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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 - 12/30/2013
PG: Jose Calderon ($12,821): Calderon has not been quite the playmaker the Mavericks were hoping for when they signed him this offseason. That said, he has been a viable fantasy option of late, scoring in double digits in 10 of his past 12 games while also averaging 4.7 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game for the season. A matchup with the Timberwolves is on tap tonight, which is great news as the Wolves allow 102.3 points per game while allowing opponents to shoot 47% against them. Calderon should easily outperform his price tonight.
SG: Eric Bledsoe ($12,855): If you are a believer in revenge games, Bledsoe should be your pick of the night. The Suns’ breakout star has a chance to show his former employer what they are missing out on in Los Angeles tonight. He has been a consistent fantasy performer this year and is coming off of one of his best all-around games of the year that saw him score 20 points while chipping in 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. All of these combine to make for a great fantasy play.
SF: LeBron James ($20,669): This pick comes with a big disclaimer to be sure that James in active before you plug him into your lineups. However, we think James makes his return tonight against Denver to celebrate his 29th birthday. He has continued to put up otherworldly numbers, with per-game averages of 25.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists. James’s matchup with the Nuggets tonight only helps as Denver gives up 101 points per game. With his price dropping, make sure to pick up Lebron tonight.
PF: Anthony Davis ($18,611): In his five games since returning from a hand injury, Davis has continued his solid play as he has put up three double-doubles in those games. He has also scored over 17 in all five games, while tossing in 7 blocks and 6 steals. Tonight’s matchup is with Portland who have been excellent on offense but not nearly as good on defense, allowing a 26th-ranked 102.6 points a game. Expect Davis to continue his huge fantasy season in a game that could be the fantasy game of the night.
C: Miles Plumlee ($12,761): Plumlee has been on a bit of a roller coaster ride this year; he started the year extremely hot, then cooled off, and over the past seven games, he’s back on his hot streak. The former Duke big man has posted three double-doubles in his past six games, and put up his two best games of the year in his past three. In those two games, Plumlee totaled 39 points and 33 rebounds, and even though he is putting up huge numbers, he is still getting just 27 minutes a game, so if he can get those minutes to rise, he could again be a fantasy force. The Clippers are in the top half of the league in points allowed, however with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, the Suns should look to Plumlee for big minutes in the game.
U: Tyreke Evans ($15,886): Quietly, Evans has been living up to the huge contract he got in the offseason from the Pelicans. Since a two-game injury hiatus, Evans has had three double-doubles in his past five games including a triple-double against the Clippers. He also torched his former team, the Kings, for 25 points, 12 assists and 6 rebounds. Even though he is still coming off the bench, Evans has averaged 33 minutes a game over the past week and has had no problem making plays. As we mentioned before, the Pelicans play a Trailblazers team that likes to play a fast-paced running game, which should suit Evans just fine; even with a high price tag, Evans should easily exceed his value.
U: Kyle Singler ($6,582): The longshot play of the night is Singler in Detroit. He has been getting a respectable 25 minutes a game over the past few weeks, enough time to score 8.5points and grab 3.8 rebounds a game. His value may come from the fact that Josh Smith has struggled mightily the last two games and had a big disagreement with coach Mo Cheeks. If Smith is in the doghouse, Singler is likely to pick up most of his minutes and could continue to put up decent numbers. He did have a four game stretch last week in which he scored in double figures, so the ability is there. For a low price flier, you could do worse than Singler tonight.
