Tuesday NBA Tipps: Second Half Sleepers
It’s a 33 game sprint to the playoffs in the second half of the NBA season and there are several guys who could find themselves with new roles and bigger minutes. Daily fantasy players will definitely want to pay attention to the upcoming trade deadline, as well as those teams that are quickly dropping out of the playoffs, as those situations might offer some of the best second half sleepers. I’ve listed a few guys who could see a big change in their daily fantasy value in the second half.
Stephen Jackson (MIL) – It’s no big secret that Jackson is miserable in Milwaukee and I’d imagine that the Bucks are looking to unload Captain Jack as soon as possible. He’s still got plenty of skill, he just doesn’t have the opportunity for minutes. If he does get traded, he’ll be well rested and ready to show the league that he still has it.
Bismack Biyombo (CHA) – The Bobcats are horrible and have no shot at making a playoff run, so it appears that they are going to give Biyombo as much run as they can to get him some experience and see just what they’ve got for next season. He has no real competition for minutes and should be good for 20-25 fantasy points a game in the second half.
Gerald Henderson (CHA) – Henderson has been hurt for much of the season and most daily players have forgotten about him. He should be back soon, and much like Biyombo, the Bobcats are going to put him back in the starting lineup to see how he gels with Kemba Walker.
Richard Hamilton (CHI) – Hamilton has been hurt for most of the first half of the season, but the Bulls are going to need him down the stretch. His injuries appear to be more nagging than serious and he should eventually be able to overcome them. He’s a pure shooter who can get hot on any night to put your fantasy team over the top.
Tristan Thompson – Anderson Varejao is out for an extended period of time and the Cavaliers really don’t have much shot at making the playoffs, so I think Thompson is going to see ample minutes at center once it’s clear that the Cavs can’t catch the number 8 seed.
George Hill (IND) – I keep seeing speculation that Hill could take “Darren Collison(player-profile)”:/players/Darren_Collison-1060’s job, but Hill can’t seem to stay healthy. He’s close to returning, so keep an eye on him and see if he really does get a fair shot at PG or if the Pacers are just blowing smoke.
Jerryd Bayless (TOR) – The Raptors are 10-23 and sitting at number 12 in the East, so their playoff prospects are slim. There’s a good chance that Jose Calderon could be shipped out at the trading deadline, which would leave Bayless with a golden opportunity to takeover the starting PG spot. If he does, he has the ability to be a solid daily performer.
Jordan Crawford (WAS) – Nick Young is on a one year contract and the Wizards are sitting at 7-26, fourteenth place in the East. There’s always the chance that the Wizards trade off Young’s contract for whatever they can get for it, which would leave Crawford as the starting SG in Washington. He’s not going to shoot for a high percentage, but he has the ability to drop 30 on any night.
Brook Lopez (NJN) – Lopez got in a few games before the All-Star break and should be ready to work his way back above 30 minutes soon. He’s still priced low on most sites and could be a bargain for the first few weeks of his return.
Ramon Sessions (CLE) – The Cavaliers have Kyrie Irving at point guard and Sessions is just an extra piece that the Cavs don’t need right now. There’s been some talk of Sessions getting moved to the Lakers, but it’s just been talk so far. If he does get traded, you can be pretty sure it’s going to be a situation where he takes over a starting job, which would make him a pretty valuable daily fantasy player.
Zach Randolph (MEM) – Randolph should be just a couple of weeks away from returning from a torn MCL. I don’t think anyone knows how he’s going to perform once he returns, but he makes a great play if sites drop his price after the long layoff, especially if he starts off slow in his return.
Greivis Vazquez (NOR) – Jarrett Jack has returned to the Hornets, but Vazquez is still getting big minutes and could keep it rolling over the second half of the season. He would be greatly helped with a move to the starting shooting guard spot, but he should still get enough minutes to hold pretty good value.
Chris Kaman (NOR) – Kaman has been playing great lately and it could just be an audition for a trade out of New Orleans. If he can land a starting job with the right team, he could be a solid second half daily play at center.
Jamal Crawford (POR) – The Blazers are not happy with Raymond Felton and Crawford has seen his role grow over the last couple of games. If Portland comes out in the second half of the season with Crawford starting at PG, it could signal that he might stick in that role for awhile, which greatly helps his daily fantasy value.
Markieff Morris (PHO) – Phoenix is sitting in the 13th spot in the Western Conference and if they continue to fall, Morris could start to see bigger minutes as the Suns turn an eye toward next season.
Isaiah Thomas (SAC) – Thomas has really blown up over the last week and could be in for a huge second half with the Kings. Sacramento is sitting in 14th place in the West and it’s probably best that they get Thomas all the experience that he can handle in order to get him ready for next season.
Wilson Chandler (FA) – Chandler’s Chinese team has been eliminated from the playoffs, which means that Chandler has now satisfied his obligations and can return to the NBA. He’s probably got the best shot at returning with the Nuggets, but his options are still open.