Answer Guys: Some of the best buy-low options
Josh Smith has been playing well lately and I am thinking about trading him because I need a quality PG or SG. But the thing that holds me back is that I keep thinking that Smith will start blocking shots similar to last season. Is this realistic? Or, is his ankle still limiting his explosiveness? G Brownfield
Dave: Smith won't block three shots a game, as he did last season, but I can definitely see his block average climbing back to two blocks per game. Smith's overall production has really stepped up over the past few games, which is likely a result from a pep talk that coach Mike Woodson gave him. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Smith said he needs to be more productive offensively and defensively because of a rash of injuries to fellow Hawks players. Right now, Smith is averaging about a block and a half a game, so reaching two blocks a game as an average is a reasonable expectation. Smith is almost as complete a player as you can get in fantasy basketball, so if you're going to move him, make sure you get a top-of-the-line point guard or shooting guard. With his recent production increase, I think it's fairly obvious to assume that Smith's ankle injury is behind him. If you still want to move Smith in a deal, I would target only high-end guards like Steve Nash, Deron Williams, Paul Pierce, Brandon Roy, Chauncey Billups or Kevin Durant.
Do you think DeAndre Jordan is worth picking up? Marcus Camby's injury may be serious and I have no idea when Zach Randolph gets back. After looking at his line the other night I'm thinking about picking him up, or should I not be concerned? A Rubins
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Dave: I'd grab Jordan if you've got the room. It appears Camby will be back much earlier than initially anticipated, so grabbing Jordan is merely a short-term option, but I'd make the move if you can afford to. Jordan definitely has the tools to give you the stats you need while Camby is out. Even if Camby returns over the next few games, the temptation of getting a double-double and some blocked shots is enough for me. Jordan is an athletic kid who already seems to be a defensive presence on the floor. He can block shots and rebound well, and when he does get the ball, he'll give you a good shot percentage.
I'm considering trading John Salmons for Carmelo Anthony. I'm in fifth place in a head-to-head league and my team, in my opinion, is pretty safe to make the playoffs. My thought process is that Anthony shot poorly at the beginning of the season and was bothered by his elbow, but now the broken hand has forced him to rest the elbow. I think it makes him healthier for the rest of the season and he'll improve his shot. Also, we used the standard ESPN categories, plus we add in double-doubles. Melo has an outside chance at a few of those whereas Salmons likely does not. Should I stomach the next 7-10 days of Melo being out for the long-term return on investment? Pbogira
Dave: I like your thought process on Anthony and think you're on the right track here. The news out now on the young forward is that he's been able to work on his shot and dribbling in a limited capacity, so it looks like he's one step closer to returning from the broken hand that has sidelined him since Jan. 5. Anthony is still targeting a Jan. 30 return, but at least we have a concrete date in sight. If you can get Melo for Salmons, that's a good deal for you, and you should make it happen. The double-double category only adds to Melo's value. To date, Melo has totaled seven double-doubles, while Salmons has only tallied one the entire season. I like Melo to improve his shot down the stretch and believe Salmons will have a hard time keeping up his current level of play.
Another owner in my league keeps offering me an extremely lopsided trade and I don't what to do about it. I would be giving up Chris Paul, Anderson Varejao, Ben Wallace and Zaza Pachulia for Michael Redd, Luol Deng, Tim Duncan, Raymond Felton, O.J. Mayo, Randy Foye, and Andrew Bynum. I have a huge lead over the other teams and I don't really want to mess with the make-up of my squad. I would also end up dropping Drew Gooden, Ben Gordon and Andrea Bargnani to make room. The main reason I'm getting this lopsided offer is because this is a keeper league and the other owner wants to pair Paul up with LeBron James. In case you can't use the link I provided, my team is: Chauncey Billups, Mo Williams, Jason Terry, Eric Gordon, Gerald Wallace, Bargnani, Gooden, Al Jefferson, Troy Murphy, Kenyon Martin, Varejao, Ben Wallace, and Pachulia, with Marco Belinelli on injured reserve. I would hate to trade Chris Paul and not get at least one player who is close in value. What would you advise me? Jon R.
Dave: I can understand why you don't want to mess with your current team structure considering your big lead on the rest of your leaguemates. Plus, Paul is arguably the best player in the league right now, and his value in a keeper league is incredibly high. The players you'd get in return in this deal are great, though, and overall you'd be winning this deal. However, I'm hesitant to tell you to deal Paul without looking at your league setup, how long you can hold keepers, and how many players you can keep from season to season. Without knowing this information, I'd pass on the trade. I know it's tough to pass up this kind of deal, but Paul is a franchise player for your fantasy squad, and I'm not going to tell you to deal him without knowing the specifics.
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