Whether it be due to trade, coming off an injury, currently injured or contract status, there are always a number of players who need to be moved up or down from their traditional spot in the rankings.   Taking notice of these factors, and drafting these players at the right time is key to any successful draft.  

 Jason Richardson, Charlotte- J-Rich is a scorer.  Plain and simple.  He can run the floor, jump out of the gym, and even hit threes after bouncing the ball off the defender’s head (ooouch Boozer).  Coming off an injury last season on a Warriors team who was loaded with scorers, J-Rich still managed over 16 points a game.  Charlotte brought him in because they have no true scorer they can go to down the stretch.  Okafor is a defense guy, Gerald Wallace is a scorer by opportunity (breaks and hustle points) and Felton is inconsistent.  They need one player who can score on his own when they need buckets and J-Rich will play that role.  Watch for him to return to 20 points a game this season with an abundance of threes.  Result = Upgrade

Marvin Williams, Hawks- Marvelous Marvin was ok as a rookie, but then didn’t improve much in his second season after coming out of college so hyped.  But after missing preseason with his wrist injury, and the early part of the year, Williams simply never really got into a groove with the team.  Even though the Hawks seem loaded with SF type players, Marvin is their starter and having a very solid preseason.  The Hawks have too many players to feed for Marvin to jump to 20-8, but a 15-8 season with a knack for getting to the foul line looks very obtainable right now.  He could easily slip in drafts and play at the value of those picked higher.  Result = Upgrade

Daniel Gibson, Cavs- Some thought the play of Daniel Gibson was a complete fluke in last years playoffs.  A rookie who had barely played all season steps onto the court and begins to drop threes in playoff games like a seasoned vet.  Well, Gibson comes into this season as the starting PG, and while he is not a playmaking type guard (which he does not need to be with LeBron) he is still dropping threes like last season.  Expect a 10 point scorer with threes and 4 assists a game, and a nice late round steal.  Result = Upgrade

Jason Terry, Mavs- The Jet is looking grounded this season.  While all the talk in Dallas is about making Devin a better playmaker, the quiet news is that Jerry Stackhouse has moved ahead of Terry on the depth chart so they can preserve Terry’s minutes and have him as the scorer off the bench.  Less minutes and a sixth man role will limit his points, assists the most, but all stats across the board.  Result = Downgrade

Ben Wallace, Bulls - We started to see the fall of Ben Wallace last season.  We know he is not a scorer  and definitely not a free throw shooter, but even the big rebound nights that carry fantasy teams to wins, was far apart and few in between.  This season the Bulls will be looking to showcase Tyrus Thomas and Rookie Noah even more, two young defensive players, and will be preserving Big Ben for nights against the big strong centers of the league.  His overall minutes will be less and while his rebounds, blocks and steals will still be decent, he is really falling off the radar for fantasy since he does not contribute in other categories at all.  Result = Further Downgrade

Corey Maggette, Clips- Maggette has made a number of my sleeper posts so I want to ensure I mention him again.  There is only one knock on Maggette, his health.  When he is on the floor he is a fantasy beast, especially in points and free throws.  Without Brand he has to be the team’s top scorer, so I expect a return to the 22 PPG he was delivering a couple seasons ago and with the extra minutes a slight bump in all other categories.  If you see signs of injury though, beware, he makes fantasy owners victims of waiting for his day-to-day injury disappear.  Result = Upgrade

Al Harrington, Warriors- Harrington played some decent games as a Warrior last season, but to me he never fit in well.  At times he would barely get minutes, and then explode other games.  I see a big fall in L’il Al’s stats this season, as he does not get consistent minutes game to game.  Talk of being the sixth man is already being discussed which is not a good sign.  Those fooled by his stat averages last season will take him higher than he is worth.  Result = Downgrade

Danny Granger, Pacers - I am going on gut feel that Granger is going to compete with Jermaine has the teams scoring leader this season.    He fits in very well on this team, and from a fantasy perspective scores, hits threes and rebounds.  While he is making some sleeper lists, he is still not a household name, and can easily slip in drafts as few know what he contributes on the floor.  Don’t let him fall to far.  Result = Upgrade

Jason Williams, Heat- I have not liked Williams, aka J-Will, aka White Chocolate, as a fantasy player since he left Sacramento.  Whether it be the injuries or inconsistent play, he kills fantasy teams when they need him the most.  He was always overvalued based on the highlight plays he would deliver, not his actual stats.  Well, finally after a couple horrible season, J-Will has fallen very far in the rankings, and this preseason he actually looks like the old Kings Williams.  Post surgery and an off-season workout regimen, he is in better shape than any recent year.  With Wade out early, and Shaq never consistent, J-Will could play an important role in those first few weeks.  Now that he is lower in the rankings, for the first time he may deserve an upgrade.  Result = Upgrade