Fantasy Highlights:
Anderson Varejao (PF/C, Cle)
Energy guy Varejao picked up 12 offensive boards to rack up a total of 23 for the game. If he remains healthy, its not impossible to think he can go double digit rebounds on a nightly basis. 9 assists for the game is not too shabby either.
Caution: Varejao took advantage of the thin Wizards frontcourt. He won't always get these monster numbers against bigger and smarter frontcourt lineups, but I do believe he'll work his ass off trying.
Chris Bosh (PF/C, Mia)
19 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks shouldn't really impress much, but this is Chris Bosh, who's playing an out-of-position Center. He has finally embraced this role for Miami, and if he continues this trend, he'd be a solid pick up for a big, as he can give good FG% and rebounds (points could come and go,with Wade and LeBron) while embracing his new role, but will not hurt your FT% at that position.
Pau Gsol (PF/C, LaL)
Dwight may have shot better (Gasol was 8-19 while Dwight was 8-12) but clearly Gasol was more effective. He hit a three which is kind of unexpected, but don't get your hopes up with him producing there on a consistent basis (he did shoot a lot of those last year not just in bailout situations). He's still one of the best passing big men out there, so that's a huge upside for him. Best thing about his line? The three blocks. I thought he wasn't going to get a lot of those because he'd be the primary defender at the post (help defenders should get a lot more, like Dwight), and because I didn't get to watch the game, I don't even know how he got three blocks. Still a 23 and 13 double double is a welcome sight considering the loaded frontcourt that's going to compete for those boards.
Players to Consider:
Emeka Okafor (C, Was)
With Nene out, Okafor should get a lot of the minutes at the C spot. With Nene being a game time decision earlier, it might not be long before Nene comes back to get his minutes. However, Okafor did have 4 blocks in the game, and blocks are really hard to come by. Considering they got destroyed in the rebounding department, they might play Okafor and Nene together, with Booker going back to the bench.
Mario Chalmers (PG, Mia)
Chalmers had 11 assists and 3 steals in the Heat's opener, which could signal the team trusting him more to handle the point guard duties. If this new version of the Heat have LeBron playing at PF and Wade concentrating more on getting open, Chalmers should get plenty of assists. Steals have always been there for him, and when he's open, you know he'd knock down a three here and there.
Shawn Marion (SF/PF, Dal)
Dirk's out, but Marion is doing a mini-Matrix throwback game, playing an effective 11 points on 5 of 11 shooting, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and a swipe and a swat. He was a fantasy stud back when I did not have any idea about the game, and he's showing versatility with his line.
Under the Radar Picks:
Alonzo Gee (SG/SF, Cle, 10% owned in Y!Fantasy)
I have been raving about this guy since he gave me good numbers toward the end of last season. He can play the F and G spots, which is nice for fantasy lineups, and he can contribute in at least 4 cats (points, rebounds, assists, steals). He had a sub-par game, but getting 9 shots up despite an excellent showing by rookie Dion Waiters and main man Kyrie Irving, plus he played 33 minutes as a starter.
Tristan Thompson (SF/PF, Cle, 25% owned in Y!Fantasy)
The sophomore big man could be the Russel Westbrook to Kyrie Irving's Kevin Durant. He is picking up where he left off with a decent line of 12 points 10 rebounds 5 assists on 5-8 shooting in 31 minutes of play. Goes to show he will get his minutes, and can provide across the board stats, with emphasis on big man stats of boards and FG%, and getting assists from the F position is always a bonus.
Leandro Barbosa (PG/SG, Bos, 3% owned in Y!Fantasy)
This is a sneaky quick fix while Avery Bradley is out. He won't give you monster stats but you know the dude can score. He was an efficient 6/8 from the field with 3/3 on the three-pointers. He can compete for minutes against Courtney Lee and Jason Terry, but once Bradley comes back, he'll have to settle on less court time.
Brandan Wright (PF, Dal, 2% owned in Y!Fantasy)
It was a toss up between him and Jae Crowder (8% owned), but I give Wright more upside because swats are harder to come by compared to threes. Both will spell for each other while Dirk and Kaman are out, but won't get a lot of minutes unless Elton Brand (who looks like he'll play Center, which is a plus for him) gets to foul trouble.
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