Tommy Landry gives his thoughts on everything Fantasy Basketball. 

The season is winding down and the playoffs are upon us, so it's time to make sure you've got the right combination of permanent contributors and guys to rotate in and out of your roster. I've hit on ongoing values and streaming the past two weeks, and today I will highlight a list of guys who simply need to be considered in your quest for a championship. Let's get right to the player commentary.

Trevor Ariza finally gets his chance. If he's good enough for the Lakers, why not your fantasy team?  Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Trevor Ariza (SF, LAL): My, my, my, the Lakers finally realized who their best option is at the three spot. Surely you've noticed that Ariza is their starting SF, and it's time for the other 55 percent of Yahoo! leagues to get on board. 18.5 PTS, 5.5 REB, 2.5 STL, 2.3 3PT, and 1.5 AST with elite percentages (63.6 and 80.0), which placed him in the top 10 overall for the week. For those of you in daily lineup leagues, he makes for a stellar add to your playoff roster.

Kelenna Azubuike (SG/SF, GSW): I've mentioned him at least twice to date, and yet he remains owned in a mere 53 percent of Yahoo! leagues. What puzzles me is how a top 15 overall player for the week can sit idle on a waiver wire while disappointing veterans are retained even when injured as the season winds down.

Jason Thompson (SF/PF/C, SAC): I pimped him as a ROY sleeper last June in our NBA Draft preview, and he's finally starting to show his wares. Sure, he came out of little-known Rider University, but he played a full four years there and was clearly a superior player in his conference. In the early part of the year, his minutes fluctuated widely, and it wasn't until after he was permanently inserted into the starting lineup in January that he started to get the feel for the NBA game. Aside from a foul-plagued stretch in late February and early March, he's been everything I expected and more. And he can still be added in over half of your leagues.

Steve Novak (SF/PF, LAC): You may look at Novak's averages over the past week and think he's a good pick up, but you'd be fooling yourself. Sure, he's a great shooter who can drain treys in bundles, but you're just as likely to suffer through a scoreless three minute performance as you are to luck into a 21 point, seven trey gem. If you're desperate for a streamer maybe, but he is not worth the roster space he'll take up unless you're in a super-deep or keeper format. But watch him for next year in case he carves out a regular role in the rotation, because there's value to be had once he does.

Steve Blake (PG, POR): You know how sometimes a guy starts out his career best season, goes down injured, gets dumped in a ton of leagues, and then returns in sluggish fashion? Those guys tend to sit available for an extended rest on the free agent list. Sometimes, they come around again, like Blake has done of late. In his past five games, the former Terrapin has averaged 13.8 PTS, 6.0 AST, 2.8 3PT, 2.8 REB, and 1.2 STL on 45.8 FG% and 100.0 FT%, good enough for top 40 overall in the past week. If you need a PG who'll provide treys and steals to go with ample assists, don't sleep on him.

Nick Collison (PF/C, OKC): He's not in the starting lineup any more, but man he looks good since breaking a couple of fingers. Really cheap way to get some double-double performances off the wire, and he's available in nearly 60 percent of Yahoo! leagues as of Sunday.

[voices inside my head -- I will not talk about Chris Andersen (PF/C, DEN). I will not talk about Chris Andersen. I will not...]

Louis Williams (PG/SG, PHI): If you can absorb 38 percent field goal shooting on your roster without major damage, give L'il Lou a look. He won't hurt you in TO, while he'll deliver double digit scoring, nearly four assists, a trey, a steal, and a couple of boards most nights. If that's not good enough to keep around the rest of the way, stream at will. He's waiting for a fantasy job in nearly three of four Yahoo! leagues.

Kirk Hinrich (PG/SG, CHI): He still isn't getting consistent minutes, but if you need help in PG type stats, he can help you on a one-day contract. Chicago has a nice playoff schedule, so Kirk should be useful for filling in on one of those light gamedays where a few assists, a steal, and a trey would do the trick. Only a third of leagues seem to think he has value.

Brandan Wright (SF/PF, GSW): Remember when I thought he'd have value earlier in the season? Of course, Don Nelson had other ideas and has moved him into and out of the rotation repeatedly. Now the team is decimated with injuries and he's starting. He's young and raw, and sometimes prone to racking up fouls in record time, but until the team starts getting healthy again, worth a gander. Only seven percent of Yahoo! leagues were onboard as of Sunday. Sure, he's not a permanent addition in redraft leagues, but keeper leagues may want to jump on board.

Arron Afflalo (PG/SG, DET): When Afflalo came out of UCLA in 2007, I saw the makings of a young Michael Finley (SG/SF, SAS). No, not this year's edition; the Michael Finley who served as a great fantasy asset for several years as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. Afflalo has been starting and playing big minutes with Richard Hamilton (SG/SF, DET) and Allen Iverson (PG/SG, DET) nursing injuries, and he's showing that the upside is still there. He won't be starting the rest of the season, but his 12.0 PTS, 3.0 REB, and 2.3 3PT with respectable percentages can help you as a streaming option or short-term fill in for an injured starter in the 98 percent of leagues who haven't been paying attention.

Brandon Rush (PG/SG/SF, IND): Keeper leagues need to be all over this guy. Big 12 fans know that he is a dynamic scorer with a well-rounded game, and the Indiana faithful are in for a treat. Rush is now the starting SG for the Pacers, and it sounds like he will remain there while T.J. Ford (PG, IND) comes off the bench behind Jarrett Jack (PG/SG, IND). (How many of you saw this coming in the preseason?) First, his three-position eligibility will help you find a spot to employ his services. Second, just look at his splits as a starter this year -- 13.5 PTS, 5.6 REB, 1.9 3PT, 1.3 AST, 1.3 STL, and 1.0 BLK. He hasn't shot for very good percentages, but that won't last forever (rookie jitters in my opinion). Don't be afraid to give him a tryout, because only guys like Eric Gordon (SG, LAC) and O.J. Mayo (PG/SG, MEM) were more highly regarded as scorers at the two-spot coming out of college last year.

One Week Wonders

It's always fun to see what pops out when you look at just one week worth of stats. Top players on Yahoo! by per-game averages in the past seven days (Sunday to Saturday, Mar. 15 - 22):
1. Chris Paul (PG, NOH) - Nice to see him atop the field where he belongs.
2. Jason Richardson (SG/SF, PHO) - Simply blowing up with teammate Leandro Barbosa (PG/SG, PHO) out indefinitely.
3. Vince Carter (SG/SF, NJN) - Same deal as Richardson, except covering for the absence of Devin Harris (PG, NJN).
4. LeBron James (SF, CLE) - Would have challenged for the top spot if not for a 65.5 FT% on the week.
5. Gerald Wallace (SF/PF, CHA) - Knee injury? What knee injury? Sure, he didn't do much on Saturday after getting dinged up mid-week, but the four games prior were studly.
6. J.R. Smith (SG/SF, DEN) - This has got to be his best career week. Three games, 26.7 PTS, 4.7 3PT, 4.0 REB, 2.3 AST, 1.0 STL, 54.7 FG%, and 90.9 FT%.

All numbers referenced include games through Saturday, March 21.

Tommy Landry thinks he knows everything. Tommy Landry knows he knows nothing. Such is the path he takes. Fantasy existentialism or something. Got thoughts? Email him at tommy@rotoexperts.com, and he may answer your question in his next edition of MeThinks. 

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