This column may be a little short today, as I have to go and workout, I'm expecting a call from the Thunder to be their sixth man for the next week. More injuries pile up in Oklahoma City and this team is in real danger of being in so deep of a hole, that a playoff spot may be out of reach. For fantasy though, as much as it's a headache, it also opens up a lot of waiver-wire gems to be discovered. For all the info on the Thunder, join me as we break down those box scores.

ADD ME! ADD ME!

I didn't think I'd ever be writing this, but Garrett Temple is getting hot and is worthy of consideration in all manner of fantasy leagues. Only owned in 0.2 percent of ESPN leagues and 10 percent of Yahoo leagues, Temple looked very good against the Knicks, scoring 17 points (5-10 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 3-4 FT) with five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in 30 minutes, his third straight game scoring in double digits. In those three games, he's also hit at least 50 percent of his field goal attempts and if you are in need of a shooting guard, Temple looks like he is going to have value until Bradley Beal returns, likely to be late this month. He's a must own in leagues of 14 teams or deeper, and I'd definitely consider him in 10 or 12 team leagues, depending on your specific team needs.

DROP HIM LIKE HE'S HOT

The Josh McRoberts Miami experience has not gotten off to the greatest of starts. Missing all of preseason with a toe injury, McRoberts has now returned to action playing in the last three games. Maybe I use to the term playing too liberally. McRoberts has totalled 25 minutes over those three games and has been far from productive. Against the Rockets, McBob put up a six trillion line (six minutes and everything else as a zero), in fact, he didn't even attempt a shot in his six minutes of court time. He is currently averaging 1.7 points and 1.3 rebounds this season and with Shawne Williams looking settled at the four, coach Erik Spoelstra will not be rushed into playing McRoberts big minutes. In a 12 or even 14 team league, you can find better options on the wire, instead of wasting a roster spot waiting for the switch to be flicked on.

M.I.A.

These guys all sat out Tuesday's action, for one reason or another.

• Bucks
  • Kendall Marshall (DNP-CD)
• Pacers
  • David West (ankle)
  • C.J. Watson (foot)
  • George Hill (knee)
• Rockets
  • Terrence Jones (leg bruise)
• Heat
  • Danny Granger (hamstring)
  • Chris Andersen (ribs)
• Wizards
  • Kris Humphries (DNP-CD)
  • Martell Webster (back)
  • Bradley Beal (wrist)
• Knicks
  • Andrea Bargnani (hamstring)
  • Jose Calderon (calf)
• Thunder
  • Jeremy Lamb (back)
  • Kevin Durant (foot)
  • Russell Westbrook (hand)
  • Andre Roberson (foot)
  • Anthony Morrow (knee)
• Raptors
  • Amir Johnson (ankle)
• Hornets
  • Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (ribs)
• Pelicans
  • John Salmons (birth)
• Magic
  • Victor Oladipo (face)
  • Mo Harkless (DNP-CD)
  • Kyle O'Quinn (ankle)
• Bulls
  • Derrick Rose (ankle)
  • Joakim Noah (illness)
• Lakers
  • Nick Young (thumb)
  • Xavier Henry (DNP-CD)

CASUALTY WARD

I may as well rename this section after the Thunder. Perry Jones III left Tuesday's game after 18 minutes with a knee contusion and is questionable at this stage for Friday's game. Lance Thomas played in Jones' place and is worth a look if Jones can't go due only to the fact that Thomas is healthy, and there aren't many players currently on the roster that you can say that about. Reggie Jackson also left the court due to a knee injury, but did return and is likely to play Friday. Further adding to their woes, Serge Ibaka said in the locker that he too was dealing with an ankle injury, but it didn't appear to limit him during the loss in Toronto.

Staying in Toronto, Jonas Valanciunas left the court after 13 minutes due to a facial contusion. X-rays have come back negative and he is probable for Wednesday. If both he and Amir Johnson were to miss the Celtics' game, Patrick Patterson and Tyler Hansbrough would be the biggest beneficiaries, although I'd really love to see them throw Lucas Nogueira out there.

Ryan Kelly made his season debut for the Lakers, but lasted just seven minutes  and didn't return from the locker room after half time. He will buried on the depth chart behind Carlos Boozer and Ed Davis and his fantasy value is minimal.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

Back to back! James Harden did it again, registering the fantasy line of the night again Tuesday. Harden got oh so close to his first triple-double of the season, scoring 25 points (6-13 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 10-10 FT) with nine rebounds, 10 assists, one steal and two blocks in 40 minutes and is staking his claim to be the number one fantasy player this season. If you drafted him, you are loving everything that he is doing at the moment.

ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT

Once again, Elfrid Payton hurt your percentages, but added those sweet counting stats in the loss the Bulls. Payton had nine points (3-14 FG, 3-7 FT), six rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and one block in 32 minutes and is now averaging 7.5 assists for the season. He's also only averaging 7.8 points and shooting 31 percent from the field and 47 percent from the line, making his roto value low, but for head to head leagues, the assists are very handy.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH

Damian Lillard had his best night of the season, scoring 27 points (6-13 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 10-10 FT) with six rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block against the Cavaliers and would have had his owners breathing a sigh of relief.

In the same game, LeBron James was also on triple-double watch, scoring 11 points (4-12 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-1 FT) with seven rebounds and seven assists, but overall, James' owners would be disappointed with his output so far this season. The 11 points is his lowest scoring output since 2008 and while things are a bit rocky at the moment, this is the best player in the game and he will get things worked out.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

The NBA is back and it's time to delve a little deeper into the stats that our favorite, (and not so favorite) players put up.

Jason Kidd continues to mess with fantasy owners, playing no player over 30 minutes in the victory over the Pacers. He did a similar thing last season in Brooklyn, playing up to a 12 man rotation and at the moment, the only player worth mentioning is Brandon Knight, who excelled again, scoring 23 points (10-16 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 1-1 FT) with seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Rodney Stuckey returned to action, but played just 18 minutes off the bench, scoring nine points with three assists and is clearly not fully healthy yet.

Chris Copeland led the Pacers in scoring with 19 points (6-15 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 3-6 FT) and added five rebounds and his play is making him hard to ignore, particularly if you need three-pointers and scoring.

Trevor Ariza continued his hot start to the season, hitting another five three-pointers to go with Monday's six, finishing the game with 19 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals. I would say you should sell high on Ariza, but he did pretty much the same thing last season, so maybe it's not a fluke.

Patrick Beverley returned from his hamstring injury, and knocked down four triples to finish with 15 points. He also added four rebounds and is worth looking at if you need a source of three-pointers and steals in your point guard slot.

Mario Chalmers outplayed Norris Cole again, scoring 12 points (4-12 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 2-5 FT) with five rebounds, three assists and one steal in 29 minutes, compared with Cole's scoreless nigh with three rebounds, two assists, and one steal. If I had to own one of them, it would be Chalmers.

Justin Hamilton had a surprising night, scoring nine points (3-8 FG, 3-6 3Pt) with seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in 31 minutes, all by far season highs. It's unlikely that Hamilton is able to reproduce this on a regular basis, especially when Chris Andersen returns and he can safely be left on the waiver wire.

Iman Shumpert led the Knicks in scoring, pouring in 19 points (6-11 FG, 4-4 3Pt, 3-4 FT) with four rebounds and one block in 31 minutes and has been a surprise fantasy contributor so far this season. It's clear coach Derek Fisher likes Shumpert as his starting two guard, playing him much more than J.R. Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. and in a 12 team league, you could do a lot worse than Shumpert.

Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka took full advantage of the plethora of Thunder injuries, playing 42 and 46 minutes respectively. These two guys are going to have a lot of value over the next 4-6 weeks, but they should be owned in all leagues (and if Ibaka is on your waiver wire, it's probably time to find a real league.)

With Amir Johnson sitting out, Patrick Patterson started for the Raptors and was serviceable, scoring 14 points (5-9 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT) with eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block in 36 minutes. If Johnson misses agin and Valanciunas is forced to miss time, Patterson is a nice shirt term fill in option.

With Michael Kidd-Gilchrist sitting out, Gary Neal took advantage, playing 27 minutes and scoring 21 points (9-15 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-1 FT) with six rebounds and one assist and if MKG misses more time, Neal is a guy you should very strongly consider as a short-term option for your roster, even in 10 team leagues.

Lance Stephenson continues to rebound like a madman, but is struggling in other areas, putting up only two points (1-6 FG) with seven rebounds and four assists. He is averaging 9.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists this season, but only a paltry 6.3 points on a horrible 27 percent shooting. That will correct itself, so I like Lance as a buy low candidate.

Eric Gordon showed again why it's difficult to own him in any standard leagues, scoring four points (0-6 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT) with two assists and two steals in 28 minutes. If you haven't dropped him, it's time to strongly consider it.

Channing Frye stuffed the stat sheet in his best game of the season Tuesday, scoring just nine points (3-4 FG, 3-4 3Pt), but adding seven rebounds, three assists, one steal, and two blocks in 36 minutes. The minutes are probably the most encouraging sign and he is available in a lot of leagues. Even in a 10 team league, Frye is a guy who should be owned. Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris both continued their strong form, with Vucevic leading the NBA in double-doubles with four.

With Derrick Rose out again, Aaron Brooks filled the D.J. Augustin role from last season, scoring 13 points (5-11 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 1-1 FT) with eight assists and three blocks in 30 minute and will be someone to target if Rose misses a chunk of time.

Jimmy Butler will also be someone you'd want on your team without Rose, as he exploded again in his second game for the season, scoring 21 points (7-15 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 7-11 FT) with nine rebounds, three assists, one steal, and two blocks. I get the feeling we are going to be seeing a new Butler this season.

Dion Waiters struggled again for Cleveland, scoring just six points (3-11 FG) in 28 minutes. It's becoming increasingly hard to own him in 12 team leagues with the added talent in Cleveland.

Isaiah Thomas continues to put his case forward for sixth man of the year, scoring 22 points (8-16 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 5-8 FT) with nine assists and three steals in 31 minutes. Interestingly, Eric Bledsoe played just 21 minutes, while Goran Dragic played just 29 minutes and Thomas is legitimately looking like he could be the most fantasy valuable out of the three guards.

P.J. Tucker made his season debut after missing the beginning of the season due to suspension, and played 20 minutes off the bench, Whether he can regain his starting job from Marcus Morris remains to be seen and thus, you can hold off adding him in most leagues until that is confirmed.

Kobe Bryant dropped a huge 39 points, but it came on 37 shots, converting 14 of them into made field goals. Much to Byron Scott's chagrin, Bryant also made three of the seven three-point shots he attempted and added nine rebounds in 44 minutes.

In the battle for the power forward spot, Carlos Boozer had 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists in 29 minutes, while Ed Davis had just four points, but added nine rebounds, two steals and three blocks in 18 minutes. I'm still holding Boozer for now.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. Kobe Bryant, G, LAL, 39 points
2. Damian Lillard, G, POR, 27 points
3. Dwight Howard, C, HOU, 26 points
4. Gerald Green, G, PHX, 26 points

Rebounds

1. Jordan Hill, C, LAL, 15 rebounds
2. Anthony Davis, F, NOP, 13 rebounds
3. Pau Gasol, C, CHI, 13 rebounds
4. Nikola Vucevic, C, ORL, 13 rebounds

Assists

1. Reggie Jackson, G, OKC, 14 assists
2. James Harden, G, HOU, 10 assists
3. Isaiah Thomas, G, PHX, 9 assists
4. Jrue Holiday, G, NOP, 9 assists

Steals

1. Isaiah Thomas, G, PHX, 3 steals
2. Robin Lopez, C, POR, 3 steals
3. Trevor Ariza, F, HOU, 3 steals
4. O.J. Mayo, G, MIL, 3 steals
5. Elfrid Payton, G, ORL, 3 steals
6. Jabari Parker, F, MIL, 3 steals

Blocks

1. Roy Hibbert, C, IND, 5 blocks
2. Anthony Davis, F, NOP, 3 blocks
3. Jordan Hill, C, LAL, 3 blocks
4. Aaron Brooks, G, CHI, 3 blocks
5. Ed Davis, F, LAL, 3 blocks
6. Alex Len, C, PHX, 3 blocks
7. Larry Sanders, C, MIL, 3 blocks

Three-Pointers

1. Damian Lillard, G, POR, 5-10 3Pt
2. Kevin Love, F, CLE, 5-8 3Pt
3. Trevor Ariza, F, HOU, 5-8 3Pt

Minutes

1. Serge Ibaka, F, OKC, 46 minutes
2. Kobe Bryant, G, LAL, 44 minutes
3. Reggie Jackson, G, OKC, 42 minutes