Waiver Wired...

Waiver Wire

As the home stretch of the season gets under way Tuesday, there is no doubt that the fantasy championship will be won on the waiver wire.

In the first half of the year, you could fill the USA Basketball starting lineup with players who were injured, including Kevin Garnett, Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady, LeBron James and now Kobe Bryant.

It's all about how you adjust, and here are the moves of the week.

Pick-Up

John Salmons
The biggest trade news in the NBA isn’t Jason Kidd (since it is yet to happen), it's Mike Bibby. The former Kings guard is now down South in Atlanta, charged with leading a young Hawks team into the playoffs (good luck!). This re-opens some opportunities in Sacramento. Before Kevin Martin and Ron Artest and Bibby returned from their injuries, it was John Salmons who was carrying the team. With Bibby's minutes and scoring up for grabs, Salmons should grab his share of the stats. In February (seven games), Salmons is averaging just 9.3 PPG and 3.9 RPG. There is no reason why those numbers can't move to 13 and six, giving him some of his value back.

Beno Udrih
But an even better pick-up on the same team is Beno Udrih. Since coming to Sacramento, he has emerged as a truly talented point guard - at least until Bibby returned. He went from playing more than 30 minutes per game to just over 20. But with Bibby shipped south, Udrih is the man once again. His stats have declined each calendar month (along with his minutes), but everything should spike back up again now that he is once again the starter. Remember when he was scoring 13 points and getting roughly five assists? Those days are rapidly approaching yet again.

If you are near the top of your leagues and you can afford the roster spot, you might want to consider picking up one of the injured stars currently sidelined. I'm talking Gilbert Arenas and Elton Brand. Sure it's a gamble, but the upside is huge. Both should be back in the next month or so, and if they can get anywhere back to the level we've become accustomed to, then you're team will be re-energized, like a real-life, fantasy basketball B-12 shot.

Drop-sies

Anthony Johnson
Johnson has little value anymore. Chances are he might not even factor into your league at all, but he literally brings nothing anymore. Udrih is a real stud and Johnson is just the odd-man out in Sacramento. As if the fact that Tyronn Lue was already creeping in on his minutes in Atlanta...

Jason Terry
I'm not sure if there is anyone to drop here, but it will be interesting how the Kidd trade effects the Mavericks sub rotations. Do Jason Terry's minutes stand to go down? Or will Dallas play a smaller ball and continue to play him? It seems inevitable that the minutes will change for everyone, especially the guards. Will Devean George still get in? What about J.J. Barea? The main guy to discuss here is Terry. He's not a drop, but his short-term production must be watched to make sure it keeps up with the runnin' Kidd. He makes players better, but not if they're backing him up.

As the trade deadline approaches, there are still blockbuster-type deals out there waiting to be done. Will New Orleans make a move to keep up in the West? Who could they get, what do they need? Another big man?

If a trade goes down, it will severely alter the substitution patterns of even the most solid teams. Who knows, another Gasol-for-Kwame swap could be in the works now.