 "Photo: MCT Campus")
I write to you this week a defeated man.
My head hangs low, my confidence lies in shambles, my pride is shot.
I went 0-5 this week in fantasy football. Zero. And. Five. Basically, everything I've written to you during the past six weeks is a sham. I'm not worth the paper this is printed on.
But I must pull myself from the pits of depression and do my job. Which, apparently, is to tell you how to ruin your own fantasy teams, like I've done mine.
However, seeing as fantasy basketball starts in a week, I consider this my chance to redeem myself.
Here is a list of 15 major sleepers for fantasy purposes. Some of these might be late first-round grabs, some might be last-round must-haves. And if you don't think I'm bitter to be writing this before my first draft, you're wrong. Now, all my Daily Aztec League opponents will have my cheat sheet.
It's OK, though, I'll just rip them off in trades later in the season.
In descending order, here are the ballers you must target.
Hey, at least I was right on Frank Gore. You have to give me that.
15. Shane Battier, forward, Houston Rockets. Battier is an ideal option for a utility position in a 10-team league. Battier's statistics have risen across the board as his minutes have increased, and on a talented Rockets team, Battier's assists should skyrocket.
14. Jermaine O'Neal, forward/center, Indiana Pacers. The question with O'Neal is not talent but health. If he plays 70-plus games, he'll be a steal in the late-second round.
13. Stephon Marbury, guard, New York Knicks. Two years ago, Marbury was a guaranteed top-15 pick. Now, in Yahoo! Leagues, he's averaging the No. 54 pick. Offensively, he's too talented to go anywhere but up, so averages of 18 points, 6.5 assists and one 3-pointer a game are not out of the question.
12. Danny Granger, forward, Indiana Pacers. Granger has been a favorite of mine since he played for New Mexico. If he gets 28 minutes per game, he'll get 11 points and six boards. Not bad for a guy averaging the 109th pick in Yahoo!
11. Peja Stojakovich, forward, New Orleans Hornets. Peja had a mini-rebirth last year with the Pacers after a midseason trade. With a full year alongside Chris Paul, expect it to continue.
10. Tim Duncan, forward/center, San Antonio Spurs. Duncan, like O'Neal, is all about injuries. He'll be pissed off this year for being overlooked and will be a monster. Good ol' Two-Head will average 23 points and 11 boards.
9. Charlie Villanueva, forward, Milwaukee Bucks. Villanueva surprised everyone by going as the No. 7 pick to Toronto last year. He further shocked hoop heads with rookie averages of 13 points and 6.4 boards. He'll find more offense next to Andrew Bogut with the Bucks.
8. Mehmet Okur, forward/center, Utah Jazz. Okur came out of the gate on fire for the Jazz, and he'll be singing the same tune this year. The Jazz could surprise folks, but it will come down to Okur and Carlos Boozer.
7. Kirk Hinrich, guard, Chicago Bulls. Hinrich's point per game totals have risen steadily, and his assists have stayed in the mid-six range for three years. The Bulls will be an East beast this year, and Hinrich will lead the way.
6. Josh Smith, guard, Atlanta Hawks. Smith is athletic. Smith is young. Smith is talented. There is nothing not to like about him. I implore you to draft him. He'll win you a league if he's available in the early fourth round.
5. Brandon Roy, guard, Portland Trailblazers. Rookie of the Year. Done.
4. Josh Howard, guard/forward, Dallas Mavericks. Howard's good for 17 points and seven boards a game this year as he becomes more integral to the Dallas offense. Owner Mark Cuban rewarded him with a monster contract, but he won't become passive.
3. Jameer Nelson, guard, Orlando Magic. Nelson will probably be among the 16th-to-19th point guards taken. If you pass on one of the top-flight PGs, skip Jason Terry and Mike James and take Nelson.
2. Channing Frye, center, New York Knicks. On the shoot, shoot and shoot some more Knicks, you might not think their center would be a solid pick. But Frye can run with the best of them, and he'll play a major role in their 35-win season.
1. Darko Milicic, forward, Orlando Magic. I've had a torrid love affair with Darko for several years. I thought he was ruined by the Pistons' talent and by Larry Brown's dislike of rookies. With the Magic, who will raise eyebrows everywhere, Milicic will be a major surprise. Expect 15 points and eight rebounds.
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If anybody is interested in joining a Daily Aztec reader league, along with me, Sports Editor Devin Kunysz and Assistant Sports Editors Joe Giovannetti and Milos Blagojevic, the Yahoo! League ID is 150484. The password: dapaper (all lowercase). We'll limit the league to 12 teams, and the draft is set for 2 p.m. next Monday.
-Jon Gold is a journalism senior.
-This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.
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