One question worth considering when it comes to assembling a FanDuel roster is whether or not you should focus on one team with good matchups. In the case of Saturday's schedule, with just five games being available for "main" leagues, the Houston Rockets are a team to take a serious look at. Houston hosts a New York team that has struggled defensively, and in their first meeting the Rockets tallied 118 points in a 19-point victory. Mike D'Antoni's system has benefitted star (James Harden) and role players alike thus far, with Harden serving as the focal point of the offense.
Harden ($11,300) is averaging 53 FanDuel points per night, a mark he's managed to exceed in five of the last ten games, and he's failed to score at least 50 FanDuel points just three times during that stretch. Harden's never had trouble generating looks for himself; he's simply gotten better at creating looks for his teammates and they've managed to take advantage. With shooters all around the perimeter and big men who work well in pick and roll actions and finish around the basket, Houston has been an incredibly difficult team to defend. And with the Knicks having their issues, Saturday is a night where strong consideration is given to loading up on Rockets.
Here are our FanDuel picks for Saturday, using a salary cap of $60,000 to fill the nine-man roster. (Getty)
PG: George Hill, Utah
Opponent: vs. Phoenix
Price: $6,600
Hill's return to the lineup is a big deal for the Jazz. With Hill on the court there's less pressure on small forward Gordon Hayward to facilitate offensively, as Utah has a point guard who's not only good at creating scoring opportunities for others but also taking advantage himself. In Thursday's win over the 76ers Hill racked up 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals, with his overall stat line being good for 45.6 FanDuel points. Hill's averaging 32.9 FanDuel points per game on the season, and with Phoenix struggling defensively there's good chance that he reaches that figure Saturday night. (Getty)
PG: Derrick Rose, New York
Opponent: at Houston
Price: $6,600
Rose didn't have his best game in the first meeting this season between the Rockets and Knicks, a 118-99 win for Houston, shooting 8-for-18 from the field and scoring 16 points without a single free throw attempt. Rose has been better at getting to the foul line since that early season stretch, and that's been a factor in his improved production. Averaging 27.8 FanDuel points per game, Rose has scored 32.5 FanDuel points or more in three of his last five games. (Getty)
3. Houston
Record: 26-9
Last week: 5th
Houston's won its last four, most recently beating the Knicks with James Harden producing a dominant performance. Harden, who now has seven triple-doubles this season, finished with 53 points (14-for-26 FG), 17 assists and 16 rebounds. While Harden is clearly an MVP candidate, the play of his teammates is why the Rockets have managed to play so well thus far. Ryan Anderson scored 25 points against the Knicks, and in their 140-116 win over the Clippers a total of six players scored in double figures with Montrezl Harrell racking up 29 points. As long as the supporting cast continues to benefit from Mike D'Antoni's offensive system, the Rockets are sure to be heard from out west. (Getty)
SG: Eric Gordon, Houston
Opponent: vs. Oklahoma City
Price: $5,800
With the James Harden and the Rockets taking on Russell Westbrook and the Thunder, the question is which supplementary players stand to benefit from the exploits of their teams' respective stars. One option is Gordon, who's averaging 17.7 points, 2.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game off the bench for one of the NBA's best offensive teams. Gordon has scored in double figures in ten straight games, most recently dropping 31 on Washington, and there has even been some conversation as to whether or not he should be an All-Star this season. (Getty)
SF: Trevor Ariza, Houston
Opponent: vs. Charlotte
Price: $5,800
Ariza has accounted for 32 FanDuel points or more in four of the last six games for the Rockets, most recently tallying 32.9 points in their win over Toronto Sunday night. And during that six-game stretch he's averaging 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, with all three numbers being better than his averages for the season. Charlotte's done a good job against opposing small forward units recently, allowing just 34.1 FanDuel points per game over the last five according to Rotowire. But given how Ariza's played of late, he wouldn't be a bad player to have on your roster. (Getty)
PF: Jabari Parker, Milwaukee
Opponent: at Chicago
Price: $7,200
Parker has met or exceeded his FanDuel average for the season (32.2) in five of his last six games, most recently tallying 33.7 points against Minnesota Friday night. On Saturday he and the Bucks face a struggling Bulls team, which could bode well for Parker from a productivity standpoint. In two games against Chicago this season, Parker's averaging 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, shooting 63 percent from the field. (Getty)
C: Rudy Gobert, Utah
Opponent: vs. Phoenix
Price: $7,800
Gobert's double-double streak of 11 games came to an end Thursday night against the Sixers, as he scored just nine points while also grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking two shots. It would surprise no one if Gobert were to begin a new streak Saturday night, as he accounted for 40.2 FanDuel points in Utah's win over Phoenix on December 6. Gobert finished that game with 22 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots, and the combination of the return of Hill and the Suns being one of the NBA's worst defensive teams should benefit Gobert in this matchup. (Getty)
FanDuel NBA Lineup Picks, Advice & Analysis for December 31