RADIO
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This weekly column is geared toward anyone playing in a head-to-head format, and especially those of you in weekly lineup leagues. It is a great idea to keep up with which players are scheduled to play four games during the upcoming week, as fantasy basketball managers can use this information to gain an advantage in games played over an opponent. Simply put, the more games played, the more potential there is for production.
Based on their respective four-game schedules, the following four players should be viewed as “sleepers” for next week. Advising fantasy owners to play the likes of LeBron James or Anthony Davisis a waste of time and effort; hopefully it is common knowledge that studs of that nature should be in lineups regardless of how many games they are slated to play.
Position Eligibility & Ownership Rate Based On Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Leagues
Top Four-Game Sleepers (11/24 - 11/30)
Evan Fournier (ORL, SG) - 52% Owned
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Fournier began the season in the starting lineup due to the injury to Victor Oladipo. When Oladipo returned, it was Elfrid Payton who was exiled to the bench because Fournier had played so well. Now, another injury has stricken the Magic, opening the door for the young shooting guard to take on more responsibility in this offense.
Tobias Harris strained his right calf on Friday at Charlotte, and did not play Saturday against Miami. His injury is being listed as day-to-day, but these injuries are tricky so it is possible he does not play at all this week.
In a somewhat surprising move, Coach Jacque Vaughn started Fournier at small forward Saturday. He responded with 11 points on 5-15 shooting, six rebounds, six assists, and a three in 38 minutes. The scoring output was a little disappointing for him. However, the thing to take away from this game is that the move to small forward caused a spike in his rebounding and assist numbers compared to his season averages.
Harris leaves a ton of minutes behind, and it appears that Fournier will get all the playing time he can handle. The Magic do not have a deep rotation either, so they will rely heavily on Fournier to produce. His schedule this week has him at Cleveland, Golden State, at Indiana, and at Phoenix. He should be owned in all leagues right now.
Jose Calderon (NY, PG) - 75% Owned
Calderon finally made his season debut on Saturday against Philadelphia, after missing the first 13 games. The results were not great, as he scored only three points on 1-6 from the field, with three rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a three. The Knicks were wisely easing him back into action, limiting him to just 22 minutes in his return.
The Knicks have gotten very little from the point guard position this season with the duo of Shane Larkin and Pablo Prigioni. Calderon’s minutes will gradually increase as he gets back into game shape. He is not going to light up the scoreboard, but has proven to be a valuable asset in certain categories. He owns a career field goal percentage of 47.9 percent (including 41.1 percent from three-point range) and shoots 87.4 percent from the free throw line. Calderon is an excellent passer, averaging 6.8 dimes for his career, and chips in almost a steal per game.
The Knicks schedule this week includes games at Houston, at Dallas, at Oklahoma City, and Miami. Calderon excels at taking care of the ball, so he gains even more value in leagues that count turnovers. If an impatient owner dropped him, now is the time to grab him as he will be a solid play for this week and the rest of the season.
Solomon Hill (IND, SG/SF) - 30% Owned
Hill is quietly putting together a very solid start to the season so far. He was a deep sleeper at the beginning of the year after Paul George broke his leg. He has risen to the challenge, averaging 12.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.0 threes heading into the weekend. Guys that produce across the board are not easy to come by.
The Pacers continue to suffer through a rash of injuries, as they just lost Rodney Stuckey (again) to a sprained left wrist. Hill is logging huge minutes every night, and there is really no one to threaten his playing time. He seems to be getting more comfortable with each game, and has shown the ability to post a massive line on occasion. The upcoming schedule is a favorable one, featuring games at Dallas, at San Antonio, Orlando, and at Cleveland. Hill should continue to be a great play week in and week out for the foreseeable future.
Aaron Brooks (CHI, PG) - 15% Owned
Brooks is another guy that is benefitting from a ton of injuries to his teammates. The Bulls top two point guards, Derrick Rose and Kirk Hinrich, are both banged up at the moment, leaving Brooks as the only healthy point guard on the current roster. Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson are also hurt, so the Bulls have very few options right now.
Brooks is a veteran player and has been a starter in the past, so this role is nothing new for him. He has shown the ability over the course of his career to be an asset in points, assists, and threes when given the playing time. However, his minutes are contingent on the health of Rose and/or Hinrich, who are both currently day-to-day. If they both remain out as they were Friday, Brooks will get as much run as he can handle.
The Bulls are currently in the midst of a brutal schedule, having to play seven consecutive road games. Although all four games this week are on the road, the opponents are not too scary. Brooks gets matchups at Utah, at Denver, at Boston, and at Brooklyn. If you need a point guard this week, roll the dice on Brooks.
