| Fantasy Basketball Grumblings: Waiver Wire - Feb 27, 2008 |
| By Jake Gantz |
Published
02/27/2008
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Waiver Wire
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Jake Gantz
Jake Gantz has been playing fantasy sports for several seasons. He claims he discovered Marshall Faulk as the best fantasy player ever and has owned him several times. He loves all sports and is a big horse racing enthusiast. His writing has been featured on other websites concerning the NBA, the NFL and the MLB.
View all articles by Jake Gantz
Could Ben Wallace re-invent himself?
Waiver Wire
Here are the moves owners might want to make this week:
Ben Wallace - That's right. Big Ben (sound the bells). When a player is traded, his season stats mean significantly less. Wallace looked re-energized in Cleveland in his debut and now that he's on a winning team again, he could easily emerge as the player he once was. Wallace scored a season-high tying 12 points in his debut with the Cavaliers while grabbing 10 rebounds in 34 minutes. That's a double-double in his first game. Last time he did that with Chicago... Jan. 3 versus Portland - in an overtime game! This trade could spark the old Wallace, and if it does, you'll want to be in the Big Ben business.
Al Horford - Big Al might be grabbed up in most leagues at this point, after nearly averaging a double-double in January, but if yours is one of the those where fantasy owners are sleeping, pick him up now! Horford has had some rough patches. He was not starting at first but has earned his playing time through hard work and dedication to his craft. He routinely flirts with 10+ rebounds per night and is often at 50-percent shooting. He's another guy that can really help you, especially if you get bonus points for double-doubles.
T.J. Ford - the guy is back. Since returning from his nasty spine/back/neck injury, Ford has picked up almost where he left off, while coming off the bench. The last two games Ford is averaging 15.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 6 APG - high-quality numbers. He is making good use of his time, and with Jose Calderon somewhat slumping in those games, Ford might see more playing time and a chance to get back to where he was before.
And then here are the players owners should fade:
Raja Bell - After going on an incredibly hot streak where Bell scored 15+ points in 10-of-17 games, he has since quieted down to the poor shooting, lock-down defender that he really is. In his last five games, Bell is averaging 6.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 3.0 APG. This is a bit off the 11.9 PPG he's averaging over the season. His shots are not falling anymore (he's shooting just 35-percent these last five games) and his numbers have suffered. Leandro Barbosa has taken over Bell's scoring and it's time to trim the fat.
Kurt Thomas - Thomas is averaging about eight and nine season. There is little reason to believe he could get those numbers in San Antonio. He was brought in to defend the big man and rebound. So while his boards numbers shouldn't fall much, if at all, his scoring should get cut in half. His first game with the Spurs he scored just four points in 13 minutes. He grabbed nine rebounds though. This is the type of game he should be regularly producing. Is this what you want in your PF/C position?
Marvin Williams - ask anyone in Atlanta, or someone that owns Marvin, and they'll tell you that Williams is the most inconsistent player ever. After scoring in double figures in every game in January, he failed to get 10 points in five games in February. He is shooting a dismal 36-perpcent this month. And when you really think about it, Mike Bibby is a scoring point guard, not a passer, so he will only take some of Williams' shots away. Maybe not a drop candidate, but he's definitely someone who you should look to maybe trade away...
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