Posted by Josh Whitling, Special to ESPN.com
The Portland Trail Blazers rocked the three-guard set for the second time Sunday with the following odd results:
• Blazers' points: 116
• Fantasy-relevant quote of the night: "Having two point guards on the floor makes it easier when I run the floor. I know one of those two guys is going to see me." -- LaMarcus Aldridge
• Most minutes played by a Blazer: 27 for Steve Blake
• Brandon Roy points: 2 (fewest in more than two years)
• Assists leader: Roy with seven
Upgrade Miller now that he's in the starting lineup, but viewing him as a true fantasy point guard is foolish because he shares the floor with two other players who can bring the ball up and distribute. Roy will be fine, but Blake is also worth downgrading because of the shared duties. Martell Webster is the real loser, as he has been sent to the bench and likely will be only a 3-point specialist.
Looking Back
• Marreese Speights started the second half of Sunday's game with the first unit, and a changing of the guard should be in order sooner than later.
• With Kevin Martin out for a couple of months, Beno Udrih is the hottest unpronounceable name in fantasy hoops. He dropped 20 points with six assists on Sunday, and his 35 minutes were the most of any Kings backcourt player.
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Omri Casspi will also benefit from Martin's absence, and he clearly has won the heart of Kings coach Paul Westphal. Sunday night, he posted a versatile 12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 3s and 3 steals. He'll be inconsistent but has already showed that he's going to have an impact in this league.
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Andray Blatche had another stellar game off the bench, scoring 20 points with five rebounds, three blocks and a steal in 33 minutes, more than
Brendan Haywood and
Fabricio Oberto. But peep this disconcerting quote from Flip Saunders: "He was dead tired. He can't even run up and down the court. He had four straight mental mistakes. Andray can't play the major minutes." Still love the guy, but his coach questioning his ability is a red flag.
• D.J. Mbenga started again for the Lakers in the absence of Andrew Bynum and caught the eye of nightly box score examiners with 10 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks in 30 minutes of play. This is after a 13-rebound, 4-block performance Friday. Bynum missed his second consecutive game with a strained elbow, and Pau Gasol's hammy has kept him out since the preseason, so when both are healthy, Mbenga's value is nonexistent. However, on Sunday he showed that he has the ability to contribute down the road if an opportunity eventually emerges.
What You Might Have Missed
• Josh Howard made his season debut Saturday night, scoring 16 points with three steals in 24 minutes. The uncertainty of his injury left him unowned in 5 percent of leagues, and his presence hurts the value of both Shawn Marion and Jason Terry, who each saw his fewest minutes in any game this season Saturday.
• John Salmons had his first fantastic game of the season Saturday (27 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 3s, 1 block). Although his statistical ineptitude has largely been due to poor shooting, his peripheral stats are excellent (2.3 steals, 1.2 3s, 0.7 blocks). If you want a versatile guard, especially in a turnover league, Salmons does a little bit of everything without being inefficient, and now that his shot has awakened, he could be in line for his finest season with Ben Gordon out of Chicago and increasing rapport with Derrick Rose. He's one of my favorites and an ideal buy-low candidate.
• Allen Iverson began his personal leave of absence -- I like to call it his spirit quest -- which is excellent for Mike Conley, who had 16 points and six assists on Saturday and is very quietly averaging six assists, a steal and a 3. Nice buy-low option.
• Josh Smith had 22 points, 6 blocks, 9 rebounds and 7 assists Saturday, the first time in recent memory a player has posted six or better in those four categories (which used to be AK-47's specialty).
• Many dismissed Jamal Crawford when he failed to score 20 points in each of his first three contests, although the sixth-man role is one that takes some getting used to. Now Crawford is in a groove backing up Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson at both guard positions. He's scored 25 or more points in three of his past four games and will be gone in every league soon, so strike if you have the chance.
• J.J. Redick had another three 3s Friday, and even when Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis are healthy and in the Magic's rotation, Redick will continue to see playing time and retain fantasy value even if his minutes dip into the low-20s. He's averaging six attempts from downtown per game so far this season, so I expect he'll still average around two 3s made per game.
• Charlie Bell will see increased minutes with Michael Redd sidelined, and I like him as a short-term 3s and steals option. He has at least one steal or 3-pointer in each of his past five games and will see his opportunities increase with Redd's surgically repaired knee keeping him off the floor.
• Rafer Alston is starting at point guard for the Nets for the next few weeks as Devin Harris rests his injured groin, and he's undoubtedly worth starting in nearly all formats while the primary point guard. He dropped 20 points, 7 assists and 3 3s Saturday night in 44 minutes of play. He'll shoulder the load with Harris gone, and even though he'll likely find himself on the waiver wire once Harris returns, Alston is a fantastic short-term option.
Josh Whitling is a fantasy basketball analyst for ESPN.com.
