NBA Fantasy Risers: Kris Humphries Finally Getting a Chance

For six years, Kris Humphries has been trying to live up to being selected as the 14th pick in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft.

And until a trade sent him to the New Jersey Nets from the Dallas Mavericks, he had been failing miserably.

But that doesn't necessarily mean it was a testament to his work ethic or lack of ability. It simply showed how deep the teams were that Humphries was on and that playing time was sparse.

His first two seasons in Utah found him playing behind Carlos Boozer and others, while getting less than 11 minutes per game.

After being traded to the Raptors in 2006, Humphries was once again firmly cemented behind the likes of Chris Bosh.

It wasn't until he latched on with Dallas this past season, after Brandon Bass jumped ship for Orlando, that Humphries finally saw a real shot at earning some minutes in the NBA.

But after averaging career highs of 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds—despite still playing a mere 12.35 minutes per game—Humphries was once again traded, this time to the lowly New Jersey Nets.

One man's trash is another man's treasure. So true, Kris Humphries would say. So true, indeed.

Fantasy Perspective

Luckily for Humphries, the Nets have very little help on the inside/outside of Brook Lopez, which put the newly-acquired Humphries in immediate position for some increased action on the court.

After all, if you can't find some playing time on a 3-37 squad, where can you play?

It's only been two games, but Humphries has been very impressive. In his first game as a Net, he played just over 16 minutes, scored nine points, and grabbed eight rebounds, despite going just 1-8 from the floor.

He logged 27 minutes in his second game, went 5-7 from the floor, and finished with an impressive 21 points and eight rebounds, while also adding two steals and a block.

This doesn't mean you should race out to pick Humphries off the waiver wire. But it does mean you should pay attention to the small successes that can (and may) come out of a losing basketball team.

Humphries is just in the beginning phases of his Nets career, but from the initial glimpses we've caught, it has the makings of a positive outcome. Monitor Humphries, and thank us later when he's turning into a fantasy stud.

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