Travis Outlaw has been a bit of a, well, outlaw this season, as his production and minutes have increased since being moved to the bench.

It’s my goal to begin each week’s Head-to-Head’s Up with some kind of clever, perhaps even funny little introduction all about how so-and-so player is really terrible at doing something related to basketball, etc.  Frankly, I just don’t have it in me this week.  No, it hasn’t been an especially difficult week, day, or whatever.  I really just don’t feel like it, okay?  Maybe I’m a bit disheartened by the fact that I didn’t receive any hate-filled emails this week telling me how I should pull my head out of some foreboding cavity, or that someone was hoping that I’d die in a fire because I gave passing approval to Tyrus Thomas’ athleticism.  To that guy: I didn’t specifically recommend him, so get over it already.  Phew.  I rather enjoy hearing from readers about how I helped them or hurt them, or offended their moral sensibilities, or whatever.  I just like getting email—it makes me feel important.  That being said, here’s some more fuel for the gripe machine:

Chris Quinn – Point Guard – Miami Heat:  Quinn is not the Quinn-tessential point guard in that he really doesn’t assume the lion’s share of ball-handling duties.  Accordingly, he’s not going to rack up assists, even relative to his minutes, which are sitting right around 20 at the time of this article.  At just 6’2” (in shoes), he’s not big enough to realistically play the two without being muscled out by the larger guards in the league.  Quinn then has to assume the role of sharpshooter, much in the same way Delonte West does for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  In fact, Quinn netted five 3-pointers in back-to-back games on November 7^th and 8^th, clearly showing why he’ll be getting at least occasional playing time throughout the season.  Between Quinn and teammate Dequan Cook (SG), the Miami Heat will have long range gunners aplenty to dish to as their slashing big three (D. Wade, M. Beasley, and S. Marion) look to drive and kick out for open jumpers.  Quinn isn’t going to provide enough total output to be a truly viable fantasy option just yet, but if you’re in need of some desperation 3s in a H2H league (and who isn’t?), there are worse options out there.

O.J. Mayo – Shooting Guard – Memphis Grizzlies: Rookies that produce high scoring totals are often the byproduct of having the fortune (or misfortune) of playing on really bad teams.  While that certainly is the case with the Grizzlies, it is most certainly not the case with O.J. Mayo.  Mayo would be able to score on any team in any league, period (see his 30+ points in back to back games and 21PPG).  Not only can this kid score, he’s easily the best defender on the floor at any given time for a Memphis team that is struggling to find its way through the league.  And with all due respect to Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry, Mayo is probably the Grizzlies best ball-handler too, even if his assist totals don’t necessarily reflect that fact.  There are a lot of fantasy experts that are down on rookies, but I’m not among them.  Simply put, an elite talent is an elite talent.  If someone is willing to sell him off at a reasonable price, I say buy, buy, buy.  And, if you’re fortunate enough to be able to have him…hold the Mayo.

Travis Outlaw – Shooting Forward – Portland Trailblazers: After starting the Blazers first three games, Outlaw was pushed to the bench, but has seen both his minutes and his statistical production actually increase.  In that way, Outlaw’s season has been something of an anomaly.  In the world in which we all reside (the fantasy world), starting players are the coveted players.  Apparently Outlaw didn’t get that memo.  Perhaps Travis Outlaw is cut from the same cloth as Manu Ginoboli of the Spurs—the rare player that doesn’t mind playing a reserve role and still rises to the challenge despite what his title might suggest.  After failing to record a steal in 2 of the 3 games he started, Outlaw, not known for his defense, has managed at least one steal in every game he’s played coming off the bench.  Additionally, his two highest rebounding games have come since his relegation to bench duties, including a 14 rebound outburst on November 6.  Yet, Outlaw doesn’t project to be a consistent source of rebounding.  In the simplest of terms, he’s a scorer—not a great one, but a scorer nonetheless.  This year, Outlaw seems to have added the 3-point shot to his arsenal, as evidenced by his 2.9 attempts per game, more than double his career high.  If you need another outside scoring threat, Outlaw is still available in a surprising number of H2H leagues.

Yi Jianlian – Point Forward – New Jersey Nets: This Chinese import never really found his way in a chaotic Milwaukee system that shipped him to New Jersey during the off season, ostensibly for Richard Jefferson.  If his minutes are any indication, Yi still hasn’t found his place with the Nets, but his numbers are improving, and that may be a sign of things to come.  He tallied his first 20/10 game of the year on November 10, and showed his tell tale production from the free-throw line.  A career 84% free-throw shooter, Yi’s game is a finesse one, and he lives and dies by his ability to outshoot bulkier defenders.  Sometimes that means he’ll have off nights, and sometimes it means he’ll have really off nights, like his 1-10 performance on November 8.  It’s the contrast of the two afore-mentioned games that make Yi both intriguing and perplexing.  His feast or famine ways can wreak havoc on a H2H week, but the payoff can be equally enjoyable.  Yi has shown obvious improvements in his rebounding and passing, so if you’re looking to roll the dice, at least you can expect a bit more of a diversified return on your admittedly minimal investment, assuming you’re picking him up off the waiver wire.

Louis Scola – C – Houston Rockets: No, Scola isn’t really a center, but he qualifies at that position in most leagues, so there’s really no reason not to mention him in here.  We’ll mention Scola, despite the fact that there isn’t a whole lot of anything to mention.  Well, there’s this: through seven games Scola has yet to record a 3-pointer and has only one assist to his name.  Also, in a very non-center way, Scola hasn’t yet managed to block a single shot.  Yes…for the year.  Clearly, he’s not exactly ROTO material, but that’s another article.  Scola has managed to average just under 13PPG while managing to corral 7.6 RPG to boot, making him a useful, albeit limited fantasy contributor.  Throw in the fact that he’s shooting better than 50% from the floor and is uncharacteristically sharp from the free-throw line (perfect on the year, in fact), and he’s a 4 to 5-category player, at least for the time being.  A center-eligible player that averages better than 7 rebounds a game and is still available in somewhere in the neighborhood of 25% of leagues? Yep.  Sure, he’s not going to win you a match-up, but he’s probably not going to lose you one either.  I mean, who or what are you starting at center right now?  Exactly.

Love me, hate me, berate me: damianschaab@sportsgrumblings.com