The Cheat Sheet:

By Eric Yearian

Recent News/Revelations: The Lakers have come out of the gates strong as expected, while teams such as the New Orleans Hornets and the Golden State Warriors have looked unexpectedly strong. The problem is, with only a couple weeks’ worth of games, it’s hard to tell what is real and what is, well, fantasy. The best example of this is Jazz forward Paul Millsap, who is averaging around 24 points, 10 rebounds per contest. Millsap, finally freed from playing behind Carlos Boozer, has become a focal point on the team, especially after leading the team’s comeback win over the HEAT, a game where he scored a career high 46 points and hit a trio of threes in the win. On the other end of the spectrum is Brandon Roy of the Portland Trailblazers, who is not playing up to what fantasy owners expect from him. More on him later, though.

Sell High:
Rudy Gay
Rudy Gay: Now, I don’t think anybody would advise giving a player of Gay’s skill level away. However, when looking to trade, it’s much easier to make a deal when the player’s value is high, and Gay’s value will not be higher all season. Gay is the league’s 4th leading scorer, and is converting his field goal attempts at a 52% clip. That’s super impressive, but the law of averages tells us that this is unlikely to continue. The way Gay has played over the first couple weeks of the season means that if your team has a glaring weakness, you may be able to ship him off to address any issues your team may have. Just be sure you’re getting good value in return, as always.

Daniel Gibson: Okay, honestly, this one hurts me, as I am a huge Boobie Gibson fan. However, if your goal in fantasy is to own all of your favorite players or all the players on your favorite real life team, you are going to lose, and lose in epic fashion. Gibson has played very well to begin the season, mainly due to the inconsistency surrounding Mo Williams. This should continue for a few more weeks, as Williams is still suffering from a nagging thigh/groin injury. Now is the ideal time to deal him, though, as his value is high enough that you can get a quality piece for him in trade. It won’t be a great player, but trading him could make your team better in the long term. Once Williams comes back and begins playing at a high level Gibson will lose almost all fantasy value and you’ll likely be forced to drop him, so a little advice: trade him while you still can.

Buy Low:

Brandon Roy: Roy is under-achieving right now, and in many leagues you can see his owners squirming, that is, unless they are in full-on panic mode. If you are in one of these leagues, take advantage of this owner by making him an offer for Roy. Roy’s slow start and talk of reduced minutes may be enough to get you a steal. Roy may end up missing some time, or at least losing minutes in the short term, but he’s an elite fantasy option at guard, and he will, in all likelihood, will give your team a big boost if you can pilfer him from a worried owner.

Baron Davis: Davis is having the worst year since he was a rookie. He’s averaging a paltry 8.8 points and 4.8 assists per game this season. To make matters worse, rookie Eric Bledsoe is playing very well this season and pushing him not only for minutes, but also his starting spot. Now rumors have popped up that the Clippers have placed him on the trading block. It’s pretty obvious why Davis owners would be willing to part with the mercurial guard. So the question is, why would you want him? He is sure to bounce back once he gets used to playing under new coach, Vinny Del Negro. If he does manage to get traded, which is unlikely, he’ll be going to a team interested in helping him regain his all-star form. Either way, Davis will rebound back to respectability, and maybe more. Just be sure your team can manage until after Thanksgiving, because Davis will likely be out until then.

Players you should avoid: Who should you avoid at all costs?

Ishmael Smith: So, Aaron Brooks is out, and Kyle Lowery is hurt, so Ishmael Smith steps into the role of starter for the Rockets. Pretty obvious, you want to pick him up if you have a need at guard, right? Wrong. Smith has played well as the starter, but he’s not playing well in a way that translates to fantasy. Plus, he plays on a team that is really struggling on both ends of the court, and until the team can figure out how to play as a cohesive unit, easier said than done while dealing with all their injuries, Smith doesn’t even warrant consideration as a stop-gap measure.

Players you should be looking to pick up: Who is most likely available in your league that you should consider acquiring?

Mike Dunleavy Jr.: The secret is out, Dunleavy may actually be fulfilling the promise he showed when he was coming out of college. The sad part is that it took the Pacers shooting lights out as a team to get the national media to really focus on Dunleavy’s resurgence. Is he going to start for your fantasy team week in and week out? Probably not, but he will be a fantastic option if you have a player go down to injury or if he has favorable matchups. Dunleavy will give you a quality option on the bench, and if he’s available in your league still and you have the roster spot, don’t hesitate to add him off the waiver wire.

Full Disclosure from last column: How did the players mentioned in the last column fare in the last since then?

Sell High: Chris Bosh, Steve Nash

Bosh has admitted to feeling “lost” within the offense and is clearly the weakest link in the big three. It’s no surprise that he is the third wheel, but the fact that he has yet to have a game where he is considered an impact player has to be alarming to fantasy owners. Nash hasn’t played poorly, but his lack of teammates able to score off of his passes has led to him having the lowest assist average since he left Dallas. He’s played well, but talk has begun about him possibly being traded at some point this season. Final Verdict: Correct

Buy Low: Carlos Boozer, Lamar Odom

Boozer obviously hasn’t played due to a hand injury, but has begun his rehab and is on schedule to return in a few weeks. While he’s been out, Lamar Odom has been taking advantage of the Lakers’ own frontcourt injury. Andrew Bynum is out injured and has given Odom the chance to average a double-double. He’s been putting in the work on the boards (10.8 per game) while scoring just under 16 and dishing over 3 assists per contest. Final Verdict: Correct

Players to avoid: Celtics centers

Shaq has played in only 3 games, and giving fantasy owners fewer than 9 points and 5.3 rebounds. [player: Jermaine O’Neal] has been even worse, scoring double digits only twice and being held to 5 points or less in the other five games, and isn’t even rebounding to make up for it. Final Verdict: Correct

Players to pick up: Toney Douglas, DeJuan Blair

Douglas has played well for the Knicks, and he’s only had two games in which he failed to top 10 points. Against the Bulls, he even went for 30. He makes for a good stop-gap player or even as a #4 guard. Blair started for the Spurs to begin the season, but was replaced when Tiago Splitter returned to health. Blair averaged 5 points and 7 rebounds and Splitter hasn’t been much better. Blair shouldn’t be owned in too many leagues, but he should remain on your radar. If Splitter continues to struggle it will provide Blair with more opportunities and he may be able to capitalize on those. He’ll never be a go-to scorer, but he could develop into a Reggie Evans type player. And since I mentioned Evans, if you’re in a rotisserie league, do yourself a favor and pick up Evans for his rebounding. Don’t ask questions, just do it, you’ll thank me later. Final Verdict: 1 for 2, let’s call it a push.