If you have better options on your lineup card, then by all means go with what works, but use him whenever you can. But with his dual positions, Tim Duncan brings value to a fantasy lineup. He may not play the second game on back-to-backs, and he may lay the occasional stinker, like he did Saturday night against Indiana. So, is Tim Duncan a valuable Fantasy Basketball option? Of course he is. In the month of December, he's averaging 16.5 ppg and 13.5 rebounds per game, and there doesn't seem to be any signs of slowing down. While he may have been off to a slow start, which is probably why the question was asked in the first place, he's starting to produce Duncan-like fantasy numbers again. What we do know is that Duncan finished last season, at least as far as Fantasy Basketball is concerned, 3 rd among power forward and 3 rd among centers ( Stats). Players like Hawes, Bargnani, Delembert, Frye, Henson, and Varejoe have had terrific starts, but can they continue this pace over the long haul? I'm not all that sure that they can. If you look at the centers I think you will find the same thing as the power forwards. But will they be able to sustain this over the long haul as Duncan has for the past 17 seasons? Probably not. There are names ahead of Duncan in the power forward position such as Marion, Bargnani, Young, Bass, Frye, Favors, and Henson that normally wouldn't be ahead of Duncan, but due to fast starts, injuries and such, these players have been given opportunities to shine. Please have another look at those lists I cited again. Duncan isn't in the top 20 in either category, and with numbers being king, it only makes sense to look for a better option. In a 10-team head-to-head league (most owners are involved in that format, so I'll stick with this) usually owners will carry two power forwards and two centers. I can see why owners would ask the question and here's why:
ESPN Fantasy currently has Duncan rated #29 among power forward ( stats) and #27 among centers ( Stats), but is that enough to keep Duncan off a roster? He hasn't averaged a double double a season since the 2009-2010 campaign. His minutes played have decreased, as have the amount of games played. It's no secret that Duncan's stat line has decreased over the years. If we keep in mind that this is a Fantasy Basketball question where numbers mean wins, it might not be that absurd. Plus, you'll receive a special Spurs holiday t-shirt.
Buy Spurs vs Raptors Holiday tickets, come early and stay late In the next installment of the ticket deal that started on opening night, PtR readers will be able to buy a discounted ticket for the game on December 23rd versus the Raptors, get passes to enter the arena early to watch the teams warm up, and shoot a free throw on the court after the game.