Five pickups readily available in most leagues…

1. Jordan Crawford-PG-SG/Wizards- He’s scored in double-digits in eight of his last nine games and should be considered a must add in all leagues. He can play the 2 behind Nick Young or the 1 behind John Wall. The Wizards are a meager 2-16 this season so there’s plenty of minutes to go around. In his last five games, Crawford has averaged 16.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1 three in just under 26 minutes a game. He is only owned in 20% of Yahoo! leagues.

#15 Jordan Crawford goes up for an off-balanced jumper vs the T-Wolves. Photo: zimbio.com

2. Bismark Biyombo-PF-Bobcats- The forward with the unusual name is last year’s 1st round, (7th all around) pick of the Sacramento Kings. For now we are recommending that you take a flier on Biyombo as his biggest enemy is not the opponent he faces but his minutes. He’s gotten a few more of them over the last three games and although just a small sampling, has averaged 8.7 points, 6 boards, and 2.7 blocks while shooting 86% from the field. His greatest strength lies in his shot blocking ability where he has blocks of 4, 4 and 5 in minimal time in three games this year. He is widely available and should be watched.

3. Jodie Meeks-SG-76ers- Meeks is someone to be considered in deeper leagues and in particular for those in need of three’s and points. The 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft out of Kentucky and starting 76er shooting guard, currently has the 14th most threes in the league. He’s spotty and inconsistent but the three’s (he has 10 in his last 4 games including tonight’s) are what makes him serviceable when needed. Meeks is owned in 37% of Yahoo! leagues.

4. O.J. Mayo-SG-Grizzles- Mayo is shooting just under 49% from downtown this season, fifth best in the NBA. He was involved in trade talks earlier in the season, but recently has been on a tear. In his last three games, he’s averaged 16.0 points, 3.3  threes, 3 assists, and 1 steal while he has been instrumental in helping Memphis during their recent winning streak, (6 in a row). Available in 53% of Yahoo! leagues, O.J. should be a must add in 12 team leagues and greater.

5. Leandro Barbosa-PG-SG-Raptors- Barbosa has scored in double-digits in eight of his last nine games and has now scored at least 17 points in five of his last six. The Raptors, sitting at 4-17, could use all the offense it can muster and the backup to SG DeMar DeRozan can certainly light it up! He can give managers threes and steals, lots of free throws, and of course, points. In 12 team leagues he is a must add and is only owned in about 1/4 of Yahoo! leagues. That is sure to change…

#20 Raptors' guard Leandro Barbosa drives for the net against Hornet Carl Landry. Photo: Toronto Star