We are getting closer to the February 20 NBA deadline and lots of trade discussions are heating up around the league. Some teams are trying to improve their chances for the playoffs, while others are just focusing on the next season. Some big-name trades might occur by the trade deadline but also some others, smaller ones, could impact your fantasy team. Let’s see some of the moves that are expected to shake the NBA Fantasy Leagues.

The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly interested in shopping their 25-year old center, Larry Sanders and also Ersan Ilyasova. The Bucks care mostly about their future and they are willing to ship out one or both of these players in order to acquire a first-round pick in 2014, even if it’s somewhere in the middle of the first round.

Sanders is not recording the breakaway season some people around the league expected but he is putting up solid numbers, 8.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 47.2 FG%. He also missed several games earlier in the season due to injury.

Ilyasova could be a valuable member for several teams around the league and he could find a significant role in a contender if he gets traded. He is putting up 10.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 37.5 FG% this season.

On the other hand, the Bucks are happy to see Giannis Antetokounmpo and John Henson playing well and so have all the fantasy owners who have them in their roster.

The Orlando Magic are trying to shop Glen Davis and Jameer Nelson but they receive the many requests for Arron Afflalo. All these players could be gone by the trade deadline, as Orlando tries to form a strong core for the upcoming seasons and rebuild around Victor Oladipo. Afflalo is continuing to play big for Orlando, averaging 19.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 42.7 3P%.

The Magic will use their core of Oladipo, Tobias Harris, Moe Harkless and Andrew Nicholson to move forward.

The Philadelphia 76ers is yet another team which is expected to be active as we get closer to the trade deadline. Evan Turner is the lead candidate to be sent away. Turner is averaging 17.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.8 APG and 43.3 FG% and his value is high. The 76ers could greatly benefit from his trade. Thaddeus Young and Spencer Hawes might also be moved. Of course, all those changes might have an impact to lots of fantasy teams, as players adjust to their new roles in their new teams.

For the Boston Celtics, lots of trade rumors include Jeff Green, Brandon Bass and Kris Humphries. Rajon Rondo currently seems to be secured, as the C’s might use him as the centerpiece in their rebuilding process.

Finally, Greg Monroe from the Detroit Pistons could also find himself playing for another team after the trade deadline. The three big-men frontcourt lineup isn’t working for Detroit and due to the fact Monroe will be a restricted free-agent, the Pistons might end up trading him sooner than later. Although none of these trades have been confirmed, the Rotoguys want to give you a heads-up so you can plan ahead and keep your league in top shape.

Lots of significant performances have been recorded during the last week in the NBA. Apart from the usual monster performances by Kevin Durant, who still is the hottest fantasy basketball player in the league, Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks have started uplifting their performances consistently. The Brooklyn Nets are also continuing to play well. Let’s see how these changes can affect fantasy league owners.

Thanks to the overall improvement in Brooklyn, several players have been positively affected. Joe Johnson, Andray Blatche and Mirza Teletovic have all seen their fantasy value increase. Johnson is currently averaging 15.6 PPG, 44.4 FG% and 38.9 3P%. Blatche on the other hand has seen an increase in his minutes and also in his production. The 27-year old forward is averaging 12.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 47.5 FG%. Teletovic is playing for an average of 19.1 MPG this season. He is certainly benefited from Brook Lopez’s absence and also from the general improvement in Brooklyn’s outputs. Teletovic is averaging 8.7 PPG, 43.9 FG% and 41.3 3P%.

On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers are tanking this season. The team currently lies at the third-to-last spot in the West at the moment. Nonetheless, Pau Gasol, Kendall Marshall, Nick Young and Jodie Meeks are continuing to perform very well. In fact, Young is currently considered as the strongest favorite for the Sixth Man of the Year award. The 28-year old guard is averaging 17.0 PPG, 42.2 FG% and 35.0 3P% in just 29.0 MPG. Kendall Marshall is recording a breakaway season for the Lakers, with 10.5 PPG, 9.6 APG, 44.6 FG% and 45.5 3P%. It’s still uncertain if Marshall will be able to continue and perform like he has been as of lately, after Steve Nash and the rest of the injured members of the Lakers’ backcourt return to action. Nonetheless, at the moment, he is one of the hottest players of the team, at least fantasy-wise. Meeks is continuing to deliver with consistency. He is averaging 14.7 PPG, 45.0 FG% and 40.6 3P%. Meeks is one of the most reliable options for Mike D’Antoni this season. Finally, Pau Gasol continues to be the best and most productive player of the team. He is averaging 17.0 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 1.5 BLKPG and 46.9 FG%. He was recently diagnosed with a strained right groin and he is expected to miss about a week. On top of that, he is heavily rumored to be involved in trade scenarios as of late.

Chicago’s D.J. Augustin is continuing to over perform since the Luol Deng trade. The 26-year old point guard has been putting up at least 15 points in the last four games. We can certainly expect his 10.7 PPG average go up as the season progresses. 

 
James Harden

Harden has elevated himself to be the top of the shooting guard rankings in the NBA. Now on the Rockets as the focal point of the offense with Dwight Howard, he is averaging 23.8 Points, 4.8 Rebounds, and 5.5 Assist per game on top of 1.3 steals. Those are all spectacular numbers. He is a good free throw shooter at 85% and splashes in 2 three pointers per game. Harden is an all around dynamo and has become one of the most consistent fantasy contributors.

Wesley Matthews

The 3rd man in Portland’s 3 headed monster. Matthews has stayed steady this year and pretty consistent with his past seasons: 16.7 points and a solid 4.0 Boards per game along with 83% from the line. He is also shooting a fantastic 41.7% from the 3 point line. Matthews is having his best season ever and it reflects on the TrailBlazers success.

Dwayne Wade

Wade has played limited games this year but boy has he preformed when on the floor. DWade is shooting a stellar 54.8% from the floor which makes up for him not shooting many three’s. DWade is a little off from his career averages but his numbers aren’t far off at all with 4.8 Rebounds and 4.6 Assist per game along with 18.9 Points Per Game. DWade can explode on any given night and I expect him to up his numbers across the board as the season progresses.

Monta Ellis

Ellis is quietly having a very impressive year for the Mavs. You know Monta will be getting his points with 19.5 per game, teaming with Dirk Ellis has 5.9 Assist per game and is adding in 1.8 Steals as well. He has improved both his Field Goal Percentage 46.5% as well as his free throw shooting 79.6. Ellis is finally apart of a winning team and playing extremely well in his role.

This year, the Super Bowl was much different than what most fans, analysts and people around the NFL expected. When the league’s best offense, the Denver Broncos, takes on the league’s best defense, the Seattle Seahawks, one would at least expect Denver to be more active. Nonetheless, the Seahawks dominated throughout the game, knocking the Broncos out of competition. This was a one-sided game right from the start and by halftime, it turned out to be a blowout. Let’s see which the most significant performances of the 48^th Super Bowl were.

Cliff Avril

Seattle’s defense was simply astonishing. They didn’t allow the Broncos to unfold their game and they also limited Peyton Manning. Cliff Avril had a huge impact in the game. He was the one to influence the first interception Manning threw, by putting huge pressure to the 37-year old superstar. In fact, the entire Seahawks’ defensive line reached a superb performance.

Peyton Manning

Unfortunately for the Broncos’ fans, Peyton Manning failed to deliver when it mattered the most, during the Super Bowl. Manning’s play was sloppy right from the gecko. He didn’t have good communication with his teammates, he was late on some plays and he didn’t manage to lift his team over their opponents, as most fans expected. His 73.5 passer rating says it all. It was the lowest rating since Super Bowl XLI, when Rex Grossman recorded a 68.3 rating. This was supposed to be one of the most important moments in Manning’s career in the league.

Percy Harvin

Harvin reached a terrific performance on Sunday night. He took the first 30-yard carry but also his 15-yard second one. On top of that, he also recorded an 87-yard kickoff return which led to a touchdown at the beginning of the second half. After all the injury issues Harvin experienced, he now proved all his critics wrong with his performance.

Champ Bailey

Bailey’s first Super Bowl would certainly not leave good memories for him going forward. The Seahawks exploited his lack of force but also experience and they targeted him many times throughout the game. Doug Baldwin recorded a 37-yard catch as he was guarded by Bailey. Now, as Bailey will turn 36 by the beginning of the 2014 season, it’s fair to wonder if he will be able to produce for the Broncos or if there is not any fuel left in his football tank.

Russell Wilson

Wilson finished the game with 206 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 72 pass completion percentage. Nonetheless, his impact was felt throughout the game. Although the stats won’t show it, Wilson made his wide receivers look better with his output. It’s true that although he is on his sophomore season, he seems to have what it takes to evolve as an elite quarterback in the league.

At this stage of the season some fantasy owners have already found success with their teams while others might want so shake things up. In this article, we will not talk about slight changes, trades and moves that might make your fantasy team perform a bit better. We will talk about some high-risk but also high-reward players who could be trusted but also about a few more who should be avoided at all costs. We examine this players not for a week-stretch but rather for a period that goes till the end of the regular season.

Chris Paul

CP3 has been out of action since January 3, when a hard foul by Monta Ellis injured Paul’s shoulder. The dominant point guard should be back in the lineup for the Los Angeles Clippers before the All-Star break and he is projected to make his impact felt right from the gecko. This shoulder injury shouldn’t affect his game much. Paul should return to his usual standards, putting up points in bunches, dishing assists like he knows to do and also picking his opponents’ pockets. The Clippers are expected to push hard for a better seed in the West as the playoffs close in. So look for Paul to uplift his performance. He certainly is a difference maker in a fantasy team and he should be trusted.

Russell Westbrook

Yet another dominant point guard, who is expected to have a huge impact to his team’s performance once he gets back. Of course, the Oklahoma City Thunder are playing exceptionally well without him. Kevin Durant is dominating the offense and some people around the league really wonder if there is much room left for Westbrook. The 25-year old superstar will be out at least until the All-Star Game, but once he returns we can expect him to light it up. OCK will need its dominant guard to play like we all know he can as it makes its last push towards the No.1 seed in the West. Look for Westbrook continue where he left off before his injury, putting up 21.0 PPG, 7.0 APG and 6.0 RPG.

Deron Williams

Williams is back in action for the Brooklyn Nets but he is not starting. On the contrary, he is coming off the bench and he clearly is not playing up to his potential. Nonetheless, as the Brooklyn Nets are starting to find their pace, Williams will be eventually switched back to the starting point guard role. Then he can really uplift his outputs, going from the 13.2 PPG, 7.1 APG, 2.5 RPG and 30.3 MPG that he is averaging at the moment to even higher numbers, close or even above his career-averages.

Three players that should be avoided are Kobe Bryant, Ryan Anderson and Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe isn’t sure about when he’ll be able to return to the game. Anderson should most probably be considered as done for the season. Bryant on the other hand will definitely return but will he manage to be the dominant player he was prior to his injuries?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chris Kunitz

Kunitz is having his best season ever. He was a surprise pick for the national team, but was unquestionably helped by the chemistry that he has with the top player in Canada Sidney Crosby it’s almost uncanny how well they work with each other. Kunitz has 26 goals on the season as well as 28 assist. Yes he plays with Crosby and that gives him a major boost, but the dude has skills and it’s about time that he stops being overlooked.

Patrick Kane

The Chicago Blackhawk star might be the face of USA hockey. At 25 years old Kane is the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner, forth in the league in scoring 25 goals 35 assist and was on the USA Olympic team that came ever so close to winning gold in the finals vs Canada in 2010. He will attempt to ensure that the US leaves Sochi with a gold in hockey.

Mats Zuccarello

Mats is having a great season for the Rangers and along with Rick Nash is one of the reasons that they are doing so well. After a somewhat slow start he has notched 15 goals and 24 assist and has really turned it on. Look for him to be a key contributed on Norway’s power play.

Zach Parise

Parise is really in his prime right now. The former Devil who lit the lamp on frequent occasion has battled injury this past year and still has 34 points in 41 games. He was tied for the scoring league in the 2010 Olympics, and has five 30 goal seasons in the NHL to his name.

Rick Nash

Since the day before the Olympic team was announced Nash has been red hot with 11 points in 12 games, all of those points coming from goals! Nash has the New York Rangers playing red hot hockey and are rising in the Metropolitan division. Nash was on the bubble to make the always tough Canadian hockey team. He is making Steve Yzerman’s decision better and better as the days to the start of Sochi pass by.

Henrik Zetterberg

Zetterberg has had some injuries the last couple of years and this year is no exception. He was injured recently but looks to be able to recover by the time Team Sweden suits up to play. Apart of the Swedish team that won Olympic Gold in 2006 Zetterberg injuries and all still has 44 points on the year. On pace to possibly match his 92 points is the 2007-2008 season.