Shane Battier

Battier might represent the biggest gap between fantasy value and basketball value in today's NBA. An excellent team player on both ends of the floor, Battier is the quintessential "glue guy" that makes his teammates better. But that skill doesn't generate much in the way of fantasy statistics. With Miami particularly loaded on the wings this season, Battier's already-suspect fantasy production could take another hit.

Miami acquired Battier this off-season and will look for him to provide leadership and depth in the forward position. The 11th-year-veteran finished out last season in Memphis, averaging 5.0 PPG and 4.0 rebounds in only 23 games. Battier is often known for being a leader on the court, but he could be a more active scorer this year. Look for him to have many open looks and see his share of opportunities for Miami this season.

On the list of exciting things in this world, the prospect of taking Shane Battier in the 11th or 12th round of a fantasy draft is probably right alongside reading the phone book. Will age catch up with the No-Stats All-Star, now entering his age-32 season? Maybe. One potentially disturbing trend occurs in Battier's shooting percentages over the last five years, which look like this: 48.8, 44.6, 42.8, 41.0, and 39.8 percent. Nor is that a product of an increased offensive workload, or a considerably higher percentage of shots from behind the arc. During his four years in Houston, Battier's three-point attempts have generally held steady at about 4.5 per game; his total shots, at about 7.5 per game. Battier's fantasy value has generally come from the fact that he's produced in cats like steals and blocks and threes while not failing in others. Scoring below 10 points per game and converting on less than 40 percent of field goals, though: that's a combination that will relegate Battier to the fantasy waiver wire.

Battier is the perfect finishing piece to a contender, but since the Rockets have been decimated by injuries and free agency they no longer fit into that category. As such, Battier’s role this season is unknown. With Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest all out the Rockets will need their starters to be able to produce offense and that has never been Battier’s forte. Battier has always been a “Garbage Man” that produces moderately but effectively across the board, and since arriving in Houston he has added long-range shooting specialization to that balance to make him even more useful in the roto world. In real life he is known more as a defensive specialist/leader, but in the fantasy world his unique combination of steals, treys, blocks, and lack of weaknesses define his value. Ultimately, for Battier it is a minutes game. If he continues to get around 35 minutes of action per night he will still be fantasy viable, but if newcomer Trevor Ariza pushes Battier under the 30 minute threshold, Battier may not produce enough to be a fantasy starter.

Another "garbage man" that fills all the columns in the box score, Battier’s value this season will depend largely on how Rick Adelman opts to rotate Battier, new arrival Ron Artest and power forward Luis Scola. It seems reasonable to guess that Artest will play primarily at the three but see some minutes at the two, while Battier will swing between the two forward spots, backing up both Artest and Scola. As such, Battier’s probably in for a drop in minutes from the 36 per game he averaged last season – which will obviously impact his counting statistics.

Most people think of Battier as a “glue guy” – one of those invaluable players who “does the little things” that help a team win. And clichés aside, that’s all true. But “glue guys” don’t generally make much of a contribution in fantasy, and as such a guy like Battier might get overlooked in your draft. That would be a mistake. Though Battier’s numbers were down more or less across the board last season, his fantasy value actually increased in most formats because he added a pretty reliable three-pointer to his arsenal, at a 1.9 per game clip. With Rick Adelman now running the show in Houston, the Rockets’ offense should open up considerably – which could mean even more opportunities for Battier this year.

After spending the first 3 years of his career in Memphis, Battier was traded to the Houston Rockets and should step in as their starting small forward. Battier may not put up flashy numbers, but he could play an integral role in the success of the Rockets this year. As Houston’s best one-on-one defensive player, Battier should see plenty of minutes this year guarding the opposing team’s best guard/forward. The Rockets are Tracy McGrady’s and Yao’s team, but Battier has shown the he can put up decent numbers as the third or fourth scoring option and defensive specialist. Battier won’t wow you offensively (only 10.1 ppg last year) but will he put up solid numbers in steals (1.1 last year), rebounds (5.3 last year) and blocks (1.4 last year). Battier has three point range (65 threes last year) and should get plenty of looks due to double-teams on Yao and McGrady. If you’re looking for a player in the latter rounds of your draft who does a little bit of everything, Battier is your man.

Don’t spend too much time worrying about Battier’s single-digit scoring numbers, because he is the ultimate example of a Garbageman. The stout, fundamentally sound and intelligent player is a solid contributor everywhere but points and assists, turning in just about a three, a steal, and a block per game. Unspectacular, he won’t hurt you and often hovers between waiver wires and team benches because of the lack of an edge to his game. There’s a chance that with all of Memphis’ off-season wheeling and dealing that he’ll get a little more playing time with the team’s erstwhile overload at swingman now loosened up with the departures of Bonzi Wells and James Posey.

This poor man's Doug Christie fills up the boxscore in all kinds of categories when given the chance to play. Battier is a good source of steals, blocks, threes and decent percentages from the forward or guard spot, and he rarely turns the ball over, to boot. But Battier is a victim of Hubie Brown's 10-deep rotation in Memphis, and as such, he's not likely to see enough minutes to be a consistent help to your team.

Battier should see his role continue as the sixth man with most of his minutes coming at small forward behind projected starter Mike Miller. However, Battier has proven his ability to play almost anywhere, and he could see significant minutes at shooting guard if veterans James Posey or Wesley Person are unable to perform. Look for Battier to continue to do the things that he does best: play great defense, sacrifice his body for the team, and average 10 to 12 points on offense and 4 to 5 rebounds per game.