Working the Wire: Most added/dropped
Before we get started on this week's pickups, let's have some fun with ESPN's most added/dropped lists. I noticed some rather interesting names on each list, so I'll offer some quick thoughts on each player that struck my fancy.
Anthony Carter (83.1 percent owned, up 57.6 percent) has been on fire lately, posting 10.8 points, 8.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game over his past five contests. News that Chucky Atkins will miss at least eight weeks following his sports hernia surgery should ensure that Carter continues to earn ample minutes going forward. In most cases all a player needs is minutes, but what I really like about Carter is his potential for assists given that he has two of the league's best scorers at his disposal in Denver.
I mentioned him last week, but it bears mentioning again that Jamario Moon (44.4 percent owned, up 36 percent) has seen a major bump in minutes in recent action. Moon is averaging 10.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, a steal, 2.2 blocks and a whopping 38.8 minutes over his past five games. Moon won't do much on the offensive end, but those defensive numbers are tough to come by off the wire in most fantasy formats.
After a rough stretch two weeks ago, Nazr Mohammed (34.2 percent owned, up 19.8 percent) has again become a viable fantasy option, averaging 16.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and a block in his past five games. With those kinds of numbers, Mohammed has to be added in most fantasy formats, but I'd be wary about dropping anyone good for him, considering we've all seen how inconsistent he can be.
Speaking of categorical specialists, Rashad McCants (79.2 percent owned, up 12.7 percent) has found his shooting touch again and is averaging 19.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.7 3-pointers in six games since the new year. McCants is really coming into his own as a scorer and should be a very strong option for points and 3-pointers going forward. Just be warned that he's a streaky player, and even when he has his shot falling, he's still only going to be a contributor in two categories.
News that T.J. Ford (65.8 percent, up 6.8 percent) has been cleared to resume basketball activities, prompting many owners to head to the waiver wire earlier this week. Ford is not going to return to the court until he's 100 percent ready, but will still have to shake off the rust before he's ready to fully contribute. Adding Ford now is a good idea, but be aware that his role might not be the same as it was before he went down back in early December. Jose Calderon has simply been too good not to have on the court, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's Calderon who sees the bigger slice of the playing time pie after Ford returns. Either way, both are talented enough to have value in Toronto, and they've already proven that this is one of the only timeshares that can be considered somewhat "fantasy friendly."
I'll admit, I was a little overzealous a few weeks ago when I learned that Jeff Green (12.0 percent owned, down 40.5 percent) would be in Seattle's starting lineup on a long-term basis. Green has been a disappointment, averaging just 10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 0.5 steals and 1.1 blocks in eight games as a starter this season. Feel free to cut him loose (or keep him on the wire if you already dropped him), but be sure to monitor his play because there's still a lot of upside here.
Interestingly enough, Rajon Rondo (48.3 percent owned, down 28.7 percent) has been dropped by about the same number of fantasy teams that have added Mike Conley Jr. Conley, who is owned in 69.9 percent of ESPN.com leagues, is essentially the same fantasy player as Rondo, so it surprises me that he's owned in that many more leagues. I know that Rondo has struggled with a back injury as of late, but it's considered minor at this point, and if Conley is good enough to be owned in 70 percent of fantasy leagues, then so is Rondo. Consider adding him as a third point guard if you need help in assists and steals.
I really don't want anything to do with the New York Knicks this season, so it doesn't surprise me that David Lee (53.7 percent, down 24.1 percent) has been dropped by scores of owners this week. Still, Lee is averaging 8.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and a steal since the new year, which is only about three points fewer than what he averaged during December (11.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 0.9 SPG). Surely those three points per game aren't the deciding factor for all these fantasy owners. Perhaps this is just an overreaction to Saturday's four-point, four-rebound effort, but shouldn't Lee owners be well aware of his fluctuating value at this point?
Not sure why Anderson Varejao (12.8 percent owned, down 7.4 percent) is owned in far fewer leagues than Lee when his averages are virtually the same across the board. In fact, I'd argue that Varejao is the better option given his position eligibility (he qualifies at center) and ability to create more steals on the defensive end. Varejao's numbers fluctuate on a nightly basis, but when it's all said and done, he's coming through with averages of 9.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks in 31.6 minutes in his past five games. And yes, in case you were wondering, this is a recommendation to grab Varejao in most fantasy formats.
I didn't understand the obsession with Kyle Korver (42.1 percent owned, down 9.8 percent) when he was traded to Utah, and I still don't understand why folks are holding onto him after he's averaged just 9.8 points, 0.7 steals and 0.8 3-pointers in 21.5 minutes since joining the Jazz. I know he's been dropped by a few folks, but those numbers don't belong anywhere near a fantasy roster, and it's time to let go of the hope that he's going to be anything more than what he was in Philadelphia.
Maurice Evans, SG/SF, Magic (0.2 percent owned): Judging by his percent owned in ESPN.com leagues, not many folks have noticed that Evans is the new starting shooting guard for the Orlando Magic. Evans has started the past three games alongside Jameer Nelson in the Magic backcourt and has averaged a healthy 13.0 points, 1.3 steals and 1.3 3-pointers in 32.0 minutes during that span. This is about what we can expect from Evans if he is able to nail down a starting gig on a long-term basis.
Kareem Rush, SG/SF, Pacers (0.2 percent owned): Rush, like Evans, has recently earned himself a starting gig and has been quite effective as a scorer and 3-point specialist. Over his past five games, Rush is averaging 12.0 points, 1.2 steals, 1.6 3-pointers and 27.4 minutes. An article in the Indianapolis Star hinted that the Pacers would look to go with a small lineup because of their ineffective frontcourt play and hinted that Shawne Williams would be the main beneficiary of the change. So far, however, it has been Rush, not Williams, who has reaped the rewards. Rush, who played overseas last season, is putting up stats that are very comparable with his career numbers as a starter: 11.9 points, 0.7 steals and 1.5 3-pointers in 64 career NBA starts. He makes for a nice option in deeper formats so long as he continues to earn ample minutes in Indiana.
Boris Diaw, SF/PF, Suns (20.2 percent owned): I'd much rather be recommending Leandro Barbosa here, but that would be silly given that he's already owned in 99.8 percent of ESPN.com leagues. Unfortunately, I believe it will be Barbosa who benefits the most from Grant Hill's absence. Instead, I will rather reluctantly recommend Diaw, who hadn't done much in the Suns' first two games without Hill but did post a nice line (21 points, 11 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block) on Saturday night against Milwaukee. Diaw is now a year and a half removed from his breakout season in 2005-06, and I think some people overrate him based on what he did in that season when the Suns were missing Amare Stoudemire. Still, he is averaging 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks in six starts this season (although two of his big games as a starter came when Amare missed time in early November), so consider making him a short-term fill-in until Grant Hill returns.
Brian McKitish is a fantasy baseball and basketball analyst for ESPN.com. He can be reached at Littlemac@TalentedMrRoto.com.
