After an extended period that lasted through All-Star Weekend, it's time to get our minds back on fantasy hoops. Make sure you set your lineups!

In case you missed it, a few thoughts from the past two weeks:

Tony Potts went down in a shocking defeat to Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson has been decimated by injuries, and even a few more missed games during this match-up couldn't keep him from putting away Potts.

Bill Simmons squeaked out a 27-point win over James Denton. Quite an impressive performance from the typically door-matt-ial, last place Denton. Just wasn't enough.

Highest scores last period came from Will Ferrell (1,523.01) and Zach Gilford (1,519.74), as they destroyed George Lopez and Spike Lee respectively. Once the league's hottest team, injuries have slowed Lopez to a grinding halt. No longer holding the league's highest point total, Lopez is now in fourth place at 9-6. Gilford pulled to a virtual three-team tie for first place with Bill Simmons and Tony Potts, although Potts currently holds the tie-break.

Donald Faison fell asleep at the wheel, being the only team in an extended period not to top 1,000 points. How bad was it? He finished with 651.40, which was nearly 400 fewer than the next lowest total. The beneficiary was Adam McKay, who strolled through with his third consecutive victory. It defies logic, really, that a team could win one of its first 12 and then rattle off three straight wins. Anyway, we can always count on a sound bite from McKay after a big win:

I've never been a numbers guy. All I know is, three in a row. We're doing the little things and moving the ball on offense. The altercation at practice the other day? It was passion. And I have promised my team I will never again pepper spray a player for missing a free throw. Some experts or pencil pushers may throw around terms like "it's mathematically impossible for you to make the playoffs" or "Because of how few weeks are left there is no way for you to catch up"... But guess what? We'll see what those same experts are saying when we win it all (and by win it all I mean get to five hundred because it is mathematically impossible for me to get to the playoffs.)

Would also like to point out quite possibly the poorest fantasy hoops line in the history of fantasy hoops. On February 13, Sacramento's John Salmons played 21 minutes. That's about all I can tell you. During that time, he failed to register a point, rebound, assist, steal, or block. In fact, he didn't even manage a negative stat -- no fouls or turnovers. Four shot attempts (three of them from long range), all misses. Congratulations to Salmons on what may have been an award winning performance.

Let's get to this week's match-ups...

Tony Potts (11-4) vs. Will Ferrell (8-7)
The league's best team (Potts) takes on last period's top performer (Ferrell). Ferrell is on a roll. He's won five straight games. Semi-Pro is coming out later this month, and it looks freaking hilarious. If he is able to knock off Potts, you've gotta wonder if there's anything that can stop him. His team is also healthy, and as you look at his roster the results are not a fluke. I've been saying it for a few weeks, but this is a dangerous team that -- if it makes the playoffs -- could cause some damage. Potts is dealing with injuries, most notably to Gerald Wallace.
Prediction: Will Ferrell keeps on rolling. The top gets more crowded.

Zach Gilford (11-4) vs. Donald Faison (7-8)
Ferrell may take the crown for "league's hottest" (there's gotta be a better label for it), but Gilford isn't far behind. He's won four in a row and five of six, and takes on a Donald Faison squad that can't seem to get out of its own way. Faison has failed to score at least 700 points in three straight match-ups while Gilford finished with 1,520 last week. Considering Gilford has a full 33-game schedule and Faison is dealing with injuries to Kevin Garnett and Josh Howard, this one shouldn't be close.
Prediction: Gilford takes hold of the league lead.

Bill Simmons (11-4) vs. Spike Lee (4-11)
Simmons may have beaten the lowly James Denton, but he's struggled mightily of late. No longer "big, scary Bill Simmons", "The Sports Guy" has only won three of his last six games. It may be time to hand the controls over to "The Sports Gal." That said, Spike Lee has lost four straight. You just can't pump any drama into this match-up.
Prediction: Simmons passes Tony Potts. Spike Lee doesn't.

George Lopez (9-6) vs. Adam McKay (4-11)
McKay says that he is mathematically eliminated, but I don't think that is actually the case. If he were to win out, he'd finish with 10 wins. Beating Lopez, one of the teams he needs to pass for that final playoff spot, would be the first step in what would be a fantasy hoops miracle. Miraculous, but not impossible. He's catching George Lopez at just the right time, so can the streak continue?
Prediction: Sure! I'm not going to get in the way of destiny. McKay wins.

Samuel L. Jackson (8-7) vs. Bernie Mac (6-9)
Just when you think Samuel L. Jackson is dead, he shocks us with a win over first place Tony Potts. Considering he still is not at full strength (Tony Parker remains injured), it's quite a feat. Mac has a one-game advantage, but four of those games come from Carl Landry, so it's a bloated edge. Kobe Bryant also has four games, and after watching him sit with ice on his pinky throughout all but three minutes of the NBA All-Star Game, you have to wonder how productive he'll be.
Prediction: Samuel L. Jackson stays alive, winning a close match-up.

Kenny Smith (8-7) vs. James Denton (3-12)
Kenny Smith? KENNY SMITH?? Kenny has now won seven of his last eight games, the lone loss being a 38-point heartbreaker to Tony Potts. I guess you have to say it, as painful as it may be: Kenny Smith is a contender. James Denton, who has lost eight straight, is not.
Prediction: Kenny's Kids keep on winning.