Manu Ginobili, Spurs

Leave it to Don Nelson to make me look, well, not-so-brilliant. Just when I passed on the verdict that Anthony Randolph will not start this season for the Golden State Warriors, Nellie decides to give the kid a shot at the job. I'll just chalk that one up as a testament to his high-level of unpredictability, and consequently team roster volatility. I'm glad Randolph got to start, but unless you own Monta Ellis, never rest assured that your GSW player will get (or retain) a starting gig.

Anyway, here's to wishing everyone a more “healthy” and productive fantasy season in 2010!

PG

Head to Head’s UP… Mo Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers: Mo is underrated and under-appreciated in a lot of fantasy circles. He, however, has shown better consistency in his last few games. He has been one of the few bright spots in the Cavaliers' roster outside of LeBron James as far as fantasy basketball is concerned. He's been shooting in the 50% range from the field and still has managed to contribute 3.3 PPG over the last several games.

Head to Head’s DOWN… Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets: It's been difficult adjusting to Billups' groin-strain injury. He's was slated to miss two additional games after he played in the first half against Portland. It makes it difficult to assess whether he should be sat or started in weekly leagues. It's very hard to scrounge for viable alternatives to produce what “Mr. Big Shot” brings to the table. The good news is that Denver says it's not a setback in his recovery. They appear to just want to avoid aggravating it (groin) at this point. For now, we Chauncey owners have to live with a few missed games here and there.

SG

Head to Head’s UP… Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs: Manu has been “the Man” for the Spurs lately. He's back in fantasy form. It has been a rocky start for the Spurs' sixth man as he had to deal with injuries and up-and-down production from the beginning. He's now, once again, a solid source of threes, steals, assists for fantasy teams that are currently playing him. Enjoy it while it lasts. Manu has been known to run through good patches and bad ones; in a more volatile way relative to your average NBA player. The trick with Manu is to ride him during these high times and maximize his contributions.

Head to Head’s DOWN…Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry has had two bad games capping off a string of good games. That's the way the ball bounces with rookies. Consistency is always an issue. The good news is that his minutes still remain to be relatively high despite his real-life and fantasy shortcomings. He should bounce back soon enough though. The quality of his affects C.J. Watson's minutes and production in an inversely proportional way. When Curry has a good game, expect him to eat up most of the playing time between the two. However, when he shows moments of erratic play, expect Watson to step-up and bring some usable fantasy numbers. Since Curry IS the clear priority of Coach Nelson as of now, look to him to end up with more consistent viability.

SF

Head to Head’s UP… Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder: KD is showing us all why he deserves being a Top 5 fantasy pick. In the past few games, he's turned things up a notch (or two) as far as his fantasy production is concerned. He's just killing it! You name it, he's bringing it. Points, threes, steals, rebounds, good percentages (both from the field and the line). He's just piling it up like there's tomorrow. The punchline here folks is, there IS a tomorrow and it just brightens his owners' outlooks for 2010 that he will continue to bring in these buckets of numbers.

Head to Head’s DOWN… Ron Artest, Los Angeles Lakers: Ron Artest is suffering from a concussion he sustained in a fall in his home over the holidays. He's due to see a neurologist to assess and map out a date for his return. Unfortunately, this is an injury that Ron-ron's inherent toughness can overcome just like that. It does not appear to be too serious and I believe that the Lakers big-wigs are just being cautious about his injury. For now, sit him down and wait on the results of his doctor's prognosis. He is a good source of counting stats and will be difficult to replace. For now, try to grab Kirk Hinrich off your league's FA pool and plug him in your SG slot.

PF

Head to Head’s UP… Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Randolph has been a pleasant surprise this fantasy season. He's outperformed his ADP (average draft position) by a reasonably large margin. He's been a solid source of points, rebounds, and good shooting percentages. He's been averaging a whopping 27 points and 17 rebounds over his last three games. Considering he's shooting the ball at 57.9 FG% and 89.9 FT%, he is really boosting those four categories. He and Carlos Boozer are key cogs for teams who are competing in both shooting percentages. Rudy Gay might miss a couple of games due to a sprained ankle; and if he doesn't, his step should not be at 100%. Zach should continue to be a force in the the Grizzly paint over the next few games.

Yi Jianlian, New Jersey Nets: He's back, clearly healthy, and bringing a solid game. He's averaging 22.7 points and seven rebounds over the Nets' last three games. He's only owned in 52% of yahoo leagues. If he's available in your league, I would suggest snatching him off your FA pools. Now.

Head to Head’s DOWN…David West, New Orleans Hornets: Prior to his huge game against the Houston Rockets, David has been struggling. He was averaging 44% from the field, two games prior. Hopefully, his 44-point performance against Houston, will be the beginning of his return to form and not just a holiday flash in the pan.

C

Head to Head’s UP… Andris Biedrins, Golden State Warriors: He's back from his abdominal strain. He's been missed by his owners have been missing his services for 24 straight games. It should take a few games for him to get back to regular-season-quality production. He should be a good source of FG%, REB, BLK; once again in about two weeks or sooner. He is starting and should be one of the more should hold onto the job as long as he health holds up.

Head to Head’s DOWN…Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers: Let's face the hard truth. Bynum's teammate, Pau Gasol, has stolen his thunder. Bynum has simply not been the same stud he once was, during Gasol's absence. His stats are down across the board and it does not look like he will be able to surpass his more dominant partner in the paint. Adjust your expectations regarding Bynum's production for the rest of the season.