For the second consecutive night FanDuel players will have eight games from which to construct their rosters, and one of the best available players is Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas ($9,200). Well on his way to another All-Star Game appearance, Thomas has been outstanding for the Celtics this season with averages of 27.2 points and 6.4 assists per game. And since missing four games due to a groin injury, he's been rolling offensively despite being the focus of opposing defenses.
A 45.3 percent shooter from the field on the season, Thomas has shot 50 percent or better from the field in six of his last ten games. Included in that stretch are his last three games, with Thomas shooting no worse than 55.6 percent from the field in any of those contests (which includes his 52-point game against the Heat). Thomas has also shot 16-for-26 from three and dished out an average of 8.0 assists per game over his last three outings. Percentages obviously aren't a FanDuel scoring category, but they show just how good Thomas has been recently. And with Philadelphia being the opposition tonight (37 points, seven rebounds in their first meeting), Thomas could be in line for another highlight-worthy performance.
Here are our FanDuel picks for Friday, working with a $60,000 salary cap to fill a nine-player roster. (Getty)
PG: Goran Dragic, Miami
Opponent: at Los Angeles Lakers
Price: $7,100
After going through a stretch in which he missed three of four games due to a back injury, Dragic returned to the lineup in the first game of Miami's west coast swing and has been solid in both games. Against the Suns and Kings, Dragic averaged 21.5 points, 8.0 assists and 2.0 steals per contest as the Heat managed to split those two games. The Lakers have a young, talented point guard in D'Angelo Russell, but he'll be playing his second game in as many nights after taking on Damian Lillard and the Blazers on Thursday. And in the first meeting between the two teams this season, Dragic tallied 21 points and seven assists. (Getty)
PG: T.J. McConnell, Philadelphia
Opponent: at Boston
Price: $4,100
With the goal being to save a little salary cap money for other spots on the roster, the hope here is that McConnell can hold his own against one of the NBA's best point guards in Isaiah Thomas. Injuries forced 76ers head coach Brett Brown to turn to McConnell as his starting point guard, and the second-year player out of Arizona has been solid of late. McConnell fell one assist short of a triple-double in Philadelphia's win over Detroit on December 11, and he's tallied 29.4 and 28.4 FanDuel points in his last two outings. (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: Avery Bradley, Boston
Opponent: vs. Philadelphia
Price: $6,200
Bradley's currently having the best season of his career, as his averages in points (17.8 ppg), rebounds (6.9 rpg) and assists (2.4 apg) are all career-highs. And in the first meeting of the season between the Celtics and 76ers, Bradley tallied 20 points, nine rebounds and two assists on December 3. Boston matches up well with Philadelphia's guards, which could result in good nights for players such as Bradley and Isaiah Thomas. (Getty)
SF: Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota
Opponent: at L.A. Clippers
Price: $6,800
After three straight games in which he scored 19 points or more, Wiggins was limited to just ten by the Spurs Tuesday night. He'll be up against another tough defensive team Thursday night, as the Clippers are ranked 5th in the NBA in defensive rating and 7th in scoring defense. Wiggins scored 22 points in the first meeting between the two teams in mid-November, but he did so on 8-for-24 shooting from the field. The hope here is that Wiggins can be more efficient against a team that's playing without two key starters in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. (Getty)
PF: Jabari Parker, Milwaukee
Opponent: at San Antonio
Price: $6,900
Admittedly this will be a tough matchup for Parker, as the Spurs allow just 38.1 FanDuel points per game to opposing power forward units, and that number is down to 34.1 points per game over San Antonio's last ten contests. But, Parker's ability to step out onto the perimeter will help him some here, as he's shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from beyond the arc. And in the first meeting between the two teams this season, Parker finished with 23 points, eight rebounds and three assists. (Getty)
PF: James Johnson, Miami
Opponent: at Los Angeles Lakers
Price: $5,500
With Justise Winslow undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery Thursday, there's one less wing that Erik Spoelstra can call upon within the course of a game. That opens the door for more minutes for Johnson, who's tallied 33 FanDuel points or more in three straight outings. In 25 minutes against the Kings Wednesday night, Johnson accounted for 14 points, six rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots in the five-point victory. Miami faces a Lakers team that played Thursday night in Portland, which could help Johnson post a solid stat line. (Getty)
C: Al Horford, Boston
Opponent: vs. Philadelphia
Price: $7,400
With Philadelphis's Joel Embiid listed as a game-time decision, there's a chance that Horford won't have to deal with one of the NBA's top young players. Horford was quiet in the first meeting between the teams this season, finishing with 11 points, four rebounds and three assists. It should be noted that Embiid did not play in that game, a one-point Celtics victory. Should Embiid be cleared to play, this will be one of the better individual matchups on Friday's schedule. (Getty)
FanDuel NBA Lineup Picks, Advice & Analysis for January 6