RADIO
RISER: Everyone who plays for the Charlotte Hornets.
FALLER: Everyone who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies
Alright, thanks for reading this week's column! Good luck with your playoff matches. See you next week.
...
Oh, is that not enough? Well, this past week has made it feel like the Hornets can do anything -- Dwight Howard going for 32 and 30 and then, with Dwight out due to a one game suspension, Charlotte following that up by beating the Grizzlies by 61. Memphis is getting this tanking thing right. I was worried that the return of Tyreke Evans would screw things up and make the team good enough to accidentally win some games, but...61 points.
Here are some potential risers and fallers heading into Week 24 of the NBA season.
Risers for Week 24
RISER: Cristiano Da Silva Felicio (C, CHI)
While the Bulls haven't been producing much in terms of "quality basketball" lately, Felicio has really come into his own over the team's last three games. 10 points and 10 rebounds against Cleveland, 17 points and six rebounds against the Knicks, and 16 points and five rebounds against the Nuggets. He's doing it all on very efficient numbers as well, as he's shot above 50 percent from the field in each of his last four games, and shot 75 percent or better in three of those. As bleak as things look for Chicago, Felicio has been a bright point.
RISER: Dwight Howard (C, CHA)
There will be NO Dwight Howard slander coming from me. I know the popular thing over the past few years has been to joke about Howard and say things like "is he really a Hall of Fame caliber player?" Yes, Twitter anons, he is, and Howard has been on fire in March. There was the 32 point, 30 rebound game this week, but that game isn't even an anomaly when you look at what he's been doing. He's had four games this month with 30 or more points after not having any this season before March. The 30 rebound game with his sixth game this season with 20 or more rebounds. Oh, and Howard was hit with a one game suspension, which leaves me feeling like maybe...maybe...he's going to come back with a vengeance against the Mavericks.
RISER: Corey Brewer (F, OKC)
Corey Brewer's scoring is something I question (see below), but there's no denying how active he is on defense. If you need steals right now, Brewer is your man for that, as he's had multiple steals in his last five games. Can he give you more than that? Keep reading!
RISER: Danny Green (G, SAS)
While we're looking at individual categories, Danny Green has three multi-block games in his last five games, including six blocks against the Pelicans and three against the Wizards. His shot has been off lately, but he gives you three pointers at a decent rate. Just be careful, because Green can hurt you in field goal percentage even as he helps you in those other two categories.
Fallers for Week 24
FALLER: Actually Really Any Memphis Player (G/F/C, MEM)
There are guys on the Grizzlies that I like -- I've talked a lot about Dillon Brooks this year and JaMychal Green still has a spot on my fantasy teams -- but I can't in good conscience tell you to trust any of them for fantasy purposes. The rotations are too erratic. Knowing who will end up sitting each night is too much of a headache. At this point in the season, you want to know what you have in your fantasy lineups and nothing about this Grizzlies teams says guaranteed. There are other places to look for fantasy help, even if you do miss out on a couple of good games from various Memphis players. (Don't worry, they'll follow up their good game with another one in which they won't see the floor.)
FALLER: Corey Brewer (G, OKC)
Hey look, Brewer is both a riser and a faller! This might be a bold prediction since Brewer has been playing well lately, but I have a long history with Brewer and with watching him play basketball games and things like his 22 point, six steal night against the Clippers are an anomaly. Expect more like what he did against the Raptors -- 10 points, two rebounds, no assists. Brewer has one thing going for him right now, which is his high rate of getting steals. If you need just that, play him. If you need to rely on him for points, field goal percentage, and other things? I don't like it.
FALLER: Derrick Rose (G, MIN)
I'm breaking my NO INJURED PLAYERS rule to talk about Rose, who is set to miss two games with an ankle sprain. Derrick Rose is not good. His 14 point night against Houston might persuade you pick him up and play him because of the name recognition, but no...Derrick Rose is not good. He's a huge negative on the court for Minnesota, which would make most teams pin him to the bench. Of course, the Timberwolves will keep sending him out there to play as the backup to Jeff Teague. They, uhh, shouldn't, and you shouldn't have him in your lineups either.
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