Fantasy players like to draft on upside. Too many owners evaluate players on what they might do. This week's SEC/Pac-10 Round focuses on some players who are as consistent as the sun coming up, and others who are as good as a 10-day forecast. I prefer to draft players on consistency. It makes projecting their totals much easier and you don't have to worry that they are going to bust. While none of the players mentioned here are going to make or break a team, the consistent guys can be used to push your team ahead that little bit it might need to win.
Vernon Macklin, F/C, Florida Gators
If you are a big man and you want to show that you have a top notch pedigree, you go to Georgetown. Macklin was a Hoya for two years before transferring south and joining the Gators. Big things were expected of the big man as he tag-teamed the post with Alex Tyus, and the results have been underwhelming. The 6-foot-10 junior is coming off his first double-double of the season (12 points, 10 rebounds in the Feb. 13 loss to Xavier). He is averaging 10.0 points and 5.3 rebounds. However, since the the beginning of 2010, Macklin has not scored more than 10 points in consecutive games. This is particularly disturbing since the majority of these games have come against SEC competition. While his 61.3% field goal percentage is excellent, he'd be a more effective player if he hit more than 50.4% of his free throws. Against Xavier, he was 0 of 5 from the line. For fantasy purposes, Macklin makes for a decent backup center. When your starter is stuck with one game in a week, Macklin could be a decent option.
Barry Stewart, G, Mississippi State Bulldogs
There's something to be said for knowing what you are going to get from a player. In Stewart's case, that is 11-12 points, two three-pointers, and a handful of accidental rebounds and assists. He won't lead your team to a championship, but he will do from a guard spot in a pinch. The 6-foot-3 senior has been a complementary player for the Bulldogs for his four-year career and he has been amazing consistent in SEC play this year. Through 10 conference games this year, he has scored between 10 and 13 points in every game. Never more, never less. Stewart has hit a three-pointer in every game this season except one, but has only scored more than 14 points once. By plugging Stewart into your lineup, you are taking the low odds play. Others, such as his teammates Ravern Johnson and Dee Bost, have the ability to produce far better fantasy stats, but they have also shown that they can submit some stinkers.
Frankie Sullivan, G, Auburn Tigers
Sullivan is similar to Stewart but differs on two points. First, he is just a sophomore so he has time to use the heavy experience he is getting as an underclassman to improve in his later years. Second, he is not quite as maddeningly consistent. He is generally good for double-digit points, but his range is 11 to 19. He did have a run of three straight 20-point games in November against UCF, IUPUI, and North Carolina State (what some would consider three Tier 2 teams - sorry, Wolfpack), but he hasn't hit that plateau since. He takes more than 60% of his shots from three-point range and is converting 39.0% of his threes. Sullivan is also an excellent free throw shooter at 85.3%, but he doesn't go to the line very often (three times per game). Sully's 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game are helpful, but like Stewart he isn't going to win many fantasy leagues but provides good depth.
Eric Boateng, C, Arizona State Sun Devils
While Macklin's Hoya pedigree makes owners give him a second look despite mediocre stats, Boateng's Blue Devil past should increasingly make fantasy players leery. It has been awhile (Shelden Williams, more precisely) since Duke has had a force on the inside. Prior to the 2005-06 season, Boateng was the heir apparent to that lineage. He didn't make it at Duke and for the majority of three seasons has struggled since converting his blue to sun (Sun Devil, that is). Finally, this season as a senior Boateng has showed flashes of what the Duke staff must have seen in him lo those many years ago. The 6-foot-10 Brit is averaging 8.2 points and 6.8 rebounds. He started the season on fire with 16.7 points and 10.0 rebounds in his first three games. He cooled off considerably, but did have a 19-point, 13-rebound game against California on Jan. 28. While he likely only had a handful of big games in his college career, he could be worth a surprise or two down the stretch.
Justin Holiday, F, Washington Huskies
For fantasy purposes, Washington is a two-player team. When one considers that Quincy Pondexter and Isaiah Thomas average 26 shots and the rest of the team averages 39, there is little wonder that the other players aren't getting much ink. Maybe it is time for some others to step up and help Washington finish strong (like with a road win or two). Holiday plays in Pondexter's shadow, but has managed to produce a few decent games in the past few weeks. In his past six games, he has had double-digit points twice and double-digit rebounds twice. Neither accomplishment happened in the same game, so he is without a double-double, but he will likely get one sooner rather than later. The 6-foot-6 junior may be relied upon more next year when QP has used up his eligibility (that is, if he can get the ball out of Thomas' hands). For now, keep Holiday around if you have a deep bench and want a potential sleeper for next year.
Venoy Overton, G, Washington Huskies
Overton, a junior, has mostly ceded his starting spot to freshman Abdul Gaddy, but the elder statesman still gets more minutes. While his minutes are consistent, his scoring touch is not. Overton's points fluctuate wildly and he has only scored in double-digits in consecutive games once since the turn of the calendar. When he has been successful of late, he has gone to the free throw line a lot. Three times in the last six games, Overton has gone to the line at least 10 times (including 19 games in the crazy game against Seattle in which the Redhawks had to play four players at the end of the game because so many players had fouled out). He also has the potential to accrue a number of assists and had 15 in two games in late January (against Seattle and Washington State). It is hard to guess when he will be productive, but if you can take a chance on a player, Overton could be of use.
Drew Shiller, G, Stanford Cardinal
Like Washington, Stanford is a two-shot gun. Landry Fields and Jeremy Green actually trump their Husky brethren by using up 30 shots per game (just a shade under half of the Cardinal's attempts). No other player takes more than six shots per game, but Shiller - a 6-foot senior point guard - is closest at 5.9. For the majority of the season, Shiller was a top reserve, but he has moved into the starting lineup in the last month and has produced accordingly. He has 21 points and 15 rebounds in his last three games, which are modest enough numbers but could be useful in a Pac-10 league. Shiller had a season-high seven assists in a Jan. 30 loss to Arizona State. He will look to capitalize on a final Pac-10 road trip to Oregon later this week. The Cardinal beat both the Beavers and Ducks when they came to Palo Alto earlier this season and Shiller contributed 15 points. He won't be on many fantasy radars, but don't forget about him completely.