The 2014 winter trade deadline has now passed and we saw a bunch of significant moves around the league. Of course, a blockbuster deal did not happen at the end. Nonetheless, we saw big moves which will affect things in fantasy leagues. Let’s examine some of them.

The Indiana Pacers gave away Danny Granger to acquire Evan Turner. This was the biggest move of the trade deadline day and it is a real difference maker. Turner is recording a terrific season in 2013-2014, putting up 17 PPG, 6.0 and 42.8 FG%. On the other hand, Danny Granger is struggling with his performance, putting up numbers way below his career-averages, just 8.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 35.9 FG%. This was a very good move for the Pacers, as they added a young, emerging player in their arsenal. Nonetheless, we can expect Turner’s minutes and numbers to go down now that he will be a member of one of the best teams in the league. On the other hand, Granger could see a drastic increase in his performance in Philadelphia. He will certainly have a bigger role than the one he had in Indiana. So fantasy owners should pay attention to this big move, as it will affect their fantasy teams for sure.

Another significant move was the acquisition of Andre Miller by the Washington Wizards. Miller was inactive for the biggest part of the season as the Denver Nuggets didn’t want to use him. Nonetheless, he is a nice piece at the point guard spot and he can return to numbers close to his career averages, around 10-12 PPG, 5.0 APG and 45.0 FG%. Keep an eye on him.

The Los Angeles Clippers sent away Antawn Jamison, who will now be a part of the Atlanta Hawks team. Nonetheless, he is barely expected to make an impact and he will not have much fantasy value even though he will see more minutes.

The 76ers performed yet another expected move, trading away Spencer Hawes to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Earl Clark, Henry Sims and draft picks. Hawes is the player to watch in this case. The Cavalier are trying to earn a playoff spot and they will expect Hawes’s contribution. The versatile big man is averaging 13.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 45.1 FG% this season and he can be expected to continue and contribute with similar numbers.

The Brooklyn Nets trading away the struggling Jason Terry, who is averaging just 4.5 PPG and 36.2 FG% this season for Marcus Thornton, who has potential to reaching numbers close to his career-averages. Thornton might just go for a bit more than the 8.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 38.1 FG% he was recording with the Sacramento Kings.

The 2014 NBA All-Star game is now over and we are officially entering the second and most important part of the season, the one that will lead us to the playoffs. We can expect the teams around the league to make a strong push for a better seed in each conference and also a last push from teams that are on the verge of earning the ticket to the postseason. Fantasy owners should have their eyes wide open and follow the latest evolutions around the league, monitoring which teams are doing badly or good. The trade deadline is also three days ahead, so some teams could see some changes sooner than later.

One significant fact that should keep fantasy owners alert is the case of Kobe Bryant. The Black Mamba experienced some setbacks in his rehabilitation process and was about to be re-evaluated after the All-Star weekend. Nonetheless, with the Lakers at 18-35 this season, it’s highly possible that Kobe will not return at all this season, as the Lakers will try to focus on the next season. The Lakers are a team under the scope for lot of fantasy owners this season, as they have been performing much lower than expected. Steve Nash suffered yet another injury and he shouldn’t be trusted for your fantasy team. On the contrary, Kendall Marshall is emerging as a solid option at the point guard spot for LA. Pau Gasol’s case still remains a mystery. The Spaniard center could get traded by February 20, with lots of rumors stating that the Phoenix Suns can be one of his top destinations.

Chris Paul is back for the Los Angeles Clippers and things in LA will change drastically. CP3’s presence will limit Jamal Crawford’s big contributions and Blake Griffin could see a slight drop in his points per game, too. Paul has been one of the superstars whose comeback was widely anticipated.

Chris Paul

Russell Westbrook is another. Westbrook is reportedly almost ready to get back to the courts and he will definitely be a player to watch for fantasy owners, too. His comeback will have an impact to the entire Oklahoma City Thunder’s backcourt, with Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb being the two most affected players. Westbrook will re-gain the starting point guard job sooner than later.

For the Orlando Magic, Nicola Vucevic is back after missing 12 games. The emerging center is continuing to put up solid performances and he is a reliable solution for the center position. The Magic could be a different team after the trade deadline, since lots of trade rumors include some of the team’s core members.

Finally, DeMar DeRozan is playing like a true superstar as of lately, putting up 26.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 5.8 APG. He is expected to continue and produce for the Toronto Raptors, as Kyle Lowry is, too.

DeMar DeRozan

The 2013 NBA draft class is certainly not one of the best ones of the past years. Except for a handful of players who made a difference in their respective teams, the rest of the newcomers haven’t yet managed to make their impact felt. Let’s examine some of the most significant rookies around the league.

Michael Carter-Williams

MCW is still the favorite for the Rookie of the Year award. The 22-year old guard is continuing to put up great performances for the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 17.1 points, 6.5 assists and 5.4 rebounds, while shooting 39.6 percent from the floor. It’s significant, though, that his shooting percentages have dropped as of lately. Carter-Williams was not considered a good shooter when he entered the league and now he is showing why. He is averaging just 29.1 percent from three-point range and it might be hard for him to keep his FG% over the 40.0 percent mark, too. He has lost some fantasy value during the last month or so but he still is a sold asset.

Victor Oladipo

If there is one player whose impact to his team can be compared Michael Carter-Williams that’s definitely Victor Oladipo. The difference in his case is that Oladipo was expected to be a star and gradually emerge as a franchise player for the Orlando Magic. He is averaging 13.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.0 APG and 41.0 FG% and he has shown potential for even better performances in the seasons to come. He is a good piece for almost any fantasy team.

Trey Burke

The Utah Jazz might be struggling this season but their rookie Trey Burke is not. The 21-year old point guard is averaging 12.5 PPG, 5.5 APG, 3.1 RPG, 36.8 FG% and 33.7 3P%. Of course, Burke is experiencing some ups and downs in his performance during his rookie season, but that’s nothing but normal. Still, he is a good asset for fantasy owners who have him in their teams.

Tim Hardaway Jr.

The presence and the performances of Hardaway Jr. is one of the few things the New York Knicks should feel happy about this season. The 21-year old guard is putting up 9.2 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 45.1 FG% and 38.5 FG% and he is significantly helping the Knicks with his contribution. Of course, he doesn’t make jaws drop with his outputs but still, he is a nice complementary piece for your fantasy team.

Anthony Bennett

At last, the No.1 overall pick of this past draft is starting to deliver. The 21-year old forward is averaging 9.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 48.4 FG% over the span of the last five games and the Cavaliers have a reason to at least not be fully disappointed with their selection.

The Los Angeles Clippers are arguably the most fascinating and fun team to watch in the NBA. The devastating dunks Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan throw down, the fast pace the team plays with and the loads of points it puts up makes Doc Rivers’s group really amazing. Nonetheless, the Clips are also a team to watch for fantasy owners as lots of players have significant value.

Chris Paul

Chris Paul returned to the lineup and his presence was instantly felt. TheClippers finally have their floor general superstar back in the lineup. Not that the team had any troubles winning games without CP3. But certainly, a star which averages 19.2 PPG, 11.1 APG, 2.5 STLPG and 46.5 FG% this season will further increase the team’s chances to play better and win games. In the first game after his injury, Paul scored just seven points in 23 minutes but he also dished eight assists, as the Clips blew the Philadelphia 76ers by 45 points. Fantasy owners should expect Paul to quickly find his rhythm and start averaging double-doubles in points and assists during the next few games.

Blake Griffin

The Clippers have the second best offense in the league this season and Blake Griffin has been a major part of this success. Griffin is leading the team with 23.9 PPG and he is also grabbing 9.8 RPG, while shooting 53.7 from the field. Apart from his supreme dunks, he is also a great fantasy piece for any owner. He is certainly amongst the top 3 power forwards in the league while some even rank him at the No.1. The truth is that this season he has been playing better than all the previous ones of his career. He really took over during Paul’s absence.

Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford is one of the favorites for the Sixth Man of the Year award this season. The 13-year old veteran is doing it all for the Clippers this season. He is putting up 18.4 PPG, 3.3 APG, 41.6 FG% and 36.2 3P%. He is really a great piece for any fantasy team and sometimes he even gets underrated. This season he is proving why is considered one the best sixth men in the league.

The Clippers have three more players who are averaging more than 10.0 PPG this season. J.J. Redick might have battled some injuries but when healthy, he is playing with consistency. He is averaging 15.7 PPG, 2.2 APG, 45.9 FG% and 39.6 3P%. Darren Collison filled in for Chris Paul and he has been solid. He is putting 10.1 PPG, 3.6 APG, 46.5 FG% and 38.0 3P%. Finally, DeAndre Jordan is averaging 10.0 PPG, an amazing 14.1 RPG, 2.4 BLKP and an astonishing 65.6 FG%. Of course, most of his shots are dunks or layups.

Jared Dudley

Jared Dudley has not been playing like expected and he just recently lost his starting job. Matt Barnes,Willie Green and Antawn Jamison are all solid role players but they don’t have much fantasy value.

This season lots of ups and downs have been noticed around the NBA, therefore affecting several fantasy leagues. Star injuries and surprising performances have changed the balances around the league, regarding which players are the best fantasy options and which ones rank lower. Let’s see who are the Top 10 fantasy players at the moment.

No.1: Kevin Durant

KD has no opponent when it comes to fantasy basketball performance. Although he is still considered as the second best player in the NBA, trailing LeBron James, he is the best fantasy option. He is averaging 31.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 5.3 APG and 51.3 FG%.

No.2: LeBron James

The King ranks second simply because KD is playing in a whole different, special level. Nonetheless, James is still a superb fantasy player, averaging 26.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 6.6 APG, while shooting an astonishing 57.7 percent from the floor.

No.3: Stephen Curry

Curry has emerged as a candidate for the MVP award of the regular season, after not even getting selected for the All-Star Game last season. The sharpshooting guard is averaging 24.5 PPG, 9.1 APG, 45.8 FG% and 40.6 3P%. He certainly is a superb fantasy player.

No.4: Anthony Davis

Davis was not selected as an All-Star this season, mainly due to the high competition in the Western Conference this season. Nonetheless, with 20.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.3 BLPG and 51.8 FG% he is a fantastic fantasy piece for any owner. He is putting up superb performances this season.

No.5: Kevin Love

Love is yet another double-double machine, much like Davis is. The 25-year old forward is averaging 25.6 PPG, 13.2 RPG, 46.0 FG% and 37.5 3P%. Love is a special player and arguably the best power forward in the league, although he doesn’t play like most power forwards.

No.6: James Harden

Harden has found his role in Houston and he is playing like we all know he could play. He is a superstar and he is putting up superstar numbers. Harden is averaging 23.8 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.7 RPG, 44.7 FG% and 32.8 3P%.

No.7: Paul George

George is the latest addition in the superstar elite of Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and the rest of the surging perimeter players. Lots of people around the league expected George to emerge as a player and he has done just that. He has also made all fantasy owners who own him smile.

No.8: Carmelo Anthony

Despite the difficulties the New York Knicks experienced earlier in the season, Carmelo Anthony has always been delivering with consistency. He is putting up 27.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 44.9 FG% and 41.7 3P% this season.

No.9: Kyrie Irving

Some rumors state that Kyrie Irving wants out of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nonetheless, this hasn’t stopped him from putting up huge performances. The energetic guard is averaging 21.4 PPG, 6.2 APG and 35.4 3P%.

No.10: Dwyane Wade

Wade might have missed some games this season but when he plays he is surging. He really reminds us of the old, superstar and dominant player he was a few years ago. His numbers show that, too. He is showing a 54.8 FG% and a 72.4 FT%.