Fantasy Owners Listen Up!

Listen up fantasy owners! Here are a few players to keep in mind that could contribute to your fantasy basketball team.

Who to watch out for in shallow leagues:

Eric Gordon (SG Los Angeles Clippers)

Eric Gordon owners could not have been happier to see Cuttino Mobley leave Los Angeles.  With Mobley gone and Ricky Davis underachieving, it has opened the door for Eric Gordon to start and log significant minutes.  In his first two starts, Gordon had 25 points and 24 points respectively. 

Gordon proved in his college days that he could be a dynamic scorer. He won't always have the hot hand, the Clippers having other big scoring options, but expect Gordon to have his fair share of games where he scores in bunches. You can also count on Gordon for a good amount of steals and three pointers.

Who to watch out for in deeper leagues:

Brandan Wright (SF,PF Golden State Warriors)

Brandan Wright's minutes have been somewhat inconsistent this year.  He's been back and forth between being a starter and coming off the bench. In Golden State's most recent game, Brandan Wright found himself in the starting lineup. If Wright can continue to stay in the starting lineup, he can be a valuable addition to your fantasy team. 

In three games this year, Wright has logged over 30 minutes of playing time. In those games he has averaged 15.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Expect those types of numbers if he finds himself as a permanent starter one day. Wright should be able to contribute a high field goal percentage as well.

Who to watch out for in the deepest of leagues: 

Nicolas Batum (SG,SF Portland Blazers)

Nicolas Batum found his way into the Blazer's starting lineup by the fourth game of the season and has been starting ever since.  He hasn't logged a significant amount of minutes as a starter, but that might be changing very soon.  Nate McMillan, head coach of the Blazers, was impressed with Batum's defensive play as of late, which may earn Batum the chance to log more minutes. 

Batum played 31 minutes in his most recent game, which is the most action he has seen this year. Batum is usually awarded the task of guarding the opposing teams best scoring option at the two or three position. He drew the assignment of guarding Dwyane Wade the other night against Miami and Wade was held to his lowest scoring output of the year, 12 points in 31 minutes of playing time. 

Batum can provide a fantasy team with ample steals and blocks and his tremendous athletic ability could soon allow him to be useful on the offensive side as well.  Batum provides a good source of threes and if he gets more minutes on down the line, he could become somewhat of a decent scoring option as well. Also, rumors have also been swirling around that Travis Outlaw could be dealt in a deal for Mike Conley, which could increase Batum's stock significantly.