I wanted to take a minute and say thank you to everyone who came to the site faithfully and read our content. Hopefully we were able to help you out and that many championships were won by our readers. I love fantasy basketball and love writing about it, but it’s you guys who read this stuff and comment that are the ones who keep this site going.

We’ll be taking a few months off and looking to start things back up here in late August or early September. If you need your basketball fix both myself and Joel Gibson will be cranking stuff out still over on Rankings Professor so you can still get basketball content. If you have any questions regarding keepers or anything related throughout the offseason your more than welcome to drop me a line by e-mail will.overton85 and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can with an answer.

It’s been a fun season folks and I hope to see you all back here again for next season. Thank you again for your support.

-Will Overton

There is no reason to hold anything back at this point. Don’t let one roster spot go to waste on any given day if you have a shot at the title. If a guy is hurt and he’s done, cut him and get someone who can help you in there.

If you’re looking for some fantasy basketball streaming options in tonight’s games I have four guys here who could provide a nice little punch to any fantasy lineup tonight:

Jimmy Butler – SF, Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors: There is no way this guy should available in any league right now. However here he sits, available in 30% of ESPN leagues as I write this. Maybe that’s just a sign of a lot of dead leagues, but if he’s available in your league don’t waste any time. Butler has slowly been getting better and better for the last month and now in the last two he’s blown up. Just two games ago he lit up the Raptors for 28 points and seven rebounds, now he gets to face them again. No reason for him to still be on waivers anywhere.

Rodney Stuckey – SG, Detroit Pistons vs. Charlotte Bobcats: Most likely Jose Calderon is a game time decision for this one. If Calderon sits and Stuckey starts then Stuckey is a great play. If Calderon plays and Stuckey comes off the bench he’s still a good play. Stuckey is on a nice little run right now averaging 18.4 points and 5.2 assists per game in his last five games. Stuckey is prone to nice little runs from time to time and this is one of those. You can expect at least 25 minutes even if he’s coming off the bench. It’s a perk that he gets to play the Bobcats and there sketchy at best defensive backcourt.

Gary Neal – PG, San Antonio Spurs vs. Sacramento Kings: Earlier this week I touted Neal as a nice spot start and it turned out alright as he dropped 17 points on the Nuggets hitting three treys and swiping a couple of passes as well. Now he’s going to get the Kings which is a dream matchup for fantasy owners. The Tony Parker minutes are going to be spread out throughout a few different guys in this game I am sure, but Neal has the most upside of them all because of his ability to knock down threes in bunches. This should be a really nice game for him.

Rashard Lewis – PF, Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics: I am anticipating that we will be seeing more of the Heat resting their stars in this game, even if it is against Boston. In light of that Lewis makes a decent plug and play option for fantasy players as he is available in almost every league. Lewis had 17 points and five boards, also making three long balls earlier this week. Last week he hit 14 a couple of times in games. Don’t expect an explosion from him, but he should be able to score in the mid – high teens and knock down a few treys to bolster your fantasy squad.

1. Andre Drummond – C, Detroit Pistons: We got to see what has the league so excited about Ande Drummond last night. Ever since Jason Maxiell went down for the season with an eye injury I have been saying Drummond should be a must own in all leagues. He had struggled some, until last night that is. Drummond started and played 34 minutes, collecting 29 points and 11 rebounds along the way. Lawrence Frank even left Drummond in the game at crunch time despite the Cavs hacking him on every possession. He was 9 – 17 from the line, which is actually a good night for him, though it hurts your fantasy team. At the same time though he is a FG% machine going 10 – 11 from the field taking only high percentage shots. Drummond has a bright future and he’s still going to help some this year.
2. John Henson – PF, Milwaukee Bucks: Andre Drummond wasn’t the only rookie to go off last night. After having not played double digits in ten games, Henson came off the bench and had 41 minutes last night. In those 41 minutes he had 17 points, 25 rebounds and seven blocked shots while setting Twitter ablaze. Henson has had a few games like this during the season and not been able to string anything together to follow, so who knows where this goes. The Bucks have to give him a little extra run after a game like this though don’t they? Right?

More News and Notes You Need to Know

• The 76ers are the kings of the streaky shooters. Nick Young seems to be on the upswing again though. Young missed all but two games in March, but he’s back now and shooting well. Last night Young had 18 points in 21 minutes including a couple of treys. He is 10 – 16 from the field in the last two games. Young could take away from minutes from Damien Wilkins the last few games.
• Out of nowhere Mike Scott, an athletic forward in his rookie season, has come off the bench and is producing in Atlanta. In his last game he had 22 points and six rebounds. Last night he had 17 points and eight rebounds despite playing half the amount of minutes. The Hawks will look for opportunities to rest their starters down the stretch and if Scott looks like he could help them come playoff time he may get an extended look these last few games.
• With Bradley Beal out the Wizards have mixed and matched at the two guard. Even though he comes off the bench and is a natural point guard, A.J. Price has been the best fantasy producer of the bunch. He scored 23 on the Heat last night as he nailed five three-pointers. He has 49 points in his last three games and could be useful down the stretch run.
• While Henson was going off on one side of the court Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris were doing it on the other end. Vucevic had 30 points and 20 rebounds with two blocks while Harris had 30 points and 19 rebounds. They both had five assists as well. These two are the future of the Magic, at least the immediate future, and they should both be high picks next season.
• After struggling out of the gate this season and dealing with some injuries at points, Deron Williams is looking to have a strong finish to remind us all why he is still a top player. Williams had 29 points and 12 assists last night, the third time in four games he’s had at least 29. Since the all-star break he’s averaging 22.8 points per game and shooting 48% from the field.
• Another point guard looking for a strong finish is Goran Dragic. He had a lot of preseason hype around him, but he’s had his struggles partly because of the team he’s on and partly because of his own inconsistency. He had 21 points and 13 assists last night and in five April games he’s averaging 18.2 points and 7.6 assists.
• Coming off the bench to relieve the hobbled Greivis Vasquez last night, Brian Roberts had 20 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. I didn’t expect Vasquez to even play, but he was limited in his action and Roberts took advantage. Keep an eye on this going into tomorrow’s game with the Clippers.
• This would be a pretty nice time to have Kobe Bryant on your fantasy team as he looks deadest on making the playoffs, even if he does it by himself. Kobe stuffed the box score last night with 47 points, eight rebounds, five assists, four blocks and three steals while playing every minute of the game. It’s just so impressive watching this guy do what he does.
• The minutes are way up for both Corey Brewer and Wilson Chandler covering for Danilo Gallinari, the production is way up too. Brewer had 28 points last night, his third straight game with 20+. Chandler had 29 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and three treys. Both guys are absolute must owns down the stretch.

Well its the final week for fantasy basketball and the decisions you make over the next few days have never mattered more. Right now is a crazy time for fantasy owners as they are dropping exceptional players who have light or weak schedules for decent guys who play multiple games against weak teams.

However, with the season wrapping up it is hard to tell who to play and who not to play. Coaches are resting their best players (like last week when Atlanta killed me by resting both Horford and Smith). Right now, everything’s a gamble. Here are some guys who are getting extended minutes lately and might be worth a look.

Reggie Jackson: Point guard, Oklahoma City Thunder: On Sunday Jackson came out and played great basketball. Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks has placed a lot of trust in the young guard and management proved their feelings as well by trading away his primary competition for minutes this season in Eric Maynor.

Jackson might not provide eye-popping numbers for you this week but if you are streaming guys any help might be enough to get your team just over the edge to win the championship. Over Jackson’s last five games he has been averaging a shade under 20 minutes per game. Perhaps Sunday’s performance will get his confidence as well as his coaches to continue to give him extended minutes this week.

Steve Blake: Point guard, Los Angeles Lakers: Over the past five games Blake has averaged over 35 minutes per contest. At this point in his career he is not going to provide you with huge numbers despite the great minutes. Also, Steve Nash is listed as doubtful for Wednesday’s contest but he could return which would obviously affect his minutes.

Even if Nash does return it is safe to assume that Blake will see solid minutes (around 20 would be my guess) and could be a solid add for your team. Blake throughout his career has been regarded as an exceptional shooter, perhaps he could contribute to your team with some threes as well as in assists.

Brandan Wright: Center, Dallas Mavericks: Wright fell off the rotation about mid-season this year. He was seeing extremely limited minutes and seemed to be providing extremely limited production with them.

However, over Wright’s last five games he has been averaging over 20 minutes a game. Wright has made the most of these minutes and provided over 14 points per game as well as over 7 rebounds per game. Wright might not be the sexiest add and you might not even recognize his name but he could be a huge difference maker this week.

Willie Green: Shooting Guard, Los Angeles Clippers: Green is definitely not a sexy name. In fact, prior to this season I have no idea where this guy even came from. It seems as though he just walked into this position of starting shooting guard while Chauncey Billups rests.

Right now Green is starting for the Clippers. He is only averaging around 20 minutes per game but if the Clippers look to rest any of their guys he certainly will not be one of them. Green provides limited contributions but he will give you a couple of threes per game which might just make the difference in your championship aspirations.

Streaming is a fantasy term used almost exclusively with fantasy baseball and particularly pitchers. It’s not a strategy that I would suggest for fantasy basketball, but at the end of the season you do what you have to do even if that means making daily pickups, assuming your league rules allow for it.

If you have a bench warmer or two sitting on your squad consider dropping them and instead adding one of these guys who have prime matchups tonight:

Wesley Johnson – SG, Phoenix Suns: It’s really not as much about Houston being a bad defense, but rather the style of play they employ. Houston isn’t good on defense perse, but there points per game against speaks more to their tempo and possessions against then talent. Still, they allow a lot of points and as of late Wes Johnson has been scoring a lot of points.  

He’s averaging 14.5 his last ten games and has hit 20 or more three times in his last six contests. Johnson is particularly dangerous from long range where he has 18 threes in his last seven games. Houston doesn’t defend the three well and Johnson should be able to make a living there tonight.

Terrence Jones – PF, Houston Rockets: Like I said, expect fantasy goodness from the Phoenix vs. Houston game. I said Houston’s defense isn’t as bad as the numbers say, Phoenix’s is. The Suns are particularly weak on the interior where Jones just so happens to be getting extra minutes lately.

In his first game since being recalled from the D-League Jones had a double-double, two games later he had 13 points, six rebounds and two blocks. He could do something very similar to that against the Suns or he could do even more damage. There’s also the chance that the Rockets blow the Suns out and Jones gets even more run than he has already gotten since being recalled. He’s available in just about every league out there so grab him for the night and see what happens.

Derrick Williams – SF/PF, Minnesota Timberwolves: The buzz on this guy seems to have cooled. A few weeks backs he was owned in almost every league. Now he’s down to less than 50% ownership in fantasy basketball leagues. He’s not putting up the same numbers he had been or playing the same minutes, but he’s still a fantasy factor. Tonight he could especially useful going against the Golden State Warriors. Williams is a decent three point shooter for his size and the Warriors give up plenty of threes. He’s also a decent rebounder and Golden State is in the bottom half of the league in rebounds against. Williams isn’t the sexy pickup anymore, but he might be the smart one for tonight.

No matter what type of league you’re in you can’t stop using the waiver wire now. It’s all about making the right moves and making them count. Don’t waste your adds/drops on stats you don’t need just to have the best player. Think about what you’re doing and play smart, but play hard, hold nothing back now.

Here are some guys who based on recent play or upcoming schedule I think could help your team out a whole lot this next week and a half:

Wilson Chandler and Corey Brewer – SF, Denver Nuggets: I’m lumping these two together because it’s too hard to separate them. They are both owned in 33 – 35% of ESPN leagues and they are both prime beneficiaries of the horrible injury Danilo Gallinari suffered this last week. If I had to choose just one I’d lean very slightly towards Chandler because I think his upside is higher and he brings fairly significant rebounding which Brewer doesn’t do. If you’re trying to gain ground in steals though Brewer might be your guy. Ultimately both could be playing 30 minutes per game the rest of the way and both make a lot of sense as adds.

Andre Drummond – PF, Detroit Pistons: He didn’t have as much success last week as I expected with Jason Maxiell shelved. I’m not jumping off this bus yet though as I still think Drummond can help your fantasy team down the stretch run. Particularly if you need blocks and rebounds, and particularly if you have breathing room in FT%. Despite now blowing the doors off of anything this last week Drummond did hit double digits in rebounds three times and it should be better this week. Drummond’s next two games are against the Cavaliers and Bobcats, two of the worst rebounding teams in the league and the two worst at getting their shots blocked. If you play in a weekly league Drummond should be avoided probably because he only has four more games, but daily leagues you have to take a chance on him.

Reggie Evans – PF, Brooklyn Nets: If you’re adding Reggie Evans to your fantasy you are doing it for one reason and one reason only, you need rebounds. If you do need boards though whether it be for a head to head matchup or roto battle, Evans is as good as they come. He’s averaging 16.8 boards per game his last ten games. He’s reached double digits in boards 13 games in a row. In four of those games he has gotten more than 20 rebounds. If you’re in a close battle for rebounds you almost have to pick this guy up.

Damien Wilkins – SG, Philadelphia 76ers: This is kind of an issue of quantity over quality. Wilkins still has six more games to play for the 76ers and thus should be able to produce some solid fantasy goodness. Wilkins has played at least 20 minutes for the Sixers in his last five games and has reached double digit points in seven of his last nine. Wilkins is averaging a little over 15 points per game his last nine games. Wilkins is also good for some steals as well as sporadic threes, rebounds and assists.

Gary Neal – PG, San Antonio Spurs: This one might be directed more towards deep leagues than anything else, but Neal could help across the board. We all know how much Gregg Poppovich loves to rest his starters and with only five games left to play you could see it. Not to mention Manu Ginobili already being out. The Spurs need to win to keep the number one seed, but they could probably do that without Tony Parker against either Sacramento or Minnesota or both. I like Neal in general, but I really like him in both of those matchups where he could see significant playing time. Neal will be a good source of points and threes and could be a sneaky source of assists if Parker sits at all.

Here’s the rundown of Carmelo’s big night as well as the other stuff you need to know that Sportscenter might not be showing you:

1. Carmelo Anthony – SF, New York Knicks: One night after dropping 50 points on the Miami Heat, Carmelo Anthony struck again with 40 on the Atlanta Hawks. Carmelo had combined to go 35 – 53 in these two games and 8 – 12 from outside. Anthony is the catalyst behind this recent winning streak of the Knicks averaging 31.4 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game since returning from his injury nine games ago. Most significant is the fact that Melo is shooting 48.1% from the field in these games. If you have him on your team he is carrying you to the finish line right now.
2. Jonas Valanciunas – C, Toronto Raptors: I just can’t say enough about how amazing Jonas Valanciunas has looked lately for fantasy basketball owners. Valanciunas had 24 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and a steal last night against the Wizards who have a pretty underrated frontcourt. This is Jonas third double-double in four games. He’s also taking off as far as shot blocking, swatting away 13 shots in his last four games. Over his last ten games Jonas V is averaging 15.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Also, what once seemed like a downfall in his free throw shooting has taken a total 180 lately. Valanciunas was 16 – 18 from the line last night and is 25 for his last 30. He’s putting it all together and he’s going to be a complete package next season.

More News and Notes You Need to Know

• The Celtics have basically become Jeff Green’s team as of late and he appears up to the task. Green had 34 points, six rebounds and four blocks last night against the Pistons. He has 20 points or more in four of his last five which he is averaging 23.8 in. I don’t see his role or his value changing at all between now and the end of the season.
• Starting for the third straight game Marshon Brooks excelled scoring 27 points including making his first ten shots from the field. He also had seven assists, five rebounds and a blocked shot. Joe Johnson is expected to return which will limit Brooks, but he should still see pretty good minutes if Gerald Wallace doesn’t return with Johnson tonight.
• Charlotte produces some of the more random fantasy players and Josh McRoberts is the next in line. With Byron Mullens out McRoberts has played well, last night gathering 12 points, 16 rebounds and four assists. His scoring is somewhat inconsistent because of the shot happy players around him, but he’s a threat for double digit boards every game if you’re in need of them.
• One of the only bad teams I feel like I have to watch when they are on TV is the Minnesota Timberwolves, just because of Ricky Rubio. He put up another great line last night with 19 points, 12 assists and eight steals. Rubio is taking off as a fantasy player as he adds more scoring to his already top level assists and steals. He could push his way into the top ten of point guards next season.
• Despite just 22 minutes of playing time Eric Bledsoe’s numbers jumped off the page with 17 points, seven assists, two steals and a block. He’s struggling to get the minutes to make a regular impact, but you feel like this guy is just waiting to explode if given the chance.
• For the fourth straight game Ersan Ilyasova scored 20 or more points and for the third time in five games he recorded a double-double. Ilasova had 29 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and two blocks last night. Over his last ten games he’s averaging 21.7 points and 11 rebounds per game. I hope you listened earlier this season when I advised you to stay with him in his struggles.
• The streaky shooting Kyle Korver was on last night knocking down six three-pointers and scoring 25 points. He also recorded six boards and a couple of blocked shots. This was coming off the heels of eight straight games in single digits though so temper expectations. Korver can get hot and maybe this was the start, but Devin Harris has taken a lot of his minutes and I don’t know what you’re going to get from Korver the rest of the way.
• After missing five games with an injury Nikola Vucevic has promptly returned with three straight double-double’s. Vucevic had 16 points, 14 rebounds, two blocks and four steals last night. The season he has had is really just amazing when you think about what was expected from him.
• I mentioned this a few days ago, but it’s worth repeating, Jonas Jerebko is getting a big uptick in minutes with Jason Maxiell out. Jerebko played 27 minutes last night and had 19 points, five rebounds, three steals and two threes. He’s averaging 14.8 points per game in his last fourand he’s available in almost every league.

It is the championship match-up for fantasy basketball. If you have made it this far, congratulations. Now it is time to finish the job.

In order to win the championship you must not hesitate to pick up players who are on the rise. Sometimes that means dropping good players if they have weak schedules.

At this point dropping good players for weaker players who are getting better minutes and have better schedules might just be the difference between you winning the championship (and bragging rights) and you falling just short of the ultimate fantasy goal. The following are a few guys who have been seeing an uptick in minutes recently and could be quality adds off your waiver wire.

Jimmy Butler: SG, SF Chicago Bulls: When given starters minutes Butler has been a solid both in real life and in fantasy.

With Richard “Rip” Hamilton out for the moment, Butler has been given the role of starting shooting guard. He will not give you huge numbers in any particular category on most nights. However, Butler will only help you win your match-up.

Butler is a lock-down defender who usually can give you at least a steal or two a game. He also has incredible length and is a solid block contributor from the guard position. Grab him and reap the benefits.

Jonas Jerebko: PF, Detriot Pistons: For the most part Jerebko has been out of the Pistons rotation this year. It was not long ago that the Pistons believed that he was a real steal in the draft and that he was a solid building piece going forward.

Unfortunately, opinions within the organizagtion have changed about Jerebeko’s role with the franchise for the future. However, recently Jerebok has been getting solid minutes.

He is averaging over 20 minutes in his last five games. Given his recent solid play with his increased minutes it is safe to assume going forward he can be a solid contributor.

Jerebeko is a solid rebounder and can shoot from outside. He will not give you much in terms of peripheral stats but if you are looking for solid contributions off your waiver wire he may just be able to help you out.

Devin Harris: PG, SG: Atlanta Hawks: Somehow Harris is only 6.8% owned in ESPN leagues. Harris is a solid guard. He can play both guard positions and contributes in multiple categories.

Harris very well may be one of the best waiver wire options out there. He is entirely capable of exploding and putting up 20 points on any given night. He is not the best shooter, but in Atlanta’s system he is no longer forcing shots. He is simply letting the game come to him.

Now that he is healthy again he is getting very good minutes and should be a very good play. If he is available on your waiver wire you should absolutely grab him. He will contribute around a steal a game as well as solid point contributions and solid assists.

Keith Bogans: SG, SF, Brooklyn Nets: Joe Johnson has been dealing with some heal injuries of late and been sitting out quite a few contests. In his absence Keith Bogans has picked up the slack.

Bogans is by no means a featured scorer. He gets playing time due to his tenacious defense. However, with Johnson out and playing alongside a true point guard in Deron Williams Bogans has been a decent contributor.

If you are looking for a boost in threes Bogans could be a good fit for you. He has been averaging 25 minutes a game over his last five and shoots almost exclusively threes. Right now his overall peripheral stats have been underwhelming but going off a hunch I think they will improve if he continues to get solid minutes.

We saw some of those guys on display last night as well as some proven players really stepping up their game. Devin Harris is one instance. Another one is Roy Hibbert who is just on a different level right now than he has been all season long.

Here’s the rundown on last night’s action:

1.       Devin Harris – PG/SG, Atlanta Hawks: Three games off with a foot injury hasn’t slowed down Devin Harris in the least. Harris scored 17 with six assists in his first game back from injury on Saturday. Last night he scored a game high 25 points with seven assists, three rebounds and three steals against the Cavs. This is now four of his last five games where he has had 15 points or more. He’s also averaging 5.5 assists per game in that five game stretch. Harris is really getting to the point where he deserves to be owned in every league.

2.       Moe Harkless – SF, Orlando Magic: The value being delivered every game from Moe Harkless is absolutely amazing right now. Harkless chalked up another great night last night with 28 points, six rebounds, a steal and a couple of threes. Harkless is averaging 18.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.5 threes per game over his last six games. At just 19 years old this is really just the beginning for Harkless. He’s proving now that he can hang with NBA level players and be a solid fantasy player. His value next year is going to be absolutely huge.

More News and Notes You Need to Know

• When the news came out yesterday that Jason Maxiell was out for the rest of the season yesterday I instantly thought Andre Drummond was going to be a big beneficiary. I still believe that, but last night it was Jonas Jerebko instead who had 15 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes. Jerebko might not start, but he will get extra minutes now for those in deep leagues.
• Another deep league guy to take a look at is Marreese Speights in Cleveland. He posted a huge 23 points, eight rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal. Speights minutes are a little inconsistent, but this is the third time in four games he has scored in double figures. There isn’t much quality depth on the team so he should keep seeing minutes.
• It’s not often you’ll see a stat line from Andrei Kirilenko jump out at you. Last night was one of his better lines with 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. Kirilenko’s value comes from his ability to do several things pretty well even though he doesn’t do anything really well. He’s maintained that trait all season and continues to be overlooked in fantasy leagues.
• With nothing to play for I don’t think Jameer Nelson will be in a big hurry to make a comeback from his ankle injury. In the meantime Beno Udrih is doing an admirable job filling in. Udrih had 17 points, 10 assists and knocked down three treys. He’s averaging 15.7 points and nine assists the last three games and should be owned and played in every league until Nelson returns.
• Another game and another double-double for Omer Asik. The Rockets big man had 22 points and 18 rebounds in the game. This is just the third time in nine games Asik has scored in double figures as his offense has tailed off. He’s still a really solid all-around Center though in fantasy leagues.
• Last night was one of those games where Monta Ellis was the best player on the floor by far. Ellis completely destroyed the Bobcats going for 19 points, 14 assists, four rebounds and six steals. Ellis has really raised his game a notch so far in the second half of this season, especially in his shot selection and overall efficiency shooting 46% from the field.
• The abdomen injury that had Marc Gasol missing significant time the last few weeks seems to be a thing of the past. Gasol had 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, a block and two steals. Gasol continues to be one of the best centers in the league and that hasn’t changed because of this injury.
• It’s just one big game after another right now for Roy Hibbert as he continues to dominate. Hibbert had 26 points and 10 rebounds last night. This is the the third time in four games going over 20 points. It’s also his sixth game in a row with at least 16 points and he’s had double digit rebounds in five of those.
• With their season all but done, the Trail Blazers are looking to see what they have in Meyers Leonard. Leonard reached double digits in scoring last night for the fourth game in a row with 12 points and seven rebounds. Even when LaMarcus Aldridge returns, I expect Leonard’s playing time continues to be significant.
• We all know when Mo Williams gets his shot going he’s dangerous as a scorer, well he has his shot going right now. Williams had 20 points, nine assists and hit six treys last night. He now had 68 points in his last three games and has hit 10 three-pointers.

This is the time in the season when, for the majority of you, fantasy basketball gets to be boring.  If you are not near the top of your standings or still alive in the playoffs, what do you have to play for?  And the shame of it is, this is time of the year when basketball gets most exciting.

But if you play in a keeper league, the season never really is over.  So if your chances at fantasy success have disappeared for this season, you can very easily start looking towards next season.  And if you are in contention, then chances are you somewhat mortgaged your future for next season.  However, all is not lost.  You can use the waiver wire to help position yourself for next season.  That most of the teams have been eliminated can be used to your advantage, as their owners have possibly stopped monitoring the waiver wire.

• Amar’e Stoudemire, New York Knicks, 44.3%.  Despite what Stoudemire says, it remains very unlikely he will be back at any point in the regular season.  However, it is also very likely he will return for the playoffs.  Hopefully at this point now that he has had recent surgery on both of his knees, he will be able to go through next year’s training camp without incident.  When he started to find his legs and his place in the Knicks offense this season prior to his injury, Stoudemire was proving to be a valuable player.  He was both scoring and rebounding while shooting at a high percentage from the field.  Securing Stoudemire now could be a move that pays off next season.
• Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards, 38.4%.  Beal is a player that has certainly come on strong as the season has progressed.  It appears that his ankle will keep him out another week at minimum, but he will return prior to the conclusion of the season.  This would be an addition not only for the end of this season, but one that could pay dividends next season.  On the season Beal is scoring 13.9 points per game while making 1.6 three pointers each contest.  Finding that consistent production available at this point the season usually is not likely.  But more importantly, the young guard should form an explosive duo along with John Wall next year.
• Brandon Bass, Boston Celtics, 44%.  Based on position scarcity it is never a bad thing to have a center in your control entering a new season.  And Bass can certainly help you for the rest of this season as well.  His recent bump in performance can be attributed to the absence of Kevin Garnett, but he has been a solid contributor otherwise.  As Garnett continues to age, it is likely that Bass will start to see a bigger role on a consistent basis.  Definitely not a spectacular option here, but he will provide solid production from the center position.
• Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers, 30.2%.  Granger is a very good player who was taken in the early rounds of every draft this season. But he just could not get past his knee issues this season, and is now having surgery that will put him out for the rest of the year.  But if you are looking for options for next year, that does not matter.  It is being reported that Granger will be at full strength for training camp, so there should not be an issues for next year.  Depending on your keeper rules, getting a healthy Granger for free could be a pretty big addition.
• Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics, 24.3%.  Rondo had his torn ACL repaired more than a month ago, and he already is back to twice daily workouts.  All reports have him being at full strength for training camp.  In most leagues it will not cost anything to add Rondo, so there is no reason not to at least take a flier on him and then see what his status is as it gets closer to next season.