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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.
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The Daily NBA Fantasy Shopper: NBA Expert Picks for DraftStreet - 12/16/2013
With more than half of the teams in the league playing tonight, there are plenty of good options for your fantasy lineups tonight.
PG: Jeff Teague ($10,219): Teague has struggles over the past few weeks were capped off by a dreadful performance Saturday that saw him post just 4 points and 6 rebounds. The main culprit for Teague has been his poor shooting touch as of late. In the last two weeks he has shot a putrid 36% from the floor which has brought his scoring crashing down. With that said, Teague has been among the most consistent assist men in the league this year, averaging 7.7 per game. Tonight he gets a Lakers team that is among the NBA’s worst against opposing point guards. Look for Teague to bust out tonight.
SG: Joe Johnson ($11,970): With the Nets struggling, it is not surprising that Joe Johnson has been very inconsistent this season. In his past seven games, Johnson has posted the following point totals: 12, 21, 7, 15, 13, 22, and 26, which perfectly summarizes his year. The positive is that with so little depth, Johnson has been playing nearly 37 minutes a game this season, which has led to a ton of opportunity. If Johnson can play tonight (he was sick and missed shoot-around yesterday), he should be able to exploit the league’s worst defense coming off of a game in which they gave up 139 points.
SF: Carmelo Anthony ($19,816): Even with his team struggling to win games, Anthony has continued to be a fantasy monster this year. He is currently scoring 29, pulling down 9.2 rebounds and dishing nearly 3 assists a game. Because of that, Anthony has been about as consistent a fantasy player as you could hope for. With that consistency, he has continued to creep up in price, but his steady play and ability to go off make him well worth the investment. This should continue to hold true tonight against a Washington team that just doesn’t have a player who can match Anthony’s size and skill.
PF: Jared Sullinger ($10,545): Sullinger has taken control of the Celtics frontcourt recently and Coach Brad Stevens has continued to ride the young forward. He has scored in double digits in eight of the last nine games while also being a solid source of rebounding. In his matchup tonight, he gets a Minnesota team that rebounds well, but they will not overwhelm him with size. The Timberwolves also prefer a fast-paced game which should help Sullinger to see more scoring chances.
C: Roy Hibbert ($14,180): Hibbert has undoubtedly been the best defensive player in the league this season, as he has helped the Pacers to the number one scoring defense. Hibbert also leads the NBA with over 3 blocks a game and only has one game in the past month without a blocked shot. He also has put up a career high 13.2 points and 9 rebounds a game, which combine to make for a very good fantasy play in daily leagues. The Pacers play a Pistons team that has a bevy of big men, making it critical to keep Hibbert on the floor as much as possible to help slow down Andre Drummond. In their previous meeting, Hibbert put up 8 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocks. Don’t be surprised if he puts up a similar performance tonight.
U: Martell Webster ($7,689): After an ankle injury and a few poor showings, Webster’s cost has dropped significantly. Now that he appears to be healthy, he has posted a couple of solid performances. With Bradley Beal still out with his leg injury, Webster is the unquestioned starter in Washington, and he could easily get back to being the productive player that he was at the start of the year. With season averages of 12 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2 assists, he is more than worth the price today. The last time he faced the Knicks, Webster put up a 19-point, 3-rebound and 3-assist game.
U: Trey Burke ($11,825): Since returning from injury, Burke has more than proven that he is the point guard of the future in Utah. He has scored over 10 in 10 of his last 11 games, posted at least 5 assists in seven of his past eight, and also chipped in on the boards. Burke’s matchup tonight is not great as the Jazz take on Miami, but the Heat have not played their full squad in many games this year and they are coming off a game in which they gave up 107 points to the Cavs. For this price, Burke should easily meet his value for the day.
