Court Report: Week 7 Dashboard, Part I
Each Sunday, the Dashboard centralizes all the crucial information fantasy managers need to dominate their weekly head-to-head matchups or climb the standings in their rotisserie leagues. The Dashboard covers schedule analysis, status updates, adds, drops, watch list candidates, and deep league targets for managers of all skill levels. Quite simply, it is a comprehensive weekly cheat sheet that is packed with so much information that we’ve devoted two writers to producing it.
Schedule Breakdown – essential schedule information for the upcoming week and beyond
Week seven, total games.
4 games: ATL, CHI, CLE, DEN, DET, IND, LAC, LAL, MIA, MIN, NYK, OKL, ORL, POR, TOR, UTH
3 games: BOS, CHA, DAL, GSW, HOU, MEM, MIL, NJN, NOH, PHI, PHO, SAC, SAS, WAS
Week seven, quality games.
1 game: BOS, DAL, NJN, ORL, PHI, POR
Week seven, best schedules.
NYK: MIN, TOR, @WAS, DEN
CHI: OKC, @CLE, LAL, MIN
OKL: @CHI, @MIN, @NOH, CLE
DET: @HOU, @NOH, @MIN, TOR
LAL: WAS, @LAC, @CHI, @NJN
MEM: @UTH, @PHO, @LAC
Week seven, worst schedules.
GSW: @DAL, @SAS, MIA
CHA: DEN, @IND, BOS
PHI: CLE, BOS, NOH
NJN: @ATL, @DAL, LAL
UTH: MEM, MIA, ORL, @DAL
ATL: @ORL, NJN, @SAS, IND
Next month, total games.
15 games: ATL
14 games: CHI, CLE, IND, LAL, MIA, MIN, NOH, OKL, POR
13 games: DAL, DEN, GSW, HOU, LAC, MEM, NJN, ORL, PHI, SAC, SAS, TOR, UTH, WAS
12 games: BOS, DET, MIL, NYK, PHO
11 games: CHA
Next month, quality games.
4 games: ORL, POR
3 games: BOS, DAL, MIA, SAS
2 games: CHI, DEN, GSW, MIL, NJN, NYK, UTH
1 game: ATL, IND, LAL, MEM, NOH, OKL, PHI, PHO, SAC, WAS
0 games: CHA, CLE, DET, HOU, LAC, MIN, TOR
Remaining season, quality games.
Best: CHI (15), BOS (14), DAL (14), DEN (13), POR (13), MIA (12), SAS (11), LAL (10), UTH (9), WAS (9)
Worst: DET (1), TOR (1), NOH (3), CLE (4), MIN (4), ATL (5), CHA (5), HOU (5), IND (5), MEM (5), OKL (5), PHI (5)
Also see: Basketball Monster’s Schedule Grid and Ease Rankings
Status Updates - quick hitters from around the league
• Energy-guy Louis Amundson(notes) sounds like he is about a week or two away from returning to game action for his new team, the Golden State Warriors. Amundson is recovering from a dislocated and fractured right index finger that occurred during training camp.
• After successfully returning to action after an offseason knee injury, Chris Andersen(notes)suffered a bruised lower back against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. Andersen is questionable for Sunday’s contest against the Memphis Grizzlies.
• Ryan Anderson(notes) is not expected to play before December 14th as he recovers from a mild foot sprain.
• There have not been any substantive updates on Kelenna Azubuike’s(notes) progress in returning to action from his knee surgery one year ago. Consider him a week or two away until further information is available.
• Earl Barron(notes) recently moved into the Suns starting lineup with good results for the team (wins versus Golden State and Indiana). While this hasn’t translated into fantasy success for Barron, it has put a serious damper on Hakim Warrick’s(notes) fantasy value, who looks like he can be safely cut at this point.
• Michael Beasley(notes) is considered day-to-day after suffering a sprained right ankle in Minnesota’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night. Beasley was a late scratch for Saturday’s rout of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
• Everyone’s favorite sleeper this summer, Rodrigue Beaubois(notes), is expected to miss another three-to-four weeks as he recovers from a broken bone in his foot sustained in August. Beaubois, who is owned in seven percent of Yahoo! leagues, should be on the waiver wire in all leagues.
• Andris Biedrins(notes) left Thursday’s nationally televised game early against the Phoenix Suns with an upset stomach. He is probable for Sunday’s game against the Thunder.
• Andrew Bogut(notes) returned to action against the depleted Magic on Saturday after missing Milwaukee’s past five games with backs spasms and a sore elbow. Bogut returned in beastly fashion (31 points, 18 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks) and should be started in all formats.
• While Kyle Lowry(notes) has played very well in Aaron Brooks’(notes) absence, the Rockets are looking forward to Brooks’ return from a sprained ankle. Brooks is currently targeting December 10th in Milwaukee for his return to action, although this date is not set in stone.
• Andrew Bynum(notes) recently participated in a game of five-on-five with his teammates and is progressing without report of any setbacks. Bynum is still at least a week away.
• Bucks swingman Carlos Delfino(notes) is not expected to return to basketball activities until December 8th. This means Delfino is out for at least another couple of weeks as he recovers from concussion symptoms.
• Kevin Durant(notes) is expected to return to action Sunday night versus the Golden State Warriors after missing the Thunder’s past two games with a sprained left knee.
• Reggie Evans(notes) is expected to be out until at least February 1st after undergoing surgery on his fractured foot.
• Jonny Flynn(notes) is nearing a return to action for the Minnesota Timberwolves after offseason hip surgery.
• Randy Foye(notes) is considered day-to-day with a hamstring injury that has lingered for virtually the entire season. Foye has no fantasy value with Baron Davis(notes) and Eric Bledsoe(notes) healthy.
• The effects of heavy minutes are starting to take their toll on Pau Gasol(notes), who is banged up with a sore hamstring. With a serious lack of depth at power forward and center until Andrew Bynum returns, the Lakers have no choice but to rely on Gasol’s ability to play through this mild injury.
•Drew Gooden(notes) has sat out of three of Milwaukee’s past four games with plantar fasciitis. Gooden’s absence has allowed rookie Larry Sanders(notes) extra burn.
• After sitting out New Jersey’s last two games with a left knee strain, Devin Harris(notes) returned to action Sunday against the Boston Celtics. This news effectively kills the fantasy value of Jordan Farmar(notes), who played admirably in Harris’ absence.
• Miami’s locker room leader, Udonis Haslem(notes), is possibly out for the season with a torn ligament in his left foot. At a minimum, Haslem will miss a couple of months of action.
• Forward J.J. Hickson(notes) missed Saturday’s drubbing by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the flu and should be considered day-to-day going forward.
• Defending Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard(notes) missed Orlando’s past two games with the flu, which has hit the Magic especially hard recently. He should be considered day-to-day going forward.
• Josh Howard(notes) is still weeks away from making his return after tearing his ACL last season. Howard is expected to be back in action sometime before the All-Star break.
• After missing nine games with a right knee bruise, Yi Jianlian(notes) returned to action in Friday’s victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. There have not been any reports of setbacks so consider Yi available going forward.
• Hawks guard Joe Johnson(notes) will be out until at least January 1st after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow to remove a loose body that has been causing him pain all season long.
• The Clippers received some good news recently when Chris Kaman(notes) returned to action against the Denver Nuggets. Kaman should work his way back into the starting lineup sometime this week, assuming there are no further setbacks with his ankle.
• Suns center Robin Lopez(notes) is still at least two weeks away from returning with a sprained MCL and PCL in his left knee.
• Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin(notes) remains sidelined from offseason knee surgery on his left patella tendon and is expected to make his debut around the beginning of the new year.
• Mike Miller(notes) appears to be about a couple of weeks away from returning to action from his preseason thumb injury. Now is the time to scoop up Miller if he is floating around on your league’s waiver wire.
• Yao Ming(notes) made it through his first full contact practice without any trouble and is targeting Tuesday’s matchup with the Pistons for his return from his right ankle injury.
• Jameer Nelson(notes) missed Orlando’s past two games with the flu. He should be considered day-to-day going forward.
• Blazers center Greg Oden(notes) is out for the season after suffering another devastating knee injury that will require microfracture surgery.
• Despite progressing at a rapid rate recently, Mehmet Okur(notes) is still likely a few weeks away from returning to action (at the very earliest) from his ruptured Achilles’ tendon. His injury has healed but Okur’s strength and conditioning remain deficient.
•Jermaine O’Neal(notes) appears to be nearing a return to action soon as he recovers from a troublesome left knee injury.
• Timberwolves big man Nikola Pekovic(notes) returned to action for Minnesota Saturday night after missing the past nine games with a sprained ankle. Pekovic is stuck behind Darko Milicic(notes) and Kevin Love(notes) on the depth chart.
• The original timeline for Kendrick Perkins’(notes) recovery from his torn ACL estimated that he would be back on the court sometime in January. We should be hearing more concrete information out of Boston regarding Perkins’ progress in December.
• Mickael Pietrus(notes) missed Orlando’s past two games with the flu. He should be considered day-to-day going forward.
• To the relief of Portland fans everywhere, Joel Przybilla(notes) made his season debut on Friday without any report of setback. He is a deep league target and would be an automatic add in most formats should Marcus Camby(notes) go down with any serious injury.
• Michael Redd(notes) is out indefinitely as he rehabs from his second devastating knee injury in as many years. Redd is still months away from returning to action and may never be able to play basketball at a high level again.
• J.J. Redick(notes) missed Orlando’s past three games with the flu. He should be considered day-to-day going forward.
• The NBA’s assist leader, Rajon Rondo(notes), was a late scratch for Sunday’s contest against the New Jersey Nets, allowing Nate Robinson(notes) to get the start instead. Rondo’s hamstring is still not right and could miss additional time in order to heal completely.
• Unfortunately for Portland, Brandon Roy(notes) will likely remain on shaky ground with his troublesome knees all season long. Expect decent production whenever Roy plays, but plenty of DNPs sprinkled in between.
• Peja Stojakovic missed his fourth straight game with a sore knee.
• Anthony Tolliver(notes) is scheduled to have an MRI on Monday to examine his sprained right MCL. While the results of the MRI are not known at this time, the injury is thought to be serious.
• Ronny Turiaf(notes) is probable for Monday’s matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Turiaf recently reinjured his knee and has missed the Knicks’ past four games as a result.
• Lottery pick Ekpe Udoh(notes) recently participated in his first full NBA practice after tearing a ligament in his wrist this summer. Udoh appears to be ahead of his initial schedule, which placed him back on the court in mid-January.
• Martell Webster(notes) is progressing towards a return from offseason back surgery, but the Timberwolves refuse to put a timetable on his return at this point. Notably, the back injury has been hobbling Webster for years, causing him to walk with a slight hunch.
• David West(notes) is questionable for Sunday’s meeting with the San Antonio Spurs with the flu.
• Unfortunately for the Celtics, Delonte West’s(notes) broken wrist is expected to keep him off the floor for months, if not the balance of the season.
• Brandan Wright(notes) remains sidelined with a sore back and there is no timetable for his return to action. Wright has missed the Warriors’ past nine games.
• Nick Young(notes) is expected to be available for Sunday’s game in Phoenix after missing Friday’s win over Portland with a thigh bruise.
-----
Photos via Getty Images
