NBA's Perfect Playoff Pick-Ups

Whether you have clinched playoff berth already or are waiting for that last win to make it as the wild-card seed, fantasy guru Brandon Ribak will help give you key advice to winning your fantasy basketball championship.

It does not matter if this is your first fantasy basketball season or your 100th, if you are in a competitive money league or a casual free league, the main point is to set yourself up for victory before you can even taste it.

If you are one of many unfortunate fantasy owners that were forced to drop big time fantasy players due to season ending injuries, I totally feel your pain.

Players like Al Jefferson, Amare Stoudemire, Michael Redd, Elton Brand, Andrew Bogut, Andrew Bynum Tracy McGrady, and Jameer Nelson could have practically ruined many owners’ chances of making the playoffs this season; but if you read my fantasy articles throughout the NBA year, you should still be in luck.

There are many players out there on the waiver wire with potential to help give your fantasy team a little boost for a run at winning the title.

Yahoo! Fantasy NBA owners- This link should be of great help for fantasy owners. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page you will notice Week 22-24 and how many games every team in the NBA players during that specific week.

This should help you tremendously when debating on which player to pick up for the long haul. If you notice to the right side of the page it shows the total amount of games played by each team combined for those three weeks.

Now to the playoff pick-ups…

Rasual Butler (SG, NOH)- Owned 60 percent of CBS Leagues, 49 percent of Yahoo! Leagues

With Peja Stojakovic out due to back spasms, Butler has really shined as of late averaging nearly 19 PPG, 5 RPG, 2 APG, 1.2 SPG, in 39.0 MPG with 14 3PTM during his last five games. Butler is a streaky shooter and can really light it up when he feeling it from beyond the arc.

Butler should be able to continue his recent tear deep into the fantasy playoffs and could be a huge help for Yahoo! fantasy owners that are in need of 3PTM, points, rebounds, and steals. He is also averaging around 25 FPTS/G in CBS leagues and should be picked up if still available.

Leon Powe (PF, BOS)- Owned nine percent of CBS Leagues, nine percent of Yahoo! Leagues

With Kevin Garnett out for at least another week, Powe should continue his dominance as a starter for the Boston Celtics. During his last three games Powe is averaging 18.3 PPG and 10.3 RPG in 33.0 MPG with two double-doubles.

Powe is finally getting his opportunity to prove what he is worthy of as a starter and is emerging as a serious fantasy producer with KG on the bench. Fantasy owners can only hope Garnett’s injury lingers into the fantasy playoffs so Powe can prolong his production.

Powe can currently help your Yahoo! Fantasy league in rebounds and points. CBS owners should take a look at Powe’s Week 20 production thus far.

If KG remains out, Powe will be one of the biggest fantasy surprises down the stretch this season.

(Just a little tip, KG is aging and will not be the same kind of player throughout the next season or two. Expect Powe to begin producing these kinds of numbers night in and night out during the next year or two and surface himself as a top fantasy contributor.)

Nenad Krstic (PF/C, OKC)- Owned 48 percent of CBS Leagues, 23 percent of Yahoo! Leagues

Krstic has been a solid fantasy player as of late averaging just under 13 PPG, 8 RPG, and 1.2 BPG in 32 MPG during his last five starts. With Kevin Durant out, Krstic has certainly picked up the slack and should continue to produce decent numbers into the fantasy playoffs.

Yahoo! owners can expect a respectable amount of points, rebounds, and blocks from Krstic throughout the next couple of weeks. CBS owners can expect around 22-26 FPTS/G during the next few weeks as well.

Larry Hughes (SG, NYK)- Owned 67 percent of CBS Leagues, 47 percent of Yahoo! Leagues

Hughes is playing his best basketball this year as of late averaging a ridiculous 21.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, and 2.0 SPG in 39.2 minutes of action during his last five games.

He dropped a season-high 39 points, five 3PTM, and four steals against the Milwaukee Bucks, following that game with 22 points against the Detroit Pistons. Hughes has become a fantasy stud recently and should be activated into every fantasy starting line-up as long as he continues to produce these types of numbers.

He is obviously loving head-coach Mike D’Antoni’s system of run-and-gun offense and can provide Yahoo! owners with a great source of points, 3PTM, and steals. CBS owners can expect around 27-30 FPTS/G from Hughes.

Antonio McDyess (PF, DET)- Owned 68 percent of CBS Leagues, 55 percent of Yahoo! Leagues

Boy oh boy are the Denver Nuggets ashamed of dropping Antonio McDyess from their roster earlier this season. McDyess is completely dominating the boards as of late grabbing almost 14 RPG along with 12 PPG, 2 APG, 1 SPG, and 1.2 BPG in 35 MPG.

He grabbed a season-high 22 rebounds and 21 points against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night and continues to impress fantasy owners recently.

McDyess can provide Yahoo! owners with a plethora of rebounds and a decent amount of points and blocks as well. CBS owners should take a look at McDyess’s week 20 production up to this point and can expect around 26-30 FPTS/G during the upcoming weeks ahead.

While these players are the most likely candidates to exemplify your fantasy team during the fantasy playoffs, there are other NBA players that can contribute to your team as well.

Below is a short list of players that are surely available off of the waiver wire to improve your fantasy roster.

Jose Juan Barea (PG, DAL)- With Josh Howard out indefinitely, you can expect Barea’s fantasy numbers to rise and contribute consistent points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game.

Roger Mason Jr. (SG, SA)- Roger Mason Jr. should continue to shine in the absence of Manu Ginobili. He is an excellent scorer and can contribute a great amount of three-pointers. He should be picked up if you are in need of 3PTM.

Matt Barnes (SF, PHX)- Barnes has played well as of late scoring in the high-teens during his six of last seven games and will continue to improve throughout the remainder of the season. He will give your team a consistent amount of points, 3PTM, rebounds, assists, and steals.

Joakim Noah (PF/C, CHI)- Noah has been a beast on the boards during the end of February and into March this season. He can supply your team with points, a lot of rebounds, and a consistent amount of blocks.

Pick up these players before it is too late! Improving your bench can only help you out in the long run at winning the title. Injuries can occur during any game and it is best to be 100 percent prepared to plug in one of your reserves when the time does happen. Expect more fantasy basketball analysis before and through the fantasy playoffs.

Good luck and comment or contact me at [e-mail] if you have any questions or concerns regarding to fantasy basketball. Check out www.mvn.com/fantasynbazone for more fantasy news.