Dampier has been attending games and sitting on the bench in a suit with an undisclosed illness, the Associated Press reports.

Spin: "We'll know something next week," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "There are still tests to be done. We're going to let this battery of things go on and be absolutely sure of the prognosis." What we do know at this point is that swine flu has been ruled out. Feel free to drop or stash Dampier until further notice.Sat, Nov 21

Dampier remains without a clear return date after being hospitalized with an unspecified illness while the Mavericks were in Detroit to play the Pistons, the Dallas News reports.

Spin: Dampier was averaging 7.6 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks through the Mavs first nine games and had three double-doubles during that stretch. Drew Gooden has excelled while filling in for Dampier, and the longer he remains out, the less likely it is that he regains his job as the starting center.Fri, Nov 20

News: The Dallas Morning News reports that all major medical issues that would be considering life- or career-threatening have been eliminated in regard to center Erick Dampier's health, according to an NBA source. The Mavericks are still waiting on the returns from more tests, the source added. There is no timetable for a return to game action for Dampier.

Analysis: This is great news on all fronts as Dampier can just get back to being an NBA player who is out day to day. Fantasy owners should not activate him in any league, however, until he is cleared by the team to return to action

Nowitzki scored a relatively quiet 20 points on 6-15 shooting as Dallas defeated Sacramento 104-102. He did manage to hand out a season-high seven assists.

Spin: Nowitzki continues to produce and is one of the elite fantasy producers in the game. Over his last five games, Nowitzki has averaged 27.6 points and 9.0 rebounds and turned the ball over just twice.Fri, Nov 20

Dirk Nowitzki scored 11 points in overtime to finish with a season-high 41 points and lead the Mavericks over the Spurs on Wednesday. He added 12 rebounds, a three and a block, and is now averaging 28 points, nine rebounds, a steal, 1.7 blocks and a 3-pointer per game in November. Congratulations if you drafted him, and you can credit his success to him sitting around "doing nothing" in the offseason, instead of playing for Germany.

News: The Mavericks needed a big game from Dirk Nowitzki to compensate for the loss of three injured starters, and that's exactly what he gave them. Nowitzki scored 11 of his season-high 41 points in overtime and the Mavericks held on to beat the injury-depleted San Antonio Spurs 99-94 on Wednesday night. Nowitzki's three-point play with 2:28 left in overtime put Dallas in front for good, 92-91. After Jason Terry hit a 15-footer, Nowitzki made a 3-pointer on Dallas' next possession to stretch the lead to 97-91, closing out the Spurs. "He's playing great basketball and [I] think he's one of the top guys right now in the league," Gooden said. "He's really playing at a high level. We need that because of all the injuries we have right now and he's doing everything he can to carry this team."

Analysis: Nowitzki went 15 for 29 from the field, converted 10 of 12 free throws and pulled down 12 rebounds to continue a big week for the German superstar. Nowitzki's buzzer-beating overtime jumper gave Dallas a 115-113 victory at Milwaukee on Monday night after he scored 25 in a 95-90 road victory against Detroit on Sunday. "I hoped he was having an off night," said Matt Bonner, one of several Spurs who tried to guard Nowitzki. "I can play perfect defense and jump as high as I can and he can still score." Nowitzki remains a must-start option in all Fantasy formats

Williams and his agent have had discussions with the Mavericks about buying out the remaining year on his contract, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Spin: Williams has not been with the team since January and is a non-factor in fantasy. He has failed to make an impact in the NBA as he has been plagued with character problems and off-the-court issues.Tue, Oct 13

The Dallas Morning News is reporting that the Mavericks have started discussion about buying out the contract of disgruntled forward Shawne Williams. Williams has been asked to stay away from the team, and he doesn't want to be around them either.

Our View: Williams is owed $2.4 million this season, but he is talking about taking less money than that to get bought out. Both sides want him gone, so expect a deal to get worked out.

The Mavericks have had discussions about buying out the $2.4 million contract of estranged forward Shawne Williams. Perhaps "shunned" is a better word, since the Mavs have requested that Williams stay away from the team. They could hang onto him and use him in a trade, but the opportunity to save a few hundred thousand might be too tempting to pass up.Source: Dallas Morning News

Tim Thomas hit 5-of-10 shots for 11 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal in Friday's win. He could have a little value in deeper leagues for as long as Josh Howard is out, so keep an eye on him.Related: Josh Howard

Thomas looked much more comfortable in his second game of the season, scoring 11 points on 5-10 shooting. He also collected seven rebounds.

Spin: Thomas played 24 minutes in his second game with Dallas and will continue to see minutes as long as Shawn Marion, Josh Howard, and Erick Dampier remain sidelined with injuries. Thomas is coming off of offseason knee surgery that forced him to miss Dallas' first 11 games.Fri, Nov 20

News: Mavericks F Tim Thomas made his Dallas debut Wednesday against San Antonio. He played 13 minutes off the bench and managed 2 points with 2 rebounds.

Analysis: Thomas will be a reserve off the bench in Dallas and he is not much of a Fantasy option. He could get some run with the team dealing with some injuries, but is not someone we recommend activating in Fantasy at this time

Kidd scored 15 points on five made three-pointers and chipped in 11 assists for his second double-double of the season. He also added three steals in the win over Sacramento.

Spin: Kidd has been on a tear in the last five games, averaging 9.8 assists, 8.4 rebounds, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.4 steals. He is also shooting 46 percent from long range over that same stretch.Fri, Nov 20

Kidd missed a triple-double by one point as he collected 17 assists, 10 rebounds, and nine points in an overtime win over the Bucks.

Spin: The assist and rebound totals were season-highs for Kidd. While the veteran continues to produce statistically, he cannot be counted on to score.Tue, Nov 17

News: Mavericks PG Jason Kidd set season highs with 17 assists and 10 rebounds Monday in an overtime victory at Milwaukee. He also had nine points, nearly giving him his first triple-double of the season.

Analysis: Kidd has only twice scored in double figures this season, but all those other contributions make him still worth using as a No. 2 Fantasy guard. He still has some triple-doubles in him even if he doesn't quite score the way he used to

Beaubois started for the third straight game and played a season-high 24 minutes in Dallas' overtime win over Milwaukee on Monday. He finished with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

Spin: The rookie has seen a steady increase in minutes in each of the three games he has started. Beaubois is performing well and appears to be earning the confidence of head coach Rick Carlisle.Tue, Nov 17

Beaubois started for the third straight game and played a season-high 24 minutes in Dallas' overtime win over Milwaukee. He finished with 12 points on 5-9 shooting.

Spin: The rookie has seen a steady increase in minutes in each of the three games he has started. Beaubois is performing well and appears to be earning the confidence of Head Coach Rick Carlisle.Tue, Nov 17

Beaubois started for the second consecutive game, scoring 14 points on 6-6 shooting. He connected on two three-pointers and handed out four assists.

Spin: Despite starting, Beaubois is still seeing limited minutes. He has yet to play over 20 minutes in a game this season, but if he continues to perform he may earn more playing time.Sun, Nov 15

Terry scored 20 points in Dallas' 104-102 win over Sacramento. He shot 8-15 from the field but failed to a hit a three-pointer for just the third time this season.

Spin: The reigning Sixth Man of the Year continues to produce offensively, scoring in double-digits in all but one game this season. He is averaging 17.2 points a game this year.Fri, Nov 20

Jason Terry scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, Dallas got 52 points from the bench and the Mavericks beat the Sacramento Kings 104-102 on Friday night for their fifth straight win. Dallas' reserves scored 25 of the team's 36 points in the fourth quarter as the Mavericks beat the Kings for the 11th consecutive time at home.

News: Dallas SG Jason Terry struggled with his shooting on Wednesday in an overtime win over the Spurs. He went 4 for 19 from the field, hitting 1 of his five three-point attempts. Terry added three assists and a rebound to his stat line.

Analysis: Terry continues to ptu up pedestrian numbers of late as he is averaging just 14.4 points per game over his last five games and just 2.4 assists. He is a No. 3 Fantasy option at this point in the season but his early season form is a bit of a concern for his owners

Carroll was a healthy scratch for Tuesday's game against the Rockets, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Spin: Carroll has been limited to mop-up duties this season, so Tuesday's DNP shouldn't make a splash in fantasy.Tue, Nov 10

Carroll scored 17 points (6-of-15 FG, 2-of-6 3Pt, 3-of-3 FT) in Tuesday's preseason loss to the Cavs.

Spin: Carroll saw a team-high 35:30 minutes of floor time. The Mavericks opted to rest most of their regulars on Tuesday, so don't expect this much playing time for Carroll once the regular season tips off.Tue, Oct 20

Carroll recently underwent Lasik eye surgery and is wearing protective goggles as a result, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Spin: Hopefully the surgery will improve Carroll's eye sight enough for him to rediscover his three-point shot. He shot 27 percent from the field after arriving in Dallas following a trade from Charlotte.Thu, Oct 1