The 2012-13 season has certainly seen its share of bumps and bruises thus far as numerous players -- both high- and low-end options -- have missed or will miss significant time due to injuries. Fantasy Week 13 (Jan. 21-27) will be no different as the Hawks are the latest team to be bit by the injury bug. Atlanta's postseason hopes may have taken a huge hit as the team learned that Lou Williams will miss the rest of the year after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee during last Friday's loss to the Nets. That leaves a massive hole in coach Larry Drew's rotation that will have to be filled. While Drew never made an official announcement, rookie John Jenkins, Anthony Morrow (when healthy) and Devin Harris along with Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver are expected to help fill some of the scoring void created by Williams' injury.
Harris seemed poised to get the first crack at taking Williams' spot in the rotation as he was brought off the bench for the first time in five games during Atlanta's contest against the Spurs last Saturday night -- Atlanta's first game without Williams -- and quickly poured in 13 points in 17 minutes. However, Harris was forced to leave the contest with a sprained ankle, which puts his availability for the upcoming scoring period in doubt. That leaves Jenkins, Teague and Korver as the only three healthy guards on the roster and Teague as the only true point guard. DeShawn Stevenson is expected to return sometime during Week 13, albeit no one knows exactly when or how limited he will be, and there is still no timetable for Morrow, who has missed the team's last 12 games.
Someone will have to take Williams' minutes moving forward, but Atlanta's backcourt is in disarray at the moment and nobody -- including the Hawks -- seems to know who will be available over the next few days. With four games scheduled and his improved play of late, Harris looked like the play this week, but it is hard to recommend a player who may end up missing some time. That is also true for Stevenson and Morrow, and Jenkins' production has been way too inconsistent to trust in most formats. While Teague should be active most weeks anyway, he could be looking at major minutes over the next seven days along with Kyle Korver. Other than those two, we would strongly recommend trying to avoid using the rest of the Hawks' backcourt this week. Owners willing to take a gamble may still want to take a shot on Harris at their own discretion.
Find a place for 'em
Randy Foye, G, Jazz (WAS, @LAL, IND): Foye continues to see starts at shooting guard for Utah and has been very productive over the last few weeks. Foye's biggest asset to Fantasy owners over the years has been his ability to knock down 3s and that is exactly what he has been doing. The 29-year-old's 93 made treys on the season currently ranks fifth in the NBA while his 43.7 shooting percentage from downtown is ranked sixth. He has been especially hot over the past few weeks as he is shooting 55.8 percent from behind the arc over his last eight games and is averaging 13.9 points during his run. He has made at least one 3-pointer in each of those contests -- including four in Utah's win over the Cavaliers last Saturday-- while attempting 2.9 per game. Foye will look to keep things rolling along this week when the Jazz take on the Wizards, Lakers and Pacers. While all three of those clubs have been good at defending the 3-point line thus far, Foye has been way too hot to overlook again. Fantasy owners in Rotisserie formats should continue to roll with him heading into Week 13 and those others should activate him -- especially while he is red hot.(owned in 30 percent of leagues)
Mike Dunleavy, G, Bucks (PHI, @CLE, GS): After hitting a rough patch a few weeks back thanks to a shooting slump, Dunleavy has gotten himself back on track of late. The veteran has rediscovered his shooting touch and managed to score in double figures in each of his last four games while connecting on 53 percent of his shots (17 for 32) over that stretch. He is averaging 13.8 points during his upward trend and looks to have some favorable matchups on tap in the upcoming scoring period. While Milwaukee only plays three times over the next seven days, Dunleavy has had success against the Bucks' next three opponents. The 32-year-old is averaging 18.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and five assists in his two contests against the Cavaliers this season, and he scored 14 points to go along with five boards and two dimes in his lone contest against the 76ers back in November. Anyone who has followed Dunleavy's career knows he always seems to play well against Golden State as he is averaging 20 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists over his last three games against the Warriors. Dunleavy has been seeing around 27 minutes per game under coach Jim Boylan so continue to roll with him in the majority of category-based formats this week. (owned in 38 percent of leagues)
Carl Landry, F, Warriors (LAC, OKC, @CHI, @MIL): Landry is another player who has bounced back of late after struggling in recent weeks and put himself back on the Fantasy map. After shooting just 37 percent from the field during a six-game stretch toward the end of December and into early January, Landry has connected on 52.7 percent of his shots over his last seven games and is averaging 11.1 points and 6.4 rebounds over that span while seeing around 26 minutes per game. He has scored in double figures in five of his last six games and has had some success against a few of Golden State's upcoming opponents. Landry has averaged 13 points and 6.1 rebounds over his three matchups against the Clippers this season, and he finished with 14 points and three boards in the Warriors' loss to Oklahoma City back in November. While he doesn't have much recent history against the Bucks and Bulls, Landry will be counted on in those matchups to help combat Chicago and Milwaukee's big frontcourts. The 29-year-old can be counted on as a viable source for points, rebounds, field-goal and free-throw percentage when he is on, so owners looking for low-end help at the forward position in Week 13 should consider rolling with Landry.(owned in 59 percent of leagues)
Ed Davis, F, Raptors (@MIA, @ORL, CLE): Davis has been one of the hotter players in the league the past few weeks as the 23-year-old is finally showing what he do when he sees starter's minutes. After averaging just 16 minutes per game over the first 22 games of the season, injuries and a dreadful stretch of 12 losses in 13 games back in late November and early December forced coach Dwane Casey to make some lineup changes. Davis has been the beneficiary of Casey's rotation shakeup as the 23-year-old was inserted into the starting lineup back last month and has seen his production take off ever since. In fact, Davis has scored in double figures in 13 of his last 18 games – all starts – and is averaging 12.4 points and 7.5 rebounds over that stretch. However, he has been especially hot of late as he has put up an average of 15.8 points and 8.6 boards over his last five contests and is shooting 58.1 percent from the field over that stretch. He is seeing around 32 minutes per game as a starter and should be able to keep things going this week against the Heat, Magic and Cavaliers. Cleveland ranks near the bottom of the pack in terms of points allowed and opposition field-goal percentage thus far, while Miami's rebounding troubles have allowed more than a few power forward/center options to put up big numbers. Davis also has averaged 14 points and 6.5 rebounds in his two starts against Orlando this season and we see no reason why he shouldn't be able to at least match that when he faces them again in Week 13. We recommend getting Davis active in the majority of Rotisserie formats this week.(owned in 79 percent of leagues)
Andre Drummond, C, Pistons (ORL, @CHI, @MIA, ORL): Drummond continues to flash his high-end potential for the Pistons and has been more consistent on the offensive end of the court lately. While Drummond hasn't had many problems collecting rebounds and blocks at the NBA level, his scoring has been wildly inconsistent at times. He averaged just 6.6 points over his first 30 games this season and was seeing around 18 minutes per game over that stretch. However, the rookie has managed to score in double figures in five of his last 10 tilts and is averaging 10.7 points over that span to go along with 10.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. Drummond's improved offensive game has also resulted in more playing time as he is seeing more than 23 minutes per night during his run. At just 19 years old, Drummond has not even come close to reaching his potential yet, but he looks to have a great chance to continue his productive ways this week. The Pistons will need Drummond's help on the glass when they face the Bulls and Magic in the upcoming scoring period as both squads are two of the better rebounding teams in the association. The rookie already doubled up (10 points, 10 rebounds) in his lone career meeting versus Miami. While Drummond's poor free-throw shooting (39 percent) continues to limit his value a bit in category-based formats, the rest of his game has been productive enough to consider him a viable option in those leagues for the upcoming scoring period.(owned in 72 percent of leagues)
Put 'em on your bench
Iman Shumpert, G, Knicks (BKN, @BOS, @PHI, ATL): Shumpert was finally able to get back on the court during the last scoring period for the first time this season after suffering a torn ACL in last season's playoffs. The 22-year-old was immediately inserted into the starting lineup and played pretty well as he finished with eight points, two rebounds, one steal, a block and an assist while logging 15 minutes of action. Shumpert is expected to remain in the starting lineup moving forward, albeit he is still a ways off from seeing starter's minutes. Coach Mike Woodson told reporters last week that Shumpert would see around 15 minutes per game while playing no more than four-minute stretches at a time. That is going to make it very hard for the second-year guard to consistently put up the numbers that made him such a popular option in Rotisserie formats during his rookie campaign. While Shumpert's solid upside makes him an intriguing Fantasy option, owners should leave him reserved while he slowly works his way back from his injury.(owned in 30 percent of leagues)
Wilson Chandler, G, Nuggets (@HOU, SAC): Just like Shumpert, Chandler is trying to work his way back from an injury that cost him 32 games this season. The 25-year-old already is a bit further along than Shumpert as he has already logged four games since returning to the court and topped the 20-minute mark twice over that stretch. Still, Chandler is still trying to work some of the rust off of his game as he is averaging just 10 points on 40 percent shooting from the field since his return. Those numbers are well below his career averages and while he is expected to continue to be used in a reserve role moving forward, most are expecting – including us – for him to be a consistent double-digit scorer off the bench. However, Chandler will likely need to get a few more games under his belt before that happens, but that will be tough to do in Fantasy Week 13 as the Nuggets are one of only two teams with two games on the docket during the upcoming scoring period. With Denver's light schedule combined with Chandler's sluggishness, owners are probably best to leave the sixth-year forward reserved this week.(owned in 34 percent of leagues)
Marcus Morris, F, Rockets (@CHA, DEN, @NO, BKN): Morris became a fairly popular pickup on the waiver wire a few weeks back as an injury to Patrick Patterson forced the second-year forward into the starting lineup as the team's power forward. The 23-year-old took full advantage of his increased playing time and put up 13.1 points on 50 percent shooting from the field over his first 10 starts. However, Morris has hit a wall once the calendar turned to 2013 as his shots stopped falling. In fact, Morris has only made 50 percent or more of his shots twice over his last 10 games and is shooting a combined 32 percent over that stretch. He was eventually moved back to the bench in favor of Patterson four games ago but has scored just 22 total points over that stretch (5.5 ppg). He has also logged fewer than 12 minutes in each of Houston's last two games, which is a telling sign that coach Kevin McHale may be starting to loss some patience with Morris. While the Rockets look to have a fairly favorable schedule, owners should leave Morris firmly planted on the bench this week.(owned in 13 percent of leagues)
Alonzo Gee, F, Cavaliers (BOS, MIL, @TOR): Just like most of the Cavaliers, Gee has been struggling to score of late. Despite shooting right on his season average of 40 percent, Gee has only scored in double figures in one of his last five games and is averaging 7.2 points and 2.4 rebounds over that stretch. However, Gee's struggles seem to be the result of him being tentative on the offensive end of the floor rather than a shooting slump. The 25-year-old has only attempted six shots per game during his slump while he was putting up an average of 10.3 attempts over his previous 37 games. While Kyrie Irving's recent scoring spree, as well as the improved play of Dion Waiters and C.J. Miles, likely played a part in Gee's recent lack of looks, he will need to pick up his production in a hurry if he is going to hold onto his already limited Fantasy value. Despite his somewhat favorable schedule against the Celtics, Bucks and Raptors, owners should consider sitting Gee down until he starts to pick up the pace a bit.(owned in 59 percent of leagues)
Chris Kaman, C, Mavericks (SA, PHO): Kaman has played very well for the Mavericks this season as the 7-footer has been able to stay healthy and productive. He is averaging 12.6 points and 5.8 rebounds on the year on 50.8 percent shooting from the field, which is his best shooting percentage since the 2008-09 season. However, Kaman has been a bit off the mark of late and as a result has seen his numbers drop. He has failed to score in double figures in four of his last seven games and is averaging 9.1 points and five rebounds over that stretch. Part of the reason for Kaman's recent slide has been the emergence of Elton Brand. Coach Rick Carlisle has been using Brand as a backup center in a smaller lineup and his recent strong play has forced Kaman to spend more time on the bench. Kaman averaged more than 25 minutes per game over his first 33 games but has seen an average of 19.7 minutes over his last seven games. Combine that with the fact that the Mavericks are one of only two teams scheduled to play twice during Fantasy Week 13, and owners with an alternative option may want to think about sitting Kaman down this week.(owned in 80 percent of leagues)
