Nine games are on the NBA schedule for Friday, with the Houston Rockets hosting the Golden State Warriors in the day's most noteworthy contest. The Warriors, who are ranked first in the NBA in defensive rating, will face an elite player for the second time in as many games with the Rockets being led by James Harden ($12,200). Harden's averaging 54.1 FanDuel points per game this season, and it's been mentioned many times over how his productivity has taken off in Mike D'Antoni's offensive system. Harden has the freedom to do what he sees fit with the basketball, and while that may not be a whole lot different than the situation he played in last season the philosophy and execution are.
Last season there was the need to account for Dwight Howard's need for post touches; this season with Clint Capela, Nene and Montrezl Harrell, Harden has big men who work well with him in the pick and roll game and they also don't need a high number of 1-on-1 post touches to remain engaged. That approach requires an adjustment on the part of Golden State defensively, which was an issue in the first meeting between the teams this season. Houston beat Golden State 132-127 in a double-overtime classic December 1, with Harden finishing with 29 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists. Despite turning the ball over seven times, Harden tallied 65.5 FanDuel points in the win, with Ryan Anderson (29 points on 9-for-17 shooting) and Eric Gordon (23 points on 9-for-19 shooting) also performing well.
With the number of quality perimeter shooters around Harden, the Rockets can be a tough matchup for the Warriors, which makes he and his teammates players worth considering for tonight's lineup. Here are our FanDuel picks for Friday, using a $60,000 salary cap to fill out a nine-player roster. (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)
PG: George Hill, Utah
Opponent: at Denver
Price: $6,300
Hill had a tough night in Utah's two-point loss to Oklahoma City on Monday, scoring nine points on 2-for-10 shooting from the field. But he's been good for most of the season (when healthy), and Hill won't be up against a point guard as good as Russell Westbrook when he and the Jazz face Denver tonight. So look for the veteran point guard to rebound with a solid performance. (Getty)
SG: Nicolas Batum, Charlotte
Opponent: vs. Washington
Price: $7,300
Averaging 15.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game this season, Batum played well in Charlotte's three-point loss to the Wizards on December 14. Batum finished the game with 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds, and he also tallied two steals and one blocked shot. Given the amount of production that the Wizards get from their perimeter players, Batum will once again be a key figure in this matchup. (Getty)
SG: Eric Gordon, Houston
Opponent: at Milwaukee
Price: $6,000
Gordon accounted for 35.1 FanDuel points in Houston's game against Memphis on Saturday, and five days ago he scored 25 points in a win over the Bucks. Of Gordon's 20 field goal attempts on that night 17 were three-pointers, and he made seven while also grabbing four rebounds. Gordon isn't the most productive player outside of the scoring department, but he is capable of putting up solid rebound or assist numbers at any given time. (Getty)
SF: Kevin Durant, Golden State
Opponent: at Houston
Price: $10,500
Durant's MVP chances are likely to be hurt by two factors: the seasons being produced by the likes of James Harden and Russell Westbrook, and the fact that he's playing on a team loaded with offensive weapons. The second factor may be why some overlook just how efficient Durant, who has been one of the NBA's most efficient players, has been in his first season in Oakland. In Wednesday's win over Oklahoma City, Durant scored 40 points on 13-for-16 shooting from the field (9-for-10 FT) while also grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out four assists. Durant needed 28 shots to score 39 points against the Rockets on December 1, but the way he's been playing look for him to be more efficient this time around. (Getty)
PF: Jabari Parker, Milwaukee
Opponent: at Orlando
Price: $7,400
Wednesday's 26.4 point outing against the Rockets Wednesday night ended a streak of six straight games in which Parker tallied at least 32 FanDuel points (season average: 32.7). In Milwaukee's win over Orlando on November 21, Parker finished with 22 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Parker's scored 22 points or more in five of his last seven games, and even with the Magic's front court depth this is a game where he has a good chance of making it six out of eight. (Getty)
PF: Dario Saric, Philadelphia
Opponent: vs. Portland
Price: $4,200
Averaging just 18.8 FanDuel points per game on the season, Saric has exceeded that mark in four of his last six games. While Joel Embiid has received most of the attention as the 76ers have become a more formidable team, and rightfully so as he's got a good case for an All-Star spot, Saric has shown signs of growth as well. Portland's struggled defensively for much of the season, but having Al-Farouq Aminu on the court does help in this area. Saric hasn't played fewer than 21 minutes in a game since December 20, so he'll certainly have the opportunity to produce Friday night. (Getty)
C: Mason Plumlee, Portland
Opponent: at Philadelphia
Price: $6,300
While Philadelphia's Joel Embiid has enjoyed an All-Star caliber season, opposing centers have done well against the 76ers this season (and doesn't solely fall upon Embiid's shoulders). Opposing team are getting 49.5 FanDuel points per game from the center spot against the 76ers per Rotowire, which bodes well for Plumlee despite the fact that he isn't a prolific scorer. Plumlee's averaging 10.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this season, and he's tallied at least five assists in 15 games. (Getty)
FanDuel NBA Lineup Picks, Advice & Analysis for January 20