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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 - 1/21/2014
PG: John Wall ($16,961): Prior to a disappointing effort in his last game against the pitiful Sixers, Wall had been putting up huge numbers. Over his last two weeks, he is averaging an amazing 24 points, 7.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds. Wall has scored in double figures in every game in January while also posting five or more assists in 12 of the Wizards' 13 games in the new year. His matchup tonight is against a Boston team on a back-to-back that has just lost its best defender to an ankle injury (Aver Bradley). With Rajon Rondo not yet up to speed, Wall should have his way with the Celtics tonight.
SG: Rodney Stuckey ($10,391): Coming into tonight’s game, Stuckey is on his best roll of the season. He has scored 21, 20 and 29 points respectively in his last three games. In the Pistons game on Monday, he played 34 minutes while starter Brandon Jennings was benched in the fourth quarter. With Jennings struggling from the field recently, coach Mo Cheeks has turned to Stuckey to fire up Detroit’s offense. He should be able to light up a Bucks defense that typically struggles and may also be without its top perimeter defender in O.J. Mayo.
SF: Carmelo Anthony ($19,225): No need to overthink this matchup: Anthony is scoring 26 points a game this year and tonight plays a team in Philadelphia that gives up over 110 points a game. If you needed any more motivation to play Anthony, it is worth noting that over the past two games he has combined for 32 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. He is about as consistent of a fantasy player as you can ask for, as well, with 20 or more points in five straight games. Even with the high price tag, Anthony will be able to outproduce his cost tonight.
PF: Paul Millsap ($16,416): After a barrage of double-doubles following Al Horford’s injury, Millsap has not posted one in six games. That said, he has diversified his game as he has notched 4+ assists in five of his last six games; in those same six games, he also has 10 steals. He has also bumped his scoring, putting up 20+ points in three of his last four games including 26 against Miami in the Hawks' last game. Tonight he gets a Magic frontline that was just outplayed by Andray Blatche, so the opportunity is there for Millsap to start on another double-double streak.
C: Pero Antic ($8,459): One of the reasons Millsap’s rebounding numbers have dropped lately is the emergence of Antic. He has stepped in at center and has been pulling down just short of 6 rebounds a game over his last few games. Antic also scored in double figures in three of his past four games. He has not had huge rebounding or block numbers yet, but for this price you should take advantage Antic against a short Magic front court.
U: Donatas Motiejunas ($6,725): Motiejunas’s viability will be largely determined by the availability of Terrence Jones. Jones missed the Rockets last name with a thigh bruise and is a question mark for their game tonight. If he doesn’t play, Motiejunas has earned the starting spot by showcasing his talent. On Monday, he got the start against the Blazers and put up a solid 9-point, 9-rebound, 1-steal and 1-block performance. The Rockets play Sacramento tonight in a game that features two teams who score with ease and play very little defense, which could lead to a monster night for the dirt-cheap Motiejunas.
U: Phil Pressey ($7,588): Since the trade of Jordan Crawford, Pressey has seen a big spike in playing time, up to 24 minutes a game over the last week. He has struggled to score, but has put up nice assist and steal totals with 27 assists and 7 steals over the Celtics' past four games. It appears that Avery Bradley will miss tonight’s game with the ankle injury he suffered Tuesday night, and combined with Rajon Rondo’s minutes limit, this could force Pressey into a much larger role tonight. Even on a back-to-back, Pressey could provide some value in fantasy tonight, as his price tag is still incredibly low for a player seeing this much playing time.
