Andrew Bynum is turning into a solid fantasy center, and he and the Lakers play three this week.

Five Games: Phoenix

The Suns are the only team that plays five games this week. Not only that, but the majority of their opponents are below .500. Minnesota is dismal with only two wins so far this season, and even though the Raptors have the best record of their opponents, the toughest challenge for Phoenix will be the high scoring game of the Wizards on Friday. Even then, the Suns may not have a problem sweeping the entire week.

Four Games: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, and Golden State, Memphis, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and Utah

The Bulls have won a measly three games this season. This week may just be a microcosm for what we have seen so far, as they play the Mavericks, the Pistons, and the Celtics. Their one realistic chance of winning is against the Bobcats, but even Charlotte has twice as many wins as Chicago. The Mavericks will face a few strong opponents in the Spurs and the Nuggets. Dirk Nowitzki’s points-per-game is down some from last season, which hurts from a fantasy perspective, but it actually benefits the team as more players are involved in their offense, creating a stronger attack. This raises the value of guys like Josh Howard and Jason Terry. Carlos Boozer owners should keep an eye on him. While he has not missed any time so far this season, his ankle has him listed as questionable for Monday night’s game against the Heat.

Three Games: Charlotte, Indiana, L.A. Lakers, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New Jersey, Orlando, Portland, Toronto, Sacramento, San Antonio, and Seattle

The Lakers have done well bringing Andrew Bynum along. With nine double doubles on the season, he is a solid fantasy center. On the other hand, Andrew Bogut of the Bucks is hurting the team with his constant found trouble. If Milwaukee can somehow figure out how to keep him in the game longer, chances on a deep-season run could dramatically improve. Also, watch out for the Spurs. Their loss to Sacramento last Monday served as a wake up call and is motivating them to play with a rejuvenated energy. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili appear to have that extra spark in their step, and when those two heat up, the Spurs can be downright unstoppable.

Two Games: Houston, L.A. Clippers, New Orleans, and Washington

Tracy McGrady did not play well in his last few outings, and the team has struggled to break the 100-point mark. Look for them to turn their fortunes around this week against Memphis and New Jersey. Both the Clippers and the Wizards have suffered from some major injuries. However, the Clippers cannot seem to find any answers for their problems as they continue to drop games. The recent injury to Sam Cassell’s calf can only hurt them further. On the other hand, the Wizards seem to be doing just fine without Gilbert Arenas. They have slowly climbed out of their early-season hole and are nearing the .500 mark.

Best Games

Sunday, December 2nd, 2007
Cleveland Cavilers at Boston Celtics

The Celtics have only lost two games so far this season. One of those losses came against the heavily talented Orlando Magic. However, the other was against LeBron James and the Cavilers. While LeBron has quality role players around him, he still does not have the Scotty Pippen to his Michael Jordan just yet, so it is impressive for him to be carrying the majority of the load on his own. Look for the Celtics to strike hard and fast as they will want to show that their loss to the Cavs was a fluke. If Cleveland stands a chance of winning their second encounter against Boston, it will be with their defense and some amazing play from James, the same formula that carried them to the Finals last season.

Sunday, December 2nd, 2007
Orlando Magic at Los Angles Lakers

The Magic have a stacked team that focuses around Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Hedo Turkoglu, and the trio have mauled their way through the season, serving the Celtics their first loss. However, they go up against a Lakers squad that has some veterans in Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, and they are getting great play from their youngsters as well, like Andrew Bynum. This looks like a runaway win for the Magic, and it very well may be, but with Kobe on the court, and Bynum stepping up, this Lakers team will fool some people. Since his return, Lamar Odem has taken some of the pressure off Kobe.

Top Players This Week

Point Guards
Steve Nash
Deron Williams
Chauncey Billups
Baron Davis

Shooting Guards
Joe Johnson
Josh Smith
Paul Pierce
Ray Allen
Allen Iverson

Power Forwards
Shawn Marion
Kevin Garnett
Dirk Nowitzki
Carlos Boozer

Shooting Forwards
LeBron James
Josh Howard
Carmelo Anthony
Rasheed Wallace
Stephen Jackson

Centers
Amare Stoudemire
Marcus Camby

Sleepers
Leandro Barbosa
Grant Hill
Andrei Kirilenko
Linas Kleiza
Antonio McDyess