Fantasy Notes: How the pieces fit in the puzzle

Shaquille O’Neal, Center, Suns
No one expected the Shaq of old, but a spike in his production would make sense with the Suns competing for a championship. Through his first three games with the Suns, Shaq has been rebounding well (11 rebounds per game), while struggling to put the ball in the basket, barely scoring eight points per game. His free-throw shooting is still painful for fantasy owners (1-8 on Sunday), but he does enough in defense and rebounding to keep him out of free-agency.

Wally Szczerbiak, Shooting Guard, Cavaliers
He seems to be a perfect fit for the Cavs, but in game one with LeBron James, Wally was coming off the bench. He did knock in a pair of three-pointers and finished with 10 points in 32 minutes of action. Never one to do much other than score, you can expect Wally to maintain his production with close to 15 points and a couple of three-pointers per game. Of course, if he finds his way into the starting lineup, fantasy managers can raise their expectations. 

Ben Wallace, Center, Cavaliers
Big Ben is once again happy on the hardwood and the impact was reflected in his opening box score. Wallace finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds, along with two steals and a block. The big man should enjoy plenty of double-doubles with the Cavaliers, as he once again will play a role in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Jason Kidd, Point Guard, Mavericks
Jason Kidd returns to the Dallas Mavericks, this time as an experienced veteran expected to lead the team to a Championship crown. Kidd appeared lost in his first game back in the Big D, when he scored just eight points with five assists and a staggering six turnovers. After that first loss to New Orleans, the Mavs won the next two contests. In a blowout at Memphis, he dished out 15 assists. In the very next game at Minnesota, Kidd tied his season high with 17 assists compared to just three turnovers. These are the type of numbers that fantasy managers should get used to now that Kidd is once again surrounded by talented shooters and a low post scorer.

Larry Hughes, Shooting Guard, Bulls
Hughes was finally getting comfortable next to LeBron James recently, as he averaged 24 points and 3 three-pointers in his final four games with Cleveland. The trade to Chicago should have a severe impact on his fantasy value, as he may no longer be starting nor earning greater than 30 minutes of action per game. Hughes should be returned to the waiver wire in fantasy leagues, as he managed just 22 minutes of action in his first game with the Bulls. I don’t see him sliding by Luol Deng or Ben Gordon for minutes.

Drew Gooden, Power Forward, Bulls
Another former Cleveland starter who will likely come off the bench, Gooden has all the talent in the world, but very little consistency. He played 25 minutes in his first game with Chicago and scored 12 points with eight rebounds. With Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah currently starting, it may be difficult for Gooden to increase his playing time.

Pau Gasol, Power Forward, Lakers
The first of the major trades to take place prior to the trade deadline, Gasol seems to be revived in his start with the Lakers. The Spaniard needed just 23 minutes to score 22 points for the Lakers on Sunday, which is right in line with his scoring average since the trade. As expected, there has been a giant spike in his shooting percentage since coming to Hollywood, as the team has won eight games in a row. Expect the good times to roll; in this script there should be a happy ending for Gasol’s fantasy managers.

Kwame Brown, Power Forward, Grizzlies
Yet another team has given up on Kwame Brown and now it’s the Grizzlies turn to look for something in the former first overall pick. They actually threw him in the starting lineup on Sunday, perhaps hoping for him to suddenly prove valuable. The final line: one point and three rebounds in 20 minutes of action. Don’t make the same mistake as the Grizz.

Mike Bibby, Point Guard, Hawks
The Hawks needed a point guard, while the Kings had already found Bibby’s successor. Since the move to the Eastern Conference, Bibby has actually improved his statistics, averaging 14.3 points and 5.5 assists, while shooting at a much-improved rate of 47 percent from the field. This honeymoon will eventually end as the losses continue to pile up. Bibby is more of a shooting guard and hasn’t averaged six assists per game in three years. Expect his current production to fall as Bibby’s numbers are comparable to those of a glorified Tyronn Lue.

Shawn Marion, Power Forward, Heat
We’ve had mixed results from Marion thus far. The Heat have yet to win a game. In the most recent loss, Miami saw their recent acquisition score just four points and pull down six rebounds. I do expect Marion to pick up his game and become an 18 points and 10 rebound performer with solid steals and blocks. His percentages will take a hit, as he no longer has defenses paying attention to Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash, and friends. He should remain a top 10 fantasy talent.

Rob Shaw is the Lead Expert for FantasyFanatics.com, the premier fantasy sports community.

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