Wednesday's NBA schedule consists of six games, limiting the options available to FanDuel participants when compared to Tuesday's nine-game slate. What makes up for that is the fact that both James Harden ($12,400) and Russell Westbrook ($12,100) are in action, with Harden and the Rockets visiting Minnesota and Westbrook leading Oklahoma City against Memphis. Westbrook is averaging 57.7 FanDuel points per game on the season, and in five of his last six games Westbrook has tallied at least 51.8 points (three of those were 65 points or better). But in Memphis, Westbrook faces an opponent that ranks among the NBA's best on the defensive end of the floor.
David Fizdale's Grizzlies are ranked third in the NBA in both points allowed per game (98.6) and defensive rating (104.2), and in their first game against Oklahoma City this season they did reasonably well in defending Westbook. Frustrated throughout the evening, Westbrook scored 21 points on 6-for-19 shooting and grabbed five rebounds before being ejected in the third quarter, and he didn't register a single assist. While it's tough to envision a similar scenario this time around, Memphis doesn't lack for defensive options due to the presence of both Mike Conley and Tony Allen. This should make for an interesting night in Oklahoma City.
Here are tonight's FanDuel picks, using a $60,000 salary cap to fill out the nine-player roster. Linked stats are from Basketball Reference. (Getty)
PG: Chris Paul, LA Clippers
Opponent: vs. Orlando
Price: $9,200
Upon his return to the lineup Paul has dished out a total of 30 assists over the last two games, while also 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. That bodes well for the Clippers going into their matchup with Orlando, as Paul accounted for 16 points and ten assists in the first meeting between the two teams this season. Look for CP3 to continue on his recent run, especially with the Magic in the midst of a six-game road trip. (Getty)
PG: Brandon Jennings, New York
Opponent: at Philadelphia
Price: $4,900
Can Jennings be incredibly erratic at times? Yes, but he's also capable of producing solid stretches of play for the Knicks. And with the recent situation involving Derrick Rose, it's tough to see head coach Jeff Hornacek simply giving Rose his usual minutes as if nothing happened Monday night. Enter Jennings, who started against New Orleans on Monday and finished the game with 20 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. (Getty)
SG: Bradley Beal, Washington
Opponent: at Boston
Price: $6,900
At 22.1 points and 3.5 assists per game, Beal is currently averaging career highs in both statistical categories. And from a FanDuel standpoint he's averaging 31.4 points per night, a figure Beal has surpassed in three of his last five appearances. With Marcus Smart (Avery Bradley's still out) being the opposition, Beal will be in for a challenge Wednesday night against the Celtics. Beal played just 11 minutes in the first meeting between the two teams, with tightness in his right hamstring ending Beal's evening, so you can't read too much into that when projecting what Beal may do tonight. But look for another solid outing from Washington's starting shooting guard. (Getty)
SG: Jamal Crawford, LA Clippers
Opponent: vs. Orlando
Price: $4,000
Crawford's coming off of a rough outing against the Heat, as he scored just two points in 31 minutes of action. But, in the three games prior Crawford managed to tally at least 24 FanDuel points in each outing, which would lead one to believe that the Miami game was an outlier. While there's also the concern that he didn't perform particularly well in the first meeting with Orlando (one point, one rebound), look for Crawford to bounce back Wednesday night. (Getty)
SF: LeBron James, Cleveland
Opponent: at Portland
Price: $10,100
James finished Tuesday's loss to the Jazz with 29 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals, shooting 10-for-20 from the field as other teammates (especially the bench) struggled to get much of anything going. Wednesday night brings about a matchup with Portland, a team that is giving up points at a higher clip than they're scoring them this season. Travel issues aside, this sets up as a game where James (65.5 FanDuel points vs. Portland on November 23) puts on a show. (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)
Saturday's NBA schedule is a busy one, with nine games being available to FanDuel participants in "main" leagues. Among the games on the slate is Philadelphia visiting Atlanta. It's the second game of a back-to-back for the 76ers, which means a night of rest for starting center Joel Embiid. Embiid, who's averaging 35.1 FanDuel points per game this season, left Friday's game against Portland with a left knee contusion after landing awkwardly following a dunk in the third quarter. Embiid returned to the floor in the fourth, but after a "minor tweak" he was sidelined for the remainder of the game.
The question regarding Philadelphia from a fantasy standpoint is who will absorb the opportunities that would normally go to Embiid. Jahlil Okafor (20.0 FanDuel points per game) and Nerlens Noel (15.8 ppg) are two players who will see an increase in minutes, but the best bet for production is Ersan Ilyasova. The forward, who Philly acquired via trade from Oklahoma City earlier this season, is averaging 24.8 FanDuel points per game and has a salary value of $5,800. In Friday's victory over the Blazers Ilyasova tallied 35 FanDuel points, and he's had 27 or more in three of the last four games. Obviously Ilyasova and Embiid don't share the same position, and their roles are different, but he's been a more reliable front court supplementary option than any other player at Brett Brown's disposal. That makes him worth considering for a roster spot if looking to save some cap room for other positions.
Here are our FanDuel picks for Saturday's games, with a salary cap of $60,000 for the nine-player roster. The Portland vs. Boston and Washington vs. Detroit games aren't eligible due to their start times, which means no Damian Lillard (Portland), Isaiah Thomas (Boston) or John Wall (Washington). (Getty)
PF: Montrezl Harrell, Houston
Opponent: at Memphis
Price: $5,200
Harrell's FanDuel point totals have been up and down the last four games, with quality performances being followed by comparatively quiet ones. With this being the second game of a back-to-back and the Rockets still working starting center Clint Capela back into the lineup, this could be a game where Harrell becomes of greater value fantasy-wise. In Friday's loss to Golden State, Harrell tallied just 16.1 FanDuel points. But if the aforementioned trend continues, he'll have a good night against the Grizzlies. (Getty)
FanDuel NBA Lineup Picks, Advice & Analysis for January 11