week, or at least for Monday night.
Bulls
Joakim Noah is set to return from thumb surgery just after the All-Star break and he should be owned in all leagues at this point.
Cavs
Mo Williams is getting closer to returning from a hip injury, but should miss most of the upcoming week. That means Ramon Sessions should be good to go for another week, but he's going to be tough to rely on once Williams is back.
Celtics
Marquis Daniels went down on Sunday with a scary injury and will miss at least a month with a bruised spinal cord. After seeing him go down, motionless, the fact he's not severely injured is fantastic. Delonte West hopes to be back as soon as the All-Star break is over, and will probably get some extra run with Daniels out. But as long as Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen are healthy.
Clippers
Eric Gordon is still out with a wrist injury and his return date is completely up in the air. There have been mixed reports as to when he'll be back in action, my guess is he won't play again this week. Hopefully I'm wrong, but there's a pretty decent chance he'll be out until the break.
Hawks
Al Horford missed Saturday's game and is dealing with a back injury, but should play on Tuesday. The problem is the Hawks play just two games this week, making Horford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Jamal Crawford shaky fantasy plays. Smith had a monster line on Saturday and Horford's absence was a big reason.
Hornets
Trevor Ariza doesn't sound likely to play this week with his ankle injury, meaning Quincy Pondexter should continue to start. His minutes weren't great in his last game and he's by no means a sure bet for fantasy use. But in a deep league, he might be worth a look as a short-term fix.
Emeka Okafor isn't likely to play until after the All-Star break and that means Jason Smith, who missed Saturday due to an illness, should get several more starts. He had a big game in his first start with 20 points and five boards, but didn't do much in his next one. I'm not a big fan of using him in fantasy leagues, despite the opportunity he has. David West is probably the player with the most to gain from Okafor's absence.
Jazz
Andrei Kirilenko missed his last three games with a sprained ankle but is hoping to play tonight against the Kings. He's going to be a game-time decision, but owners who were burned by Kirilenko last week are going to have a tough time throwing him back into the mix. I'm benching him in weekly leagues, despite the four-game week.
Kings
DeMarcus Cousins hurt his finger on Friday, but I haven't heard a word about it since. Ignore his finger and keep him in your lineup. Jason Thompson is expected back from a sprained ankle tonight and should start over Samuel Dalembert, who struggled while starting last week. Dalembert had been playing well off the bench before Thompson went down, but remains a pretty shaky fantasy starter if he's not in the first unit for the Kings. Thompson, Carl Landry and Dalembert have all had their moments this season, and it's impossible to figure out which one is going to be worth owning from week to week. I think Thompson might be worth owning again, but I'd be very reluctant to put him into lineups right now.
Magic
Brandon Bass is healing quickly from his sprained ankle and could play this Friday. That's going to hurt Ryan Anderson, but he should be a safe start for another week. And given how well he was playing off the bench before Bass went down, Anderson is a keeper. His minutes have been strange lately, but I still think he's worth starting in most leagues.
Mavs
Peja Stojakovic is expected to make his debut for the Mavericks tonight against the Cavaliers, and could even be in the starting lineup. He's worth a look, but I can't see him staying healthy enough to be worth the risk in most leagues. But if you need a 3-point specialist, he might be worth the trouble.
Roddy Beaubois is nearing his season debut after foot surgery, but still doesn't have a target date set. And I'm starting to think that even when he does return, he's not likely to have as big of a role as many owners are hoping for. He had so much promise before the season started, but that promise takes a hit with each game he misses.
Nets
Damion James is expected to start for the Nets once he returns from a foot injury, as he'll replace Travis Outlaw in the staring unit. He's been shooting it terribly this season and is not a must-own player, but could be a nice grab in deeper leagues. He's expected back some time before the All-Star break.
Nuggets
Chris Andersen is still dealing with his sore knee and can't seem to get healthy this season. Kenyon Martin is in the same boat for the Nuggets, but actually played in back-to-back games over the weekend. It feels like both players are going to be in and out of the lineup the rest of the way. Ty Lawson missed Saturday's game with a sore knee. He shouldn't be in starting lineups anyway, but is still a guy who could see an explosion in value if Chauncey Billups is traded.
Pistons
Rodney Stuckey missed the whole week with his shoulder injury and remains day-to-day. He should be getting closer to playing, but leave him on your bench until you see him play again.
Raptors
Leandro Barbosa is hoping to play on Tuesday after missing close to a month with a hamstring injury. I like Barbosa as a pick up right now and he could see a big role when he's back for the Raps. Reggie Evans is also nearing a return, and I'm just hoping he doesn't end up hurting Amir Johnson's value. I don't think the Raptors would actually give Evans his starting job back now that their season is essentially over, but you never know.
Timberwolves
Luke Ridnour is still out with a family matter and is not expected to play on Monday night. We still don't know what the problem is, but it must be fairly serious, as this would make his fourth straight missed game. Keep him benched until we get better news.
Blazers
Marcus Camby is hoping to practice on Tuesday after missing a couple weeks with a knee injury. It's possible he could play on Friday against the Raptors, but I'm not touching him this week.
