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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.
The Daily NBA Fantasy Shopper: NBA Expert Picks for DraftStreet - 11/19/2013
With only five games on the docket tonight, we take a look at who should exceed expectations tonight.
PG: Eric Bledsoe ($16,393): When the Suns dealt for Bledsoe in the offseason, the hope was that he would turn into a franchise point guard who could anchor the team going forward. Early returns are proving he might indeed be that player. For the season, Bledsoe is putting up 20.4 points, 6.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He was especially explosive while Goran Dragic was out with an injury; however he has proven that he can be effective with Dragic in the lineup as well. Tonight, he plays a Sacramento team that allows opponents to shoot 38% from the three-point line, which could mean good things for Bledsoe.
SG: Kevin Martin ($14,938): Martin has flourished in Minnesota this season, scoring 24.4 points and converting 2.7 threes per game. Martin and coach Rick Adelman clearly have chemistry, as Martin’s best years were with Adelman in Sacramento. Additionally, with an extremely shallow roster, Martin has been getting over 35 minutes a game and is the Wolves’ top scoring option when Kevin Love is not on the floor. Matching up with a Wizards team that allows 104.6 points a game on 48% opponent field goals, Martin should keep up his hot play.
SF: Jeff Green ($10,703): As the top scoring option for the Celtics, Green has been up and down this season, as he has three games over 22 points but two games with fewer than 10. However, Green does seem to play his best in big games—he put up 24 points against Miami and 22 against Memphis. This could bode well for him tonight as he plays a Houston team that is one of the best in the league and yet struggles on the defensive end of the court. Green is certainly a gamble, but at this price he could provide extreme value if he plays the type of game he is capable of.
PF: Terrence Jones ($12,409): Since entering the starting lineup four games ago, Jones has been on an absolute tear. In those games, he has averaged 9.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and most impressively 2.5 blocks a game. Coming out of Kentucky, Jones was known as a great athlete at the power forward position, and with Dwight Howard commanding all the attention down low, teams have left Jones open. In the game tonight, Jones gets to face a weak front line of Brandon Bass and Jared Sullinger that should allow him to have another good night.
C: Andre Drummond ($16,733): Drummond has had a huge last week; in four games, he put up 61 points, 59 rebounds and 5 blocks. He is an absolute physical freak who is more athletic than nearly every center he matches up with, and he has been using that to his full advantage. Drummond of course struggles from the free-throw line, but is shooting a sparkling 66% from the floor. Playing against one of the poorest defensive centers in the league in Andrea Bargnani should allow Drummond to control the boards and allow him to score more than he typically does.
U: Kelly Olynyk ($9,418): Much like any rookie picked in the late first round, Olynyk has had his ups and downs this year. Coach Brad Stevens seems to rotate his big man minutes between Olynyk, Jared Sullinger, Brandon Bass and Vitor Faverani, depending on who is the hot hand. Of those players, Olynyk is the most skilled offensive player, and he has put up over 14 points in three games this season. He is currently averaging 22.3 minutes a game which does allow him to get in a rhythm each game. Dwight Howard is a great defensive player, but that is generally down low where Olynyk does not operate much.
U: Marcus Morris ($9,548): Although Marcus has not had quite the season of his twin brother Markieff, he has still provided value. Morris has reached double digits in scoring in four of his last six games and has also provided over 5 rebounds in each of those games. He also plays solid wing defense, and he has a steal in seven straight games. Even with the Kings averaging a league-low 12 turnovers a game, Morris should be able to snag a few steals when he takes on rookie Ben McLemore. He will likely not provide huge numbers, but for his price he is almost assured to provide a solid all-around game.
Good luck with your DraftStreet selections for this Tuesday!
