Austin Brown details some new waiver wire gems for you, including one mercurial head case with a lot of potential.

 In this slightly shortened Holiday filled week, things have gotten noticeably slower in the world of fantasy. Less basketball has equated to larger discrepancies in the amount of games played between fantasy squads in head to head leagues, which have lead to upsets, like the one that has currently befallen my team.
I’ll admit in a new way that I’m struggling with coming up with players for this article. Most guys eligible it appears I have already used and, because I don’t like repeats, I’ve started scrounging for guys in deeper leagues and ones whose opportunity is going to be quick or may have already passed.
So now that I have prefaced my insecurities efficiently, please enjoy what I have come up with for you this week.

Tyrus Thomas (Owned in 32 percent of all Yahoo! leagues) Thomas was suffering from a concussion last week but in the three games since his return, he’s averaged first round worthy stats. How do 12.3 points, 9 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2 blocks strike you? Bad news for all us waiver wire hawks is the main reason Thomas has been so impressive is because of the absence of Drew Gooden, who eats up 30 minutes per game, mostly from the same position. He’ll still see a good 20 plus minutes a nigh when Gooden returns in a game or two but the days of 30 plus minutes will be out the window. Thomas, who has worlds of potential, has been inconsistent fantasy wise his whole career. He’s a man in need of a confidence boost and this week may have done the trick.

Marco Belinelli (Owned in 22 percent of all Yahoo! leagues) Last week I managed not to put a Warriors player in my column, so maybe a few of you were wondering what was up. I’ve been hesitant to put Beli on here because as you know Don Nelson is crazy when it comes to his rotation. Finally though Nellie has shown a little consistency in sticking with the young Italian who has a striking resemblance to Rocky. He’s started the last six Warriors games and posted 15.8 PPG, 2.0 3PTM, 3.5 APG and 1.3 SPG. A few sources lead me to believe that Corey Maggette will be milking his hamstring injury for all it’s worth and, after missing most of December, he’s reported to be due back in a week or more. If he’s back along with Stephen Jackson and Jamal Crawford, minutes will be few and far between for Belinelli but for week 10, he’s looking like a good stream-in candidate.

Erick Dampier (Owned in 15 percent of all Yahoo! leagues) Damp has been solid all year, playing about the best ball he has since he went nuts in a Golden State Jersey during a contract year back in 2003-04. His 5.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in December don’t quite measure up to the 12, 12 and 2 he put up that one magical, money driven season, but in all reality when will he ever get there again? Nope, at this point in his career Damp is just a serviceable center in both fantasy and reality and seeing as how his enormously overvalued contract isn’t due up til he’s 36, I don’t ever see another great run in him.

Jarrett Jack (Owned in 10 percent of all Yahoo! leagues) Back spasms are what ail T.J. Ford. I know because his absence has helped to give my favorite fantasy squad its first losing week of the season. He was rumored to be ready to go Sunday but never made it because, as Tracy McGrady has exhibited well over the years, recovery time from back spasms is a tough thing to predict. Last week it was his groin that kept him out of a game. When a player on my team with a history of injury as long as Ford’s goes down for two separate injuries within a week I get worried, which is why Jack has popped onto my radar. The former Yellow Jacket is a great player in his own right, a starter on some teams in this league. This month he’s seen his minutes increase from 26 to 31 per game and his numbers have leapt to 11 PPG, 4.3 APG and 1.3 SPG to go with an 85 FT%. He’s a defensive stalwart, which reflects more in reality than in fantasy, but as he’s proven in Portland, he can string together some nice games under the right conditions.

Kyle Lowry (Owned in 6 percent of all Yahoo! leagues) Don’t look now but Lowry has started every game but one in December and even though he’s only averaged an additional two minutes a night from his sub days, the move appears to have given confidence to his game. His field goal shooting is up from 40 to 45 percent since the move and over the last week he’s turned it up a bit, averaging 10 points, 6.3 assists and 1 steal. Mike Conley likely isn’t going anywhere, which really cramps Lowry’s style, but grab him now in a deep league and along with his current solid production, you could benefit greatly later if an injury were to befall Conley, who missed 29 games in his last and only season.

Kosta Koufos / Kyrylo Fesenko (Owned in 2 percent and 0 percent of all Yahoo! leagues) Wow! Along with Carlos Boozer’s extended absence, the knee injury to Paul Millsap and the back spasms to Mehmet Okur really have depleted Utah’s front line. Never fear, one of these two guys in bold will fill in and thus produce fantasy worthy numbers. I haven’t decided which so I’ll leave that to you. Koufos is the much safer bet but Fesenko is more exciting since he saw 34 minutes Saturday and produced 12 and 11 in a close game against arguably the best center in the league, Yao Ming. That said, the reason he saw all that time was because Koufos fouled out and combine that with the fact that Coach Sloan isn’t exactly a rookie’s coach (they’re both rookies but Fesenko is much more of a rookie that Koufos is if you catch my drift). Koufos has averaged 16 and 6 with 1 STL and 1 BLK in his last two games, both of which he’s started. Both Millsap and Okur should be back by next week though so get in on one of these guys while there’s still value.

Austin Brown writes the weekly Jumping the Waiver Wire, an article that will help fantasy NBA managers everywhere pull the trigger on hot pickups throught the season. He also has a blog at www.efantasysportsblog.com .