Brook Lopez is carving himself a nice little niche on a Nets team that's still looking for its identity.

Here we are, face to face a couple of Head-to-Head fantasy players…hoping to find we’re two of a kind…making a go, making a grow. Together, we’re going to find our way. Together, taking the time each day. To learn all about those things you just can’t buy. We’re all like silver spoons, really, or, at least we’d like to be.  Seriously, how awesome would it be to have a train in your house?  And your own video arcade?  Yah.  Um…Alfonso Ribiero as your best friend? I think so.  For those of us who have yet to achieve that level of I remember the 80s nirvana, we can still bond over a little Head-to-Head’s Up, your weekly destination for everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the game of head to head fantasy basketball.  Let’s take a quick look at five players (one at each position) that may have slipped through the cracks in some leagues:

Anthony Morrow – Point guard – Golden State Warriors - Whom, you ask?  The guy that played almost 42 minutes of dominating, up-tempo basketball on November 15, scoring 37 points and dishing out 11 assists…that’s who.  Going 15 of 20 from the field isn’t going to happen very often, but after going off like he did, Morrow just might find himself being utilized by coach Don Nelson in what amounts to a 4-guard lineup (along with holdovers Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, and Klenna Azubuike).  Marcus Williams, a popular preseason sleeper, has been all but removed from the rotation, and the only other backcourt player seeing significant minutes is C.J. Watson, who isn’t exactly a threat to anyone’s fantasy prowess.  Certainly, Morrow isn’t going to keep playing 40+ minutes a game, as Nelson tends to mix things up as match-ups and his personal whims dictate.  But, as long as he’s in his coach’s good graces, Morrow is worth picking up as the current hot hand in a fantasy-friendly offense (and a Head-to-Head’s Up favorite).

Michael Pietrus – Shooting guard – Orlando Magic - Here we have a case of a player’s role changing, if only slightly.  Upon his arrival in Orlando, it was still unclear just how Pietrus would fit into the team construct, specifically on the offensive end.  After eclipsing 9 attempts just once in the Magic’s first 5 games, Pietrus has averaged just over 10 attempts in the 5 games since.  Shooting a career best 49% from the field in the process, Pietrus has seen his 08-09 scoring average climb to 14.5 PPG, after averaging just 8.8 points for his career prior to joining the Magic.  It’s safe to say that he’s managed to fit in quite well with his new team.  Bear in mind that Pietrus hasn’t yet shown a tendency to generate rebounds or assists, and some of his scoring can be attributed to an unusually high FT%, so a decline in relative value is likely.  However, as long as he keeps showing a willingness to play when and where the team needs him, he should keep seeing minutes (currently 26:48 per game).

Michael Finley – Small forward – San Antonio Spurs:  Finley’s name is hardly unknown to seasoned fantasy players.  About a hundred years ago (okay, ten), he was a consistent 20+PPG player that could score from inside and outside, sometimes at will.  Well, he’s hardly that player anymore.  In recent years, Finley has made a successful transition to being the proverbial NBA role player.  The last time he averaged 30+ minutes per game was the ‘04-‘05 season.  With the constant influx of young, athletic talent into the league, that might as well be the 1970’s.  But…what is this?!?!?  Due largely to injuries to Manu Ginoboli and Tony Parker, Michael Finley is back to playing 30+ minutes a night (at least in 4 straight), and has even seen some of the offense flow in his general direction—averaging 12.5 shots per contest over the last four games.  Having scored at least 14 points in four of his last five games, Finley is suddenly a fantasy relevant player, at least until the Parker and/or Ginoboli return, which could still be at least a couple of weeks away.  If nothing else, Finley should be counted on to fill the role of 3-point specialist, especially while he’s being integrated into the Spurs offense.

Ben Wallace – Power forward – Cleveland Cavaliers: Believe it or not, there was a season in which Ben Wallace once averaged better than 15+ rebounds and 3+ blocks—numbers that propelled him to the front of the line in terms of what he could do to help you dominate in those hard to come by categories.  Frankly, it didn’t matter that he really didn’t do anything else—he didn’t have to.  That was a few years and a few teams ago for Big Ben.  Since then, his minutes and production have fallen off considerably.  Going into this year, there was little reason for optimism that Wallace would return to form, that is, until Cleveland’s November 15 win over Utah that saw Wallace find the fountain of youth, if only for one evening.  Sure, he only scored one solitary point, but he also collected 10 rebounds and 4 steals.  As a matter of fact, Wallace has done an admirable job of maximizing his production in a limited role this year.  Despite averaging fewer minutes than he did last year, his rebounds per game remain virtually unchanged.  This is noteworthy if you’re in need of someone to help with rebounding and rebounding alone; otherwise Cleveland has moved on to the younger and more athletic Anderson Varejao.

Brook Lopez – Center – New Jersey Nets: Over the course of the season, you can reasonably expect nearly every frontcourt player on the Nets roster to show up on Head-to-Head’s Up since it’s fairly clear that the 08-09 season is going to be something of an audition for the future, such as it is.  Yi Jianlian, Ryan Anderson, Josh Boone, and company are almost certain to alternately entice and frustrate fantasy basketballers with spot-starting and spotty production all season long.  Rookie Brook Lopez is the latest New Jersey center to be thrust into the starting lineup in an apparent effort to create as much instability as possible.  In Lopez’s case, with starting comes starter minutes—31 minutes per game since joining the starting lineup a mere two games ago.  If there’s any reason to get excited, it was his 11 for 17, 25-point outburst in his first game as a starter.  More offensively gifted than Josh Boone, Lopez may be able to carve out a niche for himself on a Nets team in desperate need of an identity and a scoring option to compliment the otherwise frustrated and sulky Vince Carter.  Especially in leagues where 2 starting centers are required, there are worse players to gamble on.  If you have the roster flexibility to roll the dice…