SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN

four-game teams: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, DAL, DEN, GSW, IND, LAC, MIL, NJN, NYK, SAC, TOR, UTA, WAS

three-games teams: CLE, DET, HOU, LAL, MIA, MIN, NOR, OKC, PHI, POR, SAS

two-game teams: MEM, POR

INJURY UPDATES

• Rafer Alston – Alston suffered a left hamstring injury on Saturday that is expected to keep him out for a game or two, or maybe more. Figure on Aaron Brooks playing plenty when/if Alston can’t go during the Rockets’ three-game week (DEN, SAC, @MIN).

• Ron Artest – bench him for Week 8 and start lowering expectations, as there isn’t much positive news for Artest these days. He’s got slightly torn ligaments in his right ankle, something that will surely and consistently necessitate down time, which would only provide a short-term respite from pain. And now it appears that Artest will come off the bench when both he and Tracy McGrady are in the lineup – he’ll still play plenty, but in general fantasy owners should prepare for a scenario moving forward that includes occasional days off and fewer than the 39 minutes per game he’s played to this point. Carl Landry figures to be the direct beneficiary when Artest misses games.

• Carlos Boozer – Boozer has been participating in recent warm-ups but is still feeling pain in his knee when he does certain movements, so he’ll continue to sit and Paul Millsap will continue to be a double-double machine.

• Michael Beasley – Beasley missed Friday’s game and is questionable for Sunday because of illness; his fantasy impact has taken a hit since he moved to the bench, anyway, so you are likely to have better options at your disposal than the rookie in a three-game week (MIL, LAL, @NJN).

• Tyson Chandler – Chandler missed his second consecutive game on Sunday with neck stiffness and his status for Tuesday is up in the air. Given Chandler’s inconsistencies thus far, it makes sense to use other available options for Week 8.

• Dwight Howard – Howard missed the first game of his career on Saturday because of a sore knee and, while the injury is not thought to be serious, he’s also not likely to play Monday and may have an MRI on Tuesday. It makes sense to bench Howard for the week (and keep your fingers crossed).

• Josh Howard – three weeks after suffering a left ankle sprain, Howard is still dealing with swelling and has been shut down indefinitely. Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry continue to pick up the scoring slack, while Jose Juan Barea has filled the gap in the starting lineup (15 points on 49 percent shooting, 0.7 threes, 4.8 assists in 31 minutes over the past six games).

• Zydrunas Ilgauskas – Big Z’s moderate ankle sprain has kept him out for the past two games. It’s doubtful that the 20-4 Cavs will press him back into action before he’s 100 percent, although he could have played Saturday had it been a playoff game. The Cavs have a favorable schedule (@MIN, @DEN, @OKC) but Anderson Varejao makes more sense for lineups, with Z on the bench.

• Chris Kaman – Kaman will need a few more weeks to deal with his strained left arch, so keep him on your bench.

• Corey Maggette – Maggette is out indefinitely with a slight tear in his right hamstring and his return will be dictated by improvement. Rob Kurz got his first start of the season on Saturday and posted big numbers (20 points, 3 treys, 7 boards, 2 steals, 2 blocks in 33 minutes), but both Ronny Turiaf and Brandan Wright were out with the flu and it’s nearly impossible to determine who Don Nelson might give 30 minutes or a DNP-CD to on a given night.

• Kevin Martin – Martin remains on an indefinite timetable as he attempts to recover from his left ankle injury. Francisco Garcia has started four of the past five games in his place.

PICKUPS/PLUG-INS

• Nate Robinson (NY – PG, SG) – those of you in the 35 percent of Yahoo! leagues where Robinson is available need to act quickly and get him on your roster. He was back in the lineup on Saturday as the starting shooting guard (19 points, 2 threes, 3 assists in 34 minutes) and is likely to remain in the starting lineup for the remainder of the season.

• Boris Diaw (Cha – PF, C) – Diaw started at power forward for the Bobcats on Saturday and that’s how it’s going to be moving forward. He’s currently rostered in less than half of Yahoo! leagues, but deserves near-universal consideration now that his minutes are locked in. Despite some poor shooting, he had a solid overall first game (9 boards, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block) and the Bobcats’ Week 8 schedule couldn’t get much better (@ATL, CHI, @MEM, GSW).

• Rodney Stuckey (Det – PG, SG) – the early returns have been very good for Stuckey in the starting lineup, as he’s averaged 14.7 points on 68 percent shooting, 1.7 threes, 9.7 assists and 2 steals in 36 minutes while the Pistons have won two of three games. As long as he’s starting, he deserves near-universal consideration (currently rostered in 45 percent of Yahoo! leagues).

• Anderson Varejao (Cle – PF, C) – even if Ilgauskas’ injury isn’t a serious concern, the Cavs have no reason to push him back into the lineup, making Varejao a strong play given his recent success (12.3 points on 57 percent shooting, 7.1 boards, 0.9 steals, 0.7 blocks over the past seven games) and the team’s favorable schedule (@MIN, @DEN, @OKC).

• Matt Bonner (SA – PF, C) – All signs point to Bonner remaining the starting center for the Spurs indefinitely. He’s been producing (12 points on 65 percent shooting, 1.9 threes, 7 boards in 26 minutes over the past seven games), the Spurs have won five in a row, and Gregg Popovich called him a good complement to Tim Duncan because his long-range shooting spreads the defense.

• Luke Ridnour (Mil – PG) – Ridnour remains widely-available (30 percent owned in Yahoo! leagues) despite his firm grasp on the starting job and increased production (11.9 points, 1 three, 3.2 boards, 6 assists, 2 steals over the past seven games). Milwaukee has another favorable four-game week ahead (@MIA, @PHI, @NYK, LAC).

• Eric Gordon (LAC – SG) – Gordon has struggled with consistency of production, but his hamstring is no longer an issue, Ricky Davis is still a few weeks away, and the Clippers’ schedule is one of the best (@OKC, @CHI, @IND, @MIL), so he’s at least worthy of plug-in consideration.

• Jason Kapono (Tor – SG, SF) – Kapono totaled 41 points, seven threes, and 13 boards in two games in place of Anthony Parker (Wed/Fri) before having an off game Sunday (7 points on 3-of-14 shooting), but it’s notable that he started and Parker came off the bench. If he remains the starter and can show some consistency, he’s worthy of fairly widespread consideration for fantasy purposes.

• Bobby Simmons (NJ – SG, SF) – Simmons has slowly but surely been showing more signs of life. He’s scored in double figures in five straight games, averaging 11.4 points on 49 percent shooting, 2.6 threes, 5 boards, and 1.4 steals over that span. What also bodes well for his long-term prospects is that the Nets did not decrease his role during his early-season struggles.

elsewhere on the web: The Week Ahead (RotoWorld), Week 8 Planner (CBS Sports), Fantasy Basketball SOS: Dec. 15-21 (RotoWire), and Basketball Monster ease rankings