Last year's two biggest fantasy sleepers have been this year's biggest fantasy duds. Mike Dunleavy and Monta Ellis entered the season injured, and fantasy owners who basked in their glory last season couldn't be more disappointed.
Now in 2009, these once-fantasy heroes might be the key to another fantasy title run. So dry your eye, check your waiver wire and start getting those trades ready.
Mike Dunleavy, SG, Indiana Pacers
Due to a befuddling knee tendonitis that sparked up early and training camp Dunleavy has missed all of the Pacers games this season. Coming off a career year under Coach Jim O'Brien, Dunleavy should initially take over the sixth man responsibilities and eventually take his starting role back from Marquis Daniels.
Dunleavy will play somewhere in the ballpark of 40 games this season, and although he will need some time to knock the rust off, he will be welcomed with open arms by his teammates.
Dunleavy is the guy you'd love to have on your pick-up team. He knocks down open Js, rebound, and passes.
In Indiana's offense Dunleavy has the green light to shoot threes—last season he shot 4.7 per game, making 42.4 percent of them.
When Dunleavy is at full strength you can expect him to score at least 15 points per game while grabbing five boards and dishing out three assists per game. The 6'9" wing is also good for a steal.
First I would check your waiver wire, due to the uncertainty of his injury Dunleavy was dropped in many leagues. Unless you are absolutely stacked, he will be better than the last few guys on your roster.
If someone has been stashing Dunleavy you can try to offer an overachiever for him straight up, or throw him into a multi-player deal.
Dunleavy considers himself ready to play and he should see playing time within seven to 10 days.
Monta Ellis, G, Golden State Warriors
Monta Ellis took a serious risk when he decided to get on a moped this summer and has paid the price. The Warriors were not happy with Ellis’ injured ankle, and suspended him without pay for a majority of his time-off. Now Ellis is back on the books, and he is almost ready to start earning his checks.
Ellis won't be returning to the same Warriors that he played for last season. Many faces have changed, but luckily for Ellis-owners, Don Nelson's style of play has not.
When Ellis returns in the next couple of weeks, he will take over the primary ball-handling responsibilities from Jamal Crawford and Stephen Jackson.
A healthy Ellis has a great opportunity to exceed the 3.9 assists per game that he posted last season, potentially posting six-to-eight per game.
He will still score close to 20 points per game with good field-goal percentage and steal numbers. If Ellis' explosion is back, he will also board-up.
If you see Ellis on the waiver wire, I advise you pick him up ASAP, even if he is a few weeks out.
With any injured player, there is potential for re-injury, but going after Ellis in a trade could really help your club. A straight up deal may expose how bad you want him, but if you package him in a deal he could be the difference in the long run.
11 comments Last one added 5 months ago — Leave a Comment
Brandon Ribak 6 months ago
nice article
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John Lorge 6 months ago
Thanks - I think its worth stashing these guys for a week or two if u can have them for 40 games. If you're one of the guys who stashed em all season, I know your on the edge of your seat.
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Joel Creager 6 months ago
nice read, nice pic.
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John Lorge 6 months ago
Thanks Nuck, Yeah I found a few that had both of these guys, this was by far the best.
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Junior Jones 6 months ago
Thanks for the advise on Ellis at the beginning of the season. I still have him on my bench and haven't lost many games while waiting. I'm ready to streak to the playoffs!
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John Lorge 6 months ago
No problem, Im glad to hear you're having a successful season. While Garcia had some nice scoring games in Martins absence, I think Monta will help you much more from here on out. Did you ever dump mason (maybe for Garcia later)?
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Junior Jones 6 months ago
Yes I dropped R Mason and picked up R. Stuckey. Then traded Kobe/G Wallace for R. Gay and T Duncan (right before G Wallace started heating up :-( to upgrade at F. I'm still waiting for that trade to payoff, but I'll be set when/if Boozer comes back.
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John Lorge 6 months ago
Ooh Stuckey was a really nice grab, he's a beast now in the starting lineup.
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John Lorge 6 months ago
14 points 2 boards 4 assists and a block in 21 mins for dunleavy, I hope you got him!
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Mike Koepp 5 months ago
Just as I was about to drop Monta Ellis (picked him up in last round) I read your article.
Nice advice.
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John Lorge 5 months ago
Glad I could help, if you've held onto him this long I think it's worth seeing what he will do when he's healthy. He has ben a little late on his return, but I think it means GS is waiting until they know he is ready to be an impact. If you don't want him on your roster work him into a trade, he has too much value right now to drop. If you look at how well Dunleavy is doing right now it's not unrealistic to assume Monta will step it up right away.
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