At one time or another, everyone’s dealt with the frustration of owning a struggling stud. That first- or second-round pick that gets off to a slow start, deals with lingering bumps and bruises, or goes through a prolonged slump. Most of the time, you just have to roll with your underachieving all-star. Other times, you get so tired of his act that you sell him for 75 cents on the dollar (or less). So when do you decide whether to hold ‘em or fold ‘em? You have to evaluate each situation on a case-by-case basis. I’ve gone on and on about the wacky fallout from the lockout this season. Truth is, top players aren’t all  immune to the effects of the lightning-quick preseason and jam-packed schedule. To help you determine how to proceed with your struggling stud, I’ve compiled a list of guys who may or may not be likely to rebound soon. (Players who have missed a chunk of time with injuries get a pass.)

Read the rest of GETTIN’ GEEK’D: Struggling Studs

When you set your fantasy hoops lineup each week, often times there will be a tough call between two or three of your back-end players. There are a few helpful evaluation tools to use to ensure that you make the right call. The first thing to look at is who has the hot hand. Usually, you’ll want to go with the guy who’s riding a wave of solid stat lines. The next key criterion is games played. Unless you play in an averages league, you’ll obviously want to roll with whomever has the more jam-packed week. If everyone in your consideration set has the same number of upcoming games, you should then dig down to a third assessment measure: strength of schedule. A player who is lined up to face a few cream puffs at home will most likely have greater success than a guy who faces a gauntlet of tough defenses on the road.

Read the rest of GETTIN’ GEEK’D: Schedule Scheming

Whew. The fantasy hoops season has taken off at such a furious pace, my head is spinning. The lockout has wreaked havoc on the way we must manage our 2011-12 squads. Last-minute signings and trades. Barely any preseason. A flurry weekly games. There’s been a lot to process. So much so that many of the fresh fantasy faces are flying under the radar more than normal. I have to admit, with fantasy football playoffs taking priority during the tip off the NBA season, there have been some players who have seemingly popped out of nowhere. On more than one occasion, I’ve seen a solid stat line and thought, “Who is this guy?!” Well, now I’m going unmask all the new talent out there on the end of fantasy benches and on the waiver wire. With so much roster shuffling and so many games crammed into such a short season, some of the following obscure hoopsters are going to get extra run. Depending on whether your league has 12 or 20 teams, some of these guys are already owned and some are treading water in the free-agent pool. But they’re all worth getting to know a little better, based on early season performances. (Ownership % based on CBS leagues.)

Read the rest of GETTIN’ GEEK’D: Halfcourt Shots