Fantasy Week 17: The Trade Deadline Looms
As we approach Thursday’s deadline, here’s what fantasy owners need to know
By Emry DowningHall
After all the speculation and complications from both sides, a point guard did end up changing teams over the weekend, it just wasn’t Jason Kidd.
The Kings traded Mike Bibby to the Hawks for Shelden Williams, Tyronn Lue, Anthony Johnson and Lorezen Wright, or more commonly known as a poo-poo platter.
This deal was a little shocking to me. Even at a later stage in his career this seems like 60 cents on the dollar for Bibby, but the Kings are rebuilding while the Hawks snag a veteran leader with plenty of playoff experience.
I’m certain the deal was shocking to Lebron James who, after seeing what it took to get it done, had to be frustrated with Cavs management. On the off chance there was a camera crew near him when this deal was announced, I’m sure the tapes were destroyed faster than Roger Goodell dumped the spygate evidence.
This deal won’t have a deep fantasy impact because Bibby is already owned in your league and of the Hawks’ players traded to Sacramento, only Shelden Williams has an outside chance of contributing, and that’s only in very deep leagues.
Part of the reason the Kings felt they could dump Bibby was due to the strong play of Beno Udrih while Bibby was injured. Udrih is a run, don’t walk pickup at this point and should be owned in all leagues. He’s going to be starting for the Kings the rest of the season and will provide very solid value.
Whether this move is a pre-cursor to another deal, or all she wrote for the Kings before deadline day isn’t clear. What’s clear from the move is that the Kings are in total rebuilding mode and keeping Artest and Miller on the roster doesn’t make a lot of sense. Artest is the easiest to move because of his contract, and I expect him to relocate. This means Francisco Garcia and John Salmons need to be queued up for additions to your roster. Other owners in a competitive league are going to be thinking the same thing and if you have a slot to play adding Salmons is a good play. If Miller’s also moved Mikki Moore would see plenty of time the rest of the season.
Kyle Lowry is another coveted name that’s been floated around and judging by the Gasol trade, he can be had on the cheap. If he’s lying in wait on your waiver wire, he’s another guy you want to think about adding before Thursday’s 3pm deadline.
The Bulls are looking to deal Ben Wallace and if that move happens Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas will also see a boost in value. Thomas is a guy I’ve laid off writing about this season because his minutes will drive owners insane, but his talent is unmistakable and the Bulls’ front office knows it. The question is, at what point are they going to give him a chance to make an impact? Fantasy owners should have their finger on the trigger for both these guys if Wallace or Joe Smith leave town.
Assuming Mark Cuban has enough green to lure Keith Van Horn out of Utah and this trade goes through, it will have some profound fantasy ramifications. Josh Howard owners have got to love the prospect of their guy teaming up with Kidd, and Dirk owners should also benefit.
Kidd shouldn’t get the rebounds he did in Jersey but he will still be a great #1 fantasy point guard option in Big D.
With Diop out of town, Erick Dampier will be the lone man in the middle for Dallas (scary thought) and should be owned in all leagues. The addition of Diop in Jersey will only cut into the value of Josh Boone, Nenad Krstic, and Sean Williams. Coach Frank has been up and down with his bigs minutes all season and this won’t be a welcome addition to owners relying on frontline guys in New Jersey.
Devin Harris’s arrival will put an end to the Marcus Williams era in New Jersey and should boost Harris’s value, once his ankle has healed. I had been touting Williams as a great option if Kidd left town only I didn’t foresee Rod Thorn bringing in a 24-year old point guard to replace him. This move says as much about how the Nets feel about Williams as anything else.
If Pat Riley is able to unload Jason Williams or Ricky Davis’s expiring contracts that would open up time for Marcus Banks in Miami. If the Heat aren’t able to bring in another point guard in a deal, Banks would be the starter in Miami and would become a viable option for points, threes, and assists.
While I’m discussing the Heat, Dorell Wright has been playing very well lately and will continue to produce as long as Udonis Haslem is out. He deserves a pickup with the understanding that Haslem’s return to the Heat, with the addition of Marion may return him to a reserve role. Riley loves his versatility and I wouldn’t be surprised if he found a way to keep him in the lineup, for now put him on your roster and see plays out.
Charlie Villanueva is better than Yi Jianlian right now, but Yi is the future at the 4 in Milwaukee, subsequently putting Villanueva on the block. If the Bucks are successful in moving Charlie it’s likely both players would see an increase in value with Yi instantly becoming a solid pickup the rest of the way.
There’s not much happening on the waiver wire this week after a busy all-star weekend and owners should remain focused on the trade deadline and add/drop accordingly.
Beyond the deadline deals, owners should make sure Gilbert Arenas and Elton Brand have found homes in their leagues, and preferable on their team. No matter what you read (including Gilbert’s blog) no one has a clue how these guys are going to perform after being out for so long. Brand is scheduled to return in the next couple of weeks and Arenas has targeted March 2nd for his comeback.
Assuming they were both available, I wouldn’t bring them both to my roster. Decide which player will help your areas of need and scoop him up. This has already been a wild season for players changing addresses and hopefully the precedent has been set for some more big moves before Thursday’s deadline.
Finally, owners in need of assists should look no further then Earl Watson who has really stepped his game up after posting a triple double two weeks ago. It’s also worth mentioning that if Keith Van Horn goes through with the Kidd trade he has the slimmest of chances of being in game shape and should be monitored for progress.
47 Responses to “Fantasy Week 17: The Trade Deadline Looms”
Feb.19 at 3:15 pm
Ken says:
I love this column.
Feb.19 at 3:59 pm
Captain America says:
So is Artest going to the Nugs or not?
Feb.19 at 4:31 pm
Emry says:
Captain: I don’t have any insight into that trade but if you listen to Peter Vescey (some do, some don’t) there’s no way that management is going to take on Melo, AI, Artest, and JR Smith in one locker room… The trade would make them a beast on the court tho, no doubt.
Feb.19 at 4:44 pm
bergs father says:
I am pretty thin at center…I have sean williams and bogut right now….should I keep williams or pickup mikki moore? or maybe a better option?
Feb.19 at 4:46 pm
Emry says:
I advising you lay off Sean Williams right now, unless you’re in desperate needs of blocked shots because Diop is headed to town, I go a bit further into that in the column, but, as for Moore, his value may or may not be limited by Shelden William’s arrival but… only time will tell on that one. If Artest is moved, I see him increasing value. Hope that helps.
Feb.19 at 4:48 pm
Emry says:
Ken, I appreciate the love.
Feb.19 at 4:54 pm
bergs father says:
I also have linas kleiza…what are your suggestions on him?
Feb.19 at 4:56 pm
Emry says:
Hold onto him, I should have added him to the list of potential trade targets, he’s highly coveted right now and should increase in value if moved. It’s clear the talent is there. I also should have added Lou Williams to the mix, if Andre Miller is out of town he will become a must own guy as well.
Feb.19 at 5:07 pm
bergs father says:
thanks for the feedback…i enjoy reading your column
Feb.19 at 5:08 pm
Ol' Marty-Mar says:
Imagine that! Melo, Ai, Artest, Camby, JR Smith. This might be the team that finally gives Joe Crawford a heart attack! If they somehow acquire Sheed, fagedaboutit. By the way, how’d u like my man Roscoe squeezin with the left in the all-star game Sunday? You like it?
Feb.19 at 5:11 pm
Emry says:
Ol Marty Mar: Sheed would be the father figure on that team, scary thought, might as well try to sign Vernon Maxwell, Chris Anderson, Richard Dumas, and bring in Bill Lambeer as an assistant and get real gully with it… I thought the highest comment paid to Sheed was when Barkley said he was, “Scary talent wise” after that clip of him squeezing with the left was shown at the half. Did he hit anything with that south paw?
Feb.19 at 5:12 pm
Part I says:
Do you have any inside scoop on Brad Miller? He’s having a great year and I worry that a trade might disrupt that. Also, what is your opinion on Marion’s value the rest of the way? I ask because I’ve been offered a trade in a very mediocre league where I’m easily the best owner in the league. I have been offered Camby/Redd for Marion/Chandler. I’m hesitant because I feel like I’d be getting killed in rebounds. It’d be great to get your thoughts. Great article and keep up the good work Emry.
Feb.19 at 5:21 pm
Chris Webber says:
Do you have any word on Josh Childress??? and why cant i make layups?
Feb.19 at 5:34 pm
Tarzan Cooper says:
emry, sheed hit a couple with the left, missed a couple too. amir johnson, amir johnson, amir johnson!
Feb.19 at 5:46 pm
Reggie Evans says:
“Emry Downinghall” is a sweet name
Feb.19 at 5:51 pm
Ol' Marty-Mar says:
Yea, he sauced one of those jawns.
So, on one hand you have Yao, Amare, and Sheed hoisting - not givin a fllluck. Then you got Bron Bron out here attacking the rim like it just killed his mother. Which way is the All-Star game more likely to turn in the future? We see that “insignificant” games actually DO have an impact on teams’ and players’ success (see Super Bowl XLII). So maybe everyone should be as hungry as Bron and even though the stats don’t count toward anything in the All-star game, Bron’s thunderjam at the end of that one was a wake up call to all the opposite-hand, 3-point shooters out there. Something along the lines of, “When I step on the floor, I’m in it to win it. I’ll see y’all in the playoffs, bring ya Diesels, Gasols, Big Tickets, J-Kidds, Bibbys. See you when i see you, ONE!”
Feb.19 at 5:55 pm
Gerard Himself says:
I droppped TJ Ford (injured) for Beno Udrih. Even though Ford won’t be out for too long, Calderon is realling ballin’ right now, so I don’t expect Ford to give me much at this point in the season coming off the bench. Emry: your thoughts on this?
Feb.19 at 5:58 pm
Gerard Himself says:
And then one final question, forgot about that: in need of a SG: who would you pick: Wally Sclskjzfghbiak or Thabo Sefolosha? Thabo is starting right now, getting some points but also grabbing boards, while Wally has been very inconsistent the last couple of games.
Thanks
Feb.19 at 6:03 pm
Emry says:
Ol Marty Mar: Bron took over when it counted, no doubt, but he was trying to show his three ball off for the first three quarters to no avail. Dirk took a beating on that throwdown… the end of your last post made me laugh out loud.
Feb.19 at 6:04 pm
Emry says:
GH: It’s a shame what happened to a promising Ford season but it’s a solid move, Udrih was straight murdering the stat line for a waiver guy who was RELEASED by the Spurs and I see it as a good move. Ford hasn’t been the same since coming back from injury, not that you can blame him but as an owner you have to move on.
Feb.19 at 6:06 pm
Emry says:
GH: Pickup Thabo but keep your eye on Wally. The Bulls are supposed to be 100% healthy for tonight game meaning the return of Gordon and Deng but we’ll see. That would limit Thabo’s value… I could see Wally being moved before the deadline and that might make him relevant, at the same time, I could see the Bulls doing something that would free up room for Thabo since it appears they aren’t gonna make it happen this year. Good questions, thanks.
Feb.19 at 6:12 pm
Gerard Himself says:
I’m keeping my eye on both, thanks. I already added Thabo a couple of days ago, but if Wally notches a couple of 20-point games and gets some solid minutes, I might add him again. On a more serious note: although I like the fantasy game, the “real” stuff is obviously more important. So of course I hope Ford will get it back together again, but to be honest: watching him play makes me worried when he’s driving into a big man. Every single time I hope Ford doesn’t go down. I kind of wonder if he really, really made the right choice to play ball again.
Feb.19 at 6:17 pm
Emry says:
GH: I hear ya, the neck injury and now this… that’s some scary stuff for a guy who’s always relied on some insane balls when crashing into someone, much like Wade of G. Wallace but he’s so much smaller. This might be of interest to your Thabo pickup: http://slamonline.com/online/2008/02/is-ben-gordon-on-the-block/
Feb.19 at 8:59 pm
Big L says:
Yup, the Kings got a poo-poo platter. Great job by the Hawks to get Bibby. I’m off to get Beno!
Feb.19 at 10:48 pm
Dacre says:
Beno is awesome.
When Nash retires he will move into my “fav. player spot”.
Feb.20 at 12:18 am
Emry DowningHall says:
Dacre: Beno has been in the league since what, 2004? It’s odd the Spurs straight up waived him and he went to work as soon as he got in SAC. He always had that lovely stroke but he’s really running the show now. Looks like a complete guy and really helped how SAC down
Feb.20 at 5:25 am
nothin personal says:
Emry: I’ve been neglecting my fantasy teams, just fixing the rostrs according to injuries with a rare wire pickup. Now I am in a position where I am 3rd in a tough league, with a need in 3s, blocks and assists. Both my % could use a boost too. I just got Bargnani for Conley (Skip in the lineup, Harris and Tinsley on the bench). Who should I cut looking for blocks, Jermaine or Chris Wilcox? I don’t want to regret this decision!
Feb.20 at 8:33 am
nothin personal says:
In other news, a couple of weeks ago I cut Jose Calderon from my Yahoo team, by accident. Predictably, he was snatched right away and I’ve been free falling ever since. Earl Watson isn’t available, and I’ve been reluctant to check on that team ever since. (It’s causing me distress!). Any quick fixes?
Feb.20 at 10:45 am
Emry DowningHall says:
Nothin Personal: Per your first question, Bargnani has been playing well and he will give you the trey balls, he should block shots at 7 foot but most likely wont. Hakim Warrick has been playing very well lately, is he available? I know you said Watson wasn’t available in the league you cut Calderon in, but is he in this league? He’s doing well also. Jamario Moon will also block shots for you but the best overall guy who looks like he could have a longterm impact is Warrick.
Feb.20 at 10:48 am
Emry DowningHall says:
NP: That’s a tough loss, he’s had a year to remember, no doubt. I remember one time someone packaged a deal to me for someone pretty crappy and the guy on the other end of it they were offering was Jason Kidd, they also owned Jason Terry and that’s who I think they wanted. I had to let them know what they were doing, would have been sweet though. Beno Udrih is going to be your guy at PG, but I wonder about his availability if Watson is also owned. Check on him though. Let me know if you need more help.
Feb.20 at 3:14 pm
nothin personal says:
I have a couple of shotblockers in mind, but I have to cut someone, and I am beteen JO and Wilcox. Is Jermaine coming back? Is Wilcox gonna play better down the road? Wich of the two is more expendable?
Feb.20 at 4:01 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
NP: I wouldn’t drop JO as long as my team is somewhat competitive, if I was gonna do something with him I would stress his return in a deal to a trade partner. He’s back doing on the court stuff for the Pacers but his return date is unknown. Wilcox has surely been less than spectacular but at least he’s playing. How deep is your league? Those are both solid guys to be cutting in my opinion, assuming it’s a 12 team league.
Feb.20 at 8:54 pm
nothin personal says:
http://basketball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/nba/67847/9
Feb.20 at 8:54 pm
nothin personal says:
basketball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/nba/67847/9
Feb.20 at 9:00 pm
nothin personal says:
basketball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/nba/20624/4(amazing!)
basketball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/nba/41509/8(the calderon league)
basketball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/nba/105169/8(the first league I told you about)
Feb.21 at 6:06 pm
Save the Pandas says:
With the departure of Ben Wallace and Joe Smith in Chicago, who do you think will fill in those minutes best?
Feb.21 at 6:14 pm
Ken says:
Ben Wallace and Joe Smith were traded today, so I dropped Watson for Noah. Warrick is still available too, but I thought Noah has more upside. Thoughts?
Feb.22 at 12:03 am
Emry DowningHall says:
Ken: Watson is hot right now and clearly he and Noah fill different needs, assuming you’re all set @ pg I like Noah and added him in a league I’m in and tried to add him in others. Warrick has also been playing very well lately. Who’s your next in line for drop?
Feb.22 at 10:17 am
Ken says:
Probably Ghostface Pryzbilla. Here’s my current roster, in my rough opinion of most to least valuable: Amare, Nash, Jason Richardson, Gerald Wallace, Boozer, Kaman, Kirilenko, R. Jefferson, Udrih, Bibby, Hughes, Pryz. There’s lots of good players on the wire now too, including Devin H, Thornton, Warrick, Duhon, Watson, Dampier, JCN,and Thad Young. Based on my roster, who would you add/drop?
Feb.22 at 2:41 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
I would rather own the following guys over Hughes (who should be dropped) and Ghostface: Devin H, Warrick, Thad Young - Harris is gonna be nice when he returns… and it shouldn’t be too long. You will miss 3-4 more games, but it will be worth it. Tyrus Thomas should be added if he’s out there as well.
Feb.22 at 3:47 pm
BirdPANTS says:
Emry, what kind of production can I expect with Drew Gooden going to Da Bulls? They got some youngin’s in the 4 spot with Noah and Thomas, will this negatively affect his production??
Feb.24 at 4:49 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Save The Pandas: Gooden is going to take some minutes from the plates of Noah and Ty Thomas but the move was made for those guys to be able to grow in their slots. These are lottery type guys and now they have three lottery players in their system for the future. I see Noah as the center and Thomas as the PF for the future in Chicago. Add them if available.
Feb.24 at 4:51 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
BirdPants: What’s up man, nice to hear from you again, I think Gooden is still going to play and produce a bit, he hasn’t been a stud since Varajeo joined the Cavs but he still got his tick and he will continue to do so in Chicago. He deserves to be owned but yea, I think it will hurt his value a bit… still though, it’s Thomas/Noah/Gooden/Gray in Chi now, he will produce.
Feb.24 at 4:57 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Part I: Sorry to answer your question so late, I just saw it show up, it’s a bit late on the Miller situation but obviously you know they didn’t move him. He’s been great this year and you likely snagged him late in a draft and he’s payed off bigtime. As for Marion, I think he will fall off a bit without Nash but he will rebound a bit better, I think his % drops but that’s expected when you leave the Suns. He’s still a stud and should be a top 10 guy the rest of the way. Glad you like the column, thanks for reading.
Feb.25 at 12:07 am
Part I says:
Thanks for the response Emry. My only concern with Miller going forward is whether they will begin filtering in their young guys, but I hope his value remains high. He was a great buy-low guy for me in the draft. I ended up making a blockbuster 4 for 4 deal - Marion/R.Lewis/JRich/Chandler for Camby/Redd/Maggette/Aldridge - so I hope that will get me over the hump and improve my weaker categories. One last question for you. What are your feelings on Tinsley? Will he get the PT to help me out the rest of the way or will he be more a nuisance? Thanks for the response and keep up with the great columns.
Feb.25 at 12:11 am
Emry DowningHall says:
Wow that’s quite a trade. Miller is perhaps the ultimate buy low guy this season… as for Tinsley, it depends what options are available, as alwasys, but… while I think there will be a point this year where he brings back value, I don’t think he’s necessarily worth holding. I don’t see him in Indiana’s long term plans and that means his minutes are going to go to Deiner and Daniels.
Feb.25 at 11:37 pm
Gore for Prez says:
Would you trade for Elton Brand? I am giving up a waiver guy, but is Brand really coming back this year?