Fantasy hoops Week 5 outlook

By Eric Wong, RotoEvil.com, Special to SI.com

With Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Bosh manning the paint, Andrea Bargnani has had the freedom to stretch the Raptors' offense. AP

Andrea Bargnani must be loving the addition of Jermaine O'Neal, and while he doesn't seem too happy about the move, Cuttino Mobley's stats should rise in New York.

The Outlook goes around the league, team by team, and examines which players are hot and cold, and which players you should keep an eye on. The outlook for Week 5 suggests 112 players who are safe starts and 50 players who are borderline, so if your league is much smaller or larger, adjust accordingly. As always, let's Start with a look at the schedules for the coming week. Listed first are the number of games played for each team, followed by five teams with poor and favorable schedules.

Four games: CHA, CLE, DEN, GS, HOU, IND, MEM, MIA, MIL, NJ, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHO, POR, SAC, SA, UTA

Three games: ATL, BOS, CHI, DAL, DET, LAC, LAL, MIN, NOR, NYK, TOR, WAS

5 poor schedules

1. Toronto Raptors (3 games: Charlotte, Atlanta, @LA Lakers)
2. Dallas Mavericks (3 games: Indiana, @LA Lakers, @Sacramento)
3. Indiana Pacers (4 games: @Dallas, @Houston, Charlotte, @Orlando)
4. Philadelphia 76ers (4 games: @Charlotte, Orlando, @Boston, Chicago)
5. Milwaukee Bucks (4 games: @Orlando, @Atlanta, @Detroit, Cleveland)

5 favorable schedules

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (4 games: @New York, Oklahoma City, Golden State, @Milwaukee)
2. Phoenix Suns (4 games: @Oklahoma City, @Minnesota, Miami, New Jersey)
3. Utah Jazz (4 games: Chicago, Memphis, Sacramento, New Jersey)
4. Boston Celtics (3 games: Golden State, Philadelphia, @Charlotte)
5. Atlanta Hawks (3 games: Milwaukee, @Toronto, @Washington)

Top 3 long-term pickups

1. Andrea Bargnani, Raptors

After a solid rookie campaign, Barganani struggled in his sophomore season. His stats fell in nearly every single category last season and he shot a miserable 38.6 percent from the field. Count me as one of the people who drafted "Il Mago" in 2007 and got burned. Even two-time Executive of the Year Bryan Colangelo must have questioned his decision to pick Bargnani No, 1 overall in '06. However, we should also blame the Raptors for trying to play him as a power forward/center last season.

The arrival of Jermaine O'Neal has done wonders for Bargnani, as he now gets to operate as a small forward/power forward and leave most of the dirty work for Chris Bosh and O'Neal. As a result, he's much more comfortable, and it shows in his stats. Sam Mitchell recently inserted him into the starting lineup, and in the past four games, he's averaging 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1 block, 2.3 threes and just 1 turnover per game on 49 percent FG shooting. Inconsistency has plagued him, but if he can keep it up, he'll be a poor man's Danny Granger. In fantasy terms, that's a very good thing.

2. Cuttino Mobley, Knicks

Mobley was not very happy about being traded, but I think the veteran shooting guard is going to excel in Mike D'Antoni's system. The one-time fantasy force has been a fringe fantasy option in recent years, but the Knicks will need him to play big minutes now that Jamal Crawford is gone. Mobley is currently owned in just 54.5 percent of ESPN leagues, and I'm guessing that some people are hesitant to pick him up after seeing Nate Robinson Start and score 27 points on Saturday.

Those people are making a mistake, because Li'l Nate is best suited as a sparkplug off the bench. Cuttino is also a superior defender, so I'm expecting him to start at shooting guard, where 71 minutes, 40 points, 5.8 assists and 9.2 three-point attempts just opened up thanks to Crawford and Zach Randolph's departure. I'm projecting 32-34 minutes, 16-plus points, 3-plus assists and nearly 2 threes per game from Cutty the rest of the way. I don't know about you, but I could use numbers like that (I just spent $228 of my $1,000 free agent budget to get him).

3. D.J. Augustin, Bobcats

Larry Brown was looking for more energy from his starting lineup, so he recently inserted D.J. Augustin into the lineup. The rookie guard has scored 38 points, made 8 threes and dished out 10 assists to just two turnovers in two games since the move. He's just 12 games into his NBA career, but his 2.4 assist/turnover ratio is pretty solid, and he's proven to be a capable scorer.

In college last season, Augustin averaged 19.2 points, 5.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.9 threes in 37.3 minutes, and the year before (when he played with Kevin Durant), he dished out 6.7 dimes per game. As long as he's getting minutes, the stats potential is there. There is some concern that he'll lose playing time when Jason Richardson returns from injury, but the Bobcats are short on talent, so they could keep the rookie in the lineup and move J-Rich over to small forward. Either way, he's definitely worth owning right now and could be solid all season long.

Top 5 short-term fill-ins

These are guys who you should consider picking up if you need short-term help in certain categories. Even in deep leagues, most of these players will usually fly under the radar, but they could help in targeted areas quite nicely.

For assists and free-throw shooting: Jarrett Jack, Pacers

Jack is shooting just 41.7 percent from the field, but you're not getting him to score points for you. The backup guard has dished out 14 dimes in his last three games, and is averaging 3.2 assists in his last nine. The career 85 percent FT shooter also gets to the line a fair amount, so he can help you out there as well. Mike Dunleavy isn't returning anytime soon, so Jack is a decent option for the time being.

For boards and field-goal shooting: Carl Landry, Rockets and Chris Wilcox, Thunder

In his last three games, Landry is averaging 26.3 minutes, 11.7 points and 5.7 rebounds. Whenever he gets minutes, he produces. The athletic big man is also shooting a remarkable 88.6 percent from the line to go along with his 55.6 percent FG shooting. He's a decent short-term option, but be careful of Luis Scola and the imminent return of Shane Battier.

Chris Wilcox has been terrible this season, but brighter days could be ahead. P.J. Carlesimo wasn't giving him many minutes, but now that he's gone, his playing time should increase. In 55 Starts last season, Wilcox averaged 14.1 points, 7.5 boards, .8 steals, and .6 blocks on 52.7 percent FG shooting, so the potential is there. He was dropped in many leagues due to his poor Start, so consider picking him up if you need another big man.

For points and threes: Ricky Davis and Eric Gordon, Clippers

Someone needs to play alongside Baron Davis in the backcourt, and Davis and Gordon are the obvious candiates. Ricky has been absolutely horrendous this season, making just 27 percent of his shots and doing little else to contribute. But he's put up big stats in the past, and if he Starts hitting some shots, he could get on a roll. Gordon isn't shooting much better at just 32.6 percent from the field, but the rookie was a big-time scorer in college and has a polished offensive game. If Ricky continues to falter, Gordon could get a chance to prove himself. At this point, both guys are worth picking up in case they establish themselves.

Team predictions

Atlanta Hawks (3 games)

Joe Johnson finally had a stinker on Saturday (4 points, 1-8 FG), but you're crazy if you even think about benching him. Al Horford returned from his ankle injury and looks like a safe start once again. Marvin Williams has picked up his play recently, averaging 17 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 three in his last four games. His shooting percentages are solid, so don't be afraid to play him. Mo Evans is finally playing well (31 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 threes in his last two games), but he'll likely lose his value once Josh Smith returns.

Start: J. Johnson, Horford, Mike Bibby, M. Williams
Bench: J-Smoov
Watch: M. Evans