Stars Of The Stream: Steals

We've all been there. Scraping the bottom of the barrel for those last few stats, praying your stopgap doesn't hurt your tenuous lead in another category. It's the life of a fantasy streamer, and it's really never a good sign for your long-term prospects in a fantasy season. But sometimes needs dictate action, and when you're short on a cat with just a day or two to go, I know you don't need lectures on efficient team building- you need results. With this in mind, I offer a few decent options for fill-in stats in daily lineup leagues.

Mardy Collins- Yes, I named him Wednesday for his assists, but have you seen the numbers Collins is putting up in Baron Davis' stead? He's averaging 2.3 over his last 15 games and , and a ful 1.5 steals per in his last 30 appearances. That's pretty darned solid. Any way you look at him, he's likely to be a solid add for as long as he's starting in Clipperland.

Luke Ridnour- Owned in just a quarter of ESPN leagues, Ridnour deserves play in most formats, perhaps for no greater reason than his swipes. After averaging 2 steals per through December, he's kept a solid rate and is sitting at 1.4 per game on both the season and over January.

Mario Chalmers- I wouldn't have included him on this list- he's probably taken in a league featuring hardcore players like yourself- but his recent shooting woes might have seen him dropped from a few rosters. Snatch this kid up. Apart from being a streaky 3 point threat and averaging enough assists to merit ownership alone, he's also a natural born thief, averaging 1.7 per on the season. That's just shy of being top 10 in the league.

Trevor Ariza- Ariza is one of those guys who does a everything a little bit well, but nothing so well that he's guaranteed to be owned in a given league. If you can get him, his rebounds will be welcome, but the steals are where its at.

CJ Watson- What if I told you that CJ has been averaging 2.7 steals per in January? Would you even believe he's playing enough to do that? Monta Ellis is coming back, so minutes will be scarce again soon, but for now, he seems to be getting some decent burn from Nellie.

Sebastian Telfair- Bottom line: The Wolves suck, so Bassy will keep playing. His assists are always inconsistent (though he;s been hot right now), but as long as he's on the court he'll grab a ball or two.

Von Wafer- I never expected him to be productive, but while Houston is on the collective mend, Wafer's been making the most of his opportunities. He's also cleared 30 minutes six games in a row now.