FANTASY FURNACE

Five Sleeper candidates widely available in Yahoo! leagues…

1) CARL LANDRY-SF/PF-Hornets- Landry will slip in to the slot vacated by David West and if Monday’s game against the Suns is any indication of what to expect from him, then he should be considered a must add in all leagues. In his first game, against Phoenix,, Landry played 33 minutes and scored 14 points, had 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist. The 1st pick in the second round of the 2007 draft, Landry is available in 70% of Yahoo! leagues.

#24 PF Carl Landry drives the baseline against Suns' Marklieff Morris in Monday's game. He finished with 14 points. Photo: Paul Connors/AP

2. SPENCER HAWES-C-76ers- Surely after last night’s game against Portland, real savvy managers will be looking to pick up this former 1st rounder out of Washington, but temper your expectations a bit. He played 39 minutes in the first game of the season but might settle in on 25-28 the rest of the way depending on how effective he’ll be. Hawes is  coming off of a near triple double vs the Blazers on Monday, 10-14-9. Widely available in 75% of Yahoo! leagues, the 7 foot center should be a reliable sleeper candidate and is the best sleeper C currently available. Don’t wait on him too long…

#00 C Spencer Hawes scoring 2 of his 10 points vs the Blazers on Monday Night. Photo: Zimbio.com

3. JONAS JEREBKO-SF/PF-Pistons- In the 2009-10 season, F Jerebko started 73 games and was eager to begin this season with a year under his belt. (A torn Achilles’ tendon prevented him from seeing any playing time in 2010-11). His first action this year saw him start in place of F Charlie Villanueva who is serving a suspension levied against him from last season. However even after he returns, after missing another 2 games, Jerebko should still continue to be the starter. In his first game back he shot 7 for 11 for 17 points in 38 minutes and added a steal, a block, and an assist. Take a flier on him until you have a higher comfort level. He’s available in 85% of Yahoo leagues.

#33 F Jonas Jerebko in action vs. the Indiana Pacers has been eager to resume his career following a torn Achilles last year. Photo: Getty Images

4. JEFF TEAGUE-PG/SG-Hawks- This 1st rounder in the 2009 draft played back up for the past two seasons and has now been given the starting nod for the Hawks. Veteran Kirk Hinrich (shoulder) will be out for another 3-4 weeks and Teague appears poised to stay in the starting role even after Hinrich’s return. He’s had a sore ankle but played Tuesday against the Nets in a blowout and his minutes, like all his teammates, were reduced to bring in some bench players. He still managed to score 13 points, three 3’s, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in 24 minutes. He said after the game that his ankle was still sore but you would never know it with that performance. He’s available in 60 % of Yahoo! leagues. If you need a sleeper guard- Teague’s your man.

#O G Jeff Teague goes up for a layup vs the Nets. An ideal sleeper candidate this season. Photo: (Lesser/AP)

5) JAMES JOHNSON-SF/PF-Raptors- If your team is not in dire need of points and you would like someone to fill up most of your other categories, Johnson could help give you an edge in your league. This favorite sleeper of the Furnace will thrive in rebounds, steals, blocks, and even some assists! Starter Rasual Butler has been ineffective scoring 9 points in Toronto’s first 2 games while Johnson has gotton the bulk of the minutes coming off the bench. At some point it would be hard to believe that he won’t usurp Butler and take over the starting slot permanently. He’s averaged close to 33 minutes in his first two games compiling 11 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 8 steals, and 5 blocks. THAT’S a stat sheet! Amazingly, he’s available in 90% of yahoo! leagues. He’s one of the best kept secrets in fantasy basketball this season.

#2 Forward James Johnson blocks a shot by Cleveland Cavaliers center Ryan Hollins last night. Toronto set a franchise record with nine blocks on the night. (US Presswire)