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In our NBA Fantasy Basketball Daily Shopper series, RotoBaller Brad Leibfried brings you his expert picks for NBA Daily League contests on DraftStreet.
Editor's Note: For those of you hardcore fantasy basketball gamers, Draftstreet has an exclusive offer for RotoBaller members. Register through this link and you will be given a free 100% bonus on your first deposit! Put in up to $200, and you'll get another $200 for free to play on Draftstreet. You'll also be invited to FREE contests with cash prize and can enter NBA Freerolls. Pretty sweet deal!
The Daily NBA Fantasy Shopper: NBA Expert Picks for DraftStreet - 12/11/2013
PG: Tony Wroten ($11,655): Wroten has continued to excel while Michael Carter-Williams has been out. Wroten has excelled in nearly all categories, as he has two 20-point games, a 10-rebound game and a nine assist game in just the past three games alone. With Carter-Williams expected to be out for another game or two, Wroten should continue to shine in Philadelphia’s offense. A matchup with Ricky Rubio and the Timberwolves should also provide a boost in stats tonight.
SG: Kevin Martin ($13,616): After a blistering start that saw him in the top five in the NBA in scoring, Kevin Martin has slowed down a touch. That said, the veteran guard is still averaging 22.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists a game. Martin does nearly all of his damage from outside, as he averages 2.4 three-point shots made per game. Tonight he plays a Sixers team that allows opponents to shoot 36% from deep and gives up a league-worst 109.5 points a game. Martin should be in for a huge scoring night.
SF: Gordon Hayward ($12,287): The supremely talented Hayward has experienced more than his fair share of ups and downs this season. He has shown plenty of great moments this year, including a solid 22-point, 4-rebound, 3-assist, 2-block, and 1-steal performance just four days ago against Sacramento. With the return of Trey Burke, there is less pressure on Hayward to run the offense and he is getting more open looks. His matchup tonight is against a Kings team against which he played very well on Friday. Look for Hayward to put up a stat line similar to what he did last week.
PF: Taj Gibson ($13,380): Gibson has broken into the Bulls starting rotation in a big way over the past week. He has scored in double figures in six straight games and put up double-digit rebounds in two of those. Last night, he struggled against Milwaukee, but he was still able to post a respectable 10-point, 9-rebound and 2-block night. His matchup is significantly easier tonight, as he faces a struggling Knicks team that is just 5-15 this year. With Luol Deng again questionable to play, look for Gibson to respond and put up a big double-double.
C: DeMarcus Cousins ($19,345): For as frustrating as he can be, DeMarcus Cousins has been one of the best players in all of fantasy basketball this season. Cousins is the only player in the NBA to average over 20 points, 10 rebounds, 1 block and 1 steal game—THE ONLY ONE! The newly acquired Rudy Gay is likely to take away some of Cousins shots, but it seems unlikely that Gay will be playing tonight. Cousins’s matchup tonight is another good one, as he faces a Jazz team against which he put up 28 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals in their last meeting. He may be one of the most expensive players for the night, but there is likely to be no one who outscores him tonight.
U: Andrew Nicholson ($7,903): Coming off of what was without a doubt his best game of the year, Nicholson is continuing to impress in Orlando. In that game, the second-year player put up 19 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. With Nikola Vucevic a big question mark for this game, the front court is wide open for Nicholson to take up a ton of minutes and continue to play well. Tonight he will face a front line of Al Jefferson and Josh McRoberts, who have been good defensively, though by no means should you consider defense to be their calling card. If Vucevic is indeed out, Nicholson would make a great play for a low price.
U: Enes Kanter ($10,368): The big man from Turkey has been largely a disappointment this season. However, he has picked up his game the past week in the absence of Derrick Favors. Over his past four games he is averaging 14 points, 6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. His signature game came against the best defensive team in the NBA, as he took it to the Pacers and put up 20 points and 10 rebounds. Tonight he faces a Kings team against which he had a good night last week. The Kings allow opponents to shoot 46% from the floor, and with Favors still a question mark, Kanter should again be the feature big man on offense.
