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Recommended plays for NBA action on 3/18:
PG: Damian Lillard ($15,845): Lillard has been on a roll of late, with five straight games over 20 points scored. He has done this despite shooting just above 40% from the field over the past two weeks. The missed shots have certainly hurt his value, but considering that in this stretch he is averaging just short of 4 rebounds and over 5 assists a night, a few missed shots shouldn’t dissuade you from rostering him. His matchup tonight is a great one against a Bucks team that has the worst record in the NBA and regularly gets torched by opposing point guards.
SG: Dion Waiters ($10,427): With the injury to Kyrie Irving, Waiters moves up the ladder to top playmaker on the outside for Cleveland. In six games since returning from an injury of his own, Waiters has scored in double figures in five games, including a solid 15-point, 5-assist and 3-rebound game his last time out. He has seen an improvement in his shooting numbers, which have been around 45% since his return, and although that number may decrease with more attempts, his point and assist totals should rise significantly. His price will likely start to rise as well, so take advantage of the market now while he is still a bargain.
SF: Nicolas Batum ($17,127): No player has been more locked in recently than Batum. In the absence of LaMarcus Aldridge, Batum has recorded a double-double in his last three games, averaging 19.3 points and 15.3 rebounds in that time. With no alternative up front, he has played over 38 minutes in six straight contest, including 43 and 45 the last two games. Tonight, he gets a Milwaukee front line that features Ersan Ilyasova, Khris Middleton, John Henson and Zaza Pachulia-- in other words, one he should have no problem with.
PF: David Lee ($13,995): Lee is a bit of a gamble tonight, as he was benched last game against Portland for lack of defense and saw just 24 minutes of action. Hopefully, that was a wakeup call to the veteran big man who faces an Orlando team that is already weak upfront and may be without center Nikola Vucevic. If Lee is out of Mark Jackson’s doghouse, he should have a good shot at recording his first double-double since March 5th.
C: Kyle O’Quinn ($9,719): As I just mentioned, I have a hunch that Vucevic will sit tonight, as the team has been very cautious with their young big man. If that is the case, O’Quinn could be a solid pick-and-play option, as coach Jacque Vaughn has not hesitated to use him for big minutes recently. He has gone seven straight games with 5+ rebounds and scored in double figures in three of those games. If Vucevic does play, O'Quinn could still be useful, but if Vicevic sits, O’Quinn could be the value play of the day.
