The Fantasy Five: Start Andrea Bargnani, bench Rajon Rondo
This column will concentrate on borderline fantasy options who should get strong consideration to start/bench during the upcoming week based on schedules. Dalton Del Don is surfing in Aruba, so Scott Pianowski comes off the bench this week.
Andrea Bargnani: Sure, the Knicks are a joke. Sure, you probably have negative history with Bargnani at some point, like everyone else. But the Knicks are treating Bargnani like a No. 1 option, leading to a useful 18.6-4.8-2.4 line since he joined the starting lineup five games ago. (He also scored in double digits in his last four games off the bench.) New York will probably get stomped on its upcoming road swing, but it’s the only club with five games in the coming week. Let’s take advantage. You can still add Bargnani in 70 percent of Yahoo leagues.
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Dennis Schroder: The German import keeps gaining confidence and playing time, showing the ability to play both guard spots and create space for his shot. Over the last month he’s averaging 11.6 points and 5.5 assists per game, and the Hawks will probably want to keep his minutes on the upswing as they get ready for the playoffs – with the No. 1 seed essentially locked up, there’s no reason to run the starters into the ground. Schroder might be just a deep-league play for the moment, but the 10-percent ownership tag looks light.
Channing Frye: Here’s another paper cup in a windstorm – no consistency – but with Nikola Vucevic battling a sore ankle, Frye becomes an important part of Orlando’s inside game. He held his own against Boogie Cousins and the Kings on Friday, posting a 22-point, 10-rebound, three-block effort as the Magic snapped a four-game losing streak.
Mike Dunleavy: With the Bulls riddled by injury, Dunleavy has been pressed into heavier action, logging an average of 32 minutes over his last six games. It looks like he’s over his February ankle problem, and the shots have been falling regularly (14 triples in his last six games, 47 points in his last three starts). Dunleavy will also give you some rebounds and a few assists, so he’s not just a scoring and perimeter play. The Bulls have four games on the fresh schedule.
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Rajon Rondo: He’s been a strong player since the late-February suspension, even giving us a zero-turnover gem on Friday. But the Mavericks only play two games in the coming week (the only team with that light a schedule), which might push Rondo owners to sit him down.
