Fantasy Basketball-Starting 5-January 26

Last night was a 13 game NBA extravaganza and if you loved OD-ing on pro hoops get ready for another major dose on Friday as this compressed schedule offers us another lucky 13 games. Tonight there’s just 2 games on tap as TNT has their Thursday night spotlight, but they’re some good games to watch as the Celtics and Magic square off in Orland and the Grizz visit the Clippers.

There was a little bit of everything last night… There wer upsets by underdogs on the road (Nets over Philly, Pacers over Bulls, Raptors over Jazz, and Bucks over Rockets), there were routes by teams that dominate at home (Thunder over Hornets, Spurs over Hawks), and there were even a win by the hapless Wizards, the formerly hapless Cavaliers, and the never-hapless Lakers.

With all this action we’re going to need 10 lists of 5 to get it all in so here they are:

Jan 25, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams (8) celebrates making the game winning shot in overtime against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Nets defeated the Sixers 97-90 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

5 30+point stars 

1. Deron Williams-NJ: D-will played 48 minutes in the Nets overtime road win in Philly. The Sixers were 8-1 at home coming into the game, but the Nets hung right with them all game then outscored them by 7 in the extra frame. Williams finished with 34 points (highest total of the night by anyone) and 11 assists with 4 rebounds. He gets our MVP-for-a-day Award.

2. Lebron James-Mia: James had 32 points with 6 boards, 7 assists, and 2 steals and hit some big FT’s late to help the Heat win again without Dwyane Wade and get to 13-5 on the year.

3. Stephen Curry-GS: Curry connected on 6 of 8 from downtown while scoring 32 points. He added 7 assists, 4 steals, and 6 boards. He helped the Warriors to get to 6-11 with their win over visiting Portland.

4. Paul Millsap-Uta: Millsap couldn’t prevent the Jazz from falling to 10-6 as they lost in double-OT to the suddenly-hot Raptors. The Jazz were without Al Jefferson which led to an increased role for Millsap. He finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block.

5. Kevin Love-Min: Love had 31 points, 10 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks as he led the Wolves into Dallas where they beat the Dirk-less Mavs to get to 8-10 on the year.

Jan 23, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA: Minnesota Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams (7) goes up for a layup past Houston Rockets center Samuel Dalembert (21) in the second half at Target Center. The Rockets won 107-92. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE

5 powerful double-doubles

1. Kris Humphries-NJ: Kris Humphries did his share of heavy-lifting in the Nets big road win as he finished with 19 boards and 13 points in his 46 minutes of action.

2. Samuel Dalembert-Hou: Dalembert continued his re-emergence in Houston. This time he grabbed a tidy 18 rebounds (6 offensive) while adding 2 blocks and 13 points. He’s a fixture in the middle in Houston and it should stay that way the rest of the season barring injury.

3. Anderson Verejao-Cle: Verejao played a huge 37 minutes against NY last night and finishing with 16 boards, 10 points, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. He helped the Cavs get to 7-10 with the win over the Knicks.

4. Amar’e Stoudemire-NY: Stoudemire had 19 points and 14 boards to go with 2 steals as he led another Knicks effort that fell short, this time in Cleveland. The loss drops the Knicks to 7-11 on the year; for perspective, the Cavs are 7-10.

5. DeMarcus Cousins-Sac: Cousins played just 33 minutes but had 17 points and 15 boards despite his horrible defense (NBA record 92 points against in the paint). Thankfully, fantasy owners aren’t docked for points allowed, but it could affect his playing time down the road.

Jan 2, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul (3) tries to separate his teammates from Los Angeles Lakers small forward Metta World Peace (15) point guard Derek Fisher (2) and guard Kobe Bryant (24) in the second half of the game at the Staples Center. Lakers won 96-91. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

5 dishing dimes

1. Monta Ellis-GS: Ellis only shot 9 times as he became the PG for the Warriors with Lee and Curry hitting everything. He finished with 12 assists, 3 steals, 2 boards, a block, and just 4 points. He was still a critical part in Golden State’s success even without scoring all their points.

2. Chris Paul-LAC: Paul dished 12 assists in his first game back from injury but could only score 4 points on 2-8 from the field. When he gets back to full strength, the Clippers will only be better and they looked pretty good even with this performance from CP3. We can only hope we get a all LA playoff series after the chippy play in last night’s game and the storylines that abound like in no other current rivalry. LA vs LA; this is gonna be good.

3. Ricky Rubio-Min: Rubio still is struggling shooting (4016) but had 12 assists to go with 17 points and a very nice 4 steals.

4. Andre Miller-Den: Miller had 15 points, 4 boards, 2 steals, and 10 assists in the Nuggets 122-93 win over the Kings.

5. Kyle Lowry-Hou: Lowry was horrible from the field (2-16) but had 10 assists, 8 rebounds, a block, and still managed to score 8 points in his 43 minutes of court time last night.

January 25, 2012; Sacramento, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets small forward Danilo Gallinari (8) drives in ahead of Sacramento Kings shooting guard John Salmons (5) during the second quarter at Power Balance Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

5 flashy forwards

1. Blake Griffin-LAC: Griffin had 26 points and 9 boards for the Clippers but had critical turnovers at the end for LA as they fell short of beating their cross-town rivals for the 2nd time this year and their record slid to 9-6.

2. Chris Bosh-Mia: Chris Bosh had another monster game with 27 points, 6 boards, 4 assists, and a steal while shooting an incredible 12-15 from the field, 1-1 from deep, and 2-2 from the line.

3. Danilo Gallinari-Den: Gallinari scored 23 points in 35 minutes while hitting 8-12 from the field and 1-2 from distance. All 5 of the Nuggets starters were in double figures, but Gallinari led them and added 3 blocks, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists.

4. David Lee-GS: Lee had 26 points on 12-21 shooting and added 5 boards, 3 assists, and a steal as the Warriors beat the Blazers to get to 6-11.

5. Andray Blatche-Was: Blatche scored 17 points to go with 10 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals as he helped the Wizards get their 3rd win of the year (all at home) over the depleted Bobcats. Maybe Randy Wittman is just what the Wizards needed…

5 hitting from distance

1. Kobe Bryant-LAL: Bryant hit 2-4 from deep but they were pivotal points as the Lakers came back in the 4th quarter to beat the Clippers and run their record to 11-8. Bryant finished with 24 points, 7 boards, 6 assists, and 7 turnovers.

2. Jimmer Fredette-Sac: Fredette hit 5 3-pointers  as he got the start in place of Marcus Thornton. He had 19 points, 3 assists, a board, and a steal. He’s only owned in 39 percent of leagues and if Thornton is out for a while he’ll have some pretty high value.

3. Danny Granger-Ind: Granger hit 3-4 from downtown on his way to scoring 22 points with 9 boards, 2 steals, and an assist as he helped the Pacers be the first team to go into the United Center and emerge with a win over the Bulls. The W got the Pacers to 12-5 on the year.

4. Brandon Jennings-Mil: Jennings hit 4-7 from deep on his way to 20 points and 6 assists for Milwaukee last night.

5. Matt Bonner-SA: Bonner came of the bench for the Spurs and provided the lift they needed with 17 points on 5 3-pointers and chipped in 3 boards and as assist as well. The Spurs move to 12-7 with the win.

5 scorers

1. Kevin Martin-Hou: Martin had 29 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal for Houston but the Rockets couldn’t overcome a bad shooting night for everyone besides Martin.

2. Derrick Rose-Chi: Rose had 24 points to go with 2 blocks, a steal, 3 asssists, and 3 boards but his Bulls fell just short against Indiana and fell to 16-4 overall.

3. Andrea Bargnani-Tor: Bargnani’s return has made all the difference for this team as they’ve won their last 2 games now after dropping the previous 8 and now sit at 6-13. The Italian center chipped in 25 points last night to go with 5 boards, 4 assists, and a block.

4. Jarrett Jack-NO: Jack had 20 points to go with 5 assists, a steal, and 2 boards. He shot an extremely efficient 6-14 from the field, 1-1 from 3-point territory, and 7-7 from the line.

5. Nick Young-Was: Young grabbed 2 rebounds and hit 7-18 to lead Washington with 20 points as they rolled over Charlotte.

Jan 25, 2012; Washington, DC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats power forward Tyrus Thomas (12) blocks the shot of Washington Wizards guard Nick Young (1) during the first half at the Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-US PRESSWIRE

5 contributing across the board

1. Kevin Durant-OKC: Durant led the Thunder to another victory at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. He finished with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. He’s become a beast across the board and helped his team get to 15-3 overall and an impressive 8-1 at home.

2. Tyrus Thomas-Cha: Thomas played 33 minutes scoring 13 points while piling up the peripherals. He had 9 boards, an assist, 4 steals and a NBA-season-high 9 blocks. He’s only owned in 17.8 percent of leageus so as he gets back into the flow of things he may become someone worth adding.

3. Roy Hibbert-Ind: Hibbert had 20 points on 9-14 from the field to go with 8 boards, a steal, and 4 big blocks. He’s emerged as one of the best Centers in the East and is a big part of Indiana’s early success.

4. Pau Gasol-LAL: Gasol riled things up in the Staples Center and got into it with Chris Paul while also adding 23 points, 10 boards, 4 assists, a steal, and a block. This is the Gasol the Lakers need if they want to succeed in the playoffs.

 5. Jeff Teague-Atl: Teague had 5 rebounds, 3 steals, a block and 20 points as he did all he could in his 29 minutes but the Hawks fell to 13-6.

5 bench contributors

1. Austin Daye-Det: Daye played 30 minutes off the bench against the Heat and came up huge with 28 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal. Most of the extra PT was due to the absence of Tayshaun Prince so his role going forward remains to be seen. He’s not worth an add yet except in super-deep formats, but keep an eye on how Detroit uses him going forward. Last night, he Pistons hung right with Miami but fell just short and dropped to  4-15 on the year.

2. Lou Williams-Phi: Whilliams was the only Sixer hitting consistently against New Jersey and finished with 17 points, 6 assists, a rebound, and a steal for Philadelphia. The loss dropped Philly to 12-6 on the season.

3. Stephen Jackson-Mil: Jackson came off the bench again last night, but this time stayed in and played 30 minutes. He hit 3-6 from deep and 8-16 overall. He finished with 20 points, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block to lead Milwaukee past the Rockets in Houston and get to 7-10 on the season.

4. James Harden-OKC: Harden had 18 points, 6 assists, a steal, and a rebound off the Thunder bench.

5. Andrew Goudelock-LAL: Goudelock had a career-high 14 points in a career-high 20 minutes. He added 2 boards to his 5-8 shooting and 2-3 from downtown. His role going forward may be limited but with games like this he may carve out a spot in the rotation for the Lake-show.

5 struggling shooters

1.Kemba Walker-Cha: Walker hit just 4-19 shots and missed all 4 from beyond the arc as he finished with just 8 points to go with 4 assists, 6 rebounds, and a steal.

2. Gordon Hayward-Uta: Hayward hit just 1-9 for 2 points in 37 minutes for the Jazz last night. He did pick up some decent peripherals with 7 rebounds 3 assists, 2 steals, and a blocked shot.

3. Raymond Felton-Por: Felton shot just 2-10 for 5 points but did finish with 7 assists, a steal, and a block.

4. Toney Douglas-NY: Douglas played 25 minutes off the bench but shot just 3-12 from the field and 2-8 from deep. He added 2 steals, 3 assists, and a rebound.

5. Carmelo Anthony-NY: Anthony again struggled from the field with 5-14 and 0-3 from deep. He finished with 15 points (much better than the 1 he had last game). He also added 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and a block. Unlike the last game though, the Knicks didn’t win as they couldn’t beat the Cavs in Cleveland.

January 25, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) dunks during the first overtime period against the Toronto Raptors at EnergySolutions Arena. Toronto defeated Utah 111-106 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

5 to consider adding

1. Derrick Favors-Uta: Favors got a rare start with Al Jefferson out and made the best of it with 12 rebounds, 16 points, an assist, a steal, and a block. He played a season-high 42 minutes and won’t get nearly that much when Jefferson returns. He does make a great short-term add though and could see an expanded role going forward. He is available in over 90 percent of leagues.

2. Ronnie Brewer-Chi: Although Chicago lost, the roll Ronnie Brewer played for the injured Luol Deng had to help Bulls fans breathe easier after Deng went down with a fairly serious wrist injury. Brewer finished with 20 points, 10 boards, 5 assists, and 3 steals while playing a team-high 42 minutes. He’s available in over 98 percent of leagues and makes a great short-term add for points and some extras but don’t expect that many rebounds to be too regular since he’s undersized for the SF position.

3. Derrick Williams-Min: Williams may have been dropped in your league do to a slow start. He’s available in 65 percent of leagues ans is now starting opposite K-Love as a small forward. Lst night he had 10 points, 6 boards, and 2 assists without a turnover. With Michael Beasley still out and Wes Johnson sick, Rick Adelman hasn’t had much choice but to use Williams in that spot and as long as he does Williams has some serious value.

4. Tiago Splitter-SA: I keep telling you that Splitter is legit. He had 16 points, 8 boards, 2 assists, and a block in the Spurs romp over the Hawks.  He made 5-6 from the field and 6-7 from the line as he accrued his stats in just 20 minutes of playing time. Despite me over-hyping Splitter a little he’s still just owned in 12.6 percent. He’s had ast least 6 boards and 10 points in his last 5 games.

5. Linus Kleiza-Tor: When he’s played, he’s put up numbers. He’s had 16 points 2 games ago and 10 boards in the Raptors previous game. Last night he hit 4 3′s and scored 25 points to go with 5 boards and a steal. His rebounding and scoring numbers make him far more valuable than being owned in just 0.7 percent of leagues.

Tags: Deron Williams, fantasy basketball advice, fantasy basketball recap, LA vs LA, Lebron James, NBA Recap, Starting 5, Stephen Curry, Waiver Wire