Week 4 Start 'Em and Sit 'Em

Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is our weekly look at players around the NBA we feel could help or hurt your Fantasy squad based upon matchups and other factors. Don't expect to read about why you should start LeBron James or why you should sit Brian Scalabrine. In this space, we will try to help you make the call on players you could be on the fence about while also pointing out some players you may not have thought about sitting, but you should consider doing so.

Start of the Week

The Miami Heat hasn't gotten the return they would have hoped for from Michael Beasley during his year-and-change in the league, but there is still time for that to change. Well, there is no time like the present.

Beasley has not quite lived up the hype that surrounded him coming out of Kansas State, where he was arguably the best player in college basketball during the 2007-08 season. Since choosing to forgo his last three years of NCAA eligibility, he has made more headlines for off-the-court trouble than for his play. His progression as an NBA player has come along slower than anyone -- including himself -- would have liked as other players in his draft class like Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo and Russell Westbrook have flourished in the league. But signs are pointing to him finally becoming an impact player. In fact, things are finally looking like they could go his way enough that we are making him our Start of the Week for Fantasy Week 4 (Nov. 16-22).

Beasley started in just 19 of 81 games as a rookie, but he's started in every game so far for the Heat this season. The problem, at least early on, has been that the Heat had been taking him out of the game in critical junctures.

Udonis Haslem has gotten off to a great start this season and he's taken a lot of Beasley's minutes, leading to some erratic stat lines. In recent games, however, Beasley's minutes have gone up and so have his shot attempts.

Beasley attempted 17 shots in three straight games this past week, second only to Dwyane Wade. Beasley attempted that many shots in just 11 regular season games last year.

The increase in shot attempts for Beasley included a solid 24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 threes and a block against the Cavaliers on Friday night for Beasley. He saw 38 minutes in that game and was on the floor throughout the 111-104 loss to the Cavaliers. On Saturday night, he didn't fare so well offensively as he finished with only 7 points to go with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block. But Beasley, despite making only three shots, still attempted 17 in the game.

That's a good sign.

The Heat will play four games in Fantasy Week 4. Three of those opponents are allowing 100-plus points per game. The Raptors and Hornets allow around 105 points per game and New Orleans is a team in disarray that just allowed four different players to score at least 17 points against them Saturday against Atlanta.

The matchups bode well for Beasley being involved even if the team is at full strength with Haslem and O'Neal getting their share of touches as the Heat figure to be in the triple digits more often than not this week. The first matchup against Oklahoma City could be low-scoring, but things should get a lot better after that. And if O'Neal doesn't return in time for that game on Tuesday, which is possible, Beasley's numbers would be that much better.

If O'Neal's hip injury lingers, the Heat will have no choice but to use both Beasley and Haslem heavily in the front court as they did Saturday against the Nets. But even if it doesn't the Heat are certainly showing more confidence in their emerging young superstar.

Beasley is also surprisingly efficient. He averaged just 1.5 turnovers per game as a rookie and is averaging just 1.4 per game so far this season. Even in these past few games, where he's been getting more touches, he has not committed many turnovers. He had none on Thursday against Cleveland and none again Saturday against the Nets.

The production Beasley offers across the stat line is also part of the reason he was such an attractive option coming out of college, and also why he was compared to a player like Shawn Marion -- a Rotisserie beast during his prime years. Beasley is offering around 1.5 steals per game to go with a block in just about every game this season. He still needs to improve on his consistency from beyond the arc, but he also helps your free-throw percentage (84.6 percent from the foul line this season) and despite what Saturday's 3 for 17 showing would indicate, he is usually a positive impact to your field-goal percentage as well (he shot 47.2 percent from the field last season).

Beasley, in many ways, is also important to the Heat's chances of keeping Wade around. Wade will certainly analyze the team's chances for the future and Beasley is the team's biggest building block. The Heat will want to make sure he's a selling point when they come to negotiate with their franchise player this upcoming summer and would also like to make him appealing to the rest of the superstar free agent class of 2010.

We expect Beasley to start stepping into the shoes that were laid out for him coming out of Kansas State and we are finally beginning to see signs of that with the Heat making him a bigger part of their offense. He isn't yet a Fantasy regular, but those days could be coming soon.

Week 4 could be the beginning of that, and Fantasy owners should be ready to take advantage.

Sit of the Week

Fantasy owners have been waiting anxiously to activate Wizards power forward Antawn Jamison. Despite his anticipated return, it's not a bad idea to wait one more week to do so.

Jamison has missed the first three weeks of the regular season due to a shoulder injury he sustained in the preseason. An illness kept him from making his season debut Saturday, which could have been a good chance for Fantasy owners to gauge how ready he was to be activated for Week 4.

Many times, Fantasy owners are quick to activate prominent Fantasy owners -- with good reason -- as soon as they are healthy enough to suit up. But, often, long absences lead to rusty performances as even the best of players could take a while to get into a rhythm as they try to get their "playing legs back under them," a common phrase used around the league when players come back from long absences.

Case in point: Denver's J.R. Smith. He was out so long he almost changed his name. Smith served a 7-game suspension to begin the season and returned this past week with a clunker. He shot 1 of 9 from the field and finished with just 5 points in the game. His next two performances were much better, but there was clearly some rust to shake off in the first game.

Jamison will play three games in Week 4 and the matchups he will face won't help matters much, either. The Wizards will face the Cavaliers, Thunder and Spurs. The Cavaliers and Thunder have both been allowing under 93 points per game. When the Spurs are your most favorable matchup, it's probably not going to be a big offensive week.

The Wizards have gotten decent contributions from players like Andray Blatche and Brendan Haywood in Jamison's absence and they'll have no problem leaning on them some again this week in an effort to bring Jamison along slowly so he doesn't suffer any setbacks.

In other words, don't expect a full helping of Jamison just yet. So if you've gotten along alright without him these first few weeks, it's possible you could do so for one more scoring period.

Guards

Start 'Em

Andre Miller (@ATL, DET, @GS, MIN): Miller got off to a very slow start this season due to the fact he was coming off the bench behind Steve Blake. But he's starting to get his groove back as a starter and while his numbers may not equal the production he offered in Denver or Philadelphia (which is why we had him pegged as a bust going into the season) he can still provide some well-rounded stat lines. He is averaging 12.8 points, 4.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds over his last five games. The Blazers have very favorable matchups this week against three teams that allow over 100 points per game.

Rodney Stuckey (@LAL, @POR, @UTA, @PHO): Stuckey's numbers have stayed solid thanks to the absence of Richard Hamilton. He is averaging 15.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists over his last five games and Hamilton won't return until after the team's upcoming road trip. The trip includes two favorable matchups against teams that allow 100-plus points, including a Suns team that allows 107.1 points per game.

Sleeper alert: Devin Brown (LAC, PHO, ATL, @MIA): A recent promotion into the starting lineup, along with an ankle injury that threatens to sideline Chris Paul for a couple of weeks, makes Brown a sleeper for deep leagues. Darren Collison (another sleeper this week) is getting the starts at point guard, but Brown could also be used some at the point and could see an increase in assists. Brown scored 25 points with 5 rebounds, 5 threes and 2 assists on Nov. 9 at the Clippers and while it would be foolish to expect that out of him with any consistency, he'll certainly have an opportunity for his numbers to increase. The Hornets have some favorable matchups this week against three teams that allow 100-plus points per game.

Sit 'Em

Larry Hughes (@LAL, @SAC, @DEN, ORL): Hughes put up some quality numbers the last couple of weeks while Nate Robinson sat out due to injury. In Robinson's first game back Friday, Hughes was held to just 3 points -- and that was against the Warriors in a game where the Knicks scored 107 points. Robinson wasn't much of a factor yet as he was a little rusty, but his role will only expand as he is further removed from his injury and the Knicks will now be rotating Toney Douglas, Robinson and Hughes. His solid run has ended for now.

Stephen Curry (@ATL, @BOS, POR): Curry did have a decent line Saturday night at Milwaukee (14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 threes), but he had been held under 10 points in his previous six games and had played just three minutes against the Knicks on Friday. The injury to Kelenna Azubuike does create a void where Curry could step up, but the team's matchups in Week 4 in a three-game week that includes two games against the two top defensive teams in the NBA this year makes this a week to reserve him and observe his progress.

Bust Alert: Manu Ginobili (@DAL, UTA, WAS): The Spurs relied heavily on Ginobili while Tony Parker was out, but now that he is back Ginobili's numbers stand to decline. With Parker back on Saturday, Ginobili scored just 7 points in 18 minutes. The Spurs will play a three-game slate that includes two games against teams that allow under 100 points per game. If you've got a comparable alternative with better matchups, go that route.

Forwards

Start 'Em

Charlie Villanueva (@LAL, @POR, @UTA, @PHO): Much like Stuckey, Villanueva has stepped up in a big way with injuries to Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince. Villanueva has turned into a go-to scorer for the time being, averaging 16 shots in his last five games and is absolutely a must-start with these matchups and his current run. He's a very streaky player, so take advantage of this hot streak while it lasts.

Udonis Haslem (OKC, @ATL, @TOR, NO): Haslem has been very productive this season for the Heat, despite a role off the bench. If Jermaine O'Neal's hip injury lingers into the week, however, he could see more games like he had Saturday against the Nets (28 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists). Even if he doesn't however, Haslem should remain around the 12.4 points and 9.7 rebounds he has averaged this season over the course of a four-game week that includes three games against teams that allow 100-plus points.

Sleeper alert: Carl Landry (PHO, @MIN, @ATL, SAC): Landry hit a bit of a speed bump against Sacramento Friday, but had scored at least 19 points in four straight games coming into the weekend. He has become the team's best scoring presence off the bench and the lack of depth in the paint for Houston has created a big role for him. He has been good for around 15 points and 5 rebounds on most nights and that should continue during the team's upcoming four game week that includes four games against teams that allow over 100 points.

Sit 'Em

John Salmons (@SAC, @LAL, @DEN): Salmons is shooting horribly from the field early on this season, managing just 31.7 percent from the field. His numbers have struggled across the board and a resurgence from Luol Deng isn't helping matters much. Until Salmons can get back to the level that allowed him to average 18-4-3 last season, he should be viewed as the low-end starter his current numbers are reflecting.

Elton Brand (CHA, MEM, @CLE): Brand looks like a lost cause in Philadelphia. He is averaging just 8.6 points and 5.0 rebounds over his last five games and while he did have a couple of big games early on this season, it seems like the days when he averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds won't ever be repeated in Philly. A three-game slate that includes two games against teams that allow under 92 points per game is a perfect excuse to reserve him while you figure out what you want to do with him.

Bust Alert: Ron Artest (DET, CHI, OKC): Much like Salmons, Artest's numbers have been far below his averages from last season. For Artest it's not necessarily due to bad play, however. He is adapting to a lesser offensive role and is averaging under 10 shots per game. The Lakers will play three tough defensive teams that rank fifth, sixth and seventh in terms of fewest points allowed per game in Week 4.

Centers

Start 'Em

Greg Oden (@ATL, DET, @GS, MIN): Slowly but surely, Oden is becoming a solid all-around center and a productive Fantasy option. He continues to have problems with foul trouble, but has been putting up good rebound and block numbers all season. It has been his scoring that has been slow to come around. He's averaged 11.8 points over his last five games, however, and when you add that to his rebounds and blocks, it makes for a solid No. 2 center. Matchups against Golden State and Minnesota should do wonders for his production this week.

Anderson Varejao (GS, @WAS, @IND, PHI): Varejao is not coming off a strong week for him, but his production should pick up this week thanks to some very favorable matchups for the Cavs. The Cavs will face three opponents that allow over 100 points per game. The Warriors allow the most points and rebounds to opponents per game. The Cavs are utilizing him off the bench, but Varejao continues to see around 30 minutes per game. He could average around 10 points and 10 rebounds per game this week.

Sleeper alert: Rasheed Wallace (GS, ORL, @NY): The Celtics have two of the most favorable matchups imaginable in Fantasy against the Warriors and Knicks and despite this being a three-game week, 'Sheed could put up some useful numbers as he will play a couple of teams in the Warriors and Knicks that have trouble defending the perimeter. Expect him to hit more than just a few three pointers this week. The Warriors and Knicks each allow over 110 points per game and blowouts are possible, which would mean more playing time for the second unit.

Sit 'Em

Channing Frye (@HOU, @NO, DET): Frye has been a pleasant surprise for Fantasy owners this season, playing a vital part in the Suns' offense. However, his numbers have been far better at home than they have been on the road. He is averaging 20.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks at home, but only 9.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.8 blocks on the road. The Suns play two of their three games in Week 4 away from home.

Andray Blatche (CLE, @OKC, @SA): The Wizards have gotten more than they could have hoped for out of Blatche while Jamison has been out, as he has managed 14.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. But with Jamison returning this week, his numbers should take a big hit. As we mentioned above, the Wizards could choose to let Jamison back into the mix slowly, but Blatche's numbers against three tough defensive opponents could be limited to begin with. Don't cut him yet, but it's time to ween yourself off Andray.

Bust Alert: Al Jefferson (HOU, @POR): The Timberwolves are the only NBA team slated for just two games in Week 4. Fantasy owners in average-based play won't have to worry about this, but cumulative-league owners will have to at least consider reserving their No. 1 center this week. He was drafted to be a No. 1, but his numbers have been more along those of a No. 2 option anyway (15.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 0.9 blocks). His numbers should improve the further he is removed from his major knee injury suffered last season, but consider benching him for a four-start center if he has good matchups.

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