Fantasy basketball: Kevin Love leads stars to steal

• Early-season slumps often lead fantasy owners to quick triggers
• Injured Kevin Love could be a great get for cheap
• Josh Smith, Roy Hibbert, Ersan Ilyasova among those shooting poorly

If a great player struggles for a week in the middle of February, it is typically disregarded as a minor blip on the radar. Especially if that rough patch is preceded and followed by solid fantasy production. However, if that same player happens to slump over the first five games of the season, panic abounds. When a top-round draft pick struggles mightily over the initial handful of games at the start of a season, unnerved fantasy owners may undervalue him. This presents a rare opportunity for shrewd fantasy leaguers to pounce and trade for elite-level talent at significant discounts.

Listed below are six players who have stumbled out of the gate and could present an excellent buying opportunity if a panicked owner in your league is looking to make a move.

Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love

If the owner who drafted Love in your league is near the bottom of the standings and is anxious about it, this might be a fine time to throw out a few offers and see if he is willing to give up on Love for a healthy player. Love is out for at least the rest of the month with a broken hand, but he has been as proficient as any player in the sport. Look at the ridiculous numbers he posted last March: Over 16 games that month, he averaged 30.7 points, 13.9 boards, and 3.0 three-pointers. He finished the year averaging 26 ppg, 13.4 rpg, and 1.9 three-pointers. Love finished the season with more rebounds than Andrew Bynum, more points than Carmelo Anthony and more threes than Jason Richardson. Love is currently rehabbing and targeting an early-December return.

Atlanta Hawks small forward Josh Smith

Back in October, Smith was universally viewed as a first-round pick after posting the best numbers of his career last season. Smith ranked among the NBA's best in several defensive categories. He tied for eighth in blocks, 10th in rebounds, and 18th in steals. He was the only player in the NBA ranked in the top 20 in steals and blocks a game. He also averaged a career-high 18.8 points and chipped in 3.9 assists. This year, Smith has struggled with his accuracy, shooting below 40% from the floor, 14.3% from behind the arc, and an abominable 20% from the line. While efficiency has never been Smith's strong suit, these terrible percentages are an aberration. He's still playing more than 35 minutes a game and rebounding and blocking shots at a respectable rate. By the end of April, this shooting slump in early November will be nothing more than an afterthought.

Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams

Williams is underperforming relative to expectations, but trading for him is a gamble. A recent MRI revealed Williams has bone spurs in his ankle that will eventually require minor surgery. Williams and the Nets say the injury is manageable and that he'll have no problem waiting until the offseason to get them removed. The offseason is still a long ways away, which is something to keep in mind before pulling the trigger on a trade.

Milwaukee Bucks power forward Ersan Ilyasova

Over the final 31 games of the 2011-12 season, Ilyasova averaged 16.4 points and 9.6 rebounds a game. Over that stretch, he was the only player in the NBA to shoot better than 54% from the floor and 80% from the free throw stripe and knock down at least one three-pointer per contest. His phenomenal play earned him a huge contract this summer and had fantasy leaguers salivating at his prospects for 2012-13. But Ilyasova has struggled this season. Over the first six games, Ilyasova averaged 6.7 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting a ghastly 28.8% from the field and 41.7% on free throws. Ersan scored two points in 18 ineffective minutes Monday at the Philadelphia 76ers. However, he is simply too talented to continue shooting so poorly; eventually Ilyasova will find his rhythm and begin posting the stat lines we all expected back on draft day. Right now, he is being dropped by foolish owners in some shallow leagues and being traded for pennies on the dollar in many others. This is a prime opportunity for shrewd owners to buy a promising stock at a rock-bottom price.

Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins

Cousins numbers this season have been underwhelming, but the primary reason his stock has dipped is a postgame confrontation with San Antonio Spurs announcer Sean Elliot that resulted in a two-game suspension. Immaturity has always been an issue for Cousins and cost him a few spots in the 2010 draft, when he went fifth overall. However, Cousins is one of the most gifted big men on the planet. Cousins and Dwight Howard were the only players to average 18 points, 10 rebounds, one steal & one block a game last season. And unlike Howard, Cousins actually shoots well from the free throw line and better care of the basketball. There are risks to making Cousins the centerpiece of your fantasy team. But maturity and kindness are not categories in fantasy leagues. And very few players possess the all-around upside Cousins brings to the table.

Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert

Hibbert joins the shooting-slump crowd. In 2011-12, he averaged 12.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 29.5 minutes a game. He is receiving the same playing time and taking the same 10.3 shots a game this season. But those shots aren't falling. After shooting 49.7% from the floor last season, Hibbert is making 37.8% this year. He is shooting 45.5% from the free-throw line, despite being a career 72.2% shooter. To his credit, the struggles on offense have not impacted his contributions on the other end of the floor. Hibbert is averaging a career-high 2.5 blocks a game. Scoop up Hibbert now, and enjoy the uptick in scoring once his shots start falling.

Tommy Beer writes for Hoopsworld.com, a USA TODAY Sports Media Group property.