Top 10 Fantasy Basketball Players to Add to Your Lineup

By Lorenzo Tanos

If you’ve got a fantasy basketball team or two this season (in my case, three), you may be wondering if there are any sleepers out there, or any pleasant surprises who seem to be on a sustained run of sorts, putting up great numbers that weren’t expected at the start of the season. Here are ten players that you should at least consider when you press that “add” button and look for free agents in your league. Be reminded that this is in no particular order.

Larry Sanders (MIL, F/C, 7.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.9 bpg) – Don’t let his most recent performance versus the Spurs throw you off. Since achieving a triple-double versus Minnesota last Friday (10 pts, 12 reb, 10 blk), Sanders has established himself as the best player in the Bucks’ carousel of a 4/5 rotation. He won’t give you a lot of points, but he’ll make his shots and block a lot of ‘em, more importantly. That is, provided he stays clear of foul trouble.
Alexey Shved (MIN, SG, 10.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.6 apg) – Here’s a nice, cheap source of threes and points if you’re weak in those categories. The jury remains out as to whether Shved will receive significantly less minutes when Ricky Rubio returns, but then again, he’s a two-guard and the best the Wolves have with Brandon Roy and Chase Budinger injured and Malcolm Lee not starting material.
Kevin Seraphin (WAS, F/C, 11.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.2 apg) – Nene’s injury woes have meant more minutes for Seraphin, who’s now put together three straight double-doubles. Consistency is still an issue, however.
Tristan Thompson (CLE, F/C, 9.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.2 apg) – And yet another forward/center to consider. Once you get past the subpar shooting percentages, Thompson is very useful at both forward and center spots. He’s finally blocking his share of shots. And if your league has offensive rebounding as a category, he’s one of the best in that area.
Ben Gordon (CHA, SG, 15.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.9 apg, 2.5 3PG) – Just when you thought he was all washed up before the age of 30, Gordon realizes he’s a pretty damn good three-point shooter. He had seven against Atlanta and eight against Portland. He won’t help you in any other category except points and threes, but it looks like this one-time 20 ppg guy is having a bit of a mini-renaissance.
Robin Lopez (NOH, C, 12.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.1 bpg) – With Anthony Davis still out with ankle problems, Lopez is getting quite a bit of exposure as the Hornets’ starting center. Like his twin brother Brook, rebounding is a bit of a problem, but he’s proving to be quite productive as a scorer and shotblocker. You might want to drop him, though, once Davis is back from injury – at this point he’s a nice short-term solution.

Top 10 Fantasy Basketball Players to Add to Your Lineup

Dec 8, 2012; Miami FL, USA; New Orleans Hornets center Robin Lopez (15) drives to the basket as Miami Heat center Chris Bosh (1) defends during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Photo Courtesy By Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports.

Kyle Singler (DET, F/G, 9.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.2 3PG) – Lawrence Frank likes him enough to make him the Pistons’ starting off-guard. Except for having much less defensive potential, he’s looking like the white Shane Battier – a certified star with Duke turned capable NBA role player who can sink a lot of threes. Singler’s a nice pickup for deeper leagues.
Jeremy Pargo (CLE, PG, 11.5 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.3 3PG) – Kyrie Irving may be out for a while, so in the meantime, enjoy Pargo’s contributions as a scorer, passer and long-range bomber. Just be prepared for some inconsistency – he hasn’t had any repeats of his successful (28 pts, 4 3P) debut as a starter.
A.J. Price (WAS, PG, 9.3 ppg, 3.1 apg, 5.1 rpg, 1.6 3PG) – Another short-term bet at the one spot. John Wall might be out till early next year, so you have a few more weeks to take advantage of the situation and get some cheap assists from Price, no pun intended.
Andre Drummond (DET, PF, 6.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.3 bpg) – We close this list with a good choice for keeper leagues and someone to replace BismackBiyombo with, if you’ve got the sophomore-jinxed Bobcats F/C on your lineup. Seriously, the Pistons can’t rely on Jason Maxiell forever – perhaps it’s time to give Drummond some extra burn and start him at power forward instead. (Addendum – Yahoo Sports should also list him as a center!)

Heres an article about Drop Em While Theyre Not: 10 Fantasy Basketball Players to Cut Loose.

New! Facebook Comments

Leave a comment about this article in the box below and share it with your Facebook friends.

What do you think?

We'd love to hear your comments and/or opinions. If you submit them here, other visitors can read them, rate them and comment on them. An e-mail address is not required.

Enter Your Title

Tell Us Your Story! [ ? ]