I was sorely tempted to open with an extended verse rhapsodizing the praises of a certain rookie who almost defeated the Phoenix Suns single-handedly. But in the end my O.J. Mayo-laden pentameter was upstaged by a career night from a player much-maligned in the world of fantasy. For one special night, Yi Jianlian put it all together -- even if against a smallish Heat lineup -- to the tune of 24 points, 10 rebounds, five 3-pointers and a block.

If you know me -- or, like The Current Mrs. Cregan, are just slightly aware of my existence -- you'll know one thing: Anyone owned in only 15.6 percent of leagues who can hit five 3-pointers and block a shot while still collecting double-digit rebounds (take that, Mehmet Okur) is darned sure going to be my top fantasy story of the night. In my sad little world, the key to building a fantasy team that can absorb the trials and tribulations of a real-life NBA season is to have players who qualify at multiple spots while providing atypical production for their position.

Now, I'm not saying Yi is going to have nights like this on a regular basis. Or ever again. But if he stays out of foul trouble, he has the potential to do something close to this on a regular basis. Having players who have double-double capability to go along with blocks and 3-pointers and are shiftable in several lineup spots allows you to do several things:

1. They're insurance against injuries, suspensions, defections, etc.: Say Josh Childress is your starting small forward and decides to leave the country for several years. You can just slide Yi over and try to pretend Childress was never there in the first place! If the Hawks can easily replace him, so can you.

2. More flexibility in trades: Now, say Kevin Love is your new starting power forward, and you are offered O.J. Mayo for Love and Mike Miller. You can make that trade -- I probably would, in fact -- and shift Yi right back to the PF spot.

3. Domination in other categories: This goes without saying, but having a power forward who can hit more 3-pointers than your entire starting backcourt is going to help you in the standings. This benefit can also be rarer and more subtle, a la a shooting guard with a high field goal percentage (Joe Johnson) or an ambulatory Marcus Camby.

Under the Boards

As promised, Jeff Foster was a fine one-game pickup, delivering 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocks. Feel free to ride the Foster Express until Rasho Nesterovic returns, then return Foster to the waiver wire. … Leandro Barbosa finally had a vintage Barbosa-type night (27 points, two 3-pointers), but I'd still be worried about him long-term. His minutes and production have taken a hit under the Terry Porter regime. … Jermaine O'Neal had a monster first half (19 points) against the Celtics but finished with only 21 points and 11 rebounds. If you own him, you can only hope he's beginning to acclimate to his new surroundings. But at this point in his career, he's too injury-prone to rely on as a No. 1 center. … O'Neal's trade counterpart, T.J. Ford, flirted with a triple-double (24 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds). For a player with an average draft position (ADP) of 91, that's not too shabby. His most impressive stat so far is his average minutes per game (35.6), which should translate to more nights like this. … Keyon Dooling put up 18 points and 4 assists while subbing for Devin Harris. It sounds like Dooling might be starting for one more game, making him a worthy short-term fix. … Two time-shares to watch in Memphis: Mike Conley/Kyle Lowry and Darrell Arthur/Hakim Warrick. Lots of fantasy potential on that squad. … I'm starting to like Jeff Green (14 points, 7 rebounds, good from behind the arc) more and more. He's getting more minutes and is finding some nice chemistry with Kevin Durant.