Fantasy hoops Week 6 outlook

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

Russell Westbrook rewarded coach Scott Brooks' faith in him by leading the Thunder to their second win of the season. Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Two rookie guards have already been thrust into their starting lineups. Find out why they should be owned in almost all leagues.

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 6 suggests 100 players who are safe starts and 37 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: BOS, CHA, IND, LAC, LAL, MIN, NY, PHI, POR, UTA, WAS
Three games: ATL, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, GS, MEM, MIA, MIL, NJ, OKC, ORL, PHO, SA, TOR
Two games: HOU, NO, SAC

5 poor schedules

1. Sacramento Kings (2 games: Utah, Denver)
2. Golden State Warriors (3 games: Miami, @Houston, @San Antonio)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (3 games: @Charlotte, @Orlando, @Miami)
4. Toronto Raptors (3 games: @Denver, @Utah, Portland)
5. Indiana Pacers (4 games: LA Lakers, @Boston, @Cleveland, Boston)

5 favorable schedules

1. Los Angeles Lakers (4 games: @Indiana, @Philadelphia, @Washington, Milwaukee)
2. Utah Jazz (4 games: @Sacramento, Miami, Toronto, @Phoenix)
3. Charlotte Bobcats (4 games: Minnesota, Oklahoma City, @Milwaukee, Cleveland)
4. Miami Heat (3 games: @Golden State, @Utah, Oklahoma City)
5. Chicago Bulls (3 games: Philadelphia, @Milwaukee, Washington)

Top 3 long-term pickups

1. Russell Westbrook, Thunder

At first I didn't consider Westbrook to be a top pickup, but then I saw that the rookie is currently owned in just 19.9 percent of ESPN leagues. The rookie point guard was considered somewhat raw coming out of college, but rookie coach Scott Brooks must like what he's seen, because he inserted Westbrook into the starting lineup on Saturday and gave him 38 minutes of playing time. Russell scored just 12 points, but he pulled down 5 offensive rebounds, dished out 4 assists, grabbed 2 steals and led his team to a victory. Considering it was just the Thunder's second win of the year, the latter fact is key. In his last 5 games, Westbrook is averaging 12.8 points, 6.6 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 steals, and he's shooting over 80 percent from the line for the season. Like most rookies he'll be somewhat inconsistent, but if he continues to dish out that many assists, he'll be a better-shooting version of Rajon Rondo. If he's still available in your league, pick him up ASAP!

2. Eric Gordon, Clippers

I mentioned Gordon as a "Fill-in" pickup last week, but he's clearly going to be much more than that. With Ricky Davis ailing, Gordon was placed into the starting lineup last Wednesday and responded with tw0 monster games in a row, combining for 49 points, 8 steals, 8 threes and 7 assists. Gordon struggled on Saturday and left with a strained hamstring, but the injury is minor and he should be back soon. Since the Clippers likely won't be contending for a playoff spot this year, they have plenty of reasons to give the rookie more playing time. He's an explosive scorer, and he's going to learn a lot playing with Baron Davis. He's currently owned in just 18 percent of ESPN leagues, so swoop him up before his next big game.

3. Tim Thomas, Knicks

Mike D'Antoni recently said that Thomas isn't in good enough shape to play in his offense, but he's still given him an average of 27.7 minutes of playing time in three games since the trade. In those contests, Thomas averaged 14.3 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal and 2.3 treys per game, making him a solid pickup for the time being. One reason he's gotten extra playing time is the absence of Cuttino Mobley. If Mobley's heart condition forces him to miss an extended period of time, Thomas could have very good long-term value, because the Knicks just aren't very deep right now. If you need outside shooting help, you should definitely consider picking him up.

Top 5 short-term fill-ins

Even in deep leagues, most of these players will usually fly under the radar, but they could fill-in quite nicely.

For steals and assists: Antonio Daniels, Wizards and Rodney Stuckey, Pistons

Daniels averaged just 24 minutes in Washington's first four games before sitting out six of their next eight games with knee soreness. However, he returned last week and played 38 minutes on Saturday, scoring a season-high 10 points. The Wizards are desperate for solid point guard play, so if Daniels' knee can handle it, he'll continue to get big minutes. In 63 starts last season, he averaged 5.1 dimes and 1.1 steals, which are solid numbers for a guy who's available in almost all leagues.

Many people were high on Stuckey entering this season (I said to be careful of him), but he got off to a poor start and was likely dropped in almost all leagues. However, his playing time has increased recently and he's been much more aggressive offensively, averaging 13.3 points, 7 assists and 2 steals over his last three games. If you're looking for a point guard with upside, and Westbrook is already gone, consider taking a flier on Rodney.

For assists and threes: Anthony Johnson, Magic and Luther Head, Rockets

Johnson was signed by Orlando to be Jameer Nelson's backup, but he's been thrust into the starter role due to Nelson's strained hip flexor. Johnson has responded with 31 points, 20 assists, 2 steals and 6 threes in his last three games, making him a nice short-term pickup. After all, any PG playing with Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu is bound to rack up some assists.

After barely playing at all in Houston's first 16 games, Luther Head was suddenly placed in the starting lineup and given 41 minutes of action on Saturday. He responded with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 threes and 2 steals, showing that he didn't need any time to shake off the rust. Head has always been a superb shooter and scorer when he gets enough minutes, and Houston has enough weapons for him to dish out some dimes as well. He shot just 1-for-7 on Sunday, but he started once again and still had 4 boards and 4 assists. With both Tracy McGrady and Brent Barry ailing, and Shane Battier not 100 percent just yet, Head could be a decent short-term pickup.

For points and threes: Courtney Lee, Magic

What does Lee have in common with Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, Michael Beasley and Brook Lopez? All five youngsters were 2008 Orlando Summer League First Team selections. In those five summer league contests, Lee averaged 28.4 points, 1.7 steals, 1.6 threes and 1.1 blocks, so he's clearly a big-time scorer with some athleticism. With Mickael Pietrus out for up to five weeks with a torn ligament in his thumb, extra minutes are available at the shooting guard shot. J.J. Redick has been starting, but he hasn't done much of anything, so keep an eye on Lee and pick him up if he has a big game.

Team predictions

Atlanta Hawks (3 games)

Josh Smith had his first full workout in nearly three weeks on Thanksgiving morning, and is planning on playing in Atlanta's next game, so don't forget to activate him. After going 0-for-6 from beyond the arc in the season opener, Mike Bibby made 40 threes and shot 47 percent from beyond the arc in November. Mo Evans had been putting up solid numbers lately, but he'll go back to being an inconsistent option due to J-Smoov's return.

Start: Joe Johnson, J-Smoov, Bibby, Al Horford, Marvin Williams

Boston Celtics (4 games)

In Boston's last two games, Kevin Garnett has totaled 26 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks, while Kendrick Perkins has racked up 23 points, 19 boards and 6 blocks. What is wrong with this picture? Rajon Rondo has nabbed 2-plus steals in nine straight games, and now ranks fourth in that category. After a very slow start, Tony Allen has now scored in double figures in five of his last six games and grabbed 9 steals in the same time span. Keep an eye on him in case his minutes increase.

Start: Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rondo, Perkins
Watch: T. Allen