The complete list... http://www.brainyhistory.com/daysbirth/birth_january_8.html

On an unrelated note, I rented a video this past week – I finally saw Ray. I loved it and recommend it. He had a troubled personal life, but he was a true musical genius.

Now, let’s get to the good stuff, shall we? I basically go through the five positions and comment on things that I’ve seen around the league over the past week. I try to give you the heads-up on position battles, injuries, hot and cold streaks, upcoming schedules, and how you can get the edge on your league-mates from my analysis. So, let’s get cracking...

Rafer Alston, HOU – The contention that Alston should currently be in your lineup is a no-brainer. It’s the circumstances behind it that are worth discussing. First of all, he got off to a slow start on his new team this season. This is nothing new. However, it’s an easy fact to forget. If it’s draft day, and you’re choosing between a player on a new team or a player on the same team as last year of similar value, choose the player on the same team as last year, as he doesn’t have a new system to learn. The exceptions would be if the player going to the new team is expected to get much more playing time or if the player on the old team gets squeezed by new teammates or a new coach, but in general, the theory holds water year after year. Another point would be to always look for the injured player during the season that should come back strong. Let us continue this thought with Mr. Tinsley below...

Jamaal Tinsley, IND – Tinsley is a great player to target right now. He missed most of this week, but he’s expected back on Sunday, so that will give him a game to get his feet wet before his four-game week next week. Let him play his second consecutive four-game week for you after that, and then sell high before he gets hurt again. Continue to use that buy low-sell-high pattern until you’ve converted a shaky roster spot into a solid one for your stretch run.

Ronald Murray, SEA – Murray had been seeing about 30 minutes per game – and producing – lately, anyway, but it looks like new coach Bob Hill might really let him flourish in a sixth-man type role. The Sonics play four next week, so don't be afraid to use him if you could use a little scoring boost from your twelfth man.

Daniel Ewing, LAC – Well, I needed a fourth guard to fill out my article format, so Ewing is the man this week. With Corey Maggette injured (and for three more weeks at that), it looks as if Ewing will start with Shaun Livingston being the spark off the bench. On Tuesday night, Ewing amassed 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals in 37 minutes. It's only one game, so it's impossible to draw any conclusions, but if you have the bench space, certainly snatch him up in deeper leagues. Keep an eye on him in shallower ones where you could use a boost in steals and assists.

Jumaine Jones, CHA – Jones scored 21 points and had nine rebounds Wednesday, but don't get too excited. Kareem Rush left the game in the second game with a finger injury, which opened up the minutes for Jones. When Rush and Emeka Okafor return, Jones will take more like seven shots per game instead of the 17 he took on Wednesday.

Grant Hill, ORL – Hill missed Wednesday's game due to pain in his groin area – the same area that caused him to miss the first 19 games of the season. However, doctors have told him that the pain is normal after surgeries like his, so it's actually not a recurrence of the original injury. So breathe a sigh of relief if you own him, but what were you thinking drafting him anyway? Try to trade him away as soon as (well, if) he puts together another string of good, healthy games.

Austin Croshere, IND – Croshere scored 17 points while pulling down nine boards Thursday night. He did it without Jermaine O'Neal and Jamaal Tinsley in the lineup. Both will return soon and end up hindering the effectiveness of Croshere. Pat him on the back for his nice effort but leave him on the waiver wire.

Donyell Marshall, CLE – When Hughes went down, your immediate thoughts turned to Damon Jones. Hold on a minute, though and take a look at Marshall instead. Marshall was the one who scored 11 points in 35 minutes Thursday night. Jones scored three in 34 minutes. Of course, since each played so many minutes, depending on your needs (Jones' threes or Marshall's rebounding), both should benefit from the Hughes injury.

Othella Harrington, CHI – I own Michael Sweetney in a deep league, and I can't bring myself to drop him. Maybe he'll never pan out due to foul trouble, but he's got that Stromile Swift / Kwame Brown "upside" that I just can't walk away from. Maybe he'll learn from the bench. In the meantime, it looks like Harrington will see significant minutes on the court. Harrington has been a good fill-in in recent seasons, so he could certainly continue this season. Give him a chance at your second center position next week if you're hurting there. He may bomb, but with all the injured and ineffective big men lying around, it's not a terrible stretch to try and squeeze one good week out of him.

Emeka Okafor, CHA – The Bobcats have numerous four-game weeks scheduled in their immediate future. Okafor has missed seven straight games, so his fantasy owners could be itching to take a warm body for him. In his second season in the NBA, Okafor could pay off big down the stretch. See if there's any way you could acquire him.

That’s all for this edition. Check back in a week for more fantasy basketball fun. Happy Birthday To Me...

Dave Gawron is a fantasy expert for NBA.com. His column Slam Dunk runs every Saturday as part of the NBA.com Premium Scouting Report. Contact him at DGawron@TalentedMrRoto.com.

The views expressed by the TalentedMrRoto.com represent only the views of the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA team.