Defensive Corner: Sleepers, Injury & Impact

Sleeper:
Chargers (v. Kansas City): Last time these two met the Chargers Defense racked up an amazing 23 points (ESPN default scoring). Since then the Chiefs have lost top RB Johnson and have suspended top WR Bowe. Oh, and the Chargers are on a five game win streak consisting of wins against quality opponents such as the Giants and Eagles.

Injury and Update

Bengals (v. Browns)
Keith Rivers, LB, Calf, Limited Practice
Morgan Trent, CB, Knee, Limited Practice
*Rey Maualuga, LB, Foot, Did Not Practice
*Domata Peko , DT, Knee, Did Not Practice
*Robert Geathers, DE, Hip, Limited Practice
*Tank Johnson , DT, Knee, Limited Practice
*Johnathan Joseph, CB, Foot, Limited Practice

Status: Coming off an unexpected loss to the Raiders, the Bengals will be looking for redemption this week against the Browns. This, in addition to the Browns generally horrendous play, should have fantasy owners salivating this week. However, although starting the Bengals Defense should not be only be safe, but wise, keep your eye on this situation, as for any team the possible benching of five starters would mark a drop in production.


Vikings (v. Bears)
*E.J. Henderson, LB, Knee, Full Practice
Benny Sapp , CB, Groin, Full Practice
*Antoine Winfield, CB, Foot, Limited Practice

Status: The limited play/non-play of Winfield hurts, but the Vikings are facing the Bears and their turnover machine of a quarterback. Start.

Eagles (v. Redskins)
Akeem Jordan, LB, Knee, Did Not Practice
*Asante Samuel, CB, Neck, Did Not Practice
Victor Abiamiri, DE, Knee, Full Practice
Quintin Demps, S, Ankle, Full Practice
Victor Harris, S ,Eye, Full Practice
*Mike Patterson, DT, Wrist, Full Practice
*Sheldon Brown , CB, Hamstring, Limited Practice

Status: The Eagles may be down two cornerbacks (if that), but the Redskins are a complete mess organization wise and are down Clinton Portis and possibly Ladell Betts leaving them to rely on third-string Cartwright on the ground. This should be a fantastic week for fantasy owners, especially considering Philly’s Defensive dominance in their last meeting.

Steelers (v. Ravens)
*James Farrior, LB, Not Injury Related, Did Not Practice
*Troy Polamalu, S, Knee, Did Not Practice
*Travis Kirschke, DE, Calf, Limited Practice

Status: The Steelers have demonstrated that the absence of Polamalu equals the absence of defensive consistency and domination. This, in addition to the fact that the Steelers may be starting an inexperienced third-string quarterback and will therefore probably be heavily reliant on the defense, does not bode well for fantasy owners this week.

Ravens (v. Steelers)
Matt Birk, C, Neck, Did Not Practice
*Ray Lewis, LB, Foot, Did Not Practice
*Ed Reed, S, Foot, Did Not Practice
*Terrell Suggs, LB, Knee, Did Not Practice
*Jarret Johnson, LB, Shoulder, Full Practice
*Haloti Ngata, DT, Ankle, Limited Practice

Status: Even against a mediocre Steelers team, I would be hesitant to start the Ravens. However, as mentioned above, this week the Steelers may be starting Dixon, an inexperienced third-string QB. Due to this, the Ravens offense will probably dominate time of possession and will be able to eventually wear out and exploit the Polamalu-less Steelers’ defense. Keep you eye on whether Big Ben is cleared to play.

Defensive Corner: Sleepers, Injury & Impact Week 8

Sleepers:

Cardinals (v. Panthers): The Cardinals have scored 10 points or more in each other past three weeks against the Giants, Seahawks and Texans. Surely this improving defense can handle a team only capable of barely beating the abysmal Redskins and Buccaneers.

Chargers (v. Oakland): Oakland is one of those magical teams that makes their opponents automatically a better fantasy pick than the week prior. True, the Raiders limited the Chargers to only 7 fantasy points (ESPN scale) the first week of the season, but since then the Raiders have played well in close games with quality opponents while, with the exception to the Eagles game in which the Eagles just forgot how to rely commands from their brains to their extremities, the Raiders have floundered. Additionally, their star quarterback has just been benched for his awful play.

INJURIES & IMPACT

*Denotes starter

Baltimore Ravens (v. Denver)
*Tavares Gooden(LB) Head Questionable, did not practice
*Jarret Johnson(LB) Shoulder Probable, full practice
*Ed Reed(S) Illness Questionable, did not practice

Status: A loss of a starting linebacker and starting safety is the last thing this team needed right now. In week 6 against the Vikings, the Ravens got rocked allowing Farve to throw for 278 yards and limiting the defense to -1 fantasy points. This week, the Ravens will face Kyle Orton, who has averaged 267.3 yards in his last three starts against the Cowboys, Patriots and Chargers and only has 1 fumble and 1 interception on the year so far. Unless the Ravens worked out all the kinks in their secondary during the bye week, you might was to consider other defenses to start this week.

Dallas Cowboys (v. Seattle)
Allen Rossum(CB) Hamstring Questionable, did not practice
Gerald Sensabaugh(S) Thumb Probable, full practice
*DeMarcus Ware(LB) Foot Probable, full practice

Status: Really no injuries here. Start against the average Seattle offense.

Green Bay Packers (v. Vikings)
Derrick Martin(S) Hamstring Questionable, did not practice
*Charles Woodson(CB) Hip Questionable, limited practice
Jarius Wynn(DE) Hamstring Questionable, limited practice

Status: One starter, no major impact. This game is going to go one of two ways: 1) Favre will steamroll over his former team and continue to pick away at that giant chip on his shoulder; or 2) it will be a high-scoring close one with the winner (most likely the Vikings) slightly edging it out. Either way, not a great fantasy situation.

Minnesota Vikings (v. Green Bay)
*E.J. Henderson(LB) Knee Questionable, did not practice
Jimmy Kennedy(DT) Not injury related Questionable, did not practice
*Ben Leber(LB) Calf Limited practice. Questionable
*Karl Paymah(CB) Quadriceps Questionable, limited practice
***Antoine Winfield(CB) Foot Questionable, did not practice

Status: The Vikings’ secondary got exposed last week and the Steelers just steamrolled over the Vikings. With the loss of Winfield (who deserve three stars because he’s that important) things just got easier for Aaron Rodgers to prove himself against his former teammate. As I said above, the Vikings most likely will win this one, but it will come as a result of Favre’s ability to score, not the defense’s play.


New York Giants (v. Philadelphia)
Michael Boley(LB) Knee Questionable, did not practice
Chris Canty(DT) Calf Questionable, did not practice
*Antonio Pierce(LB) Hamstring Questionable, did not practice
Aaron Ross(CB) Hamstring Questionable, did not practice

Status: On starter, no major impact. Common sense would tell you that starting the Giants is a no brainer this week, but its just not that simple. The Giant’s have not been living up to their “defensive monsters” reputation the past two weeks in losses to both the Cardinals and Saints. Philly, with their pass focused offense will play them tough, as always, just as natural enemies should. This game could be real close.

New York Jets (v. Miami)
*Shaun Ellis(DE) Knee, ankle Questionable, limited practice
*David Harris(LB) Wrist Probable, full practice
*Bart Scott(LB) Knee Questionable, limited practic
Lito Sheppard(CB) Quadricep Questionable, did not practice

*Donald Strickland(CB) Ankle Probable, full practice
*Bryan Thomas(LB) Wrist Probable, full practice

Status: If I were a Jets fan this list of injuries would make me want to vomit, especially against the legendary Wildcat offense that no one can seem to shut up about. Well I guess there is good reason for that, last time the Jets played Miami (week 5) the Jets score -5 points and were just embarrassed. Make sure you keep that in mind when adjusting your lineup. (Hint Hint: Adjust your lineup)


Philadelphia Eagles (v. New York Giants)
Victor Abiamiri(DE) Knee Out
Darren Howard(DE) Ankle, calf Questionable, did not practice
*Akeem Jordan(LB) Hip Probable, full practice
Dimitri Patterson(CB) Quadricep, hand Questionable, did not practice

Status: See Giants analysis.


Finally, Happy Halloween all, I hope your fantasy scores aren’t too scary!

Defensive Corner: Sleepers, Injury and Impact Week 6

Smartest Starts: Eagles, Jets

Sleepers:
Jaguars (v. Rams): Normally I wouldn’t recommend a team that allowed 41 points the week before, but the Jaguars have two strong advantages this week: (1) they aren’t the Rams and (2) they are playing the Rams. So far this season Seattle, Washington, Green Bay, San Francisco and Minnesota have scored 15, 7, 10, 39 and 20 points respectively. Needless to say, one of the best bets for filling in during bye weeks or unfavorable matchups is to locate St. Louis on the schedule and pick up whomever they are playing that week.

Caution: I’ve seen in many sources select the Redskins as a “sleeper” pick this week, however I don’t agree. True the Chiefs have a deplorable record and appear to be nothing more than a glorified “B” squad, however, if you look at their record, the Chiefs have managed to score multiple times against some of the best defenses in the league: v. Ravens 24-38, v. Eagles 14-34, v. Giants 16-27, v. Dallas 20-26. Meanwhile, the Redskins have either lost, or had close games with some of the worst teams in the NFL: v. Rams 9-7 , v. Lions 14-19, v. Bucs 16-13 , v. Panthers 17-20. I think this game will be a lot closer than some predict, in fact, this may be the week that KC actually wins one.

INJURY AND IMPACT

Baltimore Ravens (v. Vikings)
*Jarret Johnson(LB) Shoulder Questionable, did not practice

Impact: One starter, not a huge deal, but the Ravens could use all the help they can get against this increasingly potent offense. While the Ravens have been putting up good numbers lately, if Favre is on his game, this could end up being a high-scoring, and thus low fantasy scoring, game.


Minnesota Vikings (v. Ravens)
*Ray Edwards(DE) Hamstring Questionable, limited practice
*Cedric Griffin(CB) Hand Probable, full practice

Impact: One starter (Griffin will most likely play), no major impact.

New England Patriots (v. Titans)
*Jarvis Green(DE) Knee Questionable, limited practice
Jerod Mayo(LB) Knee Questionable, limited practice
James Sanders(S) Shoulder Questionable, limited practice
*Shawn Springs(CB) Knee Questionable, limited practice
*Ty Warren(DT) Calf Questionable, did not practice
*Vince Wilfork(DT) Ankle Questionable, limited practice

Impact: Keep an eye on this situation, with three players on the line and one in the secondary listed as questionable, a benching of all four players could cause some missteps by the Patriots Defense. However, considering the Titans have been pretty terrible and are winless so far this year, I do not foresee them giving the Patriots too much trouble. The Patriots are a good pick this week, not great, but good.

New York Giants (v. Saints)
*Michael Boley(LB) Knee Questionable, did not practice
*C.C. Brown(S) Shoulder Questionable, limited practice
Chris Canty(ST) Calf Questionable, did not practice
Bryan Kehl(LB) Finger Probable, full practice
Aaron Ross(CB) Hamstring Questionable, did not practice

Impact: The Giants are so stacked on defense that I’m going to skip the impact and go straight to analysis. Top Defense v. Top Offense doesn’t bode to well for fantasy owners; you might want to *gasp* bench the Giants D this week.

New York Jets (v. Buffalo)
*Shaun Ellis(DE) Knee Questionable, did not practice
Larry Izzo(LB) Hamstring Probable, full practice
*Jim Leonhard(S) Knee Probable, full practice
* Kerry Rhodes(S) Knee Probable, full practice
*Lito Sheppard(CB) Quadricep Questionable, limited practice
Donald Strickland(CB) Ankle Questionable, limited practice

Impact: There may be some secondary issues here as Rhodes and Leonhard will probably play but not be at 100%, and Sheppard and his backup Strickland are both listed as questionable. However, seeing as the last solid play from the Bills was in week 2 against the Bucs, they are currently 1-4, and only managed to post 3 points against the Browns, I would have no hesitation about starting the Jets this week.


Philadelphia Eagles (v. Oakland)
*Sheldon Brown(CB) Abdomen Questionable, limited practice
Ellis Hobbs(CB) Wrist Probable, full practice
Dimitri Patterson(CB) Quad, hand Out
*Asante Samuel(CB) Calf Probable, full practice

Impact: Since Asante Samuel is “probable”, the Eagles will most likely only be dealing with the loss of Brown this week, if even that. Regardless, the Eagles are facing Oakland this week, who are up there on my list with the Rams, Bucs, Chiefs and Panthers of teams that a solid high school varsity team could seriously challenge. Starting the Eagles is truly a no-brainer this week.

Pittsburgh Steelers (v. Browns)
*James Farrior(LB) Elbow Questionable, did not practice
Andre Frazier(LB) Thigh Questionable, did not practice
*Travis Kirschke(DE) Back Questionable, did not practice
*Troy Polamalu(S) Knee Probable, full practice

Impact: Theoretically, the Steelers are so strong defensively and so deep at linebacker that the potential sidelining of Farrior won’t have a significant impact. Theoretically, the Steelers should have absolutely no problem will Anderson and his paltry offensive showing so far this season. However, the Steelers haven’t been producing at the levels they are theoretically supposed to be; well, at least not in the fourth quarter. The Steelers are an enigma this season as they hold strong for three quarters and then collapse in the fourth allowing teams which they should dominate (the Lions) and teams they dominated up until that point (Chargers) make the game close. As a Steelers fan, I’m telling myself that this pattern won’t repeat this week against the Browns, especially since Polamalu will be back to disrupt and cause turnovers, but the fantasy football player in me is nervous to start a team that seemingly tries to lose games in the fourth quarter. Despite this, I would give the Steelers D a go this week considering how good Polamalu is and how bad the Browns are, but if they let it get this close I would start looking for another defense.

Defensive Corner: Sleepers, Injury and Update

SLEEPERS

Eagles (v. Buccaneers): Already a solid defensive unit, the Eagles are coming off a bye week and should be well rested and ready for action. The Buccaneers however, are 0-4 and starting a rookie quarterback in front of a hostile Philadelphia crowd. (They pelted Santa Claus with snowballs for no reason…Santa Claus… that’s just plain mean) Look for Philadelphia to have a solid week against the meager Bucs. On a side note: I am aware the Eagles are not a sleeper per se, but they aren’t owned in 100% of ESPN leagues, so just consider this my reminder to check you FA lists.

Redskins (v. Panthers): Carolina has been a fantasy owners dream this season as every team who has played them has walked away happy (Eagles-35pts, Falcons-7pts and Cowboys-19pts (ESPN scoring)) If the Redskins take advantage of this weak offense and Delhomme’s high turnover rate, the Redskins could post high numbers this week.

Bills (v. Cleveland): Cleveland showed some life last week but I think that has more to do with Cincy playing down to Cleveland’s level and not vice versa. Despite the brief spark, the Browns have been offensively inept thus far and while they’ve resolved their quarterback controversy, that’s about the only issue they’ve solved this season. However, please take note that I only recommend picking up the Bills if you are stuck in a bye week or way unfavorable matchup scenario as the Bills, while having the potential to produce offensively (see week 1), also have a tendency to “suck”. (I’m sorry, I couldn’t find another word that echoed my sentiments more eloquently)

INJURIES

*Denotes Starter

Baltimore Ravens (v. Cincinnati)
*Tavares Gooden (LB) Shoulder/head, Probable, full practice
*Jarret Johnson (LB) Shoulder, Questionable, did not practice
*Ed Reed (S) Knee, Probable, full practice

Impact: I don’t even know why they list players who are “probable” and have participated in full practice all week on the injury report. Alright, I do know why; they have to. Anyway, my point is that Gooden and Reed will likely be on the field on Sunday so the only concern here is the potential loss of Johnson, which, if you’ve read any of my prior posts, you would know that I generally state would be no big deal seeing as he is the only defensive starter possibly out at the moment. As such, go with the Ravens this week against the Bengals because although the Bengals have played well against Green Bay and Pittsburgh, they were exposed last week against the Browns and the Ravens don’t have fourth quarter collapses like the Steelers to take advantage of.

Dallas Cowboys (v. Kansas City)
Gerald Sensabaugh(S) Thumb, Questionable, did not practice
Mike Hamlin(S) Wrist, Questionable, did not practice
Curtis Johnson(LB) Hamstring, Questionable, did not practice

Impact: Non-starters, no significant impact

New England Patriots (v. Denver)
*Jerod Mayo(LB) Knee, Questionable, limited practice
James Sanders (S) Shoulder, Questionable, limited practice
*Shawn Springs(CB) Knee, Questionable, limited practice
*Vince Wilfork (NT) Ankle, Questionable, limited practice

Impact: The Patriots always have a solid supporting cast waiting in the wings to takeover for any injury, however, I’m not sure I would start even a fully healthy Patriots defense this week against Denver. While I’m yet to be completely sold on Denver, who is 4-0 against the Bengals, Browns, Raiders and Cowboys, I’m not going to underestimate them at Mile High Stadium against an inconsistent Patriots defense.

New York Giants (v. Oakland)
*Michael Boley Knee, Out
Bryan Kehl(LB) Finger, Questionable, did not practice
Chris Canty(DT) Calf, Questionable, did not practice
Aaron Ross(CB) Hamstring, Questionable, did not practice
Clint Sintim(LB) Groin, Probable, full practice
Dave Tollefson(DE) Illness, Questionable, did not practice
*Justin Tuck(DE) Shoulder, Probable, full practice

Impact: Boley is out, but fortunately the Giants already know how to work around his absence due to his first week suspension. The Giant’s are a no brainer to start this week as they facing the not-so-mighty Oakland Raiders who in the last two weeks only managed to score a combined total of 9 points against Denver and Houston.

New York Jets (v. Miami)
*Lito Sheppard(DB) Quadricep, Missed Week 4 at New Orleans
Donald Strickland(DB) Ankle, Missed Week 4 at New Orleans

Impact: It’s hard to analyze without a status being listed however, I’m just going to restate my belief that the loss of one starter won’t severely damage a defense. Although Miami is 1-3 on the season this far, this matchup has me a little nervous for the Jets for some reason that I can’t exactly pinpoint. Maybe it’s the fact that the Dolphins kept it close with the Colts and obliterated the Bills, maybe it’s the Monday night factor, or maybe it’s just that I’m incredibly sick as I’m writing this and I’m mixing up my queasiness with uneasiness.

Philadelphia Eagles (v. Tampa Bay)
Quintin Demps(S) Hamstring, Probable, full practice
Dimitri Patterson(CB) Hand, Probable, full practice
Ellis Hobbs(CB) Illness ,Probable, full practice

Impact: Non-starters, no significant impact.

Pittsburgh Steelers (v. Detroit)
*Troy Polamalu(DB) Knee, Questionable , limited practice
Andre Frazier (LB) Shoulder, Questionable, did not practice

Impact: Word on the street is that Polamalu might be back this week which would be a huge boost for the Steelers’ defense which has been having some fourth quarter issues as of late. (By “fourth quarter issues” I mean “doing everything just short of not taking the field to allow the other team to score.”) Nevertheless, this week the Steelers will be facing Detroit which shouldn’t pose as too much a challenge for them

Tennessee Titans (v. Indianapolis)
Colin Allred(LB) Shoulder, Questionable, did not practice
*Keith Bulluck Knee, Questionable, Limited Practice
*Cortland Finnegan(CB) Hamstring, Questionable, Limited Practice
Vincent Fuller (S) Forearm, Questionable, did not practice
Jason Jones(DT) Shoulder, Questionable, did not practice
Stanford Keglar (LB) Hamstring, Questionable, limited practice

Impact: I don’t know why I keep listing the Titans as a top defense this year; they’ve been far too unpredictable and completely unreliable. This theme will continue into Week 5 against Indy, when 6’5 230lb quarterback with a laser-rocket arm, Peyton Manning will exploit all the weaknesses the Titans have revealed so far this season. DO NOT START.

The Mulligan: Stricker On Fire Heading Down The Stretch

The playoffs continue to heat up this week at the BMW Championship on revamped Cog Hill No. 4 in Lemont Illinois (just outside Chicago). With only one event left before the championship, many players are fighting to stay alive, while others have already punched their ticket to Atlanta. This is a long course with a few very tight fairways so players who have a well rounded game off the tee should play well this week.

I picked Steve Stricker last week. I am picking Steve Stricker this week. I will continue to pick him until he gives me a reason not to. Anyone who watched the Deutsche Bank Championship last week saw a man who is in control of his golf swing. He is taking dead aim at the pin on almost every shot and sticking the majority of them. I have never seen Stricker so confident and I think he will continue to roll. Look for him to build on last week's win.

Tiger Woods plays well everywhere, but he plays especially well in the Chicago area. He has won 33% of his starts in the area and finished in the Top 8 in 66% of his starts in the area. Even for Tiger that is pretty good. He is coming off of a superb 63 on Sunday and, again, its Tiger Woods. How can you bet against him?

I am going to go with Dustin Johnson this week as well. He has enjoyed a breakout year in 2009 and he continues to improve. Johnson finished 4th last week at the Deutsche Bank Championship and should bring solid momentum to this week's event. Johnson is making his first start at this event, so its hard to say how the course fits his game. That being said, he led the field in driving distance last week and that distance off the tee will prove very helpful this week.

Sleeper Pick: Mark Wilson is currently ranked 41st in Fex Ex Cup points and needs to jump 11 spots up into the Top-30 to make it to the Championship. I think he will do it with a solid performance this week. Wilson already has a win this season at The Mayakoba, and he finished 3rd at The Memorial. He has flown under the radar this year and has quietly put together a nice resume. Wilson is accurate (38th in Driving Accuracy) but not all that long (128th in Driving Distance). I still think Wilson is going to make some noise and make it into the Top 30 this week.

Good luck this week and let's keep moving to the top of the fantasy golf rankings!

Above the Rim: Finding Sleepers in Your Draft

The key to winning a fantasy league isn’t recognizing the superstars like Lebron and Kobe but rather getting value late in the draft and with in-season pickups. This week’s article is devoted to finding sleeper picks late in the draft.
(Round numbers are based on the round the player was picked in my recent 12 team draft.)

Paul Millsap- round 13
Millsap was the last pick of the draft, player number 156. However, he was a solid contributor for Utah off the bench last year, averaging 8.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in only 20 minutes a game. I expect his playing time to increase this year leading to an increase in production. Millsap also contributed with 5 double-doubles and 4 twenty point games.

Antonio McDyess- round 13
McDyess averaged 8.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last year as the Pistons starting PF. If he is the starter this season, look for him to match these numbers. The Pistons have Jason Maxiell and Amir Johnson behind him at PF, and one could rise up and take the starting job away. If that happens, look for one of these players to push towards 10-12 points and 8-10 rebounds as a starter.

Daniel Gibson- round 13
Gibson is a good late pick for a league that counts 3-pointers and 3-point percentage for points. Gibson is coming off an injury late in last season, but he should be as good as he was last year (10.4 points and 44% on 3-pointers), and will probably improve. Gibson will be coming off the bench for the Cavs because Coach Mike Brown likes having offense coming off the bench. Gibson is the perfect complimentary shooter for Lebron James and Mo Williams slashing styles.

Rashad McCants- round 12
McCants is the highest scoring sleeper in this article after averaging 14.9 points per game last year. However, because of the Timberwolves trade for Mike Miller, McCants will likely be the team’s 6th man this year. That will probably mean that his scoring average will go down a little. McCants also shoots over 40% on 3-pointers.

Ricky Davis- round 11
Davis is probably the most versatile player on this list. He averaged 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists for Miami last year, and the numbers should be similar for the Clippers. Davis will be backing up Al Thornton and Cuttino Mobley on the wings along with rookie Eric Gordon, but Davis was a backup last year as well, so it should not have a drastic effect on his numbers.

Mike Conley- round 11
Conley had a solid rookie year averaging 9.4 points and 4.3 assists for the Grizzlies. This season, Conley will have Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, Hakim Warrick, Antoine Walker, and Marc Gasol to feed the ball to. While this core is young, it can also be explosive and lead to a lot of assists. Conley should also be able to improve on his scoring average in his second season.

Andres Nocioni- round 11
Nocioni has always been one of my favorite players in the league because of his energy and toughness. However, those are not fantasy stat categories. Nonetheless, Nocioni has value in fantasy leagues due to him averaging 13.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game last season coming off the bench for Chicago.

Drew Gooden- round 11
Gooden had a good season last year averaging 12 points and 8.6 rebounds, but those numbers increased to 14 points and 9.3 rebounds in the 18 games after his trade to Chicago despite his minutes staying steady. Gooden should be good for at least 13 and 8.5 this season, but I would not be surprised to see him approaching 15 and 10 in a full season with Bulls.

Kirk Hinrich- round 11
Hinrich will be playing shooting guard for the Bulls this year next to number 1 pick Derrick Rose. Hinrich averaged 11.5 points and 6 assists last season, the lowest in both categories for his career. While the assists will probably go down into the 5s with Hinrich focusing on playing shooting guard, his scoring average should return closer to the 15.7-16.6 range that he averaged in the previous 3 seasons.

Jameer Nelson- round 10
Nelson should continue to be a solid PG for the Magic. With players like Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, and recent acquisition Mickael Pietrus, Nelson should be able to improve on his average of 5.6 assists per game from the last season. Nelson’s scoring average last season of 10.9 points is the lowest of his career since he became a starter, and I expect it to increase up to the 12 point range.

Nick Collison, Chris Wilcox- round 10
Collison almost averaged a double-double last season in Seattle with 9.8 points and 9.4 rebounds. While Oklahoma City should be awful this year, Collison is worth a late round pick in a fantasy draft this year.
Wilcox averaged 13.4 points and 7 rebounds per game for Seattle last season. Wilcox has consistently been in this range since he was traded to Seattle 3 seasons ago. Expect more of the same from him. After these two and Kevin Durant, you should avoid OKC like the plague.