Saturday's a busy day in the NBA, with there being ten games on the schedule. That gives FanDuel players a host of possibilities when it comes to filling out their rosters, with New Orleans forward Anthony Davis ($11,900) and Houston guard James Harden ($11,500) being the most expensive options. Harden was in action Friday night, coming out on top in his showdown with Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook as the Rockets won 102-99. While Harden fell one rebound short of a triple-double, finishing with 21 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, he didn't have his best night from an offensive standpoint. Harden shot 6-for-23 from the floor, with his 7-for-8 night from the foul line salvaging things points-wise, and he also committed eight turnovers.
But a win is a win, and in the case of the Rockets they received contributions from multiple players as they won despite Westbrook (27 points, ten rebounds, ten assists, eight turnovers) extending his triple-double streak to seven consecutive games. Forward Ryan Anderson ($4,500) contributed 14 points, eight rebounds and one steal Friday night, and guards Eric Gordon (17 points, three assists; $5,400) and Patrick Beverley (three points, 12 rebounds, five assists, two steals; $4,900) were all decent supplementary figures from a FanDuel scoring standpoint, and that could once again be the case Saturday with the Rockets hosting Dallas.
Here are our FanDuel picks for Saturday, working within the rules of a nine-player roster with a $60,000 salary cap. (Getty)
PG: Rajon Rondo, Chicago
Opponent: vs. Miami
Price: $6,200
After a stretch of six straight games with a FanDuel point total of 31 or higher, Rondo's been hit or miss lately in that regard. While he is coming off of a 37.5 point output in Chicago's win over San Antonio Thursday night, the three games prior were particularly rocky for Rondo. There was the two-point, two-rebound, two-assist and five-turnover night in a 25-point loss to the Mavericks, which was followed by a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. And in his first game back from the suspension, Rondo tallied ten points, three rebounds, two assists and three turnovers in an 11-point loss to Detroit. Jimmy Butler is Chicago's best player, but when the point guard struggles it's tough for anyone to get going. With struggling Miami being the opponent, and they were blown out by Cleveland on Friday, the hope here is that Rondo can take advantage. (Getty)
PG: Patrick Beverley, Houston
Opponent: vs. Dallas
Price: $4,900
Despite scoring three points on 1-for-8 shooting in Friday's win over the Thunder, Beverley still managed to tally 28.9 FanDuel points. How? By also managing to grab 12 rebounds, dish out five assists and pick up a pair of steals without committing a turnover. Beverley fits well next to James Harden because he's a high-level defender, and he doesn't need to have the ball in his hands to make an impact. At this price tag you may be better off with Beverley than similarly priced options such as Orlando's Elfrid Payton ($5,400) or New Orleans' Tim Frazier ($4,900), as Payton is now coming off the bench and Frazier splits primary ball-handler duties with Jrue Holiday. (Getty)
SG: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee
Opponent: vs. New York
Price: $10,700
Two nights after turning Madison Square Garden into his own personal stage, finishing with 27 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three blocks and hitting the game-winner, Antetokounmpo takes on the Knicks in Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo currently leads the Bucks in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, and barring injury he should be playing in his first NBA All-Star Game next month. As for Friday, the Knicks really don't have an answer for Antetokounmpo defensively, so building a FanDuel roster around the "Greek Freak" wouldn't be a bad idea. (Getty)
SG: Klay Thompson, Golden State
Opponent: at Memphis
Price: $6,600
In the two games since he scored 60 points in 29 minutes against the Pacers, Thompson has shot 13 for 31 from the field and 3-for-10 from three in wins over the Clippers and Jazz. Tonight, Thompson and the Warriors face one of the NBA's best defensive teams in the Memphis Grizzlies, who are ranked fourth in points allowed per game and second in defensive rating. But the bet here is that Thompson gets back on track thanks to the Warriors having so many options that need to be accounted for defensively. (Getty)
SF: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio
Opponent: vs. Brooklyn
Price: $8,200
Averaging 39.2 FanDuel points per game, Leonard has scored 21 points or more in each of the last six games. And while getting to the foul line has been an issue, with Leonard averaging just over six attempts per contest during that stretch, he's still managed to have an impact in the rebounds and assists categories. Brooklyn, tonight's opponent for the Spurs, has struggled defensively as they're last in the NBA in points allowed and 27th in defensive rating, and they've only been slightly better offensively. That could set up for a big night for Leonard. (Getty)
SF: Wilson Chandler, Denver
Opponent: at Los Angeles Lakers
Price: $5,800
Chandler's role has shifted on multiple occasions this season, with the most recent move being his return to the bench with Kenneth Faried starting at the four. Chandler's still going to get his opportunities as one of the first reserves off the bench, but the chance to exploit a mismatch of sorts as a face-up four is off the table for the time being. Against the Magic on Monday he accounted for nine points, eight rebounds and three assists. Chandler could be in line to do more from a scoring standpoint with the Lakers being one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. (Getty)
PF: Serge Ibaka, Orlando
Opponent: vs. Denver
Price: $6,200
Frank Vogel's changes to the starting lineup and bench rotations have given the Magic a little more consistency, even though they still find themselves on the outside looking in with regards to the playoff race. In the case of Ibaka, he's managed to have his moments but could stand to have a greater impact offensively in the starting unit. Ibaka's scored 16 points or more in just five of the last ten games, but during that stretch he's also blocked three or more shots in five games. While raising the scoring numbers would likely push Ibaka's FanDuel scores comfortably into the 30's, he can do enough on the boards and defensively to provide some value for the salary cap number. (Getty)
PF: JaMychal Green, Memphis
Opponent: vs. Golden State
Price: $5,400
Green's accounted for 27.9 FanDuel points or more in four of his last five games, most recently tallying 29.6 points in a win over Portland in which he grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds. The partnership between he and Zach Randolph, with Randolph coming off the bench, has worked well for Memphis as it gets a more athletic option in the starting lineup with the better offensive option (Randolph) crunch-time minutes. Tonight's game is a tough matchup for Green and the Grizzlies, but Green's abilities as a rebounder and defender allows him to have an impact even without scoring a great deal. (Getty)
C: Myles Turner, Indiana
Opponent: vs. Portland
Price: $5,900
Averaging 29.5 FanDuel points per game on the season, Turner has fallen short of that mark in each of the last four games. A big reason why has been the rebounding, as he's grabbed no more than six rebounds in any of those contests. Prior to that Turner had a ten-game stretch in which he grabbed eight or more rebounds in seven of those games. Indiana needs Turner to get back to that level of production as they look to be a factor in the East, and it would help out FanDuel players as well. Tonight's opponent, Portland, currently ranks 21st in the NBA in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage, so the opportunities will be there for Turner and his teammates. (Getty)
FanDuel NBA Lineup Picks, Advice & Analysis for December 10