Fantasy basketball expert Tom Lorenzo breaks down the week ahead and helps you fill out your roster with an emphasis on daily leagues.

Much to the dismay of my colleague Jonathan Huang I am going to start off this week by once again pointing out that this column’s sole purpose is to guide you through the week ahead as you fight to bring home the elusive fantasy basketball trophy. And just like last week we have a minor discrepancy in the schedule with the Utah Jazz slated to play five times, while the Bulls and Celtics only go twice. Around the rest of the Association we have 16 teams with four games on the docket and 11 teams who only play three times. For those of you in daily leagues, the strategy this week is simple. Whether you’re more comfortable quoting RotoExpert Tommy Landry or rewriting notable songs performed by Dinah Shore to fit into your fantasy basketball strategy, the key is to “stream a little stream.”   

Five-game teams: UTA
Four-game teams: CHA, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, GSW, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, NJN, NOH, NYK, ORL, PHI, SAC
Three-game teams: ATL, HOU, IND, LAC, MIN, OKC, PHO, POR, SAS, TOR, WAS
Two-game teams: BOS, CHI

Monday
We kick off the week with four games. The early game, Orlando vs. Miami, actually holds some importance for both teams involved. The Orlando Magic come into this weekend tied with the Boston Celtics for the second seed in the East. Home-court advantage is at stake, and the Magic would love to have the comfort of a home-cooked meal in a pivotal Game 7 matchup against the Celtics should it come down to that. The Heat, on the other hand, are fighting to maintain the fifth spot out East in order to stave off a first round matchup with either Cleveland, Boston, or Orlando. In New Jersey, the Nets welcome the Milwaukee Bucks to town for a crucial matchup. Both teams are within 3.5 games of the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. The Knicks, who have lost six in a row heading into the weekend, are in Utah to take on the Jazz. Utah boasts a 30-6 record at home where they are tops in the league in forcing turnovers at the rate of 16.1 per game. The final game of the evening pits the Memphis Grizzlies vs. the Golden State Warriors. The story here is that the Grizzlies come into this game with the title of the league’s worst offensive team (93.1 PTS), while the Warriors are, shockingly, the league’s bottom-feeders on the defensive end (112.4 PTS). Just for fun, here’s a trade worth pondering – Marko Jaric (SG/SF, MEM) and Rudy Gay (SF/PF, MEM) to Golden State for Jamal Crawford (PG/SG, GSW) and the Warriors 2009 draft pick (likely top-7)?

Good Odds
I might be going out on a limb here, but it looks like Stephen Jackson (SG/SF, GSW) is all but done for the season. This means that we it might be time to take a good hard look at Anthony Morrow (PG/SG/SF, GSW) once again. I know he’s been inconsistent this season, though a lot of that can be attributed to Coach Don Nelson not being able to commit to certain players or a set rotation. But if Morrow’s 36 minutes, 29 points, and three treys on 9-of-10 shooting from the floor this past Wednesday night are any indication of what’s to come then you need to take a longer look at him. Kelenna Azubuike (SG/SF, GSW) is the safer pick of the two, but then again we can’t be so sure about that with Nellie in the driver’s seat. With only four games on the schedule and nothing to lose, you might want to consider streaming in Morrow and seeing if you can hit the jackpot… I’ve been slow to get on the Kyle Korver (SG/SF, UTA) bandwagon, but as many of you know I am not afraid to roll the dice on a sharp-shooter in a matchup against the Knicks. Korver hit five three-pointers against the Suns this past Wednesday (Mar. 25), and he could be headed that way yet again against the Knicks. He’s available in 80 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and probably is more of a sure thing than Morrow. So those of you looking to take a conservative approach this week Korver makes more sense.  

Bad Goods
While Quentin Richardson (SG/SF, NYK) continues to be owned in 21 percent of leagues, the quick return of Larry Hughes (PG/SG/SF, NYK) to the lineup this past week should deflate that percentage just a little. Q-Rich had a huge game against Orlando last Saturday (March 21), though I suspect he’ll return to playing a smaller role coming off the bench. Hughes should be back in the starting lineup by the start of this week, knocking Richardson down a peg and essentially off my radar on Monday night.  

Tuesday
We’re looking at nine games on Tuesday night, and only New York and Utah are playing on back-to-back nights. The Knicks don’t have to travel very far, flying from Utah to Denver to take on the Nuggets. The Jazz head north to take on the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland and Utah are currently tied for the sixth seed out West, so there is some playoff positioning at stake here. Detroit-Cleveland, Chicago-Indiana, Atlanta-Philadelphia, and L.A. Lakers-Charlotte all kick-off the early portion of your basketball viewing. Though Cleveland refuses to lose at home, the Pistons have that whole “scrappy team” thing going on. And who would have thought that going into the season that Antonio McDyess (PF/C, DET) would be the best player on the Pistons come March and April? Dallas-Minnesota, Oklahoma City-San Antonio, and New Orleans-Sacramento round out the evening’s schedule.   

Good Odds
I know I always seem to be hyping up J.R. Smith (SG/SF, DEN), but in all fairness he is averaging 18 points and 2.5 threes for the month of March. Add to that a home game scheduled with the Knicks on Tuesday night and you’ve got yourself all the makings of a stellar performance. He’s still out there in 27 percent of Y! leagues, so take a look and see if you’re lucky enough to grab him… I still encourage reluctant owners to take a look at Joakim Noah (PF/C, CHI). His numbers are down just slightly over the last 10 games, but his blocks (2.0) and rebounds (8.4) are still valuable assets. It also looks like Troy Murphy (PF/C, IND), the league’s third leading rebounder, will miss this one, which should free up a few more boards for Noah… Flip Murray (SG/ ATL) is averaging 19.6 points, 1.0 steals, and 2.0 three-pointers over his last five. I like him in this matchup with the 76ers, especially since Philly hasn’t been playing much defense lately allowing 108.4 PTS over their last five. 

Bad Goods
I wouldn’t much trust the Detroit guard combo of Will Bynum (PG/SG, DET) and Arron Afflalo (PG/SG, DET) in a road game with Cleveland. It seems like too much of a desperation play. Each player has the ability to offer up a fantasy worthy performance from time-to-time, but throw Richard Hamilton (SG, DET) back into the equation, plus the Cavs stifling defense and both guards look like a reach to me… Greg Oden (C, POR) is working himself back into the lineup and eating into Joel Przybilla’s (C, POR) minutes. Last Monday (March 23) Przybilla played the fewest minutes in any game this month (20), while Oden posted 25 minutes and probably would have played more had he not worked himself into foul trouble. Utah is playing some great basketball as well, which is another thing to factor in here. Those of you in the 43 percent of Yahoo! leagues who own Przybilla might want to reevaluate this one. I’m just not sure he’ll have a playoff-type of impact on Tuesday. 

Jason Thompson and Andray Blatche battle it out for the top waiver add for the remainder of the season.   Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Wednesday
This is pretty interesting stuff… due to the recession, the NBA has made it mandatory for teams to offer $2 tickets for every game on Wednesday night. With nine games on the schedule, hopefully you’ll be able to go and catch a live game near you. A few that I would love to see are Toronto-Orlando (never miss an opportunity to see the big fella play), Charlotte-Boston, Miami-Dallas, Houston-Phoenix, and Sacramento-Golden State. The Warriors and Kings sit comfortably at the bottom of the league in points-against, so fantasy owners should take notice of this one. I’d probably pass on seeing the Clippers, even with Chris Paul (PG, NOH) and the Hornets in town. The problem with the Clippers is that you never know if you’re going to see a lineup of five all-star caliber players or one led by Steve Novak (SF/PF, LAC), Mike Taylor (PG/SG, LAC), and the rest of the Traveling Wilburys. I suppose for only two bucks it would be worth it to see CP3 torch the Clips. If you attend the Washington-Memphis game you should get two dollars and your parking validated just for showing up. But, ladies and gentlemen, before you get your credit cards out to buy any tickets, I just wanted to be the first to say “April Fools.” Yes that was the lamest “burn” in fantasy sports history, but if anything I at least gave you a heads up reminder to prepare for your own tomfoolery this Wednesday. Although I still think the Grizzlies should heed my advice and offer up incentives for people to show up to this one.       

Good Odds
Look out for the big fella! Jason Thompson (SF/PF/C, SAC) is the ‘fella’ I’m referring to here. Thompson has come up bigger than big over his last five, posting 13.8 PTS, 11.4 REB, 1.0 STL, 1.4 BLK, and a 57.4 FG%. Three things worth noting here are that he’s available in over 50 percent of leagues, he has eligibility at three different positions, and he plays against the Warriors on Wednesday night. I find it hard to believe that you have a much better option. I think we’ll see some big things out of JT on Wednesday, so try to make room to slot him into your lineup… While he’s never been much of a fantasy player, Shane Battier (SF, HOU) is really starting to stroke the ball. He’s making nearly three treys and picking off two steals over his last three. Those may not seem like much, but he’s an efficient shooter (67.4 FG% over his last three) who can really shine against a Phoenix Suns team that opens up the floor. This allows Battier to play loose on both ends of the court, picking up nice numbers along the way. 

Bad Goods
Sure, we’re all jazzed about what Mike Taylor did against the Knicks, but I have a hard time believing that he can come close to repeating that performance against Chris Paul and the Hornets. Even if he does have an increase in minutes, I wouldn’t get too fancy and rely on a one-hit wonder in this spot.

Thursday
What a poor schedule for a Thursday night. I’m not sure what the schedule makers were banking on, but we have Milwaukee-Philadelphia as our non-TNT action, and Cleveland-Washington and Utah-Denver over on the Turner Network. Gilbert Arenas (PG, WAS) said that he is determined to play against the Cavs. That could be the only thing that saves this game. Though even if Arenas decides to play, the evening will likely be more theatrical than anything else. The great Gil Arenas returns to the court, a la Willis Reed in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals.    

Good Odds
With a short schedule, I like to look to see whether there is anyway I can pick up a few extra stats from a couple of fringe players. I’d focus on the Milwaukee-Philadelphia game, because Washington at home to the Cavs does not appeal to me. For Milwaukee, look at Charlie Bell (SG/SF, MIL), who came off the bench on Wednesday (March 25) to provide 20/6/7 with two steals. Bell cracked the top-100 last week and could at least give you some worth against Philly. On the other side of the ball, you should keep your eye on Louis Williams (PG/SG, PHI). He’s my weekly go-to guy, but I would say that 15 points, 4 assists, a three, and a steal is about what you’re looking at.

Bad Goods
What to do in Washington. I like Andray Blatche (PF/C, WAS) and Nick Young (SG/SF, WAS) but wonder how valuable they are in a matchup with the Cavs. I would lean more towards Blatche here, because he has the least replaceable piece. Blatche is, in essence, the low-post presence for the Wiz. Young, on the other hand, is another guard trying to fit into the rotation. If Arenas is serious about playing against Cleveland, Young takes a bigger hit and will lose a few more minutes out on the court. Again, I’m not sure what to make of this one, since we still don’t know what the situation with Gil will be, but I would feel more comfortable starting Blatche than I would Young. 

Friday
We’ve got a ten-game schedule on Friday night. The first game tips off is in Indiana with the Spurs in town to take on the Pacers. The Spurs have been playing stellar defense, allowing only 83.2 PTS over their last five. The only problem is that they can’t seem to find the bottom of the net, scoring just 83.8 PTS in that span. Staying out east, we have Miami-Charlotte and Atlanta-Boston in the early part of the evening. Here’s something worth noting; Atlanta has a 7-2 record without starting forward Marvin Williams (SF/PF, ATL). The big-ticket game of the evening kicks off in Orlando with the Cleveland Cavaliers in town. Again, this game would best serve the Magic as nothing more than a confidence builder heading into the playoffs. At five games back they have no chance in catching the Cavs, which means they’ll have to beat them in Cleveland if they hope to advance to the NBA Finals. A win in Orlando would give the Magic the season series (2-1). The Suns and their high-flying offense welcome the Kings to Phoenix. The Suns have won six straight and scored 126.4 points per game over that streak, though I still think they’ll fall just behind Dallas for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. Meanwhile, Dallas is in Memphis for their first of only two road games in the month of April. The second premier matchup on the evening takes place in Los Angeles, with the Rockets battling the Lakers at the Staples Center. The Rockets hope to spoil the Lakers bid for consecutive NBA Finals appearances. I think that they are one of only three teams in the West who have a shot of at least challenging the Lakers in a seven game series (Utah and San Antonio being the other two teams). Portland-Oklahoma City, Minnesota-Utah, and New Orleans-Golden State round out the schedule.   

Good Odds
I like Thompson again in this matchup with the Suns, but I also should add Francisco Garcia’s (SG/SF, SAC) name to list of those to start on Friday. Garcia was ranked No. 21 overall (average stats) last week and has tallied more than one block, steal, and three-pointer per game for the month of March. He’s still available in 40 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and Garcia will provide much help for those of you who own him on Friday night against the Warriors… Rasual Butler (SG/SF, NOH) is still posting very serviceable numbers, scoring in double-figures in 14 straight games and knocking down 2.1 threes per game in the month of March. In a playoff series, you want to win five categories, and if he can get it going from beyond the arc against the Warriors you’ll get a nice bump in your three-point production. He can still be had in over 50 percent of leagues, so take the plunge on Friday to help fill up your three-point totals.

Bad Goods
What’s behind both the fourth quarter benching of Ryan Gomes (SF/PF, MIN) last Monday (March 23) and the Minnesota starters coming off the bench on Wednesday to open the game? Well, Coach McHale seems to think that his starters are wearing down. That is likely code for “we saw Blake Griffin play this past weekend and… wow!” I would be a bit worried if I owned Gomes, Randy Foye (PG/SG, MIN), or Mike Miller (SG/SF, MIN) right now. McHale may be right, though, seeing as Gomes hasn’t scored in double-digits in any of his last four games. But I think the combination of fatigue, a tough defensive matchup in Utah, and a possible tank job all make Gomes unreliable in this one. 

Saturday and Sunday
Quite a few teams play twice this weekend including Denver, Detroit, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, and the Clippers. The Knicks and Raptors play a home-and-away set against each other. Celtics owners already have it rough this week with only two games on the schedule. It gets worse knowing that you can’t count on any of your Celts to close out the week for you with zero games this weekend. The daily splits have seven games on Saturday and 11 more on Sunday. NBA fans, we’ll need to come up with a new name for Saturday. Look at the schedule again this weekend and you’ll probably just shake your head. Saturday is as weak as that diorama you just threw together at the last minute in second grade –- New Jersey-Chicago, Miami-Washington, Memphis-Milwaukee, L.A. Clippers-Denver, etc. Sunday, on the other hand, is the blue-ribbon diorama that your parents made for you -- strong and relevant. The action starts off with a big one between San Antonio and Cleveland. It continues with Phoenix-Dallas, Utah-New Orleans, Portland-Houston, and closes with the Clippers vs. the Lakers. The Clippers are 10-26 at home and 7-28 on the road. This one counts as a road game for the Clips, but I have a feeling it won’t matter either way.  

Good Odds
Over their last ten, the Clippers have been the second worst team in the league in turning the ball over at 15.0 per game. That’s some pretty good news for Trevor Ariza (SF, LAL), who is starting for the Lakers and swiping 2.2 steals over his last ten. With Baron Davis (PG, LAC) making errant passes on the other side of the ball, Ariza can take advantage of Davis’ 4.9 TO per game in March and come away with a nice defensive stat-line on Sunday… Matt Barnes (SF, PHO) feel asleep there for a bit before coming back to life and scoring 21 points, nine rebounds, and dishing out five assists on Wednesday against the Jazz. 

Bad Goods
Hilton Armstrong (PF/C, NOH) may find himself in the starting lineup for the remainder of the regular season with Tyson Chandler (C, NOH) scheduled to miss up to two weeks, but I won't be taking the plunge. Julian Wright (SF/PF, NOH) has a bigger upside, but he seems a bit too inconsistent for my taste in a crucial playoff race.  The Utah frontline won't bend against a second-year forward whose career minutes amount to 11 per game.  It's easy to get excited about his 14 rebound performance this past Friday, but remember that he pulled down those boards against the Knicks and not against a Utah team who limits their opponents to only 40.5 rebounds per game… Erik Dampier (C, DAL) is too slow to run against the Suns, and too frail to bang bodies with Shaquille O’Neal (C, PHO). Damps went for four points and five rebounds against the Suns earlier in the month (Mar. 10). Not the way I would want to end the week by wasting a roster spot.

Notable Performances
Player of the Week: I like the schedule that Denver has this week with three home games (NYK, UTA, LAC, @MIN), so I’m going to take Chauncey Billups (PG, DEN) as my player of the week. He’s been playing great ball and I don’t see him slowing down this week. 

Biggest Bust: Two games a piece for both Boston and Chicago this week. This is good news for the Celtics who have a few banged up bodies, but bad news for fantasy owners who have relied on guys like Rajon Rondo (PG, BOS) to pull through all season long. Not only does Rondo only play twice, but he has a bum ankle and his team needs him more in mid-April than they do now. It’s a tough week to be a Rondo owner.

Add(s) of the Week: Jason Thompson and Francisco Garcia are great adds this week. The Kings play four times, including twice against Golden State and once vs. the Suns. I remind you to monitor the Warriors situation because guys like Morrow and Azubuike could be great adds this week as well.

If you have any lineup questions, send Tom an email at Lorenzo@rotoexperts.com. Or follow along on Twitter @RotoLorenzo for more updates and daily advice, and post your line-up questions for immediate fantasy help.

Listen to Tom weekly on “RotoRadio: Hoops Edition,” the RotoExperts Fantasy Basketball show on BlogTalkRadio, live on Mondays at 8:00 PM ET.

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