Rick Carlisle praised Brandan Wright after Friday's game, but said he's wary of playing Wright too many minutes and burning him out. Wright is averaging 11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in the past six games, inspiring Carlisle to monitor the minutes of a guy he buried on the bench all season. The Mavs play four times this week, which makes Wright a viable fantasy option in spite of the threatening presence of Chris Kaman and Elton Brand.

Brandan Wright scored 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting with five rebounds and one block in 26 minutes off the bench on Friday. Wright, Elton Brand (seven points, one rebound, 17 minutes), and Chris Kaman (four points, six minutes) are stuck in a timeshare and it's anybody's guess who will perform on any night.

Brandan Wright played some power forward in his 24 minutes of action on Thursday, scoring seven points with three boards, one assist, two steals and two blocks against the Spurs. He very rarely played power forward until recently and Rick Carlisle seems to have gained some confidence in playing him a little further from the hoop. Wright is on the upswing with Chris Kaman (six points, one board, two steals and two blocks) falling out of favor and Elton Brand (seven points, three boards, two steals and two blocks) also losing playing time. He is worth a look for owners looking to bolster their blocking totals.

Brandan Wright played 27 minutes off the bench on Sunday, scoring 13 points and grabbing seven rebounds in the Mavs' third consecutive victory. Wright made 6-of-7 FGs and he's now shooting 68.6 percent from the field in the past four games. He's a decent pickup if you're scavenging the wire for points, FG percentage, rebounds and blocks.

Brandan Wright shot 7-of-10 for 14 points in Friday's 102-99 win over the Pistons, adding six boards, two assists, one steal and three blocks in 19 minutes. Despite it being a nice game, it'll be extremely tough for Wright to hold value. Rick Carlisle has been messing with his lineup all year and Friday's first unit was the 20th different combination. Wright, Elton Brand (nine points, six boards and one block in 31 minutes) and Chris Kaman (10 points and six boards in 15 minutes) should all cancel each other out in standard leagues.

Brandan Wright will start at center for the Mavericks on Wednesday. The center spot has been fluid for the Mavericks and Wright will take over for Chris Kaman. It's still too unclear to really trust Kaman or Wright in standard leagues, especially with Elton Brand playing well.

Rick Carlisle credited Mavs assistant Brad Davis for helping Brandan Wright increase his range from the field. "He's increased his range and he's a much better pick-and-pop player than he was when he came to us," Carlisle said. "He works hard and he stays ready and we love him." Those are nice words from the coach, but Wright has a long way to go before establishing consistent fantasy value.

Brandan Wright returned to action on Saturday January 12.

Brandan Wright (quad) practiced each of the last two days and appears likely to return to action Wednesday night. Wright didn't really rate when Dirk Nowitzki was sidelined, so it's unlikely his fantasy value will change with Dirk back in the starting lineup. His return only stands to bolster the Mavs' frontcourt depth.

Brandan Wright (quad) did not play on Monday against the Jazz. Wright struggled to hold value when Dirk Nowitzki was gone, so it stands to reason that he can be ignored until he does something noteworthy on the basketball court.