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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. Myles Straw Astros Jersey . Todays contributors are ESPN Fantasys Joe Kaiser and Kyle Soppe and DFS expert Renee Miller.Preseason breakout candidate Nikola Jokic has taken flight over his past six games, averaging 17.0 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.0 BPG. That production is similar to what weve seen from Paul Millsap this season: 17.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.0 BPG. Now Millsap has the edge in SPG (1.7, 0.6) and 3-PPG (1.0, 0.3), but Jokic has the edge in season percentages (54.3 FG%, 45.9 FG%; 82.5 FT%, 74.0 FT%). Is it fair to compare Jokic to Millsap in the short and/or long term?Joe Kaiser: I dont think its fair -- not yet -- and the reason is because of age, minutes and consistency. As long as Millsap is healthy, hes a player we can expect to play right around 33 minutes a night just about every game of the season. His statistical averages may be a tick down from previous years, but they are still very solid and check off a lot of different categories. He has proved himself as an All-Star caliber player in the NBA for the past seven seasons.On the flip side, Jokic is only 21, and his minutes fluctuate from week to week, depending on how hes viewed at that particular time by Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone; just a few weeks ago, plenty of people were asking me if he was someone they had to own or if he was droppable. Also, we mentioned that Millsap is averaging 33 minutes per game this season, and thats a number that Jokic has reached only once in 22 games. While Jokics 23.9 MPG could rise in the coming weeks and months if he continues to produce, theres just as good a chance that his minutes dwindle if he goes into another slump.Kyle Soppe: I think so. We were all high on Jokic coming into the season, and he hasnt disappointed, but my answer here has more to do with not liking what Ive seen from Millsap.With Al Horford taking his talents to Boston this summer, the hope was that Millsap (much like Horford) would thrive in his new high-usage role, but what Ive seen is a player willing to settle. With Dwight Howard clogging the paint, Millsaps average distance of shot is up 13.2 percent over his career high that he set last season, and considering that he has failed to show us a consistent jumper, I see no reason to think that his FG% improves in a major way.Jokic, on the other hand, has shown an increase in aggressiveness and efficiency in his four games since returning from a wrist injury that sidelined him for a week (hes shooting 67.5 percent from the field and has taken at least 10 shots in three straight), something that I think earns him playing time as the season progresses. I like this comparison very much and Jokic could be even more involved in this offense if/when Danilo Gallinari misses time.Renee Miller: I dont think theres a fantasy player out there who wouldnt love to compare Jokic to Millsap. Weve been rooting for Jokic since last season!However, the facts that coach Malone hasnt really stabilized the Nuggets frontcourt rotation this season and Jokic missed time with a wrist injury put a damper on the raw statistics. But the real death blow to the comparison is minutes per game. Millsap, in his 11th season, averages 33.0 minutes per game, while Jokic is at just 23.9 MPG. Fantasy value is about opportunity and ability, so even though Jokics player efficiency rating (21.1, 37th in the league), assist ratio (21.8) and 60.8 true shooting percentage are great, he wont rise to the next level until he sees more time on the court.One of the most frustrating things about fantasy is that coaches care more about winning than about stats, and as good as Jokic has been in the past four games, the Nuggets have lost three of four.The last aspect of the comparison is competition. Millsap essentially has none, with Mike Muscala firmly ensconced in a limited bench role, while Denver is also giving almost equal minutes to Kenneth Faried (22.4) and Darrell Arthur (14.6) at the 4. Denver is still working a lot of things out, and its often the case that a very talented basketball players fantasy value suffers during that process.Im hopeful given what weve seen from Jokic this season that a long-term comparison to one of the best all-around power forwards in the game sticks with him. Kyle Tucker Jersey . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. Custom Houston Astros Jerseys . Howard Ganz, an MLB lawyer, said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos that Rodriguezs claims do not come "remotely close" to what is needed to overturn an arbitration decision in federal court. https://www.cheapastros.com/1873o-ivan-rodriguez-jersey-astros.html .com) - The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks both take aim at their first wins of the season on Saturday, as the Canucks open their home slate at Rogers Arena. OXNARD, Calif. -- Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback Kellen Moore suffered a broken right leg in Tuesdays practice, which puts even more stress on a position many believed needed help behind Tony Romo already.On what was scheduled to be Moores second-to-last team snap of practice Tuesday, guard Jared Smith was pushed back by defensive lineman Lawrence Okoye and stepped on Moores right ankle as the QB was making a throw to the sideline. Moore remained on the ground for a bit before he was able to limp off. He was helped to a trainers table and later carted to the locker room with an immobilization splint on his right leg.After practice, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the initial diagnosis was a broken leg, and Moore would get X-rays at a local hospital. Jones was unsure whether Moore would require surgery and how much time he would miss.A source said Moore suffered a broken right fibula and will need surgery. He is looking at a two- to three-month recovery, depending on surgery findings, according to a source.Its regrettable, and well basically just take a look at it and address it there, Jones said. I dont have any comments about what, if anything, well be doing there.With Romos recent injury history, the backup position is ultra-important to the Cowboys. Romo, who turned 36 in April, missed 12 games last season because of a twice-broken left collarbone. He had two back surgeries in 2013. The Cowboys went 1-11 with Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel and Moore starting games in Romos absence to finish 4-12 last season, their worst finish since a 1-15 mark in 1989.The Cowboys have backed Moore as Romos backup throughout the offseason. He played in three games last season, started the final two and finished with four touchdown passes and six interceptions. In the season-ending loss to the Washington Redskins, he completed 33 of 48 passes for 435 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.In free agency, the Cowboys did not go after high-priiced backups such as Chase Daniel and Colt McCoy, but they met with veteran Matt Moore, who opted to remain with the Miami Dolphins. Jose Altuve Astros Jersey. Last week, Jones said veteran Nick Foles was not an option, mostly because the Cowboys have four quarterbacks on the roster. With Moores injury, that could change.Rookie Dak Prescott took the second-team snaps after Moores injury. The Cowboys selected Prescott in the fourth round of the draft. He was the first quarterback drafted by the Cowboys since 2009.Its an opportunity for me to take more reps, get more snaps, and its something Im going to come in and make sure Im ready for, Prescott said. Im going to go study this film and continue to study it ... and take everything from the film room what Ive learned and take it to the field.Undrafted free agent Jameill Showers is in his second year and has been sharing the third-team work with Prescott.Moore had waited five years to be in a position to be the No. 2 quarterback after a record-setting career at Boise State. He spent four seasons with the Detroit Lions after making the team as an undrafted free agent but did not play in a game. It was his connection with Scott Linehan there that led him to the Cowboys last summer, first on the practice squad and then on the active roster.He spoke over the weekend about the excitement of the opportunity, but now he has to deal with a broken leg.Your heart hurts for him because he just works really hard, tight end Jason Witten said. Hes constantly taking notes. Hes studying. Hes communicating. And at that position -- Ive seen it with Tony for a long time as we came in -- you never know when your [opportunity] is going to happen. Hell continue to fight. Thats what he is. Thats who hes been his whole life. Hell bounce back, Im sure.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. ' ' '