Eastern Conference:

Atlanta - Shelden Williams had a few solid games, but don’t get carried away. Enjoy it while it lasts because both J-Chill and Marvin Williams are coming back soon and Shelden can’t secure enough minutes to be productive once they return. Try to use him as incentive in a trade while he still has some value (if you offer just him it’s obvious you’re attempting to sell high).

Boston - Al Jefferson, after a bad sophomore campaign, started this year with 11-7 averages before going down again. Fortunately it was not because of the ankle which contributed in good part to last year’s downfall. In the short time he’s been out, many things have changed in Boston. Ratliff is “out indefinitely”, Candyman got hurt, though he never was a big factor, and we recently learned that Perkins is bothered by plantar fasciitis. Add to that the up-and-down performances of Ryan Gomes and it becomes obvious that Celts are hurting for an inside presence on both sides of the court. Al has been dropped by some impatient owners in few of my leagues so there’s a chance you can pick him up or buy very low. This is one of those small risk/big reward situations if you can add him in place of one of your scrubs.

Charlotte - G-Wall seems to have trouble adjusting to Emeka’s presence. That kind of explains his slow start, but it doesn’t suggest what to do with him. I myself will wait for him as long as it takes because I’m very unlikely to get a fair offer considering his current production. Hopefully he stays healthy in the meantime.

Chicago - It seems hard to believe that Captain Kirk will maintain his current fg% (48.3%) for the entire season, but I think he is little underrated and that makes it difficult to sell him high. Conversely, Big Ben can only get better. But, he'll need to get healthy first.

Cleveland - Sure, Eric Snow is a one trick pony, as far as fbb goes. There's not much there outside of assists, but they are one of the most difficult cats to master so he certainly has some value, either to help you win a particular match up or in deep leagues. He is a specialist, but he gets far less attention then 3pt or blk specialists. So, I’m here to make that right.

Detroit - Nazr is big disappointment for me. Pistons have been defying nature with playing their starters so much and still being relatively injury free, but that will have to end one of these days. It’s not a question of if, or even when, but who.

Indiana - Jeff Foster gets dropped and picked in my leagues all the time... that is, in ones where I don’t have a roster spot to pick him up. I can’t see how someone cannot be satisfied with him. He quietly gets you a steal, a block and 7+ rebs, while shooting good %s. He rarely scores, but along with that comes low turnovers. Add to that an elusive center eligibility, the fact that his pt goes up with injury to J. O’Neal - which is bound to happen sooner or later - and you’ve got yourself very underappreciated player. Pacers are weak in the rebounding department and that could influence Carlisle to give Foster more pt too. He is relatively injury-prone himself but for a 3rd center you’ll hardly find better and more consistent production.

Miami - There are rumors of Earl Watson being traded to Heat. That situation is worth keeping an eye on since Watson is capable of contributing in 4 cats (pts, 3ptm, ast and stl), But unless J-Will goes the other way, he’ll be stuck in a time-sharing situation again.

Milwaukee - Bobby Simmons' return continues to be delayed - a stress reaction in his heel... plus plantar fasciitis... plus a cyst in the heel. There's not even a window for a return date, all that we know is that there's been no progress made. So, if you are holding him on your roster, be prepared to wait a while.

New Jersey - Josh Boone, the forgotten man. Just a reminder, he’s due back sometime this month. Although he is a rookie, the Nets have no big men (besides Krstic) with guaranteed minutes. So, there’s a chance he gets enough playing time (pt in future reference) to become usable in deeper leagues. You shouldn’t pick him up yet, but monitor his condition closely and be ready to pull the trigger when he returns. He is almost certain to underperform in first few games but could be huge once he gets into playing form.

New York - David Lee is hardly under the radar this season, but all might not be as great as it seems. Frye injured his ankle and will miss 3-6 weeks, which means Isiah will move Lee to the starting unit and give him some extra minutes. I don’t mind extra minutes but I’d rather have him coming off the bench, playing the Craig Smith and Robert Horry's of the world. When Frye is on pace to return, activate the split in minutes, and consider selling Lee high.

Orlando - As long as the Magic are winning, I expect them to keep bringing Darko off the bench. Why mess with something that works, right? It will either take an injury to a member of rotation or a losing streak for Darko to shine. Don’t get suckered into selling low though, as his value is likely to be on the rise for the rest of the season. Orlando has a poor h2h playoff schedule, so March could be the time you’d finally want to sell. Fortunately, he is playing better with every game and finding a way to contribute in limited minutes.

Philadelphia - Shav Randolph is probably done for the season (broken ankle). C-Webb is on the shelf too, and apparently now also a malcontent. Dalembert is injury prone, foul prone, and not one of Cheeks’ favorites. Something's got to give there, and history suggests Steven Hunter will benefit. Willie Green is looking like a stl specialist right now, but he stepped up his scoring in AI’s absence. Very few people picked him up, thinking it was anomaly and that he’ll go back to his usual role when AI gets back. The minutes are still decent with AI back, though. Obviously, he is benefiting from shots freed up by C-Webb's absence too. Another low risk/decent reward player if he pans out, but don’t hesitate to move on if he dries up.

Toronto - Mo-Pete is just too good (and the Raptors are just too bad) to spend much time on the bench. He'll be back from that elbow injury any day now, and his role will be close to what it was or he'll likely get traded. Buy low.

Washington - Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood can only be mediocre at best in the current situation, and unless an injury occurs, do not fall for random big games that are bound to come up from time to time.

Western Conference:

Dallas - Diop and Dampier are doing their thing down low, in limited minutes. Both of their turnovers have spiked, so that's something to watch there. Croshere could be interesting in case of an injury to one the D3 in Big D (Diop, Dirk, Damp). It's too bad Austin is the most likely one to get injured out of the group.

Denver - Keeping Evans looks like a great move by Nuggets management. They knew that there's never enough insurance when your frontcourt features 3 of the most injury-prone guys in the league. Nene is coming back and that alone will diminish Evans’ role some, but K-Mart is gone for the season and it’s only a matter of time before Nene and/or Camby go down again. So Evans is worth hanging onto in those deeper leagues, especially now that he's added steals to his repertoire (to go along with those rebounds).

Golden State - The Warriors have produced a number of fantasy contributors thus far, but you also have to factor in all the injuries that they've had. What will happen when they’re all healthy is hard to predict. Don Nelson is a big name coach so he can get away with anything, including benching a player after a great game, benching a player with huge contract and benching an all-star. I believe that Monta, J-Rich and Biedrins are most likely to see enough minutes to be safe plays. Baron would be in that group, but his health and form fluctuates too much. Murphy should be number 5 on a list while Dunleavy and Pietrus will probably come in from the bench, but that can all change in a minute. Barnes is a complete unknown to me... he complicates this already messy situation further. Assume he's strictly an injury fill-in. I’d suggest sell high on most of these guys if possible, though I’m reluctant to take my own advice because of the sweet lines being produced. Unfortunately there are 8 worthy players and not enough minutes for each of them to be a factor.

Houston - Last year, Chuck Hayes was 2nd in rebounds/48 minutes only to KG. The only problem is that as a rookie he didn’t receive much burn. This year, he’s actually getting some serious pt and quickly proving to be great source of rebounds. His pt is reasonably secure since his only real backup is Juwan Howard who, at this stage of his career, is just a sparkplug. Hayes also gives some nice %s, blocks and steals. Still, he is flying under the radar, probably thanks to his recent injury and no-name NBA status. When Bonzi comes back, they'll have to play Battier more at the 4, though.

LA Clippers - Quinton Ross recently had a solid stretch of games during which he became one of my favorite pickups. He's had his struggles recently however, so his stock is once again low. But still, with Cassell, Maggette and T2 on the team, he holds decent upside. Mags is bound to go down sooner or later, The Alien and Livingston are both injury risks, and Tim Thomas looks like he'll revert back to his self. So, there's more upside with Ross than meets the eye. While he shouldn’t be picked up until this down period is behind him, keep a close eye on him.

LA Lakers - VladRad proved he is a bum, and if you’re still holding onto him - don’t. Smush is underperforming as well but there’s still hope. Kwame - on the other hand - is gonna get serious pt and he is starting to finally show he’s not a complete bust. This could be his year because of Mihm’s injury, but Bynum made most of the chance he received, and while he’s gonna probably go back to bench soon, he is capable of limiting Kwame’s minutes.

Memphis - Lawrence Roberts is one of THE flying-under-the-radar guys. He's next to Lowry, Gay and Warrick, as the group of youngsters who are now running the show in Memphis, yet he receives no love at all. He gives you around 6 rebs, a blk and a stl in 20 minutes. Even in deeper leagues nobody seems to notice him. Imagine what would happen if he received 30+ mins. Grizzlies aren’t winning so there could be a shakeup of the lineup and Roberts certainly deserves a chance. If your league is a deep one at least keep him on your watch list and be aware of his existence. If there’s any sign of him getting significantly more pt, don’t be afraid to pick him up.

Minnesota - I don’t know what to say. Backcourt is a mess, as many predicted (myself included) James is not performing near the last year’s level, Foye is not getting pt (though that is starting to change), and Jaric and Hudson getting minutes complicates the situation even further (from a fantasy standpoint).

New Orleans/Oklahoma - I sure hope Peja turns it around, he’s shown flashes, but failed to consistently perform. All I’m looking for is few more points and better fg%. First things first, though... he - and David West - need to get healthy. In the meantime, both Simmons and Armstrong are performing well in the absence of David West. So, they could be worth something, in the unlikely case of getting serious pt. That probably won’t happen this year, but those in real deep keeper leagues might want to pick them up for the future.

Phoenix - Why anyone would draft Banks is beyond me, as his minutes come from Nash, Raja, and Barbosa’s leftovers. He might prove to be useable if there is an injury to Nash, but that’s what the waiver wire’s for, right? Diaw’s one of the greatest busts so far but he is starting to show signs of life. It's much too early to give up on him now.

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And now for my little non-fantasy-related crusade, many experts were putting Hawks down for the trade that landed them Joe Johnson, but they’ve been awfully quiet lately. JJ is playing like an all-star, he’ll soon be one too, and is new leader of young up and coming Hawks team, while Diaw is struggling behind Amare and Marion. Now I’m not saying Diaw is bad, but he is nowhere near the dominant player that a team builds around, while JJ could be one. Perceptions can change really quickly and in this case they did. But I don’t see anyone admitting their mistake, I read more than a few “expert” articles on fooled Hawks and ingenious Suns and it p****d me off. Hawks are laughing stocks and Suns are contenders, so let’s ridicule Hawks some more… Billy Knight isn’t the best GM out there but this was a brilliant move, he secured a corner stone of the franchise when no one wanted to come over there, giving in return player who did next to nothing and a draft pick for whom they had no need with so many young players already on squad. For this one I salute him.

Whew, this is not the best of times for us Hawks/T-Wolves fans you know. Now that I’m done with blowing steam let’s get back to the important staff.

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Portland - If Pryz is still available go and pick him up, as he can be a force on rebs and blks. He is great specialist for a difficult cat at worst, and as such, merits a roster spot in most leagues. Jarrett Jack, on the other hand, is a sell high candidate since Roy ’s return will have negative impact on his stats. But there is no word yet as to when Roy will return, so Jack is safe for now. Outlaw was putting up some nice lines, but has calmed down a little. Until he improves consistency he should be owned just in deeper leagues.

Sacramento - Brad Miller is not gonna get as many assists as he did under Adelman. They really added to Brad's fantasy value, so his stock will be down significantly this year. If there are owners in your league who still expect him to give you more assists than half of league's starting point guards, you should try to cash in. So far, signs are not good, and even if he eventually reverts back, the chance isn't worth taking. You’re better off letting someone else take the risk. Plus, he has injury concerns.

San Antonio - Brent Barry is back to his old self these days - shooting treys, and giving us efficient production. He was worthy of roster spot before the Manu injury, but now his stock could rise even further. Though Finley got the starting job, Barry’s pt will be up, and he’s up against 2nd units.

Seattle - Earl Watson’s situation should be monitored as he is too good to be sitting on the bench. Since that experiment with starting 2 pgs failed, I hope Sonics trade him for some frontcourt help, which they seem to need. He can be good source of asts but you’ll have to eat his horrible fg%.

Utah - Millsap was probably one of the most dropped players in last few days with AK returning, but Sloan loves him (if you owned Deron Williams last year, you’ll know how much this means – as a rookie – under Sloan) and that means he could receive significant pt even if no injuries to the starting frontline occur. He should be picked up upon first sign of getting solid pt as he is capable of being multi-cat contributor.

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Aleksandar is a guest writer for RotoFreak.com. If you'd like to comment on the article, please chime in on the boards.