Nine games are on the NBA schedule for Friday, including the Houston Rockets continuing their road trip with a game against the Denver Nuggets. From a FanDuel point of view it's clear why this game would generate such interest: the presence of James Harden, who in Thursday's double overtime win over Golden State posted his fourth triple-double of the season. Harden ($11,500) finished the game with 29 points, 15 rebounds, 13 assists, two steals, one blocked shot and seven turnovers, good for a total of 65.5 FanDuel points. While the turnover count is higher than one would want from their primary decision-maker, Harden more than makes up for it with his contributions in other areas.
With that kind of performance coming against the star-studded Warriors, tonight's game against the 7-11 Nuggets sets up as one where Harden could do even better, right? While there is the factor of playing at altitude to be considered, especially in the second game of a back-to-back, Harden's performed well in the two prior back-to-back setups this season. After putting up 41 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds against Cleveland on November 1, Harden followed that up with 30 points, 15 assists and six rebounds in a win over the Knicks. And in the second back-to-back for the Rockets, Harden accounted for 26 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds against Portland on November 17 after struggling the day prior at Oklahoma City (13 points, 13 assists, seven rebounds).
That's just something to consider when putting together your roster for tonight's games. Here are our FanDuel picks for Friday, working within the rules of a nine-player roster with a $60,000 salary cap. Some statistics on these slides are from Basketball Reference. (Getty)
PG: Isaiah Thomas, Boston
Opponent: vs. Sacramento
Price: $8,100
Averaging 38 FanDuel points per game this season, Thomas has been the offensive focal point for the Celtics that he was in his all-star campaign of 2015-16. And it should be noted that there's room for growth on both ends of the court for Boston, which had to deal with injuries suffered by both Jae Crowder and Al Horford last month. With both players back in the fold, head coach Brad Stevens will be able to put together the lineups that will benefit the team collectively and Thomas individually. As for this matchup, in two games against the Kings last season Thomas averaged 21.5 points, 9.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals (the link is to his full game log from last season) per game. (Getty)
PG: Jrue Holiday, New Orleans
Opponent: vs. Brooklyn
Price: $6,100
No team is allowing more FanDuel points per game to opposing point guard units than the Nets, who are giving up 50.9 FanDuel points per contest per Rotowire. And over the last five games, that number's up to 53.8. That bodes well for Holiday, who has a nice price tag and is coming off of a game in which he tallied 35.9 FanDuel points against a better defensive team in the Orlando Magic. He wouldn't be a bad player to select, thus saving some cap room for other spots while not making a major gamble from a production standpoint. (Getty)
SG: Bradley Beal, Washington
Opponent: at San Antonio
Price: $6,900
Beal's been on a good run of late, accounting for 38 FanDuel points or more in five of the last six games. Included in that run is a game against the Spurs in which he tallied 43.7 points, finishing with 25 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. With his current form and the price tag, you can do a lot worse than adding Beal to your lineup for tonight's games. (Getty)
SG: Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers
Opponent: at Toronto
Price: $5,500
After accounting for 34.3 FanDuel points in a win over the Hawks, Clarkson's been comparatively quiet over the last two games. He (and the rest of his teammates) struggled in a loss to the Pelicans on Tuesday before rebounding to beat the Bulls the following night in Chicago. Clarkson's tallied 23.6 FanDuel points or more in five of the last six games, and while the Raptors have some solid second-unit guards of their own (Cory Joseph, Terrence Ross, Norman Powell) he should be able to reach that number Friday. (Getty)
SF: Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota
Opponent: at New York
Price: $6,000
After a hot start to the season Wiggins' production tailed off some, as he went through a stretch in which he scored 14 points or fewer in four out of six games. In Wednesday's meeting with the Knicks, Wiggins finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal (34.4 FanDuel points). That's about where Wiggins should be on a consistent basis, and while compared to the early scoring outburst may feel a bit underwhelming represents good production for the price tag. (Getty)
SF: Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota
Opponent: vs. Houston
Price: $6,300
After a stretch in which he shot 50 percent or better from the field in five consecutive games, Wiggins has alternated solid shooting performances with poor ones over his last four outings. In Monday's win over Dallas he shot a respectable 5-for-11 from the field, and the hope here is that he can stop that trend with a solid showing against Houston. The Rockets, who played Tuesday night, limited Wiggins to 13 points on 5-for-17 shooting on December 17. This selection is a risk, but Wiggins has the talent required to turn things around. (Getty)
PF: Taj Gibson, Chicago
Opponent: at Washington
Price: $4,700
Averaging 11.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game on the season, Gibson hasn't been as productive in recent games. He's failed to score in double figures in three of the last four games, averaging 10.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game with the scoring average being boosted by his 18-point outing against Cleveland on January 4. But he's had some success against the Wizards, averaging 15.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest in their two meetings this season. With his price tag, it may not be a bad idea to count on Gibson approaching those numbers while saving some cap room for other positions. (Getty)
PF: Tobias Harris, Detroit
Opponent: vs. Atlanta
Price: $5,700
Harris has accounted for 32 FanDuel points or more in each of the last three games, most recently tallying 34.2 in Detroit's win over Boston Wednesday night. Averaging 17.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest this season, Harris can score from anywhere on the court and makes for an interesting matchup opposite Atlanta's Paul Millsap. Scoring 21 points or more in three straight games, Harris could very well extend that streak to four while adding in some rebounds as well. (Getty)
C: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota
Opponent: at New York
Price: $9,400
Even if New York's free agent acquisition Joakim Noah weren't struggling, it's tough to see how Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek would be able to account for Towns defensively. In Wednesday's meeting between the two teams Towns posted the best stat line of his young career, finishing with 47 points, 18 rebounds, two assists and three blocked shots. New York managed to hang on thanks to a Carmelo Anthony jumper in the final seconds, but given their personnel it's tough to see what could really change in two days when it comes to defending Towns. He may not go for 47 & 18 again, but Towns will get his numbers tonight. (Getty)
FanDuel NBA Lineup Picks, Advice & Analysis for December 2