Fantasy Week 18: Yao Shuts Down
Yao’s replacements, Gilbert’s delay, and the impact of the moves made on deadline day
Rockets fans took a sledge hammer to the gut on Tuesday afternoon when it was reported that Yao Ming is going to miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his foot.
This is devastating news to the Rockets organization and fantasy owners alike, who’ve been enjoying a very productive season from the big fella.
This injury is going to incite a myriad of questions regarding Yao’s ability to stay healthy for a full NBA season and the risks involved in building your team around a super-sized center. Not only that, but it’s going to make it that much harder for Tracy McGrady to even make the playoffs, let alone get out of the first round in the super competitive Western Conference.
The fantasy implications of this injury revolve around Luis Scola. He was already coming on strong for the Rockets before Yao called it a season, and should average a double-double going forward. Beyond Yao, Dikembe Mutombo is the only true center Houston has on their roster, and since he’s 64 years old, I see Scola sliding into the five slot on most nights.
This will leave plenty of time at power forward for Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry. Both guys are undersized at the position but, Rick Adelman’s options are pretty limited at this point so he’s got to move forward with what’s on the table.
I had a slot to play with in one league and added Landry to clean the glass. He shoots a high percentage and has been a pleasant surprise for Houston this season. Keep your eye on how the Rockets breakup the playing time as either Landry or Hayes could start at the 4 and provide value the rest of the season, but for now, Landry looks like the better add.
With Lebron James calling the shots in Cleveland, GM Danny Ferry pulled off an 11-player, 11th hour, deal before last Thursdays deadline. Whether the trade will provide LBJ with the supporting cast he needs to get past the Pistons and Celtics remains to be seen, but on paper it appears the Cavs bolstered their front line as well as their bench.
Of the players dealt I expect Delonte West, and Wally Szczerbiak to benefit the most. West was shuffled around far too much in Seattle and wasn’t comfortable with his role. He’s a combo guard who can defend, knock down the open jump shot, as well as dish. With Daniel Gibson out at least another 3 weeks in Cleveland, West will be thrown into the fire and asked to produce. He should be added in all formats for owners in need of backcourt assistance.
Szczerbiak reminds me of that older guy who keeps showing up at your pickup games. You don’t want to add him to your squad because his lateral movement is all but shot due to that bulky knee brace and he doesn’t play a lick of D. However, he still feels he’s got the green light, and if he squares his shoulders to the basket, his stroke is still pretty wet.
That’s what Wally Szczerbiak brings to a NBA franchise these days. Catch and shoot. If you need points and threes, he’s going to get open looks with Lebron penetrating and he can still knock them down. He’s still a much better option for the Cav’s than Damon Jones and deserves a look in most formats.
When the Bulls shipped Joe Smith and Ben Wallace out of town, it should have opened the door for plenty of tick for both Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. The only issue there is, they got Drew Gooden back in the deal and he’s going to take time from both guys. Gooden’s value should remain very similar to what it was in Cleveland, while Tyrus Thomas is worth adding because of his shot blocking and rebounding ability. Noah’s poor shooting from the field and the line make him a player you should leave alone for now, but keep an eye on how he develops the rest of the way.
The same goes for Larry Hughes and Thabo Sefolosha. These guys are talented enough to contribute to a fantasy roster but Chicago has Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon and Chris Duhon and there’s simply not enough minutes to produce.
I had Bonzi Wells targeted as a sleeper at the start of this season because of how he had responded in Rick Adelman’s system in Sacramento, but things never panned out in Houston.
Wells was traded to the Hornets, along with Mike James in a deal that sent Bobby Jackson back to the Rockets. Wells becomes an intriguing fantasy option the minute he manages to steal Morris Peterson’s starting job. Byron Scott has said that Peterson is his guy but honestly, other than Quentin Richardson, Peterson has to be billed as the worst starter in the league, and Wells should fall into his job shortly.
SLAM readers understand what Wells is capable of when given an opportunity to contribute, and his toughness could be a real asset for the Hornets. I’m not suggesting you run out and add him right away, but be aware of his production and add him once he’s earning consistent minutes for the New Orleans.
When Wally was shipped out of Seattle, Sam Presti was maneuvering more minutes, shots, and cap space for Jeff Green and Kevin Durant. Durant is already owned in your league but Green likely isn’t. He’s in the starting lineup now and although it’s still a learning process for the youngster he’ll flirt with a double-double average the rest of the year.
Beyond the trade developments, the waiver wire is even thinner than usual this week. Owners in desperate need of a center could add Johan Petro, Joakim Noah, or Joel Przybilla, but none of those options are terrific alternatives to what you’re likely working with now. Jamario Moon has also returned to form in Toronto and deserves a look while Hakim Warrick has also cemented a starting role in Memphis and is producing.
Owners in need of assists should take a look at Brevin Knight who’s going to be the starting point guard for the Clippers after the team finalizes Cassell’s buyout. Knight has a hard time putting the ball in the basket but he’s going to get minutes by default and will tally assists and steals for patient owners.
Brandon Roy’s ankle injury has him slated to miss at least two games this week. This is good news for Roy owners because initially it appeared to be a much more serious injury. If you’re in a daily league and want to add Travis Outlaw as a plug-in starter, he should offer consistent value in Roy’s absence.
Gilbert Arenas called his own projected comeback date of March 2nd, “unrealistic” and added that he’s, “no where close to returning.” This barrage of bad news caused me to cut ties with Agent Zero in a league I had been holding him all season. He hasn’t set a new date for his attempted comeback.
As much as dropping Gilbert crushed me after hanging on for so long, my playoff position in the league is slipping and while Arenas may very well return in time to help owners make a playoff run, if you’re on the outside looking in, it doesn’t do you any good.
However, if you’re in position to coast into the playoffs and can afford to leave him parked on your bench, with a real possibility he wont return at all, that’s the safest play. Nothing would be worse than dropping Arenas only to have him added by another owner and force you to match up against him in the playoffs.
57 Responses to “Fantasy Week 18: Yao Shuts Down”
Feb.27 at 12:55 pm
Scotty P says:
Emry - Having a team with Caron Butler, Luol Deng, Mike Miller, and TJ Ford has been daggerific. I would always look forward to Rocket game days because Yao was one consistent bright spot this year. Now I’m ready to wave the white flag and pray for a top 3 pick in next year’s Fant draft. One stud who never sits out though is Mr Fantasy, count on that.
Feb.27 at 1:10 pm
KILLA says:
1ST
Feb.27 at 1:37 pm
nothin personal says:
Reggie Evans started 45 games in Philly and you are calling Mo the worst starter in the league?
Feb.27 at 1:38 pm
nothin personal says:
And I won’t even say the words “Kwame Brown”
Feb.27 at 1:42 pm
nothin personal says:
Plus, I think that now we are safe to call it The Boozer-Arenas Experience!
Feb.27 at 1:43 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
NP: Fair point, the players did a poll a while back a Q got that distinction … Mo is more of a personal choice of mine. Evans has a niche tho… and hustle is a skill, even if it’s not refined. Mo Pete is just bunz.
Feb.27 at 1:46 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
NP: The Boozer-Arenas Experience? I don’t follow.
Feb.27 at 2:06 pm
bergs father says:
I have bogut and mikki moore as my centers….bogut has been solid but I think I can do better than moore but the wire in my league is so thin…….do you have any suggestions as a better option?
Feb.27 at 2:09 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
BF: The best fringe centers out there are Blount, Joel P., Dampier, Boone, Petro, and Landry (Once he qualifies). Moore is on the same level as most of the guys previously mentioned … though I would rather own Blount, Joel P (If you need points), and Landry if available.
Feb.27 at 2:25 pm
bergs father says:
my team is pretty hot right now, so i dont want to shake things up that much……what type of centers do you think I can get in a trade w/ the pieces being marvin williams or tashaun prince?
Feb.27 at 2:34 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
BG: It depends if your league starts one or two centers. Assuming it’s a 2 center league, Center is the hardest position to fill and neither Marvin or Tay are terrific options. @ that level though you could target a guy like Troy Murphy, Nick Collison, Eric Dampier on the low end or Sammy Dalembert on the high end. It all depends what categories you need help in and how desperate you are for a big.
Feb.27 at 2:42 pm
Ben Osborne says:
Why does Marvin Williams stink again? He was good for a couple months there and I thought he’d turned a corner…nice work as always, Emry.
Feb.27 at 3:02 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Ben: I think he’s still more than serviceable but the Hawks have all been on a down turn lately… My savior Josh Smith has been mediocre at best and in the infusion of Mike Bibby isn’t going to elevate their games. Williams looked like he was turning a corner for sure but it appears he’s nothing more than a sell high candidate at this point.
Feb.27 at 3:10 pm
Kihwan says:
Earl Watson’s not a bad waiver pickup right now. He’s been playing pretty consistently as of late.
Feb.27 at 3:15 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Kihwan: Totally agree, actually the past 5 games he has played have been some of the best of his career. He was really incited by that triple double he posted a couple weeks back and before he missed that game last night, he was balling at a super high level. I had him in the waiver column a couple weeks back so I didn’t wanna repeat. Good tip though.
Feb.27 at 3:17 pm
nothin personal says:
The Boozer experience is when you Draft a player in the firt 3-4 rounds, he gets injured, and his comeback is postponed time after time after time. Eventually, you let him go, but your season is alreay down the drain. really traumatic!
Feb.27 at 3:23 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
NP: Lol. I’m with you on that. Thanks for putting me down.
Feb.27 at 3:26 pm
Part I says:
Great column Emry. I’d like to get your thoughts on Sam Cassell. I haven’t dropped him because while he was with the LAC he was producing pretty well. Assuming he is bought out and latches on with a playoff team like the Suns or Celtics, what is his value going forward?
Feb.27 at 3:26 pm
Ken says:
Would you recommend dropping Noah for any of the following players (I could use blocks, steals, 3s, and to a lesser extent, rebounds.): Dampier, Kurt Thomas, Al Thornton, Drew Gooden, Wally, JCN, or Devin Harris (I dont think people will pick him up in my league if i leave him a few more days)? I’m planning on getting Harris eventually, but of the others who would you recommend? Or should I stick with Noah?
Feb.27 at 3:35 pm
Kihwan says:
Emry - Didn’t realize that you suggested Earl as far back as 2 weeks ago. Man, you are on top of your fantasy sh*t. BTW, what’s your thoughts on Andray Blatche? When he gets tick, he puts up solid numbers. But for whatever reason, EJ won’t give him consistent tick unless someone’s injured i.e. Caron Butler
Feb.27 at 3:39 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Part I: Obliged my man… Glad to have you back on the board. Yesterday it looked like he was going to be bought out for sure but now word is that he and Sterling are bickering over the terms of the buyout. Sammy never got a huge pay day and he doesn’t want to give up much loot to leave the team. Sterling doesn’t see much upside in that and I can’t blame him… if he’s bought out your best bet is that he goes to Denver and they allow him to start while Karl mentors him for coaching. Suns is the worst case scenario and the Celtics would be a split and that would hurt his value as well. I think he will be bought out and I see him landing in either Denver/Boston. Thanks for the question.
Feb.27 at 3:42 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Ken: I would drop Noah for - Dampier, Thornton, Gooden, JCN and then wait it out for Harris if you’re confident you can snag him when he’s playing again. Don’t worry about Magloire poaching minutes from Damp, he’s a stiff. The best three point option is JCN, so he will provide 3’s and points… either of those guys will help you though.
Feb.27 at 3:44 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Kihwan: I was up on Earl cause I needed a point guard and was scrounging for options… sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t you know? Butler is back on Friday so I would let Blatche ride … are you looking at any other free agents on the wire?
Feb.27 at 3:44 pm
Part I says:
Thanks for the response Emry. I’ll hold onto him until I see what happens with him.
Feb.27 at 3:50 pm
Kihwan says:
Emry - I’m in need of points in a couple of my leagues, so I’m keeping an eye on Rashad McCants and Willie Green. Both had minor injuries and look to be back and playing better. JCN is another option, but once Michele Miller comes back, I’m thinking his value drops.
Feb.27 at 3:52 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Kihwan: That’s a good point about JCN and Miller. Green is a good source of points, and when his shot is falling he can def. get them in bunches. Now would be a terrific time to target and get Ben Gordon on the cheap. I’ve seen leagues where he was totally dropped and all he does is score… something to think about. McCants might be on his way downhill with Foye playing better, Telfair and Gomes in the mix.
Feb.27 at 3:55 pm
igloo north says:
emry ….trade proposal of chandler, roy, brewer for jefferson, deng and rondo.. what do you think. with jefferson coming my way
Feb.27 at 3:58 pm
Kihwan says:
Emry - thanks for the suggestion on BG. Unfortunately, most owners in public leagues are lame and don’t participate after a couple of months into the season, so it’s hard to get trades done.
Feb.27 at 5:24 pm
Ol' Marty-Mar says:
Its curtains 4 McGrady. I won’t be surprised if he’s the next to call it quits for the season. Question: Next to Isiah, what head coach most deserves to be told - Gets to Steppin!
Feb.27 at 5:25 pm
B.L.A. says:
is Yao sneezing in that photo?
Feb.27 at 5:30 pm
Ol' Marty-Mar says:
Also, if you could only watch one game tonight, what would it be?
- Cavs @ Celtics
- Suns @ Hornets
- Bobcats @ Knicks (hehe)
Feb.27 at 5:31 pm
Bryant Reeves says:
Don’t hate on Damon Jones right now - he has 14 3s in his last 3 games! Not saying it is going to last once Boobie gets back, but right now he’s on fire.
Feb.27 at 5:37 pm
Goody says:
Wally Szczerbiak good Lord. Damon Jones will wear his butt out on any given Sunday.
Feb.27 at 6:20 pm
Balltastics2000 says:
Hey Emry, I’ve just been offered KG for Dwight Howard. I’ve been happy with Howard’s production and it seems like KG’s numbers have been down lately (although I’m sure that’s related to the injury). Would you pull the trigger?
Feb.27 at 7:04 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
igloo north: That’s a tough one… You’re getting the best player in the deal with Jefferson, and giving up the worst player in the deal with Brewer… he should be owned so really it’s Roy/Chandler for Jefferson/Rondo/Deng. Deng is healthy again so you’ll be getting points and boards but Rondo may go south if Cassell comes to down… it’s a close one…but I say go for it.
Feb.27 at 7:06 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Ol’ Marty-Mar: If you the Bucks don’t string together some solid wins down the stretch Larry Krystkowiak will def. be out… but if George Karl doesn’t get Denver into the playoffs he will be out first as soon as the season ends.
Feb.27 at 7:21 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Ol’ Marty-Mar: Well I’m a Knicks fan so it’s gonna be the Knicks/Bobcats… actually I can’t lie to the readers… that would be the worst game of all time. I would like to watch the Celtics/Cavs and then Suns/NO… but if I’m picking just one. Give me Amare and the Suns.
Feb.27 at 7:23 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
BR: He’s been playing better but when a guard can’t put the ball on the floor… he makes himself a limited fantasy option. I would much rather have Wally S.
Feb.27 at 7:26 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Balltastics: Hmmm that’s a tough one… KG will offer you improved FT % and turnovers. Are those troubled categories for you? You will be losing rebounds but gaining assists. I think I would make that deal… only because KG will supplement what DH gave you while not hurting you anywhere. He’s also shown no signs of lingering effects with the ab strain.
Feb.27 at 7:54 pm
Ken says:
Me again, sorry. I have Udrih and Bibby as my backups to Nash. When Devin gets back, should I dump Bibby, Udrih, or Dampier (my weakest link)?
Feb.27 at 8:01 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Ken: I appreciate the questions, keep them coming… If you’re ok in rebounds then you should get rid of Dampier… if not I would let go of Udrih but it’s close between he and Bibby.
Feb.27 at 8:29 pm
Balltastics2000 says:
Thanks for the response. I’m playing the fantasy Commissioner game on nba.com which generates a score for each player by tallying all stats, not individual categories (I’m sure you know this, I’ve never played any other system so I’m not too sure how they all differ in terms of scoring). Dwight generally gives me strong over all games and his averages seem to be a lot stronger than KG’s, so I’m leaning to keeping Dwight. But KG is KG, and I don’t want to pass him either. Any other KG owners that play commissioner want to offer any advice, please feel free. Cheers.
Feb.27 at 8:36 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Balltastics: Hey man, I never actually played that game, how do you find it? I was referring to a standard 8 category league when I gave that recommendation so I would disregard the advice that I gave.
Feb.27 at 8:58 pm
Balltastics2000 says:
It’s just through nba.com, if you click on the fantasy link there is a window on the left side of the page that has all of the nba.com games, I think ultimate fantasy commissioner is the third one down. What do most people play? And where are the leagues hosted? Commissioner is good but I seem to be the only one playing in my original league which is very frustrating.
Feb.27 at 9:51 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Balltastics: Ah, that’s the one Rick Kamla is always plugging on NBA Fantasy Hoops on NBATV… makes sense. How do you find it? I think most people play the Yahoo NBA Fantasy leagues… CBS also has one and ESPN as well. I think at this point there all free. It’s terrible when people don’t participate in a league. It’s amazing how much more fun a league is when everyone is involved.
Feb.28 at 7:10 am
Gerard Himself says:
Emry: sup? Yes, another week another question: I’m kinda low in my League on FG%, and 3-pointers made. To add help in the 3-point department I added Wally and JR Smith. I’m thinking about dumping the latter for either Luis Scola, or Udonis Haslem (or maybe Tyrus Thomas?). Scola and Haslem are shooting above 50% most of the time, but I’m leaning towards Haslem at this moment. Any thoughts on this?
Feb.28 at 11:32 am
Emry DowningHall says:
Gerard: What’s up man… always happy to help. That’s a tough one, both guys are good options to boost your field goal percentage but I would actually disagree with you and say that Scola is the better play at this point for what you need. Haslem’s season averages are better but… now that Yao is out Scola might just get a double double a night. He’s very skilled around the basket and shot 7-7 on Tuesday night. Marion and Blount will also eat more rebounds then you might expect and all and all I think I’d rather have Scola… I wish I had the option to add both guys on my waiver wires though. THat’s interesting there both available.
Feb.29 at 12:18 am
Ken says:
Hey Emry. Thanks as always for the advice. After his solid debut with the Nets tonight, I’m looking to add Devin. Of the following 3 people I’m willing to drop, which do you recommend I drop? Bibby, JCN, Udrih. I kinda feel like Bibby and Udrih do the same things, but are overall better than JCN. I also have Hakim Warrick who I can drop, but I’d rather drop one of the other guys (unless you feel strongly otherwise) due to the number of guards I have. Thoughts?
Feb.29 at 12:26 am
Ken says:
Nix my last post, I just realized I can’t let JCN go because I need a SG (Jason Richardson normally takes that role for me). Of the SGs available, would you recommend any of the following over JCN: Wally, Nate Robinson, Rashad McCants, Larry Hughes. My current PGs now are Nash, Bibby, Udrih, but I want to add Harris. Should I drop Bibby or Udrih?
Feb.29 at 11:50 am
Emry DowningHall says:
Ken: Devin Harris can’t play SG? Make sure you check that. I think Warrick or Udrih are better drops than Bibby, but I would drop JCN before all of them because he’s eating right now with Mike Miller out of action. Once he returns, his value should go down and become sporadic again. Warrick will also suffer from that to some degree. I think Harris is a must add and after last nights showing he will be taking over in NJ sooner rather than later. J-Rich isn’t going to be out long… so don’t worry much about that.
Feb.29 at 12:55 pm
Ken says:
Yeah, on Yahoo Devin is only PG eligible. Thank you again for your help.
Feb.29 at 3:24 pm
Gerard Himself says:
Emry: you’re right. I picked up Scola, ditched Al Thornton. Sure, Al has more 20 point games, but also shooting 30-40% a bit too often. I also saw Hakim Warrick being available. Maybe I will ditch Wally Sczerbiak or J.R. Smith to get Warrick, not sure yet.
Feb.29 at 4:48 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Gerard: I think that’s a solid move, like it or not Rick will be playing Scola mo’minutes the rest of the season. I would rather have Warrick from a value standpoint over both Wally and JS, he’s been hot lately and should be owned in all leagues while the other two, outside of treys, don’t bring much to the table.
Feb.29 at 4:49 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
Ken: Ok, I still think he’s a great pickup for you. A must own guy on the waiver wire is a rare commodity and even if you sacrifice a position, it’s a solid move. You can always pickup a pg another spot.
Feb.29 at 8:28 pm
Gerard Himself says:
i only have Wally and Smith for the simple reason I needed more 3’s. So basically one of them has to go. Wally or Smith. I think I’m gonna do what Seattle did, move Wally!
Mar.2 at 11:45 pm
Emry DowningHall says:
GH: Move JR, he’s cheeks (ass)
Mar.3 at 11:35 am
Emry DowningHall says:
GH: Sorry, I got a little carried away there… I was watching the Houston/Denver game and JR was bricking… and jacking! I do think the smarter move is to move JR Smith, he’s more sporadic and Wally is getting more tick and looks.