Every year teams alter their lineups for the upcoming season based on performances by a young player, veterans aging, or talented rookies having great summers. This is huge in fantasy because that could mean a player receiving 5-10 extra minutes than he would get coming off the bench. We'll take a look at a team-by-team breakdown of player to look out for regarding each team's position battle.
Atlanta Hawks-
Not much to say about the Hawks. Their core lineup is intact and should boast the same starting lineup they had at the end of last season. The only major question is just how much time newcomer Jamal Crawford will take away from Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson's PT. My guess would be Crawford would take a little more away from Bibby than JJ, but all three should receive enough minutes to contribute to fantasy rosters.
Boston Celtics-
Two names stand out that could threaten minutes from an aging roster. Rasheed Wallace (yes, he's old himself) and Marquis Daniels. Both guys will be used to ease the minutes of the big 3. Daniel's is a sneaky play since Doc Rivers could use him at multiple positions. He can handle the ball, so if the C's want a big lineup, he'll go in for Rondo. I don't see much of this happening early in the season, but keep an eye out as the season gets rolling.
Charlotte Bobcats-
The point guard battle is intriguing to watch. DJ Augustin is the clear future point guard of the team. Raymond Felton was brought back on a one-year contract, so this tells us that he's not in their future plans. Both are undersized, so only one will see time. I think Felton gets the minutes early in the season. This will allow the Bobcats to display Felton to increase his trade value paving the way for Augustin to take over. Augustin has been putting up nice numbers in the preseason, and definitely showed what he's capable of producing last season whenever he got the minutes.
Chicago Bulls-
An interesting team to say the least. We already know Derrick Rose has locked up the PG spot all to himself. Hinrich has even embraced his role of coming off the bench behind Rose. This turns our attention to the forward position. Tyrus Thomas and Luol Deng seem to be the favorite to start with Joakim Noah looming not too far behind. It should be interesting to see how this all unfolds as they all have shown they can produce. My guess is T-squared and Deng will see the majority of the minutes. Noah has versatility where he'll get minutes backing up the power forward and center positions allowing him to get about 25-30 minutes a game, enough to make him worthy of a spot on your roster.
Cleveland Cavaliers-
Shooting guard is the position to watch for here. Delonte West is quickly playing himself to the bench with all his off-the-court issues. This paves the way for Anthony Parker (younger brother to WNBA star Candace). His ability to play defense also enhances his chance at winning the position. Parker can be a deep sleeper with his ability to make shots. He'll see plenty of them with all the attention LBJ commands on defense, plus his play-making skills allows him to find the open man.
Dallas Mavericks-
Not exactly sure how everything will pan out in big D. With the injury to Josh Howard, Shawn Marion will likely claim the starting small forward spot. This will allow Marion to run up and down the court with Jason Kidd like they did in Phoenix. At the center spot, it's inevitable that Drew Gooden will, sooner rather than later, take over Eric Dampier's starting position. This bodes well as Gooden can run with Kidd better than Dampier. Look for Gooden to be a nice backup fantasy center.
Denver Nuggets-
JR Smith will be the prime beneficiary if he cracks George Karl's lineup. He's primed for a big season, after being in Karl's doghouse last year. Smith is not shy about getting his share of shots, and being in the starting lineup will only increase his attempts. Denver's scoring depth isn't very deep meaning Smith will be relied upon to score in bunches.
Detroit Pistons-
UConn buddies, Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, will steal minutes away from current starters, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, respectively. This may be the end of the road for both guys in Detroit. Gordon will likely come off the bench the whole season since he's shown he can produce with the second string like in Chicago. Villanueva can be a nice steal. He has a chance to crack the starting lineup if Detroit looks to add more offense. Whether both guys are starting or not, they will see plenty of minutes to make an impact on rosters.
Golden State Warriors-
Not sure what to say about Don Nelson's Warriors. Nellie is as unpredictable of a coach as there is in the NBA with his lineups altering every night. You just need to have the perfect timing on Golden State players. Ride them while they're hot because you never know when an unexpected DNP shows up in the box score. Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, and Anthony Randolph are likely to be locked into the starting lineup leaving the other two spots up for grabs on a nightly basis.
Houston Rockets-
Whoever starts at power forward for the undermanned Rockets has a chance to put up nice fantasy numbers. David Anderson is having a nice preseason pushing for a spot. Chuck Hayes will likely start the year as the starter, but Anderson may eventually take over.
Indiana Pacers-
Some depth charts list Dahntay Jones as the starting SG, but I believe Brandon Rush will start. Rush is very versatile, and has shown the ability to put up huge numbers. He'll have at least a month in the starting lineup with Mike Dunleavy not expected back until sometime after November. Dr. Hibbert's preseason line of 20 pts, 11 reb & 8 blks has gotten the attention of everyone. This is the huge potential Hibbert can give fantasy owners, and I think it's only a matter of time before he overtakes Jeff Foster's spot as the starter.
Los Angeles Clippers-
Nothing big happening in Clipperland...only Blake Griffin. Coach Dunleavy intends to slowly work him into the lineup by bringing him off the bench. You know he'll get the minutes whether he's starting or not. He's only an injury away (don't forget Camby is the starter) from getting major minutes. Griffin will be a stud.
Los Angeles Lakers-
No real position battle here. Odom won a championship coming off the bench, and embraced the role because of that. If there is one, it'll probably be the backup point guard spot. Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar's minutes will likely increase to save Derek Fisher for the playoffs. Neither will have a major fantasy impact.
Memphis Grizzlies-
Only Allen Iverson had a chance to battle for a starting lineup spot, but after his injury that will cause him to miss a couple weeks, Mike Conley will be the starter. The rest of the lineup is pretty much set in stone as the young Grizzlies hope to improve from last season.
Miami Heat-
Four of the five starters are set in stone. Michael Beasley should be the fifth starter assuming he's focused on basketball after having a life crisis in the off-season. I expect Beasley to be ready to go and primed for a breakout year. Miami doesn't have much to choose from down low, so Beasley may even see time at the power forward spot.
Milwaukee Bucks-
A couple positions up for grab in Milwaukee. At point, Luke Ridnour is likely to start, but rookie Brandon Jennings is surely getting minutes in the preseason so far to showcase why he should be the starter. Lets not forget his youtube moment after the draft that caused a little controversy. He'll be looking to back up what he said. Jennings will replace Ridnour early into the season if he keeps his high level of play going.
At the forward positions, I like Hakim Warrick and Ersan Ilyasova to take the starting spots. Both players could be deep sleepers on a depleted Bucks squad. Both could be big if Michael Redd doesn't come back right from injury, or sustains another one.
Minnesota Timberwolves-
Johnny Flynn looks like he'll take the reign at point guard even after the T-wolves signed Ramon Sessions. However, Kurt Rambis, won't hesitate one bit to going with Sessions, who has the experience, if Flynn struggles early. The other spot is at small forward. Ryan Gomes put up solid fantasy numbers, and should be the starter, but a push by Sasha Pavlovic (shooting touch) could land him a spot. Both are worthy of keeping an eye out on during the season.
New Jersey Nets-
Rookie Terrence Williams is fighting hard for a starting spot, and Coach Lawrence Frank seems to favor him. I'm not exactly sure what position he'd start at, but Williams' versatility will allow him to play one of three positions (SG, SF, PF). He'll take one of the forward spots along with Yi Jianlian. He may be worthy of a late round flyer.
New Orleans Hornets-
The shooting guard position is up for grabs. Peja Stojakovic, Devin Brown, and rookie Marcus Thornton will all try to seize that opportunity. Whoever it is will likely be a 3-point specialist to space the floor for CP3 and David West. Playing with the leading assist guy in the league will mean plenty of good looks.
New York Knicks-
The Knicks are very similar to the Golden State Warriors as it doesn't really matter who starts. D'Antoni will go with whoever is hot. Chris Duhon will be the point guard ahead of Nate Robinson, but Lil' Nate will do his best to earn himself a better contract next summer. The center spot is most intriguing. Darko Millicic could be a nice fantasy center in a fantasy friendly offense. He should get plenty of playing time as he can run the floor a lot better than Eddy Curry.
Oklahoma City Thunder-
Nothing really to mention here. The young Thunder look to have their squad all set. Westbrook, Harden, Durant, Green, Kristic will all be in the starting lineup opening night.
Orlando Magic-
The small forward spot will be battled for between Matt Barnes and Mickael Pietrus. I think the edge goes to newly acquired Matt Barnes because Pietrus has had some success in the past coming off the bench. Whoever starts, I don't see much fantasy value from this spot.
Philadelphia 76ers-
The 76ers have the squad ready to go. Lou Williams will make the transition to the starting spot after the departure of Andre Miller. Samuel Dalembert was very inconsistent last season driving his owner crazy. If it continues this season, look for Marreese Speights to step in. Speights could be a nice pickup if he were to get the starting gig.
Phoenix Suns-
With the departure of the Big Cactus, that means Amar'e Stoudemire will be the center. This allows Channing Frye to move to power forward. He has the ability to space the floor out with his mid-range game. Jason Richardson will start the year serving his suspension allowing Leandro Barbos to start a couple games. After his suspension, there's no real threat of anyone cracking the starting lineup.
Portland Trail Blazers-
With the recent comments from coach Nate McMillan not liking the way his 'RAMBO' starting lineup is playing, who knows what will happen. "They didn’t have any flow," McMillan said. "We just weren’t sharp. We turned the ball over, the passing was a little lazy and we were slow getting back in transition."
Andre Miller seemed like a lock to get the starting spot when he signed in Portland, but it doesn't appear to be so anymore. Steve Blake could get a look after he had nice success letting Brandon Roy take the lead guard role during games with his ability to shoot the long ball. The only other change that may also come is Travis Outlaw overtaking Nicolas Batum's spot. However, I think Batum's athletic ability and tremendous potential will allow him to stay in there.
Sacramento Kings-
With the devastating news to Francisco Garcia, it opens up the door for a new player to take Garcia's minutes. Garcia was probably going to be the opening night starter, but it looks like that will go to Desmond Mason. I don't really like Mason in the fantasy game as he doesn't really do much with his minutes. However, I do like Andres Nocioni, who will now see more minutes coming off the bench.
The point guard spot seems to be a lock for rookie Tyreke Evans. Beno Udrih is vastly overpaid, and is nowhere in the Kings' future plans. Look for the athletic guard to put up some decent numbers along with inconsistent ones. Don't be surprised if you see some nights of ugly numbers from the #4 pick of the draft.
San Antonio Spurs-
A lineup full of veterans, the Spurs are built for the playoffs. This means they'll do anything it takes to keep them all healthy until June comes around. Occasional night offs for the veterans seem likely to happen throughout the season, so don't let it surprise when you see an unexpected DNP from any one of their starters.
Toronto Raptors-
The only spot up for grabs is the shooting guard position. Right now, former Southern California star DeMar Derozan is listed as the starter, but sharp-shooter Marco Belinelli may win out the spot. If Belinelli doesn't start, he'll still see plenty of minutes as a short leash will be placed on the rookie.
Utah Jazz-
Biggest position battle to look out for is between Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap at power forward. It looks like Boozer will go into the season as the starter, saying he's focused and forgotten about last season's contract talks. It'll be interesting to see how it all unfolds, but look for Boozer to back to putting up Boozer-like numbers. Utah will certainly entertain trade offers, so just be aware. If you plan on drafting Boozer, think about grabbing Millsap in the later rounds to protect yourself.
Washington Wizards-
Nothing big to discuss in Washington. If all goes right for Gilbert & Co. Washington may make a surprise move to the top half of the Eastern Conference. Players to look out for include Randy Foye (if Arenas gets injured), JaVale McGee & Andray Blatche (if Brendan Haywood gets injured). All three guys could be nice mid-season pickups if anything were to happen to the respective starters.
Atlanta Hawks-
Not much to say about the Hawks. Their core lineup is intact and should boast the same starting lineup they had at the end of last season. The only major question is just how much time newcomer Jamal Crawford will take away from Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson's PT. My guess would be Crawford would take a little more away from Bibby than JJ, but all three should receive enough minutes to contribute to fantasy rosters.
Boston Celtics-
Two names stand out that could threaten minutes from an aging roster. Rasheed Wallace (yes, he's old himself) and Marquis Daniels. Both guys will be used to ease the minutes of the big 3. Daniel's is a sneaky play since Doc Rivers could use him at multiple positions. He can handle the ball, so if the C's want a big lineup, he'll go in for Rondo. I don't see much of this happening early in the season, but keep an eye out as the season gets rolling.
Charlotte Bobcats-
The point guard battle is intriguing to watch. DJ Augustin is the clear future point guard of the team. Raymond Felton was brought back on a one-year contract, so this tells us that he's not in their future plans. Both are undersized, so only one will see time. I think Felton gets the minutes early in the season. This will allow the Bobcats to display Felton to increase his trade value paving the way for Augustin to take over. Augustin has been putting up nice numbers in the preseason, and definitely showed what he's capable of producing last season whenever he got the minutes.
Chicago Bulls-
An interesting team to say the least. We already know Derrick Rose has locked up the PG spot all to himself. Hinrich has even embraced his role of coming off the bench behind Rose. This turns our attention to the forward position. Tyrus Thomas and Luol Deng seem to be the favorite to start with Joakim Noah looming not too far behind. It should be interesting to see how this all unfolds as they all have shown they can produce. My guess is T-squared and Deng will see the majority of the minutes. Noah has versatility where he'll get minutes backing up the power forward and center positions allowing him to get about 25-30 minutes a game, enough to make him worthy of a spot on your roster.
Cleveland Cavaliers-
Shooting guard is the position to watch for here. Delonte West is quickly playing himself to the bench with all his off-the-court issues. This paves the way for Anthony Parker (younger brother to WNBA star Candace). His ability to play defense also enhances his chance at winning the position. Parker can be a deep sleeper with his ability to make shots. He'll see plenty of them with all the attention LBJ commands on defense, plus his play-making skills allows him to find the open man.
Dallas Mavericks-
Not exactly sure how everything will pan out in big D. With the injury to Josh Howard, Shawn Marion will likely claim the starting small forward spot. This will allow Marion to run up and down the court with Jason Kidd like they did in Phoenix. At the center spot, it's inevitable that Drew Gooden will, sooner rather than later, take over Eric Dampier's starting position. This bodes well as Gooden can run with Kidd better than Dampier. Look for Gooden to be a nice backup fantasy center.
Denver Nuggets-
JR Smith will be the prime beneficiary if he cracks George Karl's lineup. He's primed for a big season, after being in Karl's doghouse last year. Smith is not shy about getting his share of shots, and being in the starting lineup will only increase his attempts. Denver's scoring depth isn't very deep meaning Smith will be relied upon to score in bunches.
Detroit Pistons-
UConn buddies, Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, will steal minutes away from current starters, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, respectively. This may be the end of the road for both guys in Detroit. Gordon will likely come off the bench the whole season since he's shown he can produce with the second string like in Chicago. Villanueva can be a nice steal. He has a chance to crack the starting lineup if Detroit looks to add more offense. Whether both guys are starting or not, they will see plenty of minutes to make an impact on rosters.
Golden State Warriors-
Not sure what to say about Don Nelson's Warriors. Nellie is as unpredictable of a coach as there is in the NBA with his lineups altering every night. You just need to have the perfect timing on Golden State players. Ride them while they're hot because you never know when an unexpected DNP shows up in the box score. Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, and Anthony Randolph are likely to be locked into the starting lineup leaving the other two spots up for grabs on a nightly basis.
Houston Rockets-
Whoever starts at power forward for the undermanned Rockets has a chance to put up nice fantasy numbers. David Anderson is having a nice preseason pushing for a spot. Chuck Hayes will likely start the year as the starter, but Anderson may eventually take over.
Indiana Pacers-
Some depth charts list Dahntay Jones as the starting SG, but I believe Brandon Rush will start. Rush is very versatile, and has shown the ability to put up huge numbers. He'll have at least a month in the starting lineup with Mike Dunleavy not expected back until sometime after November. Dr. Hibbert's preseason line of 20 pts, 11 reb & 8 blks has gotten the attention of everyone. This is the huge potential Hibbert can give fantasy owners, and I think it's only a matter of time before he overtakes Jeff Foster's spot as the starter.
Los Angeles Clippers-
Nothing big happening in Clipperland...only Blake Griffin. Coach Dunleavy intends to slowly work him into the lineup by bringing him off the bench. You know he'll get the minutes whether he's starting or not. He's only an injury away (don't forget Camby is the starter) from getting major minutes. Griffin will be a stud.
Los Angeles Lakers-
No real position battle here. Odom won a championship coming off the bench, and embraced the role because of that. If there is one, it'll probably be the backup point guard spot. Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar's minutes will likely increase to save Derek Fisher for the playoffs. Neither will have a major fantasy impact.
Memphis Grizzlies-
Only Allen Iverson had a chance to battle for a starting lineup spot, but after his injury that will cause him to miss a couple weeks, Mike Conley will be the starter. The rest of the lineup is pretty much set in stone as the young Grizzlies hope to improve from last season.
Miami Heat-
Four of the five starters are set in stone. Michael Beasley should be the fifth starter assuming he's focused on basketball after having a life crisis in the off-season. I expect Beasley to be ready to go and primed for a breakout year. Miami doesn't have much to choose from down low, so Beasley may even see time at the power forward spot.
Milwaukee Bucks-
A couple positions up for grab in Milwaukee. At point, Luke Ridnour is likely to start, but rookie Brandon Jennings is surely getting minutes in the preseason so far to showcase why he should be the starter. Lets not forget his youtube moment after the draft that caused a little controversy. He'll be looking to back up what he said. Jennings will replace Ridnour early into the season if he keeps his high level of play going.
At the forward positions, I like Hakim Warrick and Ersan Ilyasova to take the starting spots. Both players could be deep sleepers on a depleted Bucks squad. Both could be big if Michael Redd doesn't come back right from injury, or sustains another one.
Minnesota Timberwolves-
Johnny Flynn looks like he'll take the reign at point guard even after the T-wolves signed Ramon Sessions. However, Kurt Rambis, won't hesitate one bit to going with Sessions, who has the experience, if Flynn struggles early. The other spot is at small forward. Ryan Gomes put up solid fantasy numbers, and should be the starter, but a push by Sasha Pavlovic (shooting touch) could land him a spot. Both are worthy of keeping an eye out on during the season.
New Jersey Nets-
Rookie Terrence Williams is fighting hard for a starting spot, and Coach Lawrence Frank seems to favor him. I'm not exactly sure what position he'd start at, but Williams' versatility will allow him to play one of three positions (SG, SF, PF). He'll take one of the forward spots along with Yi Jianlian. He may be worthy of a late round flyer.
New Orleans Hornets-
The shooting guard position is up for grabs. Peja Stojakovic, Devin Brown, and rookie Marcus Thornton will all try to seize that opportunity. Whoever it is will likely be a 3-point specialist to space the floor for CP3 and David West. Playing with the leading assist guy in the league will mean plenty of good looks.
New York Knicks-
The Knicks are very similar to the Golden State Warriors as it doesn't really matter who starts. D'Antoni will go with whoever is hot. Chris Duhon will be the point guard ahead of Nate Robinson, but Lil' Nate will do his best to earn himself a better contract next summer. The center spot is most intriguing. Darko Millicic could be a nice fantasy center in a fantasy friendly offense. He should get plenty of playing time as he can run the floor a lot better than Eddy Curry.
Oklahoma City Thunder-
Nothing really to mention here. The young Thunder look to have their squad all set. Westbrook, Harden, Durant, Green, Kristic will all be in the starting lineup opening night.
Orlando Magic-
The small forward spot will be battled for between Matt Barnes and Mickael Pietrus. I think the edge goes to newly acquired Matt Barnes because Pietrus has had some success in the past coming off the bench. Whoever starts, I don't see much fantasy value from this spot.
Philadelphia 76ers-
The 76ers have the squad ready to go. Lou Williams will make the transition to the starting spot after the departure of Andre Miller. Samuel Dalembert was very inconsistent last season driving his owner crazy. If it continues this season, look for Marreese Speights to step in. Speights could be a nice pickup if he were to get the starting gig.
Phoenix Suns-
With the departure of the Big Cactus, that means Amar'e Stoudemire will be the center. This allows Channing Frye to move to power forward. He has the ability to space the floor out with his mid-range game. Jason Richardson will start the year serving his suspension allowing Leandro Barbos to start a couple games. After his suspension, there's no real threat of anyone cracking the starting lineup.
Portland Trail Blazers-
With the recent comments from coach Nate McMillan not liking the way his 'RAMBO' starting lineup is playing, who knows what will happen. "They didn’t have any flow," McMillan said. "We just weren’t sharp. We turned the ball over, the passing was a little lazy and we were slow getting back in transition."
Andre Miller seemed like a lock to get the starting spot when he signed in Portland, but it doesn't appear to be so anymore. Steve Blake could get a look after he had nice success letting Brandon Roy take the lead guard role during games with his ability to shoot the long ball. The only other change that may also come is Travis Outlaw overtaking Nicolas Batum's spot. However, I think Batum's athletic ability and tremendous potential will allow him to stay in there.
Sacramento Kings-
With the devastating news to Francisco Garcia, it opens up the door for a new player to take Garcia's minutes. Garcia was probably going to be the opening night starter, but it looks like that will go to Desmond Mason. I don't really like Mason in the fantasy game as he doesn't really do much with his minutes. However, I do like Andres Nocioni, who will now see more minutes coming off the bench.
The point guard spot seems to be a lock for rookie Tyreke Evans. Beno Udrih is vastly overpaid, and is nowhere in the Kings' future plans. Look for the athletic guard to put up some decent numbers along with inconsistent ones. Don't be surprised if you see some nights of ugly numbers from the #4 pick of the draft.
San Antonio Spurs-
A lineup full of veterans, the Spurs are built for the playoffs. This means they'll do anything it takes to keep them all healthy until June comes around. Occasional night offs for the veterans seem likely to happen throughout the season, so don't let it surprise when you see an unexpected DNP from any one of their starters.
Toronto Raptors-
The only spot up for grabs is the shooting guard position. Right now, former Southern California star DeMar Derozan is listed as the starter, but sharp-shooter Marco Belinelli may win out the spot. If Belinelli doesn't start, he'll still see plenty of minutes as a short leash will be placed on the rookie.
Utah Jazz-
Biggest position battle to look out for is between Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap at power forward. It looks like Boozer will go into the season as the starter, saying he's focused and forgotten about last season's contract talks. It'll be interesting to see how it all unfolds, but look for Boozer to back to putting up Boozer-like numbers. Utah will certainly entertain trade offers, so just be aware. If you plan on drafting Boozer, think about grabbing Millsap in the later rounds to protect yourself.
Washington Wizards-
Nothing big to discuss in Washington. If all goes right for Gilbert & Co. Washington may make a surprise move to the top half of the Eastern Conference. Players to look out for include Randy Foye (if Arenas gets injured), JaVale McGee & Andray Blatche (if Brendan Haywood gets injured). All three guys could be nice mid-season pickups if anything were to happen to the respective starters.
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