Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is our weekly look at the best and worst matchups from around the NBA and how they might affect lineup decisions for your Fantasy Basketball team. We are not in the business of stating the obvious, so you won't be reading here why you need to start LeBron James or why you need to sit Brian Scalabrine. We want to give you some help with some of the tough lineup decisions.
It's basically a free-for-all in Week 16 of the NBA Fantasy season. There isn't a single team in the league that plays more than two games in the All-Star break shortened week. Only four teams play just once so, basically, to oversimplify things, start any player on your roster that you think can play well in their next game.
Don't worry, you can still read below for our recommended start/sits, but the bottom line is, any solid player on your roster will be worth using if they can put up even one good performance over the next week. We're not really worrying too much about how many games each team will play because nobody really has a favorable schedule in that regard.
Still, there does seem to be an abundance of useful talent this week from the center spot. Any veteran Fantasy owner knows that the hardest place on the basketball court to find a plethora of talent is underneath the basket but, for some reason, this week there are plenty of options. So much, in fact, that our Start of the Week stands over 7-feet tall.
The Cleveland Cavaliers play one of the more favorable schedules heading into All-Star Weekend as they will get Indiana and the Phoenix Suns. You won't find too many more defensively inept teams than Indiana and the Suns aren't much better, allowing 103.4 points per game.
Cleveland's easy schedule only intensifies our feelings about center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The Lithuanian big man has been back from a 13-game absence due to an ankle injury for five games now and is still only starting in 59 percent of CBSSports.com Fantasy leagues. That needs to change as Big Z really hasn't missed a beat and is averaging 15 points, nine rebounds and a block since his return to action. He's even nailing some threes and his last game was his best, as he dropped 22 on 9-of-16 shooting against the Lakers Sunday.
Ilgauskas began the season as a must-start No. 1 center and it appears he's headed right back to that level. In this shortened week and with Cleveland's solid matchups, you likely won't find a better option in Fantasy for Week 16.
Guards
Start 'Em
Raymond Felton, Charlotte (Feb. 9 vs. LAC; Feb. 11 vs. WAS): The 24-year-old Felton is passing as well as he has since his NBA career began four years ago and is dishing out just under nine assists per game over his last five contests. That comes with 14 points and six rebounds -- a nice number for a guard -- plus the fact that Felton can hit the three, swipes balls at a nice clip and can even block a shot here and there. Now, the Bobcats have announced that starting guard Raja Bell will be out until after the All-Star break and that just makes Felton even more attractive as he's going to get the bulk of the scoring that Bell leaves behind. Add in the fact that Charlotte is one of the few teams with a favorable schedule against two poor defensive clubs in the Wizards and Clippers and Felton should be active in all formats for Week 16. Ownership: 97 percent Starting: 80 percent
Mario Chalmers, Miami (Feb. 10 vs. DEN; Feb. 12 at CHI): Miami might be struggling right now, losers of four of their last five games, but Chalmers is playing at a high level. The rookie out of Kansas has really developed into a solid, reliable point guard for the Heat and his current five-game trend of 14 points, five dimes and 2.2 steals portrays his usefulness across the board. Chalmers is really starting to stroke the ball from deep as he's nailed 11 threes over that span and is hitting on 50 percent from the floor. The Heat play a moderately easy schedule in Week 16 with the Nuggets and Bulls both ranking in the bottom 10 teams in the league in points allowed and that only means the continued consistent shooting touch that Chalmers has been bringing to the table of late. Ownership: 71 percent Starting: 43 percent
Sleeper Alert: Wally Szczerbiak, Cleveland (Feb. 10 at IND; Feb. 11 vs. PHX): As we told you with with Ilgauskas, the Cavaliers have perhaps the most favorable two-game schedule in basketball over Week 16. We would be raving about Sasha Pavlovic for this spot, but he returned from the flu on Sunday only to sprain his right ankle. That leaves Szczerbiak as the only remaining healthy shooting guard with Delonte West also out for the Cavs. Szczerbiak, dealing with a broken nose but still playing with a mask, at least, is actually playing well since getting extended minutes for the injured Cavs. He's averaging 14 points, seven boards and three threes per game over his last three games and that kind of production should continue now that he's the De facto man on the wing. Ownership: 4 percent Starting: 2 percent
Sit 'Em
Vince Carter, New Jersey (Feb. 10 vs. SAS): If you started Carter last week you'd have to thank yourself after his triple-double against the Bucks, but Week 16 is one in which Air Newark should be left on the bench. The most glaring reason to sit Carter would be the fact that New Jersey plays just once in the scoring period and that game comes against San Antonio, the sixth-best defense in the NBA. With so many teams getting two games in the shortened week, you could easily find a better option. That said, you should also be wary to start Carter because the Nets will be. He sat out of Sunday's game in Orlando with a hyperextended right elbow that he suffered in Saturday's game. Carter didn't think it was serious but woke up Sunday with it bothering him. That will make him iffy for the Nets one game in Week 16 and that makes him an easy choice not to start. Ownership: 100 percent Starting: 73 percent
Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix (Feb. 9 at PHI; Feb. 11 at CLE): Going through Barbosa's last five contests, you can really see a good example of just how volatile a Fantasy player he can be. Barbosa started the week by scoring just seven points against the Spurs. He scored 32 points over 32 minutes against Chicago and followed that performance by getting just 15 minutes and scoring 11 points against the Kings. The next game at Golden State, Barbosa played 27 minutes and scored 20 points only to get 17 and score eight against the Warriors at home two days later. As you can clearly see, you cannot predict when or where he's going to play well and as the Suns play just twice in Week 16 against two of the better defenses in basketball on the road, we cannot recommend starting him. Ownership: 61 percent Starting: 30 percent
Bust Alert: Chauncey Billups, Denver ( Feb. 10 at MIA; Feb. 11 at ORL): Billups injured his ankle last Tuesday against the Spurs and hasn't been the same player since. Billups even sat out a game and has since returned for two, but has scored a total of 25 points on 9-for-20 shooting in those games. He only dished out three assists per those two contests and he's really struggling from long range. It appears that ankle is still bothering him and in a short week that could be enough to keep him grounded. Denver is on a tour of Florida and the Sunshine State has some solid defenses as both the Magic and Heat are ranked inside the top 10. For both reasons you shouldn't start Billups in Week 16. Ownership: 99 percent Starting: 82 percent
Forwards
Start 'Em
Boris Diaw, Charlotte (Feb. 9 vs. LAC; Feb. 11 vs. WAS): We wouldn't say that Diaw has been a Rotisserie stud recently with the Bobcats, but he's certainly been worth using in 12-team and deeper formats. His recent five-game trend of 11-3-3 with 1.2 blocks, a steal and a three shows his ability to contribute across the gamut of Fantasy stats. Starting him in Week 16 should be fairly obvious as the Bobcats play one of the more favorable schedules in the shortened period. The Wizards and Clippers are 22nd and 21st, respectively, in the NBA in defense and should allow Diaw to continue playing at the level owners have been accustomed to. Ownership: 94 percent Starting: 70 percent
Travis Outlaw, Portland ( Feb. 11 vs. OKC; Feb. 12 at GS): Outlaw should be starting in 12-team and deeper formats regardless of who Portland plays in Week 16 as he's averaging 14 points, four boards and two assists per game over his last five contests. That said, it is hard to argue with the fact that out of all the teams with two games over the next period, the Blazers may have the worst defensive opponents of the bunch. Portland plays the Thunder (No. 25 in total defense) at home and then goes on the road at Golden State. The Warriors are near record bad for defense, allowing over 111 points per contest. There will be plenty of scoring to go around for Portland's sixth man and he should definitely take advantage. Ownership: 48 percent Starting: 22 percent
Sleeper Alert: Cartier Martin, Charlotte (Feb. 9 vs. LAC; Feb. 11 vs. WAS): He may sound like a high-end timepiece but Martin is definitely somebody most Fantasy owners probably don't even know exists right now. The rookie out of Kansas State -- Michael Beasley's digs -- was recently signed to a 10-day contract and should be extended until after the All-Star break. He's played exactly four games for the Bobcats but will likely continue to see playing time as Gerald Wallace is hurt and Adam Morrison was traded. Martin has certainly been a scoring machine when you consider the amount of minutes he's getting. In his first NBA game, coach Larry Brown played him nine minutes and he scored six points with two threes. On Friday, Martin played 19 minutes, nailed two threes and scored 11 points. He's been extremely aggressive with the little minutes he's received and that could force Brown into playing him more until Wallace returns. Ownership: 0 percent Starting: 0 percent
Sit 'Em
Ryan Anderson, New Jersey (Feb. 10 vs. SAS): Anderson catapulted in Fantasy ownership from nine percent owned to 29 percent from last week to the current period because of a three-game span in which he averaged 17 points, nine boards, three threes, a block and over a steal per contest. He's been starting for New Jersey with Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons hurt and has become one of the best sleepers in Fantasy. That said, sleep on him in Week 16. The Nets play just one game against one of the best defensive clubs in basketball and that will severely limit Anderson's value. Continue keeping him in mind for after the All-Star break but don't use him in the upcoming scoring period. Ownership: 29 percent Starting: 8 percent
Paul Millsap, Utah (Feb. 11 vs. LAL): The Jazz must be preparing for Carlos Boozer's return from injury because even though the Alaskan big man is still out, Millsap has been much less involved in the offense of late. We're talking about a player who recorded a double-double in 19 straight games in which he played from late November until the beginning of January and averaged 19 and 12 in the first month of 2009. He wasn't just playing well, he was one of the best players in Fantasy so it's kind of odd to see him averaging just 11 and seven over his last five games. It is even stranger that in 30 minutes in his last game against Sacramento he scored two points on 0-for-3 shooting. Millsap is really struggling right now and Boozer is hopefully returning shortly so the prospects for him to finish the season strong don't look good. Plus the fact that Utah plays just one game in Week 16 against the Lakers and it is obvious you should be sitting Millsap in Week 16. Ownership: 99 percent Starting: 67 percent
Bust Alert: Kevin Garnett, Boston ( Feb. 11 at NO; Feb. 12 at DAL): Garnett was struggling a bit -- for him -- before sitting two games with the flu last week. Upon his return to action, KG played like his old self as he's averaged 19-10-3 with two blocks and a steal over his last three contests. You are still likely to start Garnett in Week 16 since the Celtics do play twice, however, the two games come on the road against two of the better defensive clubs. The Hornets are ranked third in total defense and Garnett, individually, will have a tough matchup at the Mavericks. KG will be asked to guard Dirk Nowitzki which means he'll be pulled away from the paint. The last time he guarded Dirk he was held to just two rebounds and we expect something similar in this tilt. For that reason you should consider other options if you have them. Ownership: 100 percent Starting: 92 percent
Centers
Start 'Em
Udonis Haslem, Miami (Feb. 10 vs. DEN; Feb. 12 at CHI): Keeping in mind that Haslem is only eligible to play center in Fantasy leagues with dual eligibility; Miami's big man hasn't exactly been playing great basketball of late. Haslem is averaging 9-7-2 over his last five contests and is shooting under 50 percent from the field. That would only really cut it for a power forward in the deepest of leagues, however, as a center you would still be using Haslem across the board. And since Miami plays twice in Week 16 against two poor defenses, you definitely want to consider using the veteran. Ownership: 80 percent Starting: 44 percent
Rasheed Wallace, Detroit ( Feb. 10 at CHI; Feb. 11 vs. ATL): Wallace plays twice in Week 16 against two middle-of-the-road to low-end defenses and that would automatically make him someone to consider starting in all Fantasy formats. But Wallace is coming off one of his best performances of the entire season in which he registered 27 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and seven threes -- yes, seven -- in a win at Milwaukee. Getting seven threes from your center is like getting seven blocks from your point guard. The fact that Wallace has that ability makes him worth starting week in and week out. Ownership: 96 percent Starting: 72 percent
Sleeper Alert: Matt Bonner, San Antonio ( Feb. 10 at NJ; Feb. 11 at TOR): Not many players owned in less than 25 percent of Fantasy leagues have the ability to do what Bonner accomplished on Sunday at Boston -- home to one of the NBA's best defensive clubs. Bonner played 36 minutes and scored 23 points as he added eight rebounds, two steals and three threes as the Spurs' starting center. Just the possibility that Bonner could come close to those numbers in his two games over Week 16 makes him well worth starting as a sleeper in deeper leagues. Ownership: 22 percent Starting: 9 percent
Sit 'Em
Nene, Denver (Feb. 10 at MIA; Feb. 11 at ORL): You should consider sitting Nene for two reasons in Week 16. The first and most obvious reason is scheduling. Denver plays twice but it comes against two top 10 defenses on the road at Miami and Orlando. Going up against Dwight Howard is never an easy task for a center. That said, Nene shoots over 60 percent from the field on the season but has struggled over his last two games. Nene is just four for his last 13 shots for 31 percent over that span and that could signal that he's slowing down as the All-Star break approaches. He's been awesome all year but since he's slumping a bit right now and the Nuggets play a tough schedule makes him a tough play. Ownership: 98 percent Starting: 78 percent
Kendrick Perkins, Boston (Feb. 11 at NO; Feb. 12 at DAL): Perkins will never play like a top Fantasy option, especially with the likes of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo making up his starting five. He's still starting in 36 percent of leagues which shows you just how thin the center position can get. But as we told you above, center is actually a bountiful spot in Week 16. The Celtics have one of the toughest two-game weeks of any team in the NBA as they play the Hornets and Mavericks on the road. For that reason you should feel good about starting a guy like Bonner over Perkins in Week 16. Ownership: 66 percent Starting: 36 percent
Bust Alert: Ronny Turiaf, Golden State ( Feb. 10 vs. NY; Feb. 12 vs. POR): Like slap bracelets, pogs and bowling shirts before him, Turiaf is the latest in trendy Fantasy players after Andris Biedrins suffered an injury and will miss an extended period of time. Turiaf, who went from being owned in 20 percent of Fantasy leagues to 41 percent from one scoring period to the next because of the news, scored 11 points and added nine rebounds and three blocks in 29 minutes in the Warriors' last game. But like all fads, we expect Turiaf to hit a wall of productivity and eventually go back to the little-owned player he was before Biedrins got hurt. He might be worth using in deeper leagues but don't go getting him active in 10- or 12-team formats just yet, especially as there are plenty of other solid center options in Week 16. Ownership: 40 percent Starting: 26 percent
Do you have a lineup question for our staff? You can e-mail us at DMFantasyHoops@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Start/Sit in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state.
