Fantasy Picker: It's Been A Harden's Night

Fantasy Highlights

James Harden (SG/SF, HOU)
How do you follow up a 37 point explosion from your debut game? Why, by scoring 45 of course! James Harden continues to sizzle as the Rockets' main man with another big game and another big win, beating the Hawks in Atlanta. He had an unbelievable 14-of-19 shooting clip and 15-of-17 from the line, which makes you just take the two 3-pointers made.

Gerald Henderson (SG/SF, CHA)
I'm torn between putting Hendo in the highlight section or the under the radar section. He's currently 29% owned in Y!Fantasy Leagues, but he's starting over Ben Gordon and Ramon Sessions. Although Kemba had a career night (high of 30 points, four assists, five rebounds, one steal and a block), Hendo takes the highlight as he got an impressive five steals on top of two blocks, a steal, and 2 three pointers to finish with 18 points. Though his point total isn't really that impressive, in fantasy leagues, threes, blocks, and steals are hard to come by. Anytime you get those from a single player, that is fantasy gold.

Brandon Jennings (PG, MIL)
The Bucks scored a big win against Eastern Conference contenders Boston Celtics on the road, thanks largely to the big game from Brandon Jennings. The third-year guard had 21 points, 13 assists, and a whopping six steals in their win. With Monta Ellis sharing the backcourt scoring duties, Jennings looks to be taking advantage of dishing out dimes while also taking his shots. He didn't put up too many three-pointers, which is a bit disappointing, but you'll have to take that if you get better percentage shots.

Carmelo Anthony (SF/PF, NYK)
Anthony had 30 points, 10 rebounds, four three pointers, 6-of-7 shooting from the line, two steals, and just one turnover. Those are six cats that he helped you out in before realizing complaining that he shot just 10-for-28 from the field, had just two assists, and no blocked shots. Nobody's perfect, after all.

Kevin Durant (SF/PF, OKC)
Durant had a monster outing in terms of rebounds, as he grabs 17 boards to complement his 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting, seven assists and two blocks. He only had one three pointer, which is a bit disappointing, but the shooter that he is, he'll get his threes later. He wasn't scoring champ for nothing.

Marcin Gortat (C, PHX)
Big night for Gortat as he finished with 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 16 rebounds to go along with three blocks. It's nice to know that he'd still get those boards despite the presence of Luis Scola in the paint.

Chris Paul (PG, LAC)
Round one of this year's battle for LA is won by the Clippers behind CP3's 18 points, 15 assists, six rebounds and three steals. You'd wish for more threes from CP3, but 15 assists is not that easy to come by.

Kobe Bryant (SG, LAL)
Kobe had 40 points in a losing effort, and despite finishing with a not-so-impressive fantasy line of six rebounds, two three pointers, just one assist, and six turnovers, 40 points is still worth mentioning. He did it on 14-of-23 shooting from the field and 10-of-10 from the line, which won't hurt your FG%, something you almost expect to give up with Kobe on your fantasy team.

Mike Conley (PG, MEM)
The steals category is one of the cats that is difficult to come by, but if you want to build your team around that cat, Conley should be your guy. He had five steals on top of his 21 points, 3-of-5 three-pointers, seven assists and three rebounds in their win against Golden State.

Stephen Curry (PG, GSW)
After playing limited minutes in their debut game, Stephen Curry shows up with guns blazing, finishing with 26 points on 6-of-10 three point shooting, 10-of-20 overall, seven assists and a steal. If his ankle finally holds up, Curry should be a decent source of threes and steals.

Buy Low Options

Nikola Vucevic (PF/C, ORL)
The sophomore Center had a rough night, getting just six points and four rebounds in 16 minutes of action. On a bright note, he did get two blocks in that limited timespan and he did show promise back in Philly. It is possible that Josh McRoberts may outplay him to earn that starting Center spot, but Vucevic is an intriguing prospect worth looking into for big man stats (FG%, blocks, rebounds).

DeMarcus Cousins (PF/C, SAC)
For the second straight game, Cousins had a pretty awful game finishing with just 11 points and four rebounds in 25 minutes of action. For a guy who was supposed to be one of the faces of the franchise, Cousins is making a genius out of everyone who passed up on him on draft night in 2010. He probably will pick it up, but this would be a good time to try and buy low from impatient owners.

Players to Consider

Andre Iguodala (SG/SF, DEN)
Danilo Galinari (23 points, eight rebounds, four assists, a steal, a block, and two three pointers on 5-of-14 shots from the field) may have had a nicer night than Iguodala (Nine points, eight rebounds, five assists, a steal, a block and one three pointer on 3-of-10 field goal shooting), but I am going with Iggy considering health more than anything. Gallo may have more upside as he shoots from the outside a lot more often than Iggy, but the latter has been producing steady across-the-board numbers on a consistent basis, while the former has so far had an injury-prone career. Iggy could be a valuable source of rebounds, blocks and steals from the guard spot, and will provide some assists from time to time.

Glen Davis (PF/C, ORL)
Big Baby had a nice scoring output with 29 points to go along with his 10 rebounds and two blocked shots. He was 13-for-25 from the field, which is not that impressive for a big man. The upside here is he will get a lot of minutes considering the frontcourt competition (sophomore Nikola Vucevic from Philly, journeyman Josh McRoberts, and the injured Gustavo Ayon) and he will get a lot of points. He's a sell-high option if points and rebounds are not much of a concern of yours, because he won't contribute much to any other cat.

J.J. Redick (SG, ORL)
With Orlando searching for a new identity after trading away Dwight Howard during the offseason, other players have a chance to step up. Redick had such a great college career at Duke that people wondered how that would translate to pro ball. From a benchwarmer, he improved in each year that he played, and last year, he proved  to be an important player off the bench for the Magic. He had 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting with three 3-pointers, six assists and four boards. You know he can score, and he does have pretty decent court vision, so if he gets the 34 minutes he got today on a regular basis, he should be worth a look at if you're looking for 3's and some assists.

Omer Asik (C, HOU)
As expected, the Turkish big man can't offer anything much more than monster rebounding numbers and some blocks. Ok, so today, he had no blocks and no points on 0-of-7 shooting, but he did have a whopping 19 rebounds for the game. He might be a quick fix for the rebounding department but you might not find good value on a one on one trade considering he's a pretty one-dimensional fantasy contributor.

Raymond Felton (PG/SG NYK)
The New York backcourt situation is something that had people guessing what New York was trying to do when they picked up old guys Jason Kidd and 40-year-old rookie Pablo Prigrioni after losing Jeremy Lin and Toney Douglas and signing Raymond Felton. Felton picked up where he left off in New York, dishing out nine assists to go along with 15 points, three 3-pointers four rebounds and three steals. Pretty nice to look consider when you're looking to trade for assists and three pointers.

Ryan Anderson (PF/C, NOH)
Last year's Most Improved Player awardee announced his return to Fantasy relevance as he shoots 7-of-15 from the field with 5-of-9 three pointers to finish with 19 points and 6 rebounds. He's a nice source of 3's from the PF spot last year, and after a not so memorable debut for New Orleans, he got his groove going for a big win in Utah.

J.J. Hickson (PF/C, POR)
Despite the Blazers' loss, one bright spot to look at is probably Hickson, who finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds in just 25 minutes of action. He's the starting Center for a team that seem to play their starting five a lot, but do play small with Aldridge playing the C spot. Minutes could matter, but if Hickson can play effectively for limited minutes, he could be worth a look for rebounds.

Kevin Martin (SG, OKC)
Yeah his stock may have dropped now that he's not the third scorer in a relatively experienced team as opposed to being the first option on offense in a young, rebuilding team. However, Martin showed he can handle the scoring void James Harden left by finishing with 19 points on 5-of-11 shooting, 3-of-3 from threes, 6-of-6 free throws, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block.

Jamaal Crawford (PG/SG, LAC)
Super sub Crawford is doing his thing again for the Clippers, shooting a confident 21 points with four 3-pointers on 5-of-9 shooting, 9-of-9 free throws, seven assists and three rebounds. He's always a decent source for threes, and as long as he gets to play, he could be worth a trade as he does dish out assists as well.

Picks for the Risk Takers

Gerald Green (SG/SF, IND, 14% owned in Y!Fantasy)
Indiana is one of the preseason favorites in the East, but they are starting off at 0-2 following their loss to another supposedly easy win. With Danny Granger out, high-flying Gerald Green is starting for the Pacers after his impressive preseason. While he isn't shooting too well, his upside is getting one more shot than Paul George (3-of-12 against 4-11 from George), who's supposed to be the main guy on offense together with David West. Another upside is the 31 minutes he played, which goes to show that the coaching staff is likely giving him a chance to shine. Major downside is their losing streak; if they continue losing, chances are the coaching staff may look to tweak their lineup, and with minutes not likely being taken away from George Hill, Roy Hibbert, David West, and Paul George, he may be the first casualty in that starting group.

DeShawn Stevenson (SG/SF, ATL, 0% owned in Y!Fantasy)
Gilbert Arenas' enforcer back in the glory days of the Washington Wizards seem to have found a home in Atlanta. He is a known defender and a three-point specialist, and wing rotation of similarly-talented shooters Kyle Korver (starter) and Anthony Morrow, and a backcourt featuring starters Jeff Teague and Devin Harris and bench guys Lou Williams and John Jenkins, Stevenson was able to play 28 minutes to get 12 points exclusively on three pointers, as well as two steals. Shooters don't usually get this lucky every game, but he might be worth a look. Better check out how he'd be used for their next couple of games.

Luke Ridnour (PG/SG, MIN,46% owned in Y!Fantasy)
JJ Barea had a bigger night with 21 points, five assists and four rebounds, but Ridnour is a sneaky across the board contributor; his line of nine points with one 3-ponter, three rebounds, one assists, one steal and a block has been a pretty consistent line for Ridnour even last year. With Alexey Shved getting minutes at the guard spot and Ricky Rubio returning soon, he might lose out on minutes, but while he still has them, he should be a solid player on your bench in deep leagues.

Under the Radar Picks

Lance Stephenson (SG, IND, 0% owned in Y!Fantasy) and
Tyler Hansbrough (PF/C, IND, 11% owned in Y!Fantasy)
Without super sub Leandro Barbosa, Indiana's 6th man role is wide open, with Tyler Hansbrough probably having a slight advantage. However, Indiana really likes Stephenson as a player when they picked him last year, and they do see him as part of their young core moving forward. He was an efficient 6-of-9 from the field with 2-of-3 three pointers, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 25 minutes of play off the bench. He probably won't get this much playing time on a nightly basis, considering he has to compete with DJ Augustin for guard minutes off the bench. Tyler Hansbrough, for his part, played another efficient game with 15 points, two blocks and a steal in 15 minutes of action. What jumps up from his box score is the 7-of-8 free throw shooting, which is a good percentage to have for a big man.

Chandler Parsons (SF/PF, HOU, 27% owned in Y!Fantasy)
The starting SF for Houston may not get a lot of touches with plenty needing to go to Harden and Lin, but he's been a pretty decent contributor for them. He scored just six points in their win against Atlanta, but he did have five rebounds, six assists, and three steals. He may add some assist numbers at the Forward spot, and he won't hurt your rebounds too much. He also throws some three pointers, though he was just 1-of-6 in today's game.

Nate Robinson (PG/SG, CHI, 19% owned in Y!Fantasy)
Chicago won a blowout in Cleveland, which may have been the reason why Nate got a lot of minutes, but this freak of nature made sure he made it count; 16 points and 12 assists with two 3-pointers on 7-of-9 shooting from the field. He added five rebounds and a steal, and could do this on a regular basis playing behind Kirk Hinrich. Until D-Rose returns, Hinrich and Nate will battle it out as to who will be the main backup point guard for their superstar.

Steve Novak (SF/PF NYK, 25% owned in Y!Fantasy)
He may be a one-dimensional player, but like Omer Asik, what he contributes to that one dimension is pretty nice. Novak hit five 3-pointers in their win against Miami, and showed that what he showed last year was not some stroke of luck by stroking it from downtown with ease.

Randy Foye (PG/SG, UTA, 28% owned in Y!Fantasy)
With all the talk on the loaded Utah frontcourt, there seem to be less emphasis on the guards. Foye is going to be the main guy off the bench for Mo Williams and Gordon Hayward, and will shoot a lot of threes while he's there. He had two in their opener and shot four against New Orleans. He may be worth a look if you're in need of three's.

Greg Stiemsma (C, MIN, 2% owned in Y!Fantasy)
Nikola Pekovic had a breakout year last year to solidify his spot as the starting C for Minnesota over seemingly overpaid Darko Milicic, and Stiemsma was a good source of blocks for a stretch last year with Boston. This year, they're playing together on the same team, and both seem to still be doing what they are expected. Stiemsma finished with nine points on 3-of-7 shooting, 3-of-4 free throws, seven rebounds and four blocks in limited minutes. He could be what Omer Asik was to Chicago last year.

Festus Ezeli (C, GSW, 1% owned in Y!Fantasy)
Andrew Bogut is fat and out of shape. The former top overall pick has the skills, but after barely playing because of injury, it doesn't look like he'll be the fantasy stud everyone expects him to be. Enter rookie Festus Ezeli. He already outplayed last year's starting C Andris Biedrins to get more of the back up minutes, and even if that means just 12 minutes, you got to love that he had three steals in his first game, and against  Memphis, he was able to swat two shots on top of two steals, four rebounds, and four points. It'll be interesting to watch if he gets more minutes for Golden State.

Random Thoughts

1. The blog title is a Beatles reference. Just in case someone didn't get it.
2. Who here gets why Denver paid JaVale McGee big bucks for him to rot on the bench, and have potential fantasy stud Kenneth Faried ride that bench along with that nutcase? Anyone?
3. Courtney Lee looks like the ultimate example of a glue guy; important piece for the team but contributions don't show up on the stat sheet.
4. Kyle Korver had a bad shooting night, but he is the starting SF for the new-look Atlanta Hawks. He needs to shake this game off and make up next game or else he might lose it to other hot shooters in the Atlanta lineup in Anthony Morrow, Lou Williams and DeShawn Stevenson.
5. Anderson Varejao failed to follow up a monster rebounding effort by grabbing a measly five boards against Chicago. Can't blame him though, as he was up against the big Chicago lineup featuring a better version of Varejao in Joakim Noah.
6. Jason Kidd shot 3-of-5 exclusively from the 3-point line, had three assists and two steals playing in just 23 minutes. He may be old, but he still can play. Probably.
7. 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field to go along with 8 rebounds just won't cut it for Tyson Chandler, whom you expect should block some shots.
8. Kobe may look like he's on a hot streak in the scoring department, but he's hardly on Mamba mode. It almost seems like he just wanted new playmates just to show people that he can still be this good.