ll was so similar to his that I often confused the two.Horfords skill

Last years Kansas City Royals have been used as an example of why preseason projections shouldnt be taken too seriously, but if the Royals?were one big whiff, the Washington Nationals were a whiff just as big -- in the other direction. Andy Pettitte Astros Jersey . He says so-called TRT is only one problem and he wants to go even further than the ban. "Its about time," St-Pierre told reporters at a promotional event in Montreal on Friday. "I think its a good thing. Dean Deetz Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. https://www.cheapastros.com/1773o-jeff-bagwell-jersey-astros.html .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Roberto Osuna Astros Jersey . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. Jose Cruz Jr. Astros Jersey . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we pose a question to a rotating panel of ESPN fantasy basketball experts to gauge their thoughts on a hot topic. Todays contributors are ESPN NBA Insider Kevin Pelton and ESPN Fantasys Joe Kaiser and Kyle Soppe.Al Horford is just 11 games into his tenure with the Boston Celtics, but he currently ranks 11th on the Player Rater based on averages. While his scoring (15.5 PPG, 50.4 FG%, 12.6 FGA) is nearly identical to what he did his last two seasons with the Hawks, his 3-point shooting (1.5 3-PPG, 39.0 3-FG%), assists (5.0 APG) and blocks (2.6 BPG) have skyrocketed. Is this just a small-sample-size anomaly or a sign of things to come?Kevin Pelton: Ive been doing some research lately into how to best predict performance the rest of the season, which yields opposing conclusions about these stats. Early-season block rates tend to not be as predictive as past performance, while assist rates tend to stabilize pretty quickly. Naturally, 3-point percentage is also fluky, though Horfords track record is strong enough at this point that I dont expect him to drop off that much.Ultimately, the projections that combine performance to date and preseason expectations peg Horford for 4.1 assists but just 1.4 blocks per game the rest of the season, which suggests his value is probably already at a high point.Joe Kaiser: The fact that Horford started taking 3-pointers for the first time in his career last season, shooting 34.4 percent and making 1.1 of 3.1 attempts, is an encouraging sign that his 3-point success this season isnt a fluke. Playing under Brad Stevens in Boston, hes taking and making more threes (1.5 of 3.7 per game) while shooting an improved 39 percent. I dont think this is a fluke, and at this point we have to consider the 3-pointer a key part of Horfords fantasy value. Just dont expect any style points with the form on his 3-point stroke.As far as his assists go, clearly Boston signed him with the intent of utilizing him as a facilitator, and were seeing that with the hikke in assists this season.dddddddddddd He has dished out at least five assists in six of his first 11 games with the Celtics, including nine in his last game, against the Rockets. Its safe to say hes going to break his previous single-season high of 3.5 APG, and Id expect him to finish somewhere between 4.5-5.5 by seasons end.The blocks are the one stat that I think we can chalk up to small sample size. Horford is 30 years old and in his 10th NBA season -- this isnt typically a stage in a players career when he would suddenly become a bigger shot-blocker. His previous single-season best is 1.5 BPG, set twice in the last three seasons, and Id expect that to be his ceiling in 2016-17.Kyle Soppe: Im buying all the Horford shares I can get. From a basketball standpoint, the rise in Horfords unique skill set is because ... well, its now unique. In Atlanta, he shared the front court with Paul Millsap, a player whose skill was so similar to his that I often confused the two.Horfords skills havent gotten any better this season, he has simply gotten smarter. The percentage of his shots taken from 16 feet or further is actually down a tick from last season (46.8 percent, down from 47.9 percent last season), but he has joined #TeamAnalytics and determined that he might as well step behind that 3-point line if he is going to settle from a jumper.I also believe that the assist spike is real, for many of the same reasons. Due to his unique set of skills, he often puts the opposing center in a difficult position on the perimeter, thus allowing him to showcase his playmaking abilities. Id take the under on five assists per game and 39-percent 3-point shooting when all is said and done, but the Celtics are a top-10 team in offensive efficiency right now, and that is no mistake. Horford is a reliable player who can help fantasy owners across the board and should finish the season as a top-20 player. ' ' '