Fantasy Bull’s-Eye: Metta World Peace of Mind

Unlike what the title of the piece suggests, I would not normally recommend Metta World Peace as a fantasy basketball add, and neither would I associate his production as something that would provide “peace of mind”. This week however, I cannot help but acknowledge how much he’s stepped up his game. He’s a top-10 rated player over the last seven days. This is mainly due the extra opportunities he’s been getting due to Kobe Bryant’s missing time due to an injured shin. The latest news on Kobe’s status is that he’s been able to walk pain free, but he hasn’t tried running or jumping with it yet. On that note, it’s probable that Metta will be able to continue his 16-point, 2.5-trey, 2-steal per game averages over LA’s upcoming four-game week. I personally just added him in a 16-man, daily changes, head-to-head league. For the most part, Metta has been largely inconsistent and for the most part, rather disappointing; but for this week I’d say give Peace a chance.

“Big Baby” Glen Davis has been doing a solid job for the Magic in Dwight Howard’s absence and has been an impressive contributor in the categories of FG%, PTS, REB, and even STL. Word is that Howard is going to miss about ten days due to back spasms. That’s enough “go signal” right there to grab Davis and ride the crest of his wave of fantasy impact during this end-season run.

Even if Kyle Lowry isn’t playing up to his regular allotment of minutes just yet, he’s been productive during his first few games back and says he’s ready for more minutes moving forward. The Rockets are up for a five-game week and if Lowry has been thrown into your league’s FA pool, now’s the time to go and snatch him up. Goran Dragic owners don’t have to panic just yet. Kevin McHale likes to allow both guards to share some time on the floor. There will be an expected dip in output, but Dragic is a good play.

Eric Gordon has returned to action after missing two games with tightness in his back. He’s up for some high-end production during these few games that the Hornets have left as he’s showing the league that he’s worth signing to a big contract this summer. Mind you, I’ve officially labeled him as an injury-prone player and he will have that baggage of being a risk of missing time due to easily getting hurt. That being said, in Gordon’s case you’ll just have to take the bad with the ton of good that he brings to the table.

With Corey Maggette officially out for the rest of the season, Devin Brown looks like a potential add if you’re desperate for a boost in points and some rebounds. The Bobcats tend to get blown out of games often so none of their starters are guaranteed consistent minutes moving forward.

If you’re in the market for some rebounds and blocks, Dallas’ Brandan Wright might just be the man for your team. With Lamar Odom officially now listed as inactive for the rest of the season, Wright has worked his way up the Mavericks’ rotation and is often called up to their first big man off the bench. He’s been quietly producing mid-round value and isn’t owned in many leagues. He won’t score much, but then again Wright will not hurt your turnovers category either.

Kevin Love is out indefinitely due to a mild concussion. Well at least he can pass the baseline tests required for him to return to basketball activities. So far, Anthony Randolph has appeared to be the best recipient of Love’s missed time. Now we’ve all heard this storyline before, Randolph blows up for a game or two then quickly retreats back into his cave of mediocrity. Then again, if you’re desperate and are willing to roll the dice to win big, Randolph might just make or break your fantasy basketball-Finals aspirations.

Mo Williams of the Los Angeles Clippers is back from his toe injury and is quickly up to steal away some minutes and production opportunities from the underwhelming and inconsistent duo of Randy Foye and Nick Young. Williams will be a good source of treys and some assists. He’s generally friendly on your team’s field goal percentage and turnovers. The Clips are in need of some stable scoring off their bench and Williams is in line for a strong end-season finish.

New Jersey’s Gerald Wallace is still out with a sore hamstring. And even if the Nets are up for only three games next week, Gerald Green is in store for some high mid-round level production. He’ll light up the scoreboard and will usually accompany those points with a couple of shots from downtown. Both he and Marshon Brooks are up for upticks in production for the duration of Wallace’s absence.

That’s it folks! I’ve had a blast writing for Pippen Ain’t Easy’s fantasy basketball column this season. I hope that most of my advice was more hit than miss and was, at the very least, useful to you during fantasy hoops’ post-season. Cheers!