Matt Olsen: January 2009 Archives

This will be an abbreviated version of the Wakeup Call due to the fact that there were only two games on the schedule last night. I could just give you the box scores of both contests but thought better of it.

And Thursday's player of the night was...

Player of the Night

Kevin Durant, Thunder
vs. Memphis Grizzlies
35 points, 10 boards, 6 dimes, 4 blocks

While his team may be an afterthought in the NBA, Durant still manages to capture the spotlight with his freakish stat lines from time to time. He's still got that wiry frame that looks fragile to the untrained eye and is about as pure of a scorer this league has seen in quite some time.

But as the Thunder improve in the next couple years, Durant's fantasy value has the potential to skyrocket. Right now opposing defenses know that the way to stop the Thunder is to shut down Durant. But with the emergence of rookie point guard Russell Westbrook and teammate Jeff Green, Durant's future certainly looks promising.

He's a must keep in every league format as long as you are aware of the fact that like most scoring machines, there's a price to pay in terms of field goal percentage and turnovers.

More after the jump...

C Al Jefferson - Timberwolves
vs. Chicago Bulls
39 points, 9 boards

F Chris Bosh - Raptors
vs. Sacramento Kings
31 points, 8 boards, 2 blocks

PG Rajon Rondo - Celtics
vs. Dallas Mavericks
13 points, 14 assists, 7 boards

The Chicago Bulls have now solidified their position as one of the most fantasy friendly franchises in the Association.

More to come after the jump...

PF Paul Millsap - Jazz
Vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
28 points, 15 boards, 3 dimes, 60% FG

PG Mike Bibby - Hawks
Vs. Chicago Bulls
31 points, 6 dimes, 5 steals, 2 boards

SG Manu Ginobili - Spurs
Vs. Indiana Pacers
26 points, 3 dimes, 8 boards, 80% FG

How about little old Kermit making his return to fantasy relevancy?

More to come after the jump...

C Mehmet Okur - Jazz
Vs. Indiana Pacers
43 points, nine boards, three dimes

SF Paul Pierce - Celtics
Vs. Toronto Raptors
39 points, 9 boards, four dimes

C Brook Lopez - Nets
Vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
31 points, 13 boards, two blocks

Follow along after the jump.

Earlier today I gave you a little taste of the topic of this afternoon's post.

Taking a look at Los Angeles Clippers rookie dynamo Eric Gordon's stat line this morning, I suddenly realized how ridiculous the class of rooks was this year. And even more startling was how closely it resembles the rookie class in the NFL this season.

Follow along after the jump.

Limited schedule last night with only three games on the docket. But you know as well as I do the fantasy world never stops and there were plenty of reasons to tune into some Association action.

G Chris Duhon - Knicks
Vs. Dallas
24 points, seven dimes, two boards, four three-pointers, 71% FG

G Jason Kidd - Mavericks
Vs. New York
16 points, 4 dimes, 7 boards, three steals

G Tony Parker - Spurs
Vs. Clippers
19 points, four dimes, three boards

Follow along after the jump

Players to Monitor Coming Off of Injury

Mike Dunleavy, Indiana Pacers, SF

Dunleavy returns to action for the first time since last April for the Pacers tonight. This squad has missed his quasi-veteran presence in the lineup and will take some of the pressure off of wunderkind Danny Granger.

He's currently owned in a wide majority of leagues, but if he's still dangling on your waiver wire I wouldn't shy away from scooping him up if you've got the space or someone just wasting space.

Excuse us if we're late to the party, but the gents here at The Fantasy Factor like to make an entrance worthy of your attention.

Alright, I can't stand the guilt. I can't lie to you. T

We've been too busy crying ourselves to sleep after our fantasy football teams got bounced from the Super Bowl to do much of anything.

But we're back, and we'll be focusing on some fantasy Association talk up until pitchers and catchers report. Today we'll take a look at some guys on the waiver wire you might want to take a look at.

Just like football, it's tough to let go of the guys you know that are nothing but mediocre, in exchange for someone you've never heard of. But it's a necessary evil and if you want to win, you'll pay attention.