Position Battles "Head's up"

Atlanta Hawks
Speedy Claxton vs Tyronn Lue
Claxton continues to start but Lue continues to log more minutes and has clearly been the better fantasy player to this point and this situation figures to stay that way until Claxton stays healthy and finds his shot.

Boston Celtics
Ryan Gomes vs Al Jefferson
Gomes is still getting most of the playing time as Jefferson recovers from injuries, but I see Jefferson as the more valuable player towards the end of the year. Keep an eye on this one.

Charlotte Bobcats
Gerald Wallace vs Sean May
May has been on fire as of late and with Wallace injuring his hip on Wednesday, May could take over in the starting lineup. With the way May has been playing, he may not let go of the starting job so soon either.

Chicago Bulls
Chris Duhon vs Ben Gordon
Gordon continues to play well coming off the bench, but I think Chicago likes the idea of bringing him off the pine for instant offense. So don't look for Gordon to regain the starting job, but both are getting sufficient playing time to be effective so feel free to play both of them.

Detroit Pistons
Nazr Mohammed vs Antonio McDyess
Mohammed's starting job is safe but they average about the same playing time. Mohammed is averaging 2 more ppg than McDyess but that is the only difference right now.

Golden State Warriors
Golden State is a crapshoot right now. With Nellie running the show, Richardson and Davis being perpetually banged up, and the emergence of Monta Ellis, Pietrus, and Barnes, there is almost no way to predict who is going to get more PT. The only sure thing going forward is Andris Biedrins at C. Good luck!

Houston Rockets
There aren't really any battles here but just a heads up. Luther Head is playing about 26 minutes a game and is shooting 48% from distance, averaging 2.3 treys per game. He is tied for 8th in the league in 3's made. If you need 3's, run to your free agent list and pick this guy up!

Indiana Pacers
Jeff Foster vs Danny Granger
Foster has been a solid rebounder as of late and Danny Granger has lost his starting job, but will continue to receive ample PT. Keep an eye on this situation as the starting five may depend on match-ups with the opposition.

Los Angelas Lakers
Kwame Brown vs Andrew Bynum
With Kwame Brown now starting for the Lakers, Bynum's value has dropped considerably. If there's someone you want on your free agent list, you can afford to drop Bynum for them.

Millwaukee Bucks
Charlie Bell vs Ersan Ilyasova
Let me start by saying Micheal Redd is an absolute monster offensively. Moving on. I think Charlie bell will continue to start and have more fantasy value than Ilyasova. However, neither are valuable even if starting and once Villanueva returns, Bell and Ilyasova will lose their starting job and their fantasy value.

New York Knicks
The Knicks are terrible, but humorous. Lets look back on some of their recent transactions and have a good laugh. I can't remember all of them off of the top of my head but if I miss any, email me and let me know.
Signed Jared Jeffries to a five-year contract (hasn't played yet)
Drafted Balkman over Marcus Williams when they could've still drafted Balkman in the 2nd rd
Paid Larry Brown $20 million to go home, and made Thomas the coach
Signed Jerome James to a huge contract (9 mpg in 44 games last season and 5 mpg in 7 appearances this season)
Traded two first round picks for Eddy Curry

Orlando Magic
Tony Battie vs Darko Milicic
Battie will continue to start for the foreseeable future, but I see Darko stealing the job by January. Darko has much more fantasy potential and more value even as a backup. Darko is currently averaging 8 pts, 5 rbs, and 2.2 blocks!!! good for 4th in the league.

Philidelphia 76ers
Kevin Ollie vs Willie Green
I don't truly see a switch coming here, but we have seen Iverson as a solid PG in the past and Green clearly better than Kevin Ollie in my mind. In 2 starts when Iverson was hurt, Green scored 24 in each game.

Phoenix Suns
Borris Diaw vs Leandro Barbosa
I wasn't sure how serious Barbosa's injured ankle was, but in his first game back, he had 14 pts, 5 rbs, and 6 ast. If Barbosa continues to stay healthy and continue his extraordinary play this season, and Diaw continues to disappoint, Barbosa could steal the starting job back.

Seatle SuperSonics
Johan Petro vs Nick Collison
Nick Collison will start tonight's game against the Pacers, and I picked him up in my fantasy league. Many fantasy owners have been waiting for this change and I for one am excited to see what Collison can do as a starter.

Washington Wizards
Etan Thomas vs Brendan Heywood
Thomas continues to start, but they get very similar PT. Neither have much fantasy value, but they did each have 3 blocks in their last game. Thomas should be the better fantasy player as he continues to start.

~Brian Melnick aka Big Mel email bigmel2k5@yahoo.com