Week 7 Start 'Em and Sit 'Em

Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is our weekly look at players around the NBA we feel could help or hurt your Fantasy squad based upon matchups and other factors. Don't expect to read about why you should start LeBron James or why you should sit Brian Scalabrine. In this space, we will try to help you make the call on players you could be on the fence about while also pointing out some players you may not have thought about sitting, but you should consider doing so.
Tayshaun Prince is ready to break out of his shell. Fantasy owners should be ready to take advantage.
Known for his steady -- albeit unspectacular -- numbers, Prince has always played within himself in an offensive system in Detroit that has never asked much from him. His recent play, and an affirmation from coach John Kuester that his role is expanding by the game, suggest Prince is ready for big things. We are buying low on Prince and consider him a great play for the upcoming scoring period, so much so that we have selected him as our Start of the Week for Fantasy Week 7 (Dec. 6-12).
Over the last six-plus seasons, Prince's numbers have been like clockwork. He has averaged around 14 points, five rebounds and three assists in every season since 2004.This season he's averaging 14.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists through 20 games. His shot attempts have rarely fluctuated as well, averaging around 12 per game in each of the last six-plus years.
With the Pistons in flux and looking for a new direction, Prince is getting a chance to take on a bigger role. His ability has never been questioned, but the opportunity has rarely been there for Prince to carry a team on his back.
With Richard Hamilton seemingly in decline, Ben Gordon offering very little and nobody else on the roster stepping up to take the reins, Prince has begun to do just that.
Prince is averaging nearly 15 shots per game over the last five contests, three times scoring 20-plus points per game and even hitting the 30-point mark three times in that span.
"He's never been called upon to do the thing he's doing now as opposed to championship years, because he had a pretty good supporting cast around him," coach John Kuester told the Detroit Free Press on Saturday.
In Week 7, a more active Prince will get a chance to really take his new role out for a spin. The Pistons have a very favorable four-game slate that includes three games against teams that allow over 102 points per game. He will face the Rockets and Timberwolves, two of the three worst defensive teams in the NBA.
We would have known exactly what to expect from the old Prince, but we are ready to expect a lot more from him now.
Guards
Start 'Em
Baron Davis (SAC, LAL, MEM, ORL): Back from a knee injury, the Clippers have been easing him back into the rotation. We have noticed a very good rapport between Davis and Blake Griffin, the franchise's budding star. While Davis is unlikely to average a career-high in scoring this season, his numbers in the assist department could flourish. Davis picked up 10 assists in just 24 minutes off the bench in his return, with the majority of those dimes leading to easy dunks and finishes by Griffin. With his minutes likely to rise after three games back in the mix, Davis should benefit from three high-scoring matchups ahead against the Kings, Lakers and Grizzlies -- three teams that allow an average of over 100 points per game.
D.J. Augustin (DEN, @IND, BOS): He is getting heavy playing time, averaging over 35 minutes per game over the last two weeks. With the added playing time, he is averaging 12 shots per game and has consistently turned in 15 points and five assists per game. He should make the most of what should be a high-scoring game against the Nuggets to kick off the week. Denver allows over 103 points per game.

Sergio's Sleepers for Week 7
* Sleepers are players started in less than 70 percent of CBSSports.com leagues as of Dec. 2
	Player	Start %
1.	Wilson Chandler, F, Knicks	69
2.	Danilo Gallinari, F, Knicks	68
3.	Darko Milicic, C, Timberwolves	66
4.	Wesley Matthews, F, Trail Blazers	55
5.	Baron Davis, G, Clippers	22
6.	Tayshaun Prince, F, Pistons	43
7.	Antawn Jamison, F, Cavaliers	61
8.	Shaquille O'Neal, C, Celtics	41
9.	Glen Davis, F, Celtics	61
10.	Ersan Ilyasova, F, Bucks	48

Sit 'Em
J.R. Smith (@CHA, @BOS, @TOR, @NY): He is on a hot streak right now, tempting Fantasy owners to think the talented scorer is on the verge of a big run. However, consider that during much of his three-game run of 20-plus scoring performances Carmelo Anthony was out of the picture. Anthony sat out the majority of last Sunday's breakout performance against the Suns due to an illness. Smith scored 30 points with eight boards in that game. Last Tuesday, the Nuggets rode Smith's hot hand in the fourth quarter against the Bucks after Anthony was ejected in the third quarter. He scored 20 points with 10 boards in that game. Smith then dropped 21 points on Friday, but his playing time dropped as did his shot attempts with Anthony playing a full game. On Sunday night against the Grizzlies, Smith fell out of the primary rotation again -- proving that it will take more than just a few good games to get Smith into coach George Karl's good graces.
Jamal Crawford (@ORL, NJ, @SA, IND): He is the player we expect to see the most direct boost while Joe Johnson is out for the next 4-6 weeks. However, while his minutes have climbed over 30 per game in the team's first three games without Johnson, his production has been very unimpressive. He has averaged just 14.3 points with minimal production elsewhere. There will be better days ahead, but three matchups against teams that allow less than 100 points per game does not bode well for a big Week 7.
Forwards
Start 'Em
Jason Thompson (@LAC, WAS, MIA): Inserted into the lineup at power forward over Carl Landry, Thompson is getting a chance to play big minutes consistently for the first time all season. Last year, Thompson averaged 13.0 points and 8.8 rebounds in 58 starts. Friday's 19-and-10 effort against the Lakers and his 18-and-9 performance against the Bulls on Nov. 27 suggest a possible return to prominence. Expect him to make the most of two matchups against teams that allow 100-plus points per game and a third game against a Heat team that has struggled to stop opposing big men all season.
Wesley Matthews (PHO, ORL, @PHO, @SA): Just when it seemed Matthews would lose all the appeal he had gained when Brandon Roy went on the shelf, coach Nate McMillan made a switch at small forward to insert Matthews into the starting lineup over Nicolas Batum.The result? Three straight 20-plus scoring performances. He shot just 2 for 9 from the field on Friday, but has mostly been looking at 13-15 shots in the offense since the switch.


Sit 'Em
Carl Landry (@LAC, WAS, MIA): He broke out as a reserve for the Rockets last season, but a move to the bench in Sacramento this season has severely cut into his production. In three games since being moved to the bench, Landry has averaged just 16.3 minutes. He has managed just 5.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in that span.
Caron Butler (GS, NJ, UTA): Pedestrian. Run-of-the-mill. Average. That is the best way to describe Butler's recent production. His minutes have dipped below 30 minutes per game this season, leading to fewer shot attempts and less scoring. However, the most troubling thing is his lack of production across the board -- usually a staple of his Fantasy appeal. He is averaging 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists with less than a steal and block over his last five games.
Centers
Start 'Em
DeMarcus Cousins (@LAC, WAS, MIA): He's hot. He's cold. Well, now he's hot again and Fantasy owners should be looking to take advantage. A 17-point, 11-performance against a good defensive team in the Mavericks on Saturday night was a reminder of his upside and he faces a Heat team in Week 7 that has struggled to stop opposing big men all season long.
Darko Milicic (@NY, OKC, DET, @CHI): Somehow, Darko is active in just half of CBSSports.com leagues heading into Week 7. Sure, his scoring has been a little spotty, but there have to be more owners out there that can use the 12 points, eight boards, three assists, and nearly three blocks per game he has averaged over the last two weeks. Expect him to be fired up this week with two games against his former teams in the Knicks and Pistons.
Sit 'Em
Marcus Camby (PHO, ORL, @PHO, SA): Active in 69 percent of CBSSports.com leagues going into Week 7, Camby enters the scoring period averaging just 3.0 points and 7.4 rebounds over his previous five games. He has scored in double figures just twice since the start of November.
Channing Frye (@POR, MEM, POR): He is coming off a 29-point effort on Friday night against the Pacers. However, we are expecting two low-scoring games this week against the Trail Blazers. Prior to Friday's outburst, Frye had been held to 20 points combined over his two previous games.
Do you have a Fantasy hoops question for our staff? You can e-mail us at DMFantasyHoops@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Start 'Em and Sit 'Em in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. You can also follow Sergio on Twitter (@CBSGonzalez).

extracted from cbssports.com