“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!

There are a few teams that should be looked at closely for key adds, mainly based on a good number of games, for these upcoming couple of weeks.

Both Charlotte and Cleveland land special mentions mainly due to their having five games this upcoming week and four games the next. Aside from that, recent injury situations and roster developments have opened up opportunities for some players to shine (somewhat) in the limelight.

Chalotte (Games: 5, 4)

Kemba Walker has had an up-and-down week with coach Silas shuffling him in and out of the starting lineup. DJ Augustine is hurt and it looks like that Walker no longer has a predatory veteran looking to chomp on his playing time. He can score, add some assists, shoot a trey here and there; but still tends to force his shot at ill-advised situations and can be a bane to your FG%. Still, on sheer counting numbers, Walker is a good play moving forward.

Byron Mullens has emerged over this past week as a solid power forward, as he becomes the outside component in an “inside-outside combo” pairing with rookie Bismack Biyombo. Mullens can be counted on to add points, some boards, contribute to your team’s FG% chances, and even sneaking in that occasional three point shot from your front court.

Derrick Brown is both a sneaky and a speculative spot add this coming week as Reggie Williams is dealing with a knee injury. He;s now starting at SF for the Bobcats and holds some deep-league value. Enjoy it briefly as it will fizzle the moment Corey Maggette returns to action before the end of the regular season.

Bismack Biyombo has recently hit the “rookie wall” but appears to be getting back on track. He has shown that he’s indeed a very raw project, but on sheer opportunity, playing time, and talent; Mack daddy is on the cusp of exploding for huge numbers in boards and blocks almost every night. You’ll just have to deal the the mediocre nights along with the good ones.

Cleveland (Games: 5, 4)

The Cavaliers are not going to take any risks on potentially aggravating Kyrie Irving‘s injury. If he’s not at one hundred percent health, there is probably no point for them to “force the issue”. With Irving projected to miss a minimum of a week to heal up, Donald Sloan, Manny Harris, and Lester Hudson are all in line for opportunities to produce some viable numbers. Anthony Parker is also out with a bruised sternum. That means the everything including the kitchen sink is up in the air as far as Cleveland’s backcourt production is concerned. Sloan and Hudson should be the best candidates to step up, but get ready to pounce on Harris in daily changes leagues in case he heats up.

Keep your eyes and ears open for Anderson Varejao to potentially make a come back pretty soon. He’s targeting to get back to practice. His return would send Tristan Thompson back to the bench. Varejao is a double-double threat who is capable of chipping in a steal and block per outing as well.

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“JJ Alert!”

Orlando / Minnesota

JJ Reddick (Magic) and JJ Barea (Timberwolves) are up for big weeks ahead. Both guys are beneficiaries of improved opportunities due to injuries to teammates. Hedo Turkoglu has a facial fracture and will be out for about three weeks, while Luke Ridnour suffered a bad sprain recently. Barea will bring steals, assists and points; while Reddick will bring a ton of threes without hurting you in any particular category

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The Big Bucks

Keep an eye on Drew Gooden’s status. He’s missed a few games due to a sore back and Ekpe Udoh has been performing well filling in for him. I actually gambled (and lost) on Udoh for a Finals matchup in last season’s fantasy playoffs. He’s improved a lot since then and is on a different team now. Given a similar situation, where my team needed a boost in blocks, I’d do it again this year. Udoh can be a swing factor in that category as long as Gooden is on the sidelines.

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