The Basketball Junkie

Los Angeles Lakers 2020 NBA Mock Draft Roundup

2020-06-20T15:59:00.002-04:00

Leading up to the 2020 NBA Draft, we will update our Los Angeles Lakers Mock Draft Roundup showing picks for the Los Angeles Lakers from several prominent sites and draft analysts.

The following are picks in recent mock drafts for the Lakers:

NBA Draft Room, Updated: 6/17
29. Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky

A compact, score first combo guard who can light it up from downtown. He fell off a bit after a hot start and struggled with consistency and efficiency. Still, he's a lights-out shooter who should benefit from the space in the NBA game.

The Rookie Wire, Updated: 6/16
29. Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky

Tyrese Maxey is an impressive athlete who plays bigger than his 6-foot-3 frame, thanks to his 6-foot-6 wingspan. The offense often ran through him at Kentucky, and he averaged 0.93 points per possession as the ball handler in pick-and-roll sets -- which ranked in the 86th percentile among NCAA players. He also has an above-average floater, which he hit at an impressive rate. But his lack of an elite skill specialty could see him fall a bit in the draft. However, considering he is the only known top prospect to have signed with the Klutch Sports Group (the agency that represents Los Angeles superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis), it is difficult to imagine Maxey slipping past the Lakers.

College Basketball Talk, Updated: 6/15
29. Cassius Winston, Michigan State

Winston did not have the season many of us expected him to have as a senior -- understandably, given the death of his brother in November -- but he still put up All-American numbers for a team that won a share of the Big Ten regular season title. He was playing his best basketball down the stretch, and he still have the highest basketball IQ of anyone in this 2020 NBA mock draft. He's an elite passer and shooter that thrives in ball-screens. Yes, the defense and athleticism are concerns, but we said the same thing about numerous point guards that have made careers out of being backup point guards. Winston is the next in that pipeline.

CBS Sports - Parrish, Updated: 6/15
29. Cassius Winston, Michigan State

Cassius Winston is perceived to be limited because he's small and not the best athlete. He'll never measure or test great -- and that'll turn some franchises away. But he's smart, great in pick-and-roll situations and someone who has proven to be a high-level shooter in all four years of college by making 43.0% of the 602 3-pointers he attempted in his four-year college career. Teams picking in this range are often good teams already winning in search of a piece who can maybe help immediately. And Winston is somebody who could probably help an NBA team immediately serving as a backup point guard and knockdown shooter.

Cleveland.com - Goul, Updated: 6/15
29. Cassius Winston, Michigan State

Winston's shooting polish and proven play in the pick-and-roll makes him an attractive addition to a Lakers lineup that will usually see LeBron James handling the basketball.

CBS Sports - Boone, Updated: 6/11
29. Nico Mannion, Arizona

Nico Mannion's ability to generate offense and his innate instincts as a floor general are what make him such an intriguing long-term prospect. His 3-point stroke, lack of athletic pop and defensive inefficiencies are why he may fall. The Lakers could make use of the good and deal with the bad, though, and considering Rajon Rondo's managed to stick in LA for two seasons, Mannion has a shot to survive.

SI.com - Woo, Updated: 6/3
29. Malachi Flynn, San Diego State

The more you watch Flynn, the more you appreciate him, and at this point I'd be a little surprised if he made it out of the Top 40 given the degree of respect he's getting from scouts. He was the primary reason the Aztecs had such a strong season and frequently makes positive decisions on the ball, which coupled with some scoring punch and toughness makes him a relatively high-floor player with a chance to end up as a strong NBA backup. If the Lakers make this pick, they'd be justified looking for immediate depth, and Flynn fits the mold here as far as guards are concerned.

Yahoo Sports - Peek, Updated: 5/21
29. Zeke Nnaji, Arizona

Nnaji grew two inches from his senior year in high school to now. He has a 7-foot-1 wingspan and great hands for a player his size. The first game of the season he scored 20 points in 20 minutes -- the most points scored by a freshman in the Sean Miller era (more than former No. 1 pick DeAndre Ayton, Derrick Williams and Lauri Markkanen).

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2015-16 NBA Power Rankings: Week 1

2015-10-27T04:37:00.002-04:00

View image | gettyimages.com

We are now hours away from the start of the 2015-16 NBA season, but who's counting?!

Unless you're a Sixers fan (like me), the start of the NBA season brings with it optimism for teams and fan bases alike.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers prohibitive favorites in the Eastern Conference, virtually all of the intrigue lies in the Western Conference.

Six of the top seven teams in our NBA Power Rankings all reside in the West.

The Warriors are as deep as any team and have the league's reigning MVP, Stephen Curry, and earn the top spot in our power rankings as defending NBA champions. Meanwhile, the Spurs have as much talent as any team with the addition of free-agent LaMarcus Aldridge to a roster that includes Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, etc.

While health will obviously be a key factor, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the potential to win it all.

At full strength, few teams have as much overall talent and the duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are the most-dominant 1-2 punch in the league. The last time they both played 80-plus games (2012-13), Oklahoma City was the No. 1 seed out west with 60 wins. That season, Durant and Westbrook averaged 28.1/7.9/4.6 and 23.2/5.2/7.4, respectively, and both players have triple-double potential in any given night.

Not only is it natural to worry about KD's foot, but Westbrook has missed at least 15 games in three of the past four seasons. And last year the team used 18 different starting lineups.

Like David Blatt taking over a team with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love last year, Billy Donovan gets a loaded Thunder team as a first-year NBA head coach.

In addition to Durant and Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, Enes Kanter and Andre Roberson round out the starting five. After joining the Thunder last season, Kanter averaged a double-double (18.7 points and 11.0 rebounds) in his 26 games with OKC.

If the Thunder win the title, will Durant return as a free agent in 2016? That will obviously be a huge story line next summer; for now, however, the Thunder are my preseason pick to win it all.

2016 NBA Finals Prediction: Thunder over Cavaliers in seven games

Below are our NBA Power Rankings heading into the first week of the NBA season:

Rank	Team	Record	Last
1	Golden State Warriors	0-0	N/A
2	Cleveland Cavaliers	0-0	N/A
3	Oklahoma City Thunder	0-0	N/A
4	San Antonio Spurs	0-0	N/A
5	Houston Rockets	0-0	N/A
6	Memphis Grizzlies	0-0	N/A
7	Los Angeles Clippers	0-0	N/A
8	Atlanta Hawks	0-0	N/A
9	Chicago Bulls	0-0	N/A
10	New Orleans Pelicans	0-0	N/A
11	Miami Heat	0-0	N/A
12	Indiana Pacers	0-0	N/A
13	Toronto Raptors	0-0	N/A
14	Milwaukee Bucks	0-0	N/A
15	Washington Wizards	0-0	N/A
16	Boston Celtics	0-0	N/A
17	Dallas Mavericks	0-0	N/A
18	Utah Jazz	0-0	N/A
19	Detroit Pistons	0-0	N/A
20	Phoenix Suns	0-0	N/A
21	Orlando Magic	0-0	N/A
22	Minnesota Timberwolves	0-0	N/A
23	New York Knicks	0-0	N/A
24	Charlotte Bobcats	0-0	N/A
25	Brooklyn Nets	0-0	N/A
26	Los Angeles Lakers	0-0	N/A
27	Sacramento Kings	0-0	N/A
28	Denver Nuggets	0-0	N/A
29	Portland Trail Blazers	0-0	N/A
30	Philadelphia 76ers	0-0	N/A

2015 NBA Mock Draft: Karl-Anthony Towns Still 1st to T'Wolves

2015-06-24T19:50:00.001-04:00

View image | gettyimages.com

We are now less than 24 away from the 2015 NBA Draft, which will be held tomorrow night at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, NY.

With that said, here is my latest 2015 NBA mock draft:

1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky

More of a well-rounded prospect than Duke's Jahlil Okafor, once considered a lock for the top pick, Towns has become the consensus option for Minnesota based on the mock drafts in our database. And it makes plenty of sense.

No team allowed more points per game than Minnesota (106.5/G) last season and Towns ranked first in the nation in both Defensive Rating (78.1) and Win Shares Per 40 Minutes (.311), per Sports Reference. Averaging just 21.1 minutes per game last year, Towns averaged 19.5 points, 12.7 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per 40 minutes and shot 81.3 percent from the free-throw line.

2. Los Angeles Lakers: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

Okafor is a skilled back-to-the-basket player on the offensive end of the court that averaged 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as he led Duke to a national championship -- over Towns and Kentucky -- as a freshman. The only Lakers currently under contract beyond next season are Julius Randle, last year's first-round pick, and Nick Young although three players including Jordan Clarkson will be restricted free agents in 2016.

3. Philadelphia 76ers: D'Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State

The best-case scenario for the Sixers in the NBA Draft Lottery was the No. 1, 6 and 11 picks, but instead they ended up with the most-likely scenario of only the third pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. That also means that the Sixers will go into the 2016 NBA Draft with the possibility of having four first-round picks.

The Sixers got nothing out of their two first-round picks -- Joel Embiid and Elfrid Payton, subsequently traded for Dario Saric -- last year and it's possible that they may get nothing from them this upcoming season as well. Not only will Saric stay in Turkey, but Embiid's foot is not healing as fast as expected and there's the potential that he misses another season if he has surgery once again.

Compared to a month ago when most believed this pick would be either Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay, it will likely come down to Russell or Latvia's Kristaps Porzingis. With the ability to facilitate for others or create his own offense, Russell averaged 19.3 points, 5.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while knocking down 41.1 percent of his three-pointers as a freshman in Columbus.

4. New York Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia

Only 19 years old (turns 20 in August), Porzingis is a skilled seven-footer that has drawn some comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol. As his Sevilla teammate Derrick Byars said, "Kristaps has a Nowitzki-like offensive skill set. He's 7-1, can shoot, can put the ball on the floor, can block shots, he's mobile and athletic. There's not much he can't do on the floor."

5. Orlando Magic: Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Croatia

With three lottery picks in the past two drafts, the Magic have added three elite defenders -- Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton (via Philly). That said, the Magic were just 27th in the league in Offensive Rating (99.6).

Hezonja has excellent size (6-8) and athleticism to attack the basket but he also possesses outstanding range. And it's clear that Hezonja does not lack confidence.

6. Sacramento Kings: Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China

Viewed by many as the top high school recruit in the country last year, Mudiay opted to play professionally in China after committing to Larry Brown and SMU. Mudiay possesses all of the attributes to develop into an elite point guard in the league. With great size (6-foot-5, 205 pounds) and strength for the position as well as speed and quickness, Mudiay averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 boards and 5.9 assists in China.

7. Denver Nuggets: Justise Winslow, SF, Duke

Small forwards Wilson Chandler and Danilo Galinari will both become unrestricted free agents after the upcoming season. An athletic and strong wing player with an excellent motor, Winslow, son of Phi Slamma Jamma's Ricky Winslow, has scored in double digits in all but one of his final 20 games. During that 20-game stretch, Winslow averaged 14.6 points, 8.25 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game and connected on more than half (24 of 47) of his three-point attempts. One knock on Winslow, however, is that he measured under 6-foot-5 at the NBA Scouting Combine.

8. Detroit Pistons: Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona

Excelling as a defender and rebounder, Johnson already has an NBA body and has drawn some comparisons to Metta World Peace and Kawhi Leonard. Johnson averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game at Arizona this season. Improving as a shooter, Johnson knocked down 37.1 percent of his three-pointers this season.

9. Charlotte Hornets: Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky

The Hornets made only 31.8-percent of their three-point attempts and that ranked dead last in the NBA last season. Booker is the best shooter in this year's draft class so he obviously fits a team need. The youngest prospect in this year's draft class (turns 19 on October 30th), Booker also had an impressive showing at the NBA Combine with the fastest times in lane agility (10.2 seconds) and shuttle run (2.75 seconds).

10. Miami Heat: Myles Turner, PF, Texas

Turner has plenty of upside although he was inconsistent in his lone season in Austin. An athletic seven-footer that can rebound and block shots (2.6 per game), Turner also has the ability to stretch the floor and knock down shots from behind the three-point line.

11. Indiana Pacers: Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky

Cauley-Stein may be the most unique prospect in this year's draft in that the seven-footer has the versatility to defend all five positions on the floor. Although he runs the floor well and is an excellent athlete, he has plenty of limitations on the offensive end at this point in his development, however. I could see "Trill" going higher than this (he was sixth in my previous update), but there are reports of teams being concerned with Cauley-Stein's foot.

So, Larry Bird get's his "$100 million dollar player" after all:

WCS on his meeting w/ #Pacers: "Larry (Bird) told me, ‘I think you’re a $100 million dollar player.’ I hear that and I’m like, ‘Really?!’"
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) May 15, 2015

12. Utah Jazz: Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin

Not only do the Jazz have a solid young core including a pair of talented bigs in Rudy Gobert (a.k.a. Stifle Tower) and Derrick Favors, but all of their key players are under contract for at least the next two seasons. Ultimately, I'd expect them to go best player available, but Frank the Tank makes sense as a big that can stretch the floor. The versatile Kaminsky led the Badgers in scoring (18.8/G), rebounding (8.2/G), assists (2.6/G, tied) and blocks (1.5/G) in addition to connecting on 41.6-percent of his three-pointers last season.

13. Phoenix Suns: Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas

Someone may roll the dice earlier based on his tremendous upside, but Oubre had an up-and-down freshman season at Kansas. With excellent athleticism and length (7-2 wingspan), Oubre has the potential to become a really good defensive player and is also a decent shooter.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder: Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State

On a loaded team with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook & Co., Billy Donovan and the Thunder will likely go with the best player available, but Payne would also make sense. Few players have generated as much draft buzz and seen his draft stock rise as Payne has over the past couple of months and he may creep into the top-10 picks. As a sophomore at Murray State, Payne averaged 20.2 points, 5.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

15. Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets): Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky

Power forward Paul Millsap is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The fourth Wildcat selected in the top half of my mock, Lyles may have been overshadowed some on such a star-studded team as he mostly played out of position (small forward). That said, Lyles has the ability to score inside as well as consistently knock down mid-range jumpers and he would contribute towards filling Millsap's void if he departs in free agency.

- Continue to picks 16-30 in our 2015 NBA Mock Draft

For more mock drafts, check out our 2015 NBA Mock Draft Database.

In addition, check out our 2016 NFL Mock Draft and/or 2016 NFL Mock Draft Database.

Follow our basketball updates: Twitter - Facebook - Google+

Collaborative 2015 NBA Mock Draft

2015-06-17T08:50:00.002-04:00

With the 2015 NBA Draft fast approaching (Thursday, June 25th in Brooklyn, NY), Brendan Donahue and Kevin Hanson collaborated for this NBA Mock Draft.

[View Kevin's 2015 NBA Mock Draft]

For this collaborative mock, we alternated picks -- Kevin picked for odd-numbered teams and Brendan picked for even-numbered teams. Both of us made the comments for our own picks.

View image | gettyimages.com

Here is our collaborative 2015 NBA mock draft:

1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky

Kevin: While there may be some debate whether this pick should be Towns or Duke's Jahlil Okafor, I still believe that Towns makes the most sense. A more well-rounded prospect overall, Towns is clearly much better than Okafor on the defensive end and Minnesota ranked dead last in scoring defense (106.5/G) last year. Towns ranked first in the country in Defensive Rating (78.1) and Win Shares Per 40 Minutes (.311), via Sports Reference.

2. Los Angeles Lakers: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

Brendan: I'm not buying the D'Angelo Russell-to-Lakers rumors. I don't see how the Lakers can pass on a big man that also fills a big need. The Lakers have been most successful when they've had a dominant big man, i.e., Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, etc. And while I'm not saying Okafor is in that same ilk, he is clearly the most dominant inside player still in the draft and will be too hard to pass up. Yes, I understand the game is evolving but Okafor is a rare talent offensively and also a great passer that will create his own mismatches and problems for opposing defenses.

3. Philadelphia 76ers: D'Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State

Kevin: With Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid already on the roster, the decision may have come down to Emmanuel Mudiay or Russell even if they held a top-two pick in this year's draft. That said, the Sixers are reportedly enamored with Latvian seven-footer Kristaps Porzingis and the healing process of Embiid's foot could potentially sideline the seven-footer for another season.

While I think Mudiay has a higher ceiling and could ultimately develop into the better pro, it's close and Russell fits better. With the ability to facilitate for others or create his own offense, Russell averaged 19.3 points, 5.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while knocking down 41.1 percent of his three-pointers as a freshman in Columbus.

4. New York Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia

Brendan: I have a feeling if Adam Silver announces this name as the Knicks selection, it will most likely draw a chorus of boos from Knicks fans. However, Porzingis has drawn comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki and I think well-versed Knicks fans would be very excited that they could land a player that projects to have that kind of impact in this league and give them a lot of hope for the future even though he may not have a huge impact on day one.

5. Orlando Magic: Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Congo

Kevin: If Porzingis were available here, he'd be a slam-dunk, no-brainer selection. With Brendan (i.e., the Knicks) swiping him with the No. 4 pick, there was some serious debate here. I strongly considered Mario Hezonja, a 6-foot-8 wing with great athleticism, range and confidence as well.

Even though there is duplication here with Elfrid Payton, a player that I like a lot, Mudiay is the best player available and at least needs to be seriously considered here by Orlando's front office. Viewed by many as the top high school recruit in the country last year, Mudiay opted to play professionally in China after committing to Larry Brown and SMU. With all of the attributes to develop into an elite point guard in the league, Mudiay has great size (6-foot-5, 205 pounds) and strength for the position as well as speed and quickness. He averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 boards and 5.9 assists in China.

6. Sacramento Kings: Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky

Brendan: I compare Cauley-Stein to Tyson Chandler, which certainly isn't a bad thing, but does suggest that he will be limited offensively at the next level. Heck, he was limited offensively in the SEC so that says something, but he was such a dominant defender and can guard pretty much any position on the floor that he will be able to have an immediate impact at the next level. Since DeMarcus Cousins is already a great offensive player who demands the ball, Cauley-Stein will be a nice complement to him for Sacramento.

7. Denver Nuggets: Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Croatia

Kevin: Hezonja has excellent size (6-8) and athleticism to attack the basket but he also possesses outstanding range as well. And it's clear that Hezonja does not lack confidence. And this selection would certainly have the approval of Nuggets big man Jusuf Nurkic.

8. Detroit Pistons: Justise Winslow, SF, Duke

Brendan: Once thought to be a contender for the 1st overall pick after a great showing in the NCAA tournament, Winslow has slipped a bit based on his measurements at the combine. Winslow has a high ceiling, but he's still a good enough defender and talented enough to make an impact as a rookie.

9. Charlotte Hornets: Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky

Kevin: The Hornets made only 31.8-percent of their three-point attempts and that ranked dead last in the NBA last season. Booker is the best shooter in this year's draft class so he obviously fits a team need. The youngest prospect in this year's draft class (turns 19 on October 30th), Booker also had an impressive showing at the NBA Combine with the fastest times in lane agility (10.2 seconds) and shuttle run (2.75 seconds).

10. Miami Heat: Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona

Brendan: With an NBA body, Johnson is an outstanding defender and rebounder that averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game at Arizona this season. He needs to improve as a shooter, but he made more 37-percent of his three's last season.

11. Indiana Pacers: Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State

Kevin: Few players have generated as much draft buzz and seen his draft stock rise as Payne has over the past couple of months and he may creep into the top-10 picks. Either way, it's unlikely that he falls out of the lottery. As a sophomore at Murray State, Payne averaged 20.2 points, 5.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game. The Pacers have a number of guards that are about to hit free agency -- Rodney Stuckey, Donald Sloan and C.J. Watson.

12. Utah Jazz: Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas

Brendan: Oubre's stock is all over the place. With undeniable talent and superior defensive skills, Oubre was wildly inconsistent last season, but he has a high ceiling.

13. Phoenix Suns: Myles Turner, PF, Texas

Kevin: Turner has plenty of upside to warrant a selection higher than this even though he was inconsistent in his lone season in Austin. An athletic seven-footer that can rebound and block shots (2.6 per game), Turner also has the ability to stretch the floor and knock down shots from behind the three-point line.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder: Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin

Brendan: With the acquisition of Enes Kanter and the assumption that Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka are all healthy next year, the Thunder are in position to go best player available that can help them win right away. The versatile Kaminsky led the Badgers in scoring, rebounding, assists and blocks while shooting 41.6-percent from three-point range.

15. Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets): Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky

Kevin: Power forward Paul Millsap is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The fourth Wildcat selected in the top half of my mock, Lyles may have been overshadowed some on such a star-studded team as he mostly played out of position (small forward). That said, Lyles has the ability to score inside as well as consistently knock down mid-range jumpers.

- Picks 16-30 in our collaborative 2015 NBA Mock Draft

- Check out Hanson's 2015 NBA Mock Draft and/or 2016 NFL Mock Draft For more mock drafts, check out our 2015 NBA Mock Draft Database.

Follow our basketball updates: Twitter - Facebook - Google+

2015 NBA Mock Draft: Towns, Okafor Go 1-2

2015-05-29T21:33:00.002-04:00

With the 2015 NBA Draft less than four weeks away, we have updated our 2015 NBA Mock Draft. Here is my projection of our 2015 NBA mock draft:

1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky

This pick should come down to either Duke's Jahlil Okafor or Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns. Not only would Towns fit better, but he's a better prospect on the defensive end and no team allowed more points per game than Minnesota (106.5/G) last season. Playing only 21.1 minutes per game for the star-studded Wildcats, Towns ranked first in the country in Defensive Rating (78.1) and Win Shares Per 40 Minutes (.311), via Sports Reference.

2. Los Angeles Lakers: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

For much of the season, Okafor seemed to be a lock for the No. 1 overall pick. While he's no longer a lock for the top spot and may slip to the second pick, Okafor is an extremely skilled big man on the offensive end of the court . Okafor averaged 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as he led Duke to a national championship.

The only Lakers currently under contract beyond next season are Julius Randle, last year's first-round pick, and Nick Young although three players including Jordan Clarkson will be restricted free agents in 2016.

3. Philadelphia 76ers: D'Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State

The best-case scenario for the Sixers in the NBA Draft Lottery was the No. 1, 6 and 11 picks, but instead they ended up with the most-likely scenario of only the third pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. That said, the Sixers will go into the 2016 NBA Draft with the possibility of having four first-round picks.

With Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid already on the roster, the decision may have come down to Emmanuel Mudiay and Russell even if they held a top-two pick in this year's draft. While I think Mudiay has a higher ceiling and could ultimately develop into the better pro, it's close and Russell fits better. With the ability to facilitate for others or create his own offense, Russell averaged 19.3 points, 5.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while knocking down 41.1 percent of his three-pointers as a freshman in Columbus.

4. New York Knicks: Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China

Viewed by many as the top high school recruit in the country last year, Mudiay opted to play professionally in China after committing to Larry Brown and SMU. Perhaps he isn't the best fit for the triangle, but he possesses all of the attributes to develop into an elite point guard in the league. With great size (6-foot-5, 205 pounds) and strength for the position as well as speed and quickness, Mudiay averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 boards and 5.9 assists in China.

5. Orlando Magic: Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia

There is clearly a gap between the top-four prospects in this draft class and the next tier of prospects. The Magic could go in a few different directions here, but Porzingis would make sense. With three first-round picks in 2013 and 2014, the Magic have added three elite defenders -- Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton.

Only 19 years old (turns 20 in August), Porzingis is a skilled seven-footer that has drawn some comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki. As current Sevilla teammate Derrick Byars said, "Kristaps has a Nowitzki-like offensive skill set. He's 7-1, can shoot, can put the ball on the floor, can block shots, he's mobile and athletic. There's not much he can't do on the floor."

On his big board, ESPN's Kevin Pelton gave players a WARP (wins above replacement player) ranking over their first five years and he has Porzingis second in that category behind only to Russell.

6. Sacramento Kings: Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky

Cauley-Stein may be the most unique prospect in this year's draft in that the seven-footer has the versatility to defend all five positions on the floor. Although he runs the floor well and is an excellent athlete, he has plenty of limitations on the offensive end at this point in his development, however.

7. Denver Nuggets: Justise Winslow, SF, Duke

Small forwards Wilson Chandler and Danilo Galinari will both become unrestricted free agents after the upcoming season. An athletic and strong wing player with an excellent motor, Winslow, son of Phi Slamma Jamma's Ricky Winslow, has scored in double digits in all but one of his final 20 games. During that 20-game stretch, Winslow averaged 14.6 points, 8.25 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game and connected on more than half (24 of 47) of his three-point attempts. One knock on Winslow, however, is that he measured under 6-foot-5 at the NBA Scouting Combine.

8. Detroit Pistons: Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Croatia

With Greg Monroe about to become a free agent, I could see the Pistons going with one of the top power forwards on the board. That said, I could also see Hezonja go as high as No. 5 to the Magic. Hezonja has excellent size (6-8) and athleticism with outstanding range and he certainly does not lack confidence.

9. Charlotte Hornets: Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona

Excelling as a defender and rebounder, Johnson already has an NBA body and has drawn some comparisons to Metta World Peace. Johnson averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game at Arizona this season. Although he's not a great shooter, Johnson knocked down 37.1 percent of his three-pointers this season.

10. Miami Heat: Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky

Not only does Dwyane Wade turn 34 in January, but he's under contract for just one more season. Booker is the best shooter in this year's draft class and the Heat ranked near the bottom of the league in three-pointers made (6.8/G) and percentage (33.5 percent). In addition, Booker had an impressive showing that the NBA Combine with the fastest times in lane agility (10.2 seconds) and shuttle run (2.75 seconds).

Booker described his meeting with Heat president Pat Riley as "great" and said: "He said D-Wade is getting older now, is on the last part of his career, and come and learn from him. And I thought that would be a great fit for me and I'm willing to learn from all veterans, especially one of the best two-guards to ever play the game. So I think that would be a great fit for myself."

11. Indiana Pacers: Myles Turner, PF, Texas

With Roy Hibbert potentially becoming a free agent -- Hibbert has a player option -- and the team wanting to play faster in the future, Turner would make sense here. Turner has plenty of upside to warrant a selection higher than this even though he was inconsistent in his lone season in Austin. Turner is an athletic seven-footer that can rebound and block shots (2.6 per game) yet has the ability to knock down shots from behind the three-point line.

12. Utah Jazz: Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin

Not only do the Jazz have a solid young core including a pair of talented bigs in Rudy Gobert (a.k.a. Stifle Tower) and Derrick Favors, but all of their key players are under contract for at least the next two seasons. Ultimately, I'd expect them to go best player available, but Frank the Tank makes sense as a big that can stretch the floor. The versatile Kaminsky led the Baders in scoring (18.8/G), rebounding (8.2/G), assists (2.6/G, tied) and blocks (1.5/G) in addition to connecting on 41.6-percent of his three-pointers.

13. Phoenix Suns: Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas

It was an up-and-down freshman season for him at Kansas, but Oubre has shown flashes. With excellent athleticism and length (7-2 wingspan), Oubre has the potential to become a really good defensive player and he is also a decent shooter.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder: Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky

The fourth Wildcat selected in the lottery based on my mock, Lyles may have been overshadowed some on such a star-studded team as he mostly played out of position (small forward). That said, Lyles has the ability to score inside as well as consistently knock down mid-range jumpers.

15. Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets): Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas

Power forward Paul Millsap is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The SEC Player of the Year, Portis averaged 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game for the Razorbacks last season.

- Continue to picks 16-30 in our 2015 NBA Mock Draft

For more mock drafts, check out our 2015 NBA Mock Draft Database.

In addition, check out our 2016 NFL Mock Draft and/or 2016 NFL Mock Draft Database.

Follow our basketball updates: Twitter - Facebook - Google+

2015 NBA Mock Draft -- Pre-Final Four Update

2015-04-01T10:25:00.001-04:00

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The 2015 NBA Draft order used in our 2015 NBA mock draft is based on the inverse order of our NBA Power Rankings.

Here is my projection of our 2015 NBA mock draft:

1. New York Knicks: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

For most of the season, Okafor seemed to be a lock for the No. 1 overall pick. While he may no longer be a lock for the top spot, Okafor is an extremely skilled big man on the offensive end of the court . Okafor is averaging 17.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game on the year.

For what it's worth, Charley Rosen, a Phil Jackson confidant and former assistant coach, says that Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns doesn't have the "big butt" needed to flourish in the triangle offense, per Marc Berman of the NY Post.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky

A much better prospect than Okafor on the defensive end, Towns is viewed by several as the top overall prospect in this year's draft class. Playing only 20.8 minutes per game for the 38-0 Wildcats, Towns ranks first in the country in Defensive Rating (77.0) and Win Shares Per 40 Minutes (.315), via Sports Reference.

3. Los Angeles Lakers: Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China

After originally committing to Larry Brown's SMU, Mudiay decided to sign a one-year, $1.2 million contract in China. An ankle injury limited the 6-foot-5 point guard to only 12 games, but he averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game. 4. Philadelphia 76ers: D'Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State

While Okafor and Towns may have more upside, the Sixers could use backcourt help with a future front court of Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel and Dario Saric. With the versatility to play the point or off guard spots, Russell is a talented scorer with excellent range, but he has the ability to create for others as well. The freshman averaged 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game this season.

5. Orlando Magic: Justise Winslow, SF, Duke

An athletic and strong wing player with an excellent motor, Winslow, son of Phi Slamma Jamma's Ricky Winslow, has scored in double digits in all but one of his past 18 games. During that stretch, Winslow has seven double-doubles and has averaged 14.56 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game and he has made 23-of-45 (51.1 percent) three-point attempts.

6. Sacramento Kings: Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia

Only 19 years old, Porzingis is a skilled seven-footer that would have likely been a first-round pick last year had he not withdrawn from the 2014 NBA Draft. Porzingis has drawn some comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki. As current Sevilla teammate Derrick Byars said, "Kristaps has a Nowitzki-like offensive skill set. He's 7-1, can shoot, can put the ball on the floor, can block shots, he's mobile and athletic. There's not much he can't do on the floor."

7. Denver Nuggets: Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona

Small forwards Wilson Chandler and Danilo Galinari will both become unrestricted free agents after the upcoming season. Johnson already has an NBA body and excels as a defender and rebounder and has drawn some comparisons to Metta World Peace. Johnson has averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Although he's not a great shooter, but Johnson has knocked down 37.1 percent of his three-pointers this season.

9. Detroit Pistons: Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky

Cauley-Stein may be the most unique prospect eligible for the draft in that the seven-footer has the versatility to defend all five positions on the floor. Although he runs the floor well and is an excellent athlete, he has plenty of limitations on the offensive end at this point in his development, however.

9. Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets): Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA

The versatile power forward actually played point guard as a senior in high school and has had a strong freshman season -- 11.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game and shot 41.5 percent from three-point range. Meanwhile, Paul Millsap is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

10. Boston Celtics: Myles Turner, PF, Texas

Turner has plenty of upside as an athletic seven-footer that can rebound and block shots (2.6 per game) and has the ability to knock down shots from behind the three-point line. At the same time, he's been incredibly inconsistent this season. Later in the lottery, however, he's certainly worth the gamble on his upside.

11. Milwaukee Bucks: Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas

Despite struggles in his last four games (7.25 PPG, 3.75 RPG, 0.75 SPG), Oubre was coming on strong in his previous five games (15.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.0 SPG and 1.2 BPG). In a way, that was his season as the freshman struggled with consistency, but he's an excellent wing defender with good size and athleticism as well as a solid jumper.

12. Philadelphia 76ers (via Miami Heat): Mario Hezonja, SF, Croatia

There is a good chance that Hezonja may not be available at this point, but the Sixers can use their second of two lottery picks on a player they can stash in Europe a little longer. Hezonja, who recently turned 20, is an athletic wing that can score and shoot from anywhere.

13. Charlotte Hornets: Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas

Perhaps Portis will return as he recently said that he's "leaning toward coming back just because we lost and I hate losing." If he declares, however, Portis could be a potential lottery pick. Portis was named SEC Player of the Year and averaged 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

14. Indiana Pacers: Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin

The likely winner of the Naismith award as college basketball's best player, Kaminsky is having a phenomenal senior season as he leads Wisconsin in scoring (18.7/G), rebounding (8.0/G), blocks (1.5/G) and assists (2.7/G). In addition, the seven-footer is second on the squad in three-point shooting (41.5 percent).

15. Utah Jazz: Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky

The third Wildcat in the first half of this mock, Lyles has the ability to score both inside and outside and could play either forward spot for the Jazz.

- Continue to picks 16-30 in our 2015 NBA Mock Draft

For more mock drafts, check out our 2015 NBA Mock Draft Database.

In addition, check out our 2015 NFL Mock Draft, our 2016 NFL Mock Draft and/or 2015 NFL Mock Draft Database.

Follow our basketball updates: Twitter - Facebook - Google+

2014-15 NBA Power Rankings Week 22

2015-03-30T10:14:00.000-04:00

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Three teams have double-digit winning streaks this season -- Atlanta Hawks (19), Golden State Warriors (16) and Cleveland Cavaliers (12).

Both the Hawks and Warriors have had nine-game winning streaks as well, but the Warriors' nine-game winning streak is currently active as we head into Week 22.

In Steve Kerr's first year as head coach, he has already set a franchise record with 60 wins (and counting), which breaks the previous record of Al Attles and the 1975-76 Warriors that finished with a 59-23 record. Of those 60 wins, 43 of them have been by double digits, which leads the NBA by a wide margin.

Despite playing less than 33 minutes per game, Stephen Curry is having a career season.

Curry is averaging 26.0 points, 8.6 assists and 4.0 rebounds with 2.3 steals per 36 minutes, all of which are career highs for him. Leading the league in free-throw percentage (91.6 percent), Curry is shooting 43.1 percent from three-point range and a career-high 52.9 percent on two-point attempts.

While Houston's James Harden leads the NBA in Win Shares (14.6) -- Curry is second (14.2), no player has more Win Shares Per 48 Minutes than Curry (.292). Harden (.265) is third as he trails both Curry and Anthony Davis (.278).

Meanwhile, Draymond Green currently leads the NBA in Defensive Win Shares (4.9).

Green is averaging nearly 10 minutes more per game this year (31.6/G) than last season (21.9/G) and stuffs the stat sheet across the board -- 11.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. On a per-36 basis, he's averaging a career high in all of those categories except for steals.

Clips continue to beat up East; real test vs. dubs next

The Clippers have the league's second-longest active winning streak of seven games.

Many of those wins have been against the league's bottom-feeder Eastern Conference teams with the three most recent wins against the Knicks, 76ers and Celtics last night.

The Clippers face the Warriors and Blazers on back-to-back nights (Tuesday and Wednesday), but then four of their final six games will be against the Lakers (twice) and Nuggets (twice).

Based on Western Conference seeding, the Clippers are currently the No. 4 seed, but they are within 1.5 games of the No. 2 seed (Rockets). On the other hand, they are only 1.5 games within the No. 6 seed (Spurs).

KD out 4-6 months

It's been a lost season for Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant.

With Jones fracture surgery in his right foot delaying the start of his season by 17 games, Durant will now miss the next four to six months as he recovers from a bone-graft procedure.

Playing a total of only 27 games this season, Durant has also missed multiple games three different times between Game 1 and 27 for him this season.

Only five of those 27 games were in February, but the Thunder have won 19 of their 26 games in February and March.

Of course, Russell Westbrook has carried the team by averaging more than 30 points and 10 assists in both February and March.

Here are Westbrook's monthly per-game splits (since December -- played only three games before then):

December: 28. 3 points, 7.4 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 2.4 steals
January: 21.1 points, 7.6 assists, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals
February: 31.2 points, 10.3 assists, 9.1 rebounds, 1.6 steals
March: 30.9 points, 10.2 assists, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals

Since February, Westbrook has eight triple-doubles. The rest of the league combined has a total of 12 triple-doubles during that span.

NYK: From Worse to Worst

Obviously, the New York Knicks have struggled all season and Carmelo Anthony was shut down following the All-Star Game.

As bad as things have been, things are getting even worse with the potentially season-ending rib injury to Alexey Schved. Excluding his final game this season when he played only 17 minutes, Schved averaged 19.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.4 steals in previous eight games.

In the three games he has missed since the injury, the Knicks have lost all three games by a combined margin of 56 points. The Knicks now have four losses by 30-plus points; only the Sixers have more (five).

With eight games to go, the Knicks have just 14 wins and currently own the league's worst record. The team has never won fewer than 21 games in a season and both of those seasons were in the early sixties, but there is no chance that they win seven of eight games to avoid setting a franchise-low for wins.

Here are my Week 22 NBA Power Rankings:

Rank	Team	Record	Last Week	Change
1	Golden State Warriors	60-13	1	-
2	Atlanta Hawks	55-18	2	-
3	Cleveland Cavaliers	48-27	3	-
4	Houston Rockets	50-23	5	+1
5	Memphis Grizzlies	50-24	4	-1
6	Los Angeles Clippers	49-25	7	+1
7	San Antonio Spurs	47-26	6	-1
8	Portland Trail Blazers	47-25	8	-
9	Chicago Bulls	45-29	12	+3
10	Dallas Mavericks	45-29	9	-1
11	Washington Wizards	41-33	10	-1
12	Oklahoma City Thunder	42-32	11	-1
13	Toronto Raptors	43-30	13	-
14	New Orleans Pelicans	39-34	15	+1
15	Phoenix Suns	38-36	14	-1
16	Utah Jazz	32-41	17	+1
17	Indiana Pacers	32-41	16	-1
18	Charlotte Hornets	31-41	18	-
19	Miami Heat	34-39	19	-
20	Milwaukee Bucks	36-37	20	-
21	Boston Celtics	32-41	21	-
22	Brooklyn Nets	32-40	22	-
23	Detroit Pistons	28-45	26	+3
24	Denver Nuggets	28-46	23	-1
25	Sacramento Kings	26-46	24	-1
26	Orlando Magic	22-52	25	-1
27	Philadelphia 76ers	18-56	27	-
28	Los Angeles Lakers	19-53	28	-
29	Minnesota Timberwolves	16-57	29	-
30	New York Knicks	14-60	30	-

2014-15 NBA Power Rankings Week 21

2015-03-23T17:17:00.000-04:00

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After Paul George's gruesome injury with USA Basketball, it was expected that he would miss the entire season.

Last week, however, it was reported that he could potentially make a return this week, although he has been ruled out for Monday's game.

"We want to make sure I'm as close to 100 [percent] as possible," George said (via ESPN). "It's not coming down to you know, 'Paul's feeling good, let's get him out there.' It's about making sure everything's where I'm comfortable, where the medical staff is comfortable, where the front office is comfortable."

The Pacers were surging in the standings, but they have lost five consecutive games and currently sit outside of the top-eight seeds in the Eastern Conference. That said, they are only one-half game behind the Hornets, who are currently the No. 8 seed.

Four teams -- Charlotte, Boston, Indiana and Brooklyn -- are all separated by one game in the Eastern Conference standings.

Back-to-back triple-doubles for Payton

Elfrid Payton is having a magical rookie season and the ex-Ragin' Cajun did something this past week that no Magic player has ever done.

Payton recorded back-to-back triple-doubles on Wednesday (15 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds) and Friday (22 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds). The last time a rookie posted consecutive triple-doubles was Antoine Walker in 1997.

While these are the only two triple-doubles of Payton's career, he is one of just eight players that have multiple triple-doubles this season. In addition, the only player with more than three triple-doubles this season is Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook (10).

Over his past five games, Payton is averaging 13.2 points, 9.4 assists, 8.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

Among rookies that have played at least 25 games this season, Payton ranks first in assists (6.2/G), second in steals (1.6/G), seventh in rebounding (4.2/G) and seventh in scoring (8.6/G).

Six straight losses for Bucks, 4-13 since trade deadline

The Milwaukee Bucks were one of many teams that made major moves prior to the trade deadline.

Sending Brandon Knight to the Phoenix Suns, they received Michael Carter-Williams in return from the Philadelphia 76ers.

MCW did not play in his first three games as a member of the Bucks and he also missed a game against the Grizzlies on March 14th. Since the trade deadline, however, the Bucks have won only four of 17 games. Three of those four wins were against bottom-feeder teams -- Denver, Philadelphia and Orlando.

The Bucks carry a league-high six-game losing streak into this week's games. The Bucks will host the Heat, Pacers and Warriors in a three-game week.

Noel averaging double-double in March

Philadelphia 76ers power forward Nerlens Noel has really stepped up over the past month on a team otherwise devoid of (healthy and local) talent.

In 12 March games, Noel is averaging a double-double -- 13.2 points and 10.5 rebounds -- per game.

More impressive than the double-double, however, is that Noel is averaging 2.7 steals and 2.0 blocks per game.

To put it into perspective, the list of players with at least 15 steals and 15 blocks this month is one: Noel.

But Noel has way more than 15 of each -- 32 steals and 24 blocked shots.

The Manimal averaging double-double post-Shaw

Since the Nuggets have fired Brian Shaw on March 3rd, the Denver Nuggets have been playing much better basketball although they have lost three of their past four games. In the 12 games without him, however, the Nuggets have posted a 7-5 record.

With Shaw, the team won only 20 of 59 games.

One of the players that has been playing well without Shaw is Kenneth Faried.

The Manimal is averaging 16.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game since the firing of his head coach. During that span, Faried has seven double-doubles in 11 games.

As a comparison, Faried averaged 11.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 0.7 blocks and 0.7 steals in 54 games with inconsistent minutes with Shaw as coach.

Here are my Week 21 NBA Power Rankings:

Rank	Team	Record	Last Week	Change
1	Golden State Warriors	56-13	1	-
2	Atlanta Hawks	53-17	2	-
3	Cleveland Cavaliers	46-26	3	-
4	Memphis Grizzlies	49-21	4	-
5	Houston Rockets	46-23	5	-
6	San Antonio Spurs	44-25	7	+1
7	Los Angeles Clippers	46-25	8	+1
8	Portland Trail Blazers	44-24	6	-2
9	Dallas Mavericks	44-27	10	+1
10	Washington Wizards	40-30	12	+2
11	Oklahoma City Thunder	40-30	9	-2
12	Chicago Bulls	42-29	13	+1
13	Toronto Raptors	42-28	14	+1
14	Phoenix Suns	38-33	17	+3
15	New Orleans Pelicans	37-33	11	-4
16	Indiana Pacers	30-39	15	-1
17	Utah Jazz	31-38	18	+1
18	Charlotte Hornets	30-38	16	-2
19	Miami Heat	32-37	21	+2
20	Milwaukee Bucks	34-36	19	-1
21	Boston Celtics	30-39	20	-1
22	Brooklyn Nets	29-39	23	+1
23	Denver Nuggets	27-44	22	-1
24	Sacramento Kings	24-45	24	-
25	Orlando Magic	22-50	25	-
26	Detroit Pistons	26-44	26	-
27	Philadelphia 76ers	17-53	28	+1
28	Los Angeles Lakers	18-50	27	-1
29	Minnesota Timberwolves	15-54	29	-
30	New York Knicks	14-56	30	-

Russell Westbrook posts fourth consecutive triple-double

2015-03-05T00:44:00.001-05:00

After missing Sunday's game against the Lakers with a cheekbone fracture, Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook returned to the court on Wednesday against the Sixers and picked up where he left off.

Before the injury and missed game, Westbrook had three consecutive triple-doubles and he extended his triple-double streak to four games with a career-high 49 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists and added three steals and a block.

The last player to record four consecutive triple-doubles was Michael Jordan.

Over that four-game span, Westbrook is averaging 37.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 10.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

For those that play daily fantasy basketball, Westbrook has scored more than 53 DraftKings fantasy points in seven consecutive games and over his past three games, he has scored an insane 82.0, 76.25 and 95.0 fantasy points, respectively.

Westbrook and the Thunder face the Bulls in Chicago on Thursday.

2014-15 NBA Power Rankings Week 18

2015-03-02T18:27:00.000-05:00

Long live the new King. Highlights, photos, recap & reactions from today's big OT win on http://t.co/VBY18eSOmU. pic.twitter.com/91utdhnqTx
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) March 2, 2015

King James. That was the headline.

Not in reference to LeBron James, but by the Houston Rockets twitter account in reference to James Harden.

Ouch.

A kick below the belt?

Wait, that happened too.

The Cavs were without point guard Kyrie Irving (and the Rockets, of course, were still without Dwight Howard), but the battle between the Cavs and Rockets and Harden and LeBron went into overtime.

LeBron put together a strong line overall with 37 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks, but he was awful from the free-throw line. Making only three of his 11 free throws, it was the first time in his career that he shot at least 10 free throws and made three or less.

Meanwhile, Harden (or should I say, King James?) posted a nearly identical line by scoring 33 points (including 15-of-18 free throws) and adding eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks.

With the win over the Cavs, the Rockets are tied with the Pelicans for the league's longest active winning streak of five games.

Houston will open this week with a tough back-to-back on Tuesday (at Atlanta, 47-12) and Wednesday (vs. Memphis, 42-16). Only three teams have a better winning percentage than the Rockets (.695) and the Hawks and Grizzlies are two of those teams.

Jimmy Butler latest Bull to miss multiple weeks

Since his MVP-winning 2010-11 season, Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose has played a total of 95 games over the past three-and-a-half seasons.

Unfortunately, there's a chance that Rose, who had surgery on his meniscus last week, won't play any more regular-season games this season.

With a timetable of four to six weeks, however, he is expected to return at some point and he's already rehabbing his knee. If he doesn't play during the rest of the regular season, D-Rose should return at some point during the playoffs.

Making matters worse for the Bulls, they will be without Jimmy Butler as well.

Butler is expected to miss the next three to four weeks with an elbow sprain, but it looks as though he will avoid surgery.

Butler and Rose are the team's top-two scorers -- 20.2 and 18.4 points per game, respectively -- and no player has averaged more minutes per game than Butler (38.9/G), who is also one of the league's best perimeter defenders.

In addition to the loss of Butler and Rose, the Bulls are expected to be without Taj Gibson for another week. Gibson is averaging a career-high 13.0 points in 28.7 minutes per game as well as 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.

Russell Westbrook: Three consecutive triple-doubles

Already without Kevin Durant (foot), the Thunder were without point guard Russell Westbrook on Sunday after having facial surgery.

That said, it doesn't look as though he'll miss much more time.

Russell Westbrook won't miss much time with surgery. "If he had a playoff game (Sunday), he could play," league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 28, 2015

Before missing Sunday's game, Westbrook had three consecutive triple-doubles. During that three-game span, Westbrook averaged 33.0 points, 12.67 rebounds and 10.67 assists per game.

No player has more triple-doubles this season than Westbrook (five). Coincidentally, the two players tied for second -- Rajon Rondo and Michael Carter-Williams (three each) -- have both been traded during the season.

Here are my Week 18 NBA Power Rankings:

1. Golden State Warriors (Record 46-11, Last Week 1)
2. Atlanta Hawks (Record 47-12, Last Week 2)
3. Memphis Grizzlies (Record 42-16, Last Week 3)
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (Record 37-24, Last Week 4)
5. Houston Rockets (Record 41-18, Last Week 7)
6. Portland Trail Blazers (Record 39-19, Last Week 9)
7. Los Angeles Clippers (Record 39-21, Last Week 10)
8. San Antonio Spurs (Record 36-23, Last Week 6)
9. Dallas Mavericks (Record 39-22, Last Week 8)
10. Oklahoma City Thunder (Record 33-27, Last Week 12)
11. Toronto Raptors (Record 37-22, Last Week 5)
12. Chicago Bulls (Record 37-23, Last Week 11)
13. New Orleans Pelicans (Record 32-27, Last Week 16)
14. Indiana Pacers (Record 25-34, Last Week 17)
15. Washington Wizards (Record 34-26, Last Week 14)
16. Phoenix Suns (Record 31-29, Last Week 13)
17. Milwaukee Bucks (Record 32-27, Last Week 15)
18. Detroit Pistons (Record 23-36, Last Week 18)
19. Charlotte Hornets (Record 24-33, Last Week 19)
20. Brooklyn Nets (Record 24-33, Last Week 20)
21. Miami Heat (Record 25-33, Last Week 21)
22. Utah Jazz (Record 23-35, Last Week 23)
23. Boston Celtics (Record 23-34, Last Week 25)
24. Orlando Magic (Record 19-42, Last Week 22)
25. Sacramento Kings (Record 20-37, Last Week 24)
26. Los Angeles Lakers (Record 16-42, Last Week 28)
27. Denver Nuggets (Record 20-39, Last Week 26)
28. Minnesota Timberwolves (Record 13-45, Last Week 27)
29. Philadelphia 76ers (Record 13-46, Last Week 29)
30. New York Knicks (Record 12-46, Last Week 30)

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2014-15 NBA Power Rankings Week 17

2015-02-23T18:54:00.000-05:00

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The Oklahoma City Thunder have been without star forward Kevin Durant for much of the season and are without him again, for now.

After his October surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his foot, Durant made his season debut on December 2nd, but he has missed another 12 games as well so far this season.

Durant has had a second surgical procedure on his foot and will be evaluated in a week.

"The good news is that the fracture itself is healing excellently and from what the doctors conveyed to us we continue to feel very good about the prognosis moving forward," Presti said (via ESPN). "But in the short term, as he's continued to have this discomfort we wanted to determine the best way to alleviate it while still promoting the healing of the initial injury."

At the moment, the Thunder, who own a league-high six-game winning streak, are currently the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and they are two games ahead of Phoenix and 2.5 games ahead of the Pelicans.

The Pelicans will be dealing with their own injuries, perhaps more significant on a short-term basis, as they will be without power forward Anthony Davis (shoulder) for up to two weeks. In addition, Ryan Anderson is out with a torn MCL as well.

The 'Brow has missed seven games this season and the Pelicans are 2-5 in those games without him.

On the season, Davis is averaging 23.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 54.4 percent from the field and 83.1 percent from the line.

The only other player to average 23/10/2.5/1 since three players -- David Robinson, Alonzo Mourning and Hakeem Olajuwon -- did so in the 1995-96 season was Elton Brand (2005-06). Of the nine players, some in multiple seasons, to average 23/10/2.5/1 since 1973-74, none of them (aside from Davis) have shot better than 80 percent from the free-throw line.

Meanwhile, the Suns have traded away Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas to the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, respectively, although they added Brandon Knight as well.

In other words, it's going to be difficult for the Pelicans and/or Suns to be able to catch the Thunder provided that KD does not miss too much time.

Here are my Week 17 NBA Power Rankings:

1. Golden State Warriors (Record 43-10, Last Week 2)
2. Atlanta Hawks (Record 44-12, Last Week 1)
3. Memphis Grizzlies (Record 40-14, Last Week 3)
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (Record 35-22, Last Week 4)
5. Toronto Raptors (Record 37-18, Last Week 7)
6. San Antonio Spurs (Record 34-21, Last Week 5)
7. Houston Rockets (Record 37-18, Last Week 8)
8. Dallas Mavericks (Record 38-20, Last Week 9)
9. Portland Trail Blazers (Record 36-19, Last Week 6)
10. Los Angeles Clippers (Record 37-19, Last Week 10)
11. Chicago Bulls (Record 35-21, Last Week 11)
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (Record 31-25, Last Week 15)
13. Phoenix Suns (Record 29-27, Last Week 14)
14. Washington Wizards (Record 33-23, Last Week 12)
15. Milwaukee Bucks (Record 31-24, Last Week 16)
16. New Orleans Pelicans (Record 28-27, Last Week 13)
17. Indiana Pacers (Record 23-33, Last Week 19)
18. Detroit Pistons (Record 23-33, Last Week 18)
19. Charlotte Hornets (Record 22-32, Last Week 17)
20. Brooklyn Nets (Record 22-31, Last Week 21)
21. Miami Heat (Record 23-31, Last Week 20)
22. Orlando Magic (Record 19-39, Last Week 27)
23. Utah Jazz (Record 20-34, Last Week 22)
24. Sacramento Kings (Record 19-35, Last Week 23)
25. Boston Celtics (Record 20-33, Last Week 24)
26. Denver Nuggets (Record 20-35, Last Week 26)
27. Minnesota Timberwolves (Record 12-42, Last Week 30)
28. Los Angeles Lakers (Record 14-41, Last Week 29)
29. Philadelphia 76ers (Record 12-43, Last Week 28)
30. New York Knicks (Record 10-45, Last Week 25)

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Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Feb. 11)

2015-02-11T16:15:00.000-05:00

The good news is that it's Wednesday and we have a busy slate of games (12) tonight. The bad news is that we will go a full week without any NBA DFS contests with only one game on tap tomorrow night before the start of the All-Star break.

View image | gettyimages.com

With that said, here are my favorite DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Wednesday's NBA games:

PG - Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic (vs. ORL), $5,400: Like any rookie, Payton has had some ups and downs this season, but he has had scored at least 28.75 fantasy points in back-to-back games and in three of his past four. Over the past month, Payton has averaged 29.13 fantasy points in 15 games. During that 15-game span, he has averaged 10.87 points, 6.73 assists, 4.13 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. And with Tobias Harris out tonight, Payton should also see a slight bump in minutes and usage rate as well.

Others to consider: Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs ($4,900); J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks ($4,900); George Hill, Indiana Pacers ($4,900); Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics ($4,700); Ramon Sessions, Sacramento Kings ($4,200); Dante Exum, Utah Jazz ($3,300)

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SG - J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers (vs. HOU), $3,300: With James Harden scoring nearly 150 fantasy points over his past two games, many will spend all the way to Harden ($10,300) at shooting guard tonight. If you're looking for a viable option at the opposite end of the price spectrum, Redick is worth a look. Returning to the starting lineup from back spasms, he scored 15 (real) points and 25.5 fantasy points in 31 minutes on Feb. 9th. Not only is his salary roughly $1,000 less than its typical range, but the Rockets have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season.

Others to consider: Kevin Martin, Minnesota Timberwolves ($6,100); Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans ($5,900); Jamaal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers ($5,500); Rodney Stuckey, Indiana Pacers ($4,300); Elijah Millsap (if Joe Ingles is ruled out), Utah Jazz ($3,600); J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers ($3,300); Jodie Meeks, Detroit Pistons ($3,300); Courtney Lee, Memphis Grizzlies ($3,100); Garrett Temple, Washington Wizards ($3,000)

SF - Trevor Ariza, Houston Rockets (at LAC), $5,700: Ariza had just 25.75 fantasy points last night, but it was the first time in five games that he had less than 30 fantasy points. Over that five-game span, he has averaged 33.85 fantasy points, which is 5.94x tonight's salary. During that span, Ariza has averaged 15.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.4 steals per game and has connected on 15-of-32 three-point attempts. Given that the Clippers have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards, Ariza should reach or exceed value once again.

Others to consider: Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks ($6,500); Josh Smith, Houston Rockets ($6,400); Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves ($6,200); Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers ($5,400); C.J. Miles, Indiana Pacers ($4,300); Shabazz Muhammad, Minnesota Timberwolves ($3,400); Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies ($3,100)

PF - Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks (vs. UTA), $6,400: With the All-Star break nearly upon us and an opportunity for Nowitzki to rest, perhaps he sees a few more minutes than typical tonight with Rajon Rondo and Tyson Chandler both out. In addition, Monta Ellis is considered questionable for tonight's game. Either way, Nowitzki has a rock-solid floor with a minimum of 20.75 fantasy points in 31 consecutive games. With only two games of 40-plus fantasy points during that same span, however, Nowitzki makes for a better play in cash games than tournaments.

Others to consider: David West, Indiana Pacers ($6,500); Thaddeus Young, Minnesota Timberwolves ($6,000); Jason Smith, New York Knicks ($4,900); Mitch McGary, Oklahoma City Thunder ($3,800); Lance Thomas, New York Knicks ($3,200)

C - Enes Kanter, Utah Jazz (at DAL), $5,800: Kanter has three double-doubles with more than 30 fantasy points in his past four games and he has a chance to have another strong game with Tyson Chandler out. Not that I expect a DeAndre Jordan-type outing from Kanter against a Chandler-less Mavs interior defense, but Kanter has shown some significant upside with back-to-back games of 49.75 and 50 fantasy points a couple of weeks ago.

Others to consider: Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards ($5,100); Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland Cavaliers ($5,100); Alexis Ajinca (if Anthony Davis is out), New Orleans Pelicans ($3,800);

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2014-15 NBA Power Rankings Week 16

2015-02-09T19:10:00.001-05:00

View image | gettyimages.com

The up-and-down season for the Cleveland Cavaliers has been mostly "up" over the past month.

Starting with a win in the middle of last month over the Lakers, the Cavs ran off 12 consecutive wins before finally losing to the Pacers on Feb. 6th.

With a 15-point win over the Lakers on Sunday, however, perhaps the Cavs will begin another long winning streak. Before the All-Star break, the Cavs will host the Heat on Wednesday and visit the Bulls on Thursday.

Adding some drama to things in Cleveland, LeBron James recently tweeted the following directed at Kevin Love (without explicitly stating so initially but he conceeded so yesterday):

Stop trying to find a way to FIT-OUT and just FIT-IN. Be apart of something special! Just my thoughts
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 8, 2015

If you remember, Love had said back in the preseason (via ESPN):

"I'm comfortable and just not trying to, I guess, fit in so much," Love said after the game. "I had a talk with the guys on the plane ride over (to Brazil) and also at different practices off the floor and they told me to fit out. Just be myself.

"I kind of laughed and smirked at that. Off the court, I never have any problems with that. But on the court, it's just us having so many weapons and being able to fit together out there on the floor ... You always say check your egos at the door but we also need to bring our egos with us because that's what makes us so great. We wouldn't be here without them."

And here's what Love said when asked about LeBron's tweet:

"I feel like I’ve done all the right things. I haven’t got upset or been down," Love said (per Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal). "There’s moments when I hope I would’ve played better but it’s a long, long season. I don’t know really what he’s talking about. I feel like I’ve sacrificed and I think everyone knows that. I’m not trying to downplay what he said, but I think I’ve done a pretty good job of trying to help this team."

LeBron took to Twitter again this morning, however, to make it clear that he doesn't have a "problem" with Love.

I like u guys a lot(Media) but don't try and make a story cause it looks good. If I have a problem with a teammate or anyone I'll say to....
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 9, 2015

Either way, I'm sure it's not the last we'll hear about this.

Meanwhile, the Cavs are once again the "favorite" to win the NBA Championship (via odds from Sportsbook.ag).

Clippers PF Blake Forward out up to six weeks, possibly much less

Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin is scheduled to have elbow surgery for a staph infection on Monday and will miss up to six weeks, but he will be reevaluated after the All-Star break.

At the moment, the Clippers are 33-19 and one-half game ahead of the Spurs for the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

Even with Griffin in the lineup for three of their four games last week, the Clippers have lost four games in a row.

To make matters worse, the schedule gets tougher for the Clippers.

With seven games remaining in February, the Clippers face six teams with a record above .625: Grizzlies (.745) and Rockets (.686) twice each and Mavs (.660) and Spurs (.627) once along with the Kings.

Here are my NBA Power Rankings heading into Week 16:

1. Atlanta Hawks (Record 42-10, Last Week 1)
2. Golden State Warriors (Record 40-9, Last Week 2)
3. Memphis Grizzlies (Record 38-13, Last Week 3)
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (Record 32-21, Last Week 5)
5. San Antonio Spurs (Record 32-19, Last Week 6)
6. Portland Trail Blazers (Record 35-17, Last Week 4)
7. Toronto Raptors (Record 35-17, Last Week 8)
8. Houston Rockets (Record 35-16, Last Week 9)
9. Dallas Mavericks (Record 35-18, Last Week 10)
10. Los Angeles Clippers (Record 33-19, Last Week 7)
11. Chicago Bulls (Record 32-20, Last Week 11)
12. Washington Wizards (Record 32-20, Last Week 13)
13. New Orleans Pelicans (Record 27-24, Last Week 14)
14. Phoenix Suns (Record 29-24, Last Week 12)
15. Oklahoma City Thunder (Record 26-25, Last Week 15)
16. Milwaukee Bucks (Record 28-23, Last Week 17)
17. Charlotte Hornets (Record 22-29, Last Week 16)
18. Detroit Pistons (Record 20-32, Last Week 18)
19. Indiana Pacers (Record 20-32, Last Week 22)
20. Miami Heat (Record 21-29, Last Week 19)
21. Brooklyn Nets (Record 21-29, Last Week 24)
22. Utah Jazz (Record 18-33, Last Week 20)
23. Sacramento Kings (Record 18-32, Last Week 21)
24. Boston Celtics (Record 19-31, Last Week 26)
25. New York Knicks (Record 10-41, Last Week 23)
26. Denver Nuggets (Record 19-32, Last Week 25)
27. Orlando Magic (Record 16-38, Last Week 29)
28. Philadelphia 76ers (Record 12-40, Last Week 27)
29. Los Angeles Lakers (Record 13-38, Last Week 28)
30. Minnesota Timberwolves (Record 11-40, Last Week 30)

[Note: With the six-day NBA All-Star Break hiatus beginning on Friday, our next NBA Power Rankings update will be in two weeks (Feb. 23rd.).] More of our content:

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Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Feb. 5)

2015-02-05T14:00:00.003-05:00

In tonight's four-game slate, one of those games is not like the other. All four games are projected to be fairly close (five-point spreads or less), but three of the four games have an over-under of 207 points or more. The other, Hornets vs. Wizards, has an over-under of 186.5 points.

There are a few decent plays in the expected low-scoring affair, but in general, I'll look to roster mostly players from the three higher-scoring games.

View image | gettyimages.com

With that said, here are my favorite DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Thursday's NBA games:

PG - J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks (at SAC), $3,400: Once again, Barea will draw the start and he has scored at least 23 fantasy points in back-to-back starts with Rajon Rondo sidelined. In order to reach 6x tonight's salary, Barea needs to score only 20.4 fantasy points and he should do that fairly easily. Not only have the Kings have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season, but only the Trail Blazers are projected to score more points tonight than the Mavs based on Vegas odds.

Others to consider: Darren Collison, Sacramento Kings ($6,500); Goran Dragic, Phoenix Suns ($6,100); Isaiah Thomas, Phoenix Suns ($5,400); Devin Harris, Dallas Mavericks ($3,900)

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SG - Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers (at CLE), $5,000: As J.J. Redick deals with back spasms and is expected to miss another game, Crawford should get another start. Although he made less than one-third of his 22 (yes, 22!) shot attempts on Monday, Crawford scored 30.25 fantasy points in 37 minutes against the Nets. Crawford has played 30-plus minutes in three of his past five games and has scored at least 30 fantasy points in all three of those 30-minute games.

Others to consider: Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards ($6,000); Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers ($6,000); Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings ($3,900)

SF - Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers (vs. PHO), $5,000: I considered going back to the well here with Chandler Parsons, my small forward value pick from yesterday, but I like Batum as much tonight. As noted earlier, the Blazers are projected to score the most points tonight and the Suns have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season. Batum made just two-of-seven shots on Tuesday yet finished with 34.5 fantasy points as he added eight rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal. And without LaMarcus Aldridge in the lineup, Batum went off for 52.5 fantasy points against the Suns just a couple of weeks ago. I don't expect another 50-point game against the Suns, but Batum's ability to rack up multiple statistical categories give him a strong chance to exceed value.

Others to consider: Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks ($5,700); Matt Barnes, Los Angeles Clippers ($4,200)

PF - Brandan Wright, Phoenix Suns (at POR), $3,000: Wright lacks upside as he has played only 17, 19, 19 and 22 minutes over his past four games, respectively. That said, the efficient Wright has a solid floor -- minimum of 16.0 fantasy points over those four games with an average of 19.5 per game over that four-game span -- to make him a viable punt option at the position at the contest-minimum salary.

Others to consider: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks ($6,200); Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns ($5,900); Cody Zeller, Charlotte Hornets ($5,300)

C - Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland Cavaliers (vs. LAC), $5,200: Mozgov has at least 21 fantasy points in eight of his past nine games and has averaged 27.81 per game (5.35x tonight's salary) over that nine-game span. Over that stretch, Mozgov has averaged 10.66 points, 8.78 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 0.78 steals per game with four double-doubles. In addition, the Clippers have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season.

Others to consider: Tyson Chandler, Dallas Mavericks ($6,400); Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards ($5,000); Robin Lopez, Portland Trail Blazers ($4,400); Alex Len, Phoenix Suns ($3,200)

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Fantasy NBA FanDuel DFS Values (Feb. 4)

2015-02-04T14:22:00.001-05:00

Earlier today, I posted my favorite value plays on DraftKings and now I turn my attention to FanDuel.

With that said, here are some FanDuel values (salaries of $7,000 or less) for Wednesday's NBA games:

View image | gettyimages.com

PG - J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks (at GS), $3,900: Once again (as it was with my DraftKings post), the primary debate here is between Barea and D.J. Augustin, who has at least 36 fantasy points in four of his past five games. With the two point guards in different salary ranges, however, both provide a solid option at those price points depending on the construction of the rest of your roster. Getting the start on Monday with Rajon Rondo out, Barea finished with 10 points, eight assists and four rebounds as he scored 25.8 fantasy points. Considering that Devin Harris (ankle, knee) is questionable, Barea may even see more than the 29 minutes he played on Monday. Either way, he's a strong value play as his sub-$4,000 salary in the game with tonight's highest over/under.

Others to consider: D.J. Augustin, Detroit Pistons ($7,000); Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies ($6,600); Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs ($5,500); Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers ($4,800); Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics ($4,600); Jerryd Bayless (if Brandon Knight is out again), Milwaukee Bucks ($4,400)

* FanDuel's $600K NBA Mega Slam: $600,000 in prizes including $50,000 to 1st in tonight's NBA Mega Slam tourney ($25 entry).

SG - Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans (vs. OKC), $6,200: Gordon's salary on FanDuel is less than his DraftKings' price tag ($6,500), which is always favorable for his outlook on FD. Connecting on 9-of-13 three-pointers, Gordon has scored 35-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games. In addition, he has scored at least 22 fantasy points in 12 of his past 14 games with both exceptions being 19-point games demonstrating a solid floor. During that 14-game span, Gordon has averaged 16.29 points, 5.21 assists and 3.14 rebounds per game.

Others to consider: DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors ($7,000); Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks ($6,200); Dion Waiters, Oklahoma City Thunder ($4,800);

SF - Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks (at GS), $6,100: As I noted in my DraftKings post, I tend to play Parsons on the wrong nights, but I will roll with Parsons in a number of tournament lineups tonight. Tonight's matchup is going to be an up-tempo game with a lot of real points and fantasy points alike and his price point should allow him to reach (and exceed) value. Parsons has connected on 10-of-17 three-pointers in his past three games and has now scored at least 23.9 fantasy points in seven of his eight games.

Others to consider: Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves ($6,900); Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks ($5,800); Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets ($5,700)

PF - Jared Sullinger, Boston Celtics (vs. DEN), $6,200: As much as I like Sullinger on DraftKings, I like him more on FanDuel (at $300 less) with a price tag roughly $500 less than the average starter salary ($6,667). After a one-game punishment (benching) for being late, Sully was back in the starting lineup last night and delivered 40.8 fantasy points against the Knicks front court. Tonight, he gets an even more favorable matchup against the Nuggets, who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season. Over his past 19 games, Sullinger has scored 40-plus fantasy points six times and tonight gives him a great opportunity to make it 7-of-20.

Others to consider: Thaddeus Young, Minnesota Timberwolves ($6,800); David West, Indiana Pacers ($6,600); Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets ($6,400); Donatas Motiejunas, Houston Rockets ($5,800); John Henson, Milwaukee Bucks ($5,000); Ed Davis, Los Angeles Lakers ($4,900);

C - Tyson Chandler, Dallas Mavericks (at GS), $6,700: With Joakim Noah priced above $7,000 on FanDuel (both are $6,400 on DraftKings), I need to go in a different direction here given my self-imposed salary limit. As noted earlier, tonight's game features the highest over-under and the Mavs are projected to be one of the higher-scoring teams tonight. Chandler has scored more than 31 fantasy points in back-to-back games and at least 25.6 fantasy points in four consecutive games.

Others to consider: Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets ($7,000)

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Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Feb. 4)

2015-02-04T11:35:00.000-05:00

The best night of the week for the NBA and daily fantasy basketball purposes is Wednesday night. And making tonight better is that the lone late game, Mavericks at Warriors, has the highest over/under (216.5), by far.

Golden State vs. Dallas will tip off at 10:30 PM; all other games have a 9:00 PM start time (or earlier).

In addition to studs like Stephen Curry, some of my favorite value plays can be found in the final game of the night as well.

It's always a great feeling to be in a strong position in a tournament with a healthy allotment of PMR (player minutes remaining) and to watch your team(s) rise up the leaderboard.

View image | gettyimages.com

With that said, here are my favorite DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Wednesday's NBA games:

PG - J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks (at GS), $3,400: Not only is Rajon Rondo (face) ruled out for tonight, but Devin Harris (knee, ankle) is questionable for tonight's game. Either way, Barea got the start over Harris without Rondo on Monday and finished with 10 points, eight assists and four rebounds as he scored 26.5 fantasy points in 29 minutes. Even though the Mavs are nearly double-digit underdogs to the Warriors, there are still projected to be one of tonight's top-scoring teams with a Vegas-projected total of 103.5. The debate for favorite value point guard came down to Barea and D.J. Augustin, who has back-to-back 52-point games and three of them in his past five, but many of my lineups will feature both point guards.

Others to consider: D.J. Augustin, Detroit Pistons ($6,200); Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs ($5,500); Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers ($4,800); Trey Burke, Utah Jazz ($4,600); Jerryd Bayless (if Brandon Knight is out), Milwaukee Bucks ($4,300); Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics ($3,700)

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SG - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (vs. LAL), $5,800: The Bucks are dealing a bunch of injuries as Brandon Knight, Ersan Ilyasova and Zaza Pachulia all sat out in the team's last game, but the Greek Freak has been playing consistent minutes with strong production. Antetokounmpo has double-doubles in back-to-back games and 30-plus fantasy points in three consecutive games. In addition, he has played at least 33 minutes in six consecutive games.

Others to consider: Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans ($6,400); Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards ($6,000); Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets ($5,600); Kevin Martin, Minnesota Timberwolves ($5,500); Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets ($5,500); Dion Waiters, Oklahoma City Thunder ($4,500); Avery Bradley, Boston Celtics ($4,200)

SF - Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks (at GS), $5,700: Typically (and frustratingly), I tend to start Parsons when he flops. That said, tonight's game against the Warriors is going to be an up-tempo game with a lot of real points and fantasy points alike and his price point should allow him to reach (and exceed) value. Connecting on 10-of-17 three-pointers in his past three games, Parsons has now scored more than 30 fantasy points in back-to-back games with at least 26.5 fantasy points in seven of his eight games. Of course, he was in many of my lineups in the one exception (5.75 fantasy points) during that eight-game span. (Perhaps my inclusion of Parsons on this list is your cue to stay as far away as you can.)

Others to consider: Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets ($5,700); Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks ($5,600); Josh Smith, Houston Rockets ($5,300); Luol Deng, Miami Heat ($5,000); Jared Dudley (if he starts again), Milwaukee Bucks ($4,500);

PF - Jared Sullinger, Boston Celtics (vs. DEN), $6,500: After a one-game punishment (benching) for being late, Sully was back in the starting lineup last night and delivered 41.75 fantasy points against the Knicks front court. Tonight, he gets an even more favorable matchup against the Nuggets, who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season. Over the past 14 games (minus the one-game benching), Sullinger has scored more than 25 fantasy points in every game.

Others to consider: David West, Indiana Pacers ($6,300); Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets ($6,200); Donatas Motiejunas, Houston Rockets ($5,600); John Henson, Milwaukee Bucks ($5,000); Kris Humphries, Washington Wizards ($4,600); Patrick Patterson, Toronto Raptors ($4,300); Ed Davis, Los Angeles Lakers ($4,200)

C - Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls (at HOU), $6,400: Over a one-week span (Sat., Jan. 31st to Fri., Feb. 6th), the Bulls will play only one game -- tonight against the Dwight Howard-less Rockets. Over his past three games, Noah has scored a minimum of 34.5 fantasy points and averaged 43.5 fantasy points. During that three-game span, he averaged 12.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 6.67 assists with a block and a steal per game.

Others to consider: Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets ($6,300); Robert Sacre, Los Angeles Lakers ($3,300)

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Fantasy NBA FanDuel DFS Values (Feb. 3)

2015-02-03T12:23:00.000-05:00

Earlier today, I posted my favorite value plays on DraftKings and now I turn my attention to FanDuel.

With that said, here are some FanDuel values (salaries of $7,000 or less) for Tuesday's NBA games:

View image | gettyimages.com

PG - Larry Drew, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. DEN), $3,500: Michael Carter-Williams (shin/ankle) sat for the final 19 minutes of last night's game, which puts his status for tonight's game in jeopardy. Priced at the contest-minimum salary, Drew would get the start if MCW can't go and could see 30-plus minutes. Expectations should be tempered, however, as Drew scored just 11.0 fantasy points the last time that happened (Jan. 26th), but he would be a decent plug-and-play option that gives you plenty of salary-cap relief.

Others to consider: D.J. Augustin, Detroit Pistons ($7,000); Darren Collison, Sacramento Kings ($6,700); Trey Burke, Utah Jazz ($5,600); Langston Galloway, New York Knicks ($5,300); Mario Chalmers, Miami Heat ($5,100); Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics ($4,600); Tyler Johnson, Miami Heat ($4,300); Larry Drew, Philadelphia 76ers ($3,500)

* FanDuel's $225K NBA Slam: $225,000 in prizes including $25,000 to 1st in tonight's NBA Slam tourney ($25 entry).

SG - Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets (at PHI), $5,500: With the same salary on both sites, Afflalo is at more of a discount, if you will, on FanDuel (82.5% of average starter salary) than he is on DraftKings (88.0%). Afflalo has had a couple of modest outings (8.7 and 13.9 fantasy points, respectively), but he should bounce back against the Sixers. Before those two modest performances, Afflalo had averaged 29.22 fantasy points over his previous five games and the Sixers have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season.

Others to consider: Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers ($5,800)

SF - Joe Ingles, Utah Jazz (at POR), $4,400: Ingles does a little bit of everything and that little bit of everything has led to five consecutive games with at least 20 fantasy points. Ingles needs 22.0 fantasy points to reach 5x value and he's averaged 23.52 per game over his past five games. During that span, he has averaged 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

Others to consider: Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers ($5,700); Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets ($5,700); Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers ($5,400); Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Philadelphia 76ers ($4,700)

PF - Jerami Grant, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. DEN), $3,600: Listed as my favorite small forward play on DraftKings for today's games, selecting my favorite power forward play on FanDuel was more difficult. That said, Grant scored a career-high (real) 18 points and 26.4 fantasy points last night. Not only is Grant 8-of-11 from behind the arc over his past three games, but he has had eight-block and four-block games over the past couple of weeks. In his past six games, Grant is averaging 18.75 fantasy points per game and he could approach last night's production especially if MCW sits while offering plenty of salary-cap relief at only $100 above the minimum salary.

Others to consider: Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets ($6,400); Jared Sullinger, Boston Celtics ($6,200); Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers ($6,100); Brandon Bass, Boston Celtics ($5,300); Jason Smith, New York Knicks ($4,600); J.J. Hickson, Denver Nuggets ($4,400); Louis Amundson, New York Knicks ($4,300)

C - Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat (at DET), $7,000: Whiteside was one rebound shy of a double-double (20 points and nine rebounds) in his past game, but he had a triple-double (with blocks) and two double-doubles in his previous three games. During that four-game span, he has scored at least 36.7 fantasy points in each game and has averaged 16.5 points, 15.5 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game. With the Pistons fourth in the NBA in points in the paint (44.8/G), that could lead to plenty of opportunities for rebounds and blocks. Either way, the Pistons have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season.

Others to consider: Tyler Zeller, Boston Celtics ($4,900); Jusuf Nurkic, Denver Nuggets ($4,800)

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Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Feb. 3)

2015-02-03T11:14:00.000-05:00

On a five-game NBA slate on Tuesday, there are only three players priced above $8,800 -- Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins ($10,500), Golden State's Stephen Curry ($10,300) and Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge ($9,400).

While I'll have some exposure to all three of those high-priced studs, Curry will undoubtedly be the one that I have the most in my lineups. If there's any concern, it's that this game turns into a blowout as the Warriors are favored by 9.5 points and Curry has played less than 30 minutes in two of his three matchups against the Kings this season.

That said, Curry is averaging more than 46 fantasy points per game this season, the Kings have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing point guards and are projected to score the most points, by far, tonight based on Vegas odds.

On any given night, Curry has 60-point upside. Only three players in the league have more games with 60-plus fantasy points than Curry (seven games) -- Anthony Davis and James Harden (both 11 games) and Cousins (eight).

In order to fit Curry (and/or Boogie and/or LMA) into your lineup(s), you'll need to find some value plays elsewhere.

With that said, here are my favorite DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Tuesday's NBA games:

PG - Trey Burke, Utah Jazz (at POR), $4,600: Even if he isn't starting, Burke has played at least 31 minutes in three consecutive games. And over his past four games, Burke has scored 30.0, 20.0, 20.0 and 29.0 fantasy points, respectively, and he has been averaging 16 shot attempts per game over that stretch. Meanwhile, Damian Lillard and the Blazers have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season.

Others to consider: Darren Collison, Sacramento Kings ($6,400); D.J. Augustin, Detroit Pistons ($6,200); Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics ($3,700); Larry Drew, Philadelphia 76ers ($3,000)

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SG - Tyler Johnson, Miami Heat (at DET), $3,900: Listed as a point guard on FanDuel, Johnson is listed as a shooting guard on DraftKings, which makes me like him more on DK. Playing only three NBA games in his career, Johnson now has impressive back-to-back outings and scored a massive (given his minimum-salary price tag) 38.25 fantasy points on Sunday. Doing a bit of everything, he has averaged 8.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks in those two games. Far from the level of "Hassanity," Johnson has nonetheless provided the team with a spark and should continue to see minutes in the mid-20's, at least, as long as Dwyane Wade remains out.

Others to consider: Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers ($5,800); Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets ($5,500)

SF - Jerami Grant, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. DEN), $3,000: Listed in yesterday's post as well, Grant is once again priced at the contest-minimum salary. Grant won't see much more than 26 minutes on any given night, but he should easily reach value while providing lots of salary-cap relief. Scoring a career-high (real) 18 points and 29.75 fantasy points last night, he has connected on 8-of-11 three-point attempts over his past three games. Few players have his potential to make multiple three-pointers and block multiple shots (remember his eight blocks vs. NYK last month?) on a given night. In his past six games, Grant is averaging 20.92 fantasy points per game (6.97x his salary) with a minimum of 16.5 fantasy points (5.5x) and could approach last night's production if Michael Carter-Williams (ankle/shin) sits.

Others to consider: Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets ($5,700); Luol Deng, Miami Heat ($5,000); Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers ($4,900); Joe Ingles, Utah Jazz ($4,300)

PF - Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets (at PHI), $6,200: Too inconsistent for cash games, Faried has plenty of upside tonight as a tournament play against the Sixers, who rank last in the NBA in rebounding differential (-4.5). In addition, the Sixers have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season. Over his past 19 games played, The Manimal has six games with at least 40 fantasy points including games with 57.25 and 61.25 fantasy points, but he has also has six games during that span with less than 25.0. Faried needs just 31.0 fantasy points to reach 5x value and he's averaged 33.34/G during that 19-game span.

Others to consider: Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers ($5,200); Brandon Bass, Boston Celtics ($5,200); Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers ($5,000); Jason Smith, New York Knicks ($4,700); Louis Amundson, New York Knicks ($3,700)

C - Andrew Bogut, Golden State Warriors (at SAC), $4,800: More often than not, I'll pay up for center tonight, but Bogut could potentially see a bump in minutes from his 24 per game as they get a difficult matchup against Cousins. Bogut has been averaging a little more than one fantasy point per minute this season and he's priced at 5.4 times his average fantasy production this season (25.9/G).

Others to consider: Robin Lopez, Portland Trail Blazers ($4,500); Jusuf Nurkic, Denver Nuggets ($4,400); Tyler Zeller, Boston Celtics ($4,100);

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2014-15 NBA Power Rankings Week 15

2015-02-02T18:06:00.000-05:00

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Here are my NBA Power Rankings heading into Week 15:

1. Atlanta Hawks (Record 40-8, Last Week 1): Another week and three more wins as the Hawks extend their winning streak to 19 games. They have already won more games than they have all of last season (38). Keeping their win streak in tact for one more week will be tough with matchups against the Pelicans, Wizards, Warriors and Grizzlies this week.

2. Golden State Warriors (Record 37-8, Last Week 2): No team has a greater point differential than the Warriors (+11.2/G) -- the Hawks rank second (+7.3).

3. Memphis Grizzlies (Record 35-12, Last Week 3): Zach Randolph has extended his streak of games with a double-double to 12 and he has 17 of them in his past 18 games played.

4. Portland Trail Blazers (Record 32-16, Last Week 4): An All-Star "snub," Damian Lillard is one of just three players to average at least 21 points, four rebounds, six assists, two three-pointers made and one steal per game. The other two are James Harden and Stephen Curry.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers (Record 29-20, Last Week 9): Kyrie Irving scored a career-high 55 points and knocked down a franchise-record 11 (of 19) three-pointers on Wednesday. The Cavs have now won 10 games in a row and will host the lowly Sixers on Monday.

6. San Antonio Spurs (Record 30-18, Last Week 5): It's not too often that a player (in this case, Boris Diaw) hits his coach with a half-court shot attempt. Amazingly, it generated almost no response from Gregg Popovich [via Tom Ziller]:

7. Los Angeles Clippers (Record 33-15, Last Week 6): DeAndre Jordan, who leads the league in field goal percentage (73.1%) and rebounding (13.5/G), has blocked at least three shots in five consecutive games. It's the second-longest streak of his career; the longest (seven games) happened earlier this season.

8. Toronto Raptors (Record 33-15, Last Week 11): After a 6-for-34 shooting slump and scoring a total of 14 points over a three-game stretch, DeMar DeRozan has averaged 20.4 points over his past five games.

9. Houston Rockets (Record 33-15, Last Week 7): The Rockets will be without center Dwight Howard for "at least a month" as he battles a right knee injury.

10. Dallas Mavericks (Record 32-17, Last Week 12): Rajon Rondo will miss at least the next three games with an orbital fracture to his left eye and a nasal fracture.

11. Chicago Bulls (Record 30-19, Last Week 10): Pau Gasol now has nine consecutive double-doubles with an average of 15.44 points and 14.67 rebounds as well as 2.33 blocks per game during that span. No player has more double-doubles this season than Gasol (30).

12. Phoenix Suns (Record 28-21, Last Week 14): Goran Dragic (5.5) currently ranks fourth in the NBA in fast-break points behind Russell Westbrook (6.9), James Harden (6.0) and Stephen Curry (6.0).

13. Washington Wizards (Record 31-17, Last Week 8): It's been a rough stretch for the Wizards as they have lost four of their past six games.

14. New Orleans Pelicans (Record 25-22, Last Week 15): Tyreke Evans is one of 13 players to average at least 10 points per game in the paint. The only other guard with that distinction is Westbrook.

15. Oklahoma City Thunder (Record 23-24, Last Week 13): Although they were without Kevin Durant for two of the games, the Thunder lost four of their past five games and are currently four games out of the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.

16. Charlotte Hornets (Record 20-27, Last Week 16): Even without Kemba Walker (knee surgery), the Hornets have won two of their past three games. For the month of January, they have a 10-4 record.

17. Milwaukee Bucks (Record 25-22, Last Week 17): If you play NBA DFS, O.J. Mayo and consistency are two things typically not put in the same sentence. Over his past 11 games, however, Mayo has 20-plus fantasy points (DraftKings scoring) in every game. His longest such streak before that this season was just four games.

18. Detroit Pistons (Record 18-30, Last Week 18): Andre Drummond leads the NBA in 2nd-chance points (4.8 per game) and Greg Monroe ranks sixth (3.6/G) in that category.

19. Miami Heat (Record 21-26, Last Week 19): After posting a triple-double (with blocks) last Sunday, it was another strong week for Hassan Whiteside. Although he was one rebound shy of going three-for-three in double-doubles, he averaged 17.3 points and 16.3 rebounds this past week.

20. Utah Jazz (Record 17-30, Last Week 25): The Jazz (18.6/G) rank third in the NBA in field goals made within five feet behind only the Pelicans (20.1) and Pistons (19.0).

21. Sacramento Kings (Record 17-29, Last Week 23): DeMarcus Cousins was selected as the All-Star replacement for Kobe Bryant and he becomes the team's first All-Star since 2004.

22. Indiana Pacers (Record 17-32, Last Week 21): David West is averaging 12.8 points per game, a team high among qualified leaders, yet he ranks only 78th in the NBA in scoring.

23. New York Knicks (Record 10-38, Last Week 29): After winning only five of their first 41 games, the Knicks have started the "second half" of the season by winning five of their past seven games.

24. Brooklyn Nets (Record 18-28, Last Week 20): The Nets have lost four in a row and 12 of their past 14 games, but Jarrett Jack has a total of 49 points, 26 assists, 13 rebounds and three steals in his past two games.

25. Denver Nuggets (Record 19-29, Last Week 22): In the middle of last week, the Nuggets lost by 30 points to the Grizzlies. It was their third loss of 30-plus points (only the Sixers have more, five).

26. Boston Celtics (Record 16-30, Last Week 26): One year after posting a .305 winning percentage, the Celtics winning percentage stands at .348. If they finish this season with a sub-.350 winning percentage, that will mean that two of their worst five seasons in franchise history will have occurred in back-to-back seasons.

27. Philadelphia 76ers (Record 10-38, Last Week 27): On Friday night, Nerlens Noel finished with six blocks and four steals. Over his past 12 games, he's averaging 2.33 blocks and 1.91 steals per game.

28. Los Angeles Lakers (Record 13-35, Last Week 28): In three games last week, rookie starting point guard Jordan Clarkson scored at least 18 points in each game.

29. Orlando Magic (Record 15-35, Last Week 24): The Magic have lost eight consecutive games and head coach Jacque Vaughn is on the verge of being fired according to media reports.

30. Minnesota Timberwolves (Record 8-39, Last Week 30): After recently getting Kevin Martin and Nikola Pekovic back from injury, they are on the verge of finally getting starting point guard Ricky Rubio back.

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Fantasy NBA FanDuel DFS Values (Feb. 2)

2015-02-02T12:49:00.000-05:00

Earlier today, I posted my favorite value plays on DraftKings and now I turn my attention to FanDuel.

With that said, here are some FanDuel values (salaries of $7,000 or less) for Monday's NBA games:

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PG - Devin Harris, Dallas Mavericks (vs. MIN), $3,500: Like on DraftKings, Harris is my favorite value play at point guard on FanDuel. With Rajon Rondo out for at least the next three games, Harris is priced at the contest-minimum salary and will get the start tonight (and for a few more games). Harris needs just 17.5 fantasy points to reach 5x his salary and he has scored 21.2 and 18.7 fantasy points in his past two games. Only the Thunder are projected to score more points tonight than the Mavs based on Vegas odds.

Others to consider: Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies ($6,900); Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic ($6,000); J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks ($3,500)

* FanDuel's $250K NBA Slam: $250,000 in prizes including $25,000 to 1st in tonight's NBA Slam tourney ($25 entry).

SG - DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors (vs. MIL), $6,800: With an average starter salary higher on FanDuel ($6,667) than DraftKings ($6,250), it's more common for players to be priced higher on FanDuel. That's not the case with DeRozan ($6,800 on FD vs. $7,000 on DK). Since a three-game stretch where DeRozan was 6-of-34 from the field, he has now averaged 37.04 fantasy points over his past five games with at least 27 fantasy points in all five games. During that span, DeRozan has averaged 20.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

Others to consider: Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards ($5,800); Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans ($5,700); Evan Fournier (if Oladipo is out again), Orlando Magic ($3,600); Kent Bazemore, Atlanta Hawks ($3,500)

SF - Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers (at CLE), $5,600: Over his past seven games, Covington has averaged 13.14 points, 4.86 rebounds and 1.43 steals per game during that span. In addition, Covington has averaged 28.53 fantasy points per game over his past three and he has scored at least 22 fantasy points in six of his past seven games.

Others to consider: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte Hornets ($5,600); Paul Pierce, Washington Wizards ($4,900); Jared Dudley, Milwaukee Bucks ($4,500)

PF - Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers (at CLE), $5,700: In his past 10 games played, Noel has averaged 29.43 fantasy points per game, which is 5.16 times tonight's salary. Becoming more consistent, Noel has reached 25 fantasy points in his past seven of 10 games with a couple of games with at least 44 fantasy points to show his upside. Over that 10-game span, Noel has averaged 9.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 2.2 blocks per game.

Others to consider: Thaddeus Young, Minnesota Timberwolves ($6,800); Cody Zeller, Charlotte Hornets ($5,300); Amir Johnson, Toronto Raptors ($4,800); John Henson, Milwaukee Bucks ($4,700); Patrick Patterson, Toronto Raptors ($4,600); Jerami Grant, Philadelphia 76ers ($3,600); Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic ($3,500)

C - Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland Cavaliers ($5,200): Since a three-game streak of double-doubles, Mozgov only has one double-double in his past five games. That said, he has scored more than 20 fantasy points in seven of eight games, so he has a solid floor, but he has upside against a Sixers team that has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing centers this season. The biggest drawback with Mozgov (or any Cavs' starters) is the blowout potential as they are 16-point favorites tonight.

Others to consider: Mason Plumlee, Brooklyn Nets ($6,400); Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets ($6,300); Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota Timberwolves ($5,900)

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Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Feb. 2)

2015-02-02T10:16:00.000-05:00

When setting your DraftKings lineup(s) today, you will notice that all players priced at $8,700 or higher have favorable matchups tonight.

New Orleans Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis ($10,800) has the "worst" matchup of that group, but the Hawks have allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season. Of course, the Unibrow (and other players in his salary stratosphere) tend to be matchup-proof anyways.

The only concern for the other $10,000 guys -- LeBron James ($10,600, vs. PHI) or Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant ($10,100 and $10,000, vs. ORL) -- is the blowout potential. For at least three quarters, however, they should rack up fantasy points at an impressive clip.

In order to afford one (or more) of the high-priced studs, you'll need to find some value plays elsewhere to generate some salary-cap relief.

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With that said, here are some DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Monday's NBA games:

PG - Devin Harris, Dallas Mavericks (vs. MIN), $3,100: With Rajon Rondo (face) already ruled out for Monday, Harris is expected to get the start at point for one of the league's most efficient offenses -- second only to Clippers in Offensive Rating (points scored per 100 possessions). With a salary only $100 above the contest minimum, Harris should be a lock to reach 6x value (18.6 fantasy points) with upside for more. In his past two games, Harris has played 27 and 30 minutes and finished with 23.0 and 21.25 fantasy points, respectively.

Others to consider: Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic ($5,700); Isaiah Thomas, Phoenix Suns ($5,400); Greivis Vasquez, Toronto Raptors ($4,000); J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks ($3,000)

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SG - J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers (at BKN), $3,600: It's not often that I start Redick, but he provides plenty of salary-cap relief if you want to pay up elsewhere and he should easily be able to reach value. Over the past 10 games, he has been priced between $4,000 and $4,600, which is his normally salary range. In other words, he's not usually priced below $4K. Redick needs just 18.0 fantasy points to reach 5x value, something he has done in five of his past seven games.

Others to consider: Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans ($6,200); Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards ($5,900); Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks ($5,600); Kyle Korver, Atlanta Hawks ($5,200); Kevin Martin, Minnesota Timberwolves ($5,100); J.R. Smith, Cleveland Cavaliers ($4,700); Lance Stephenson, Charlotte Hornets ($4,600); O.J. Mayo, Milwaukee Bucks ($4,500); Kent Bazemore, Atlanta Hawks ($4,000); Evan Fournier (if Oladipo is out again), Orlando Magic ($3,700)

SF - Jerami Grant, Philadelphia 76ers (at CLE), $3,000: The dropoff in small forward salaries is steep with LeBron and KD both in the five-figure range, then Andrew Wiggins at $6,900 and everybody else at $5,600 or less. If you decide to not pay up and/or punt the position, Grant provides salary-cap relief with his minimum salary and should easily reach value. Grant only gets 20-something minutes per night, but he has the rare potential for multiple three-pointers and blocked shots on any given night and has averaged 18.79 fantasy points per game over his past seven games. Grant has 16.5 fantasy points in five consecutive games and in seven of his past eight.

Others to consider: Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks ($5,300); Paul Pierce, Washington Wizards ($4,800); Luc Richard Mbah A Moute, Philadelphia 76ers ($4,200); Jared Dudley, Milwaukee Bucks ($4,100); Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies ($3,000)

PF - Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers (at CLE), $5,200: In his past 10 games played, Noel has averaged 30.78 fantasy points per game, which would be nearly 6x his salary (5.92). Noel has reached at least 5x tonight's salary (26.0 points) in seven of those 10 games with some upside for 45-plus points, something he has done twice during that stretch. Over that 10-game span, Noel has averaged 9.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 2.2 blocks per game.

Others to consider: Thaddeus Young, Minnesota Timberwolves ($6,200); Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks ($6,200); Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns ($6,000); Ryan Anderson, New Orleans Pelicans ($5,600); Cody Zeller, Charlotte Bobcats ($5,500); John Henson, Milwaukee Bucks ($4,600); Amir Johnson, Toronto Raptors ($4,400); Patrick Patterson, Toronto Raptors ($4,100);

C - Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets (vs. LAC), $6,200: It was tough choosing a "favorite" center play as I like, but don't love, all of the options I debated. Obviously, we shouldn't expect a repeat performance of Friday's 63.0-point performance in overtime, but Lopez has played at least 31 minutes and scored at least 31 fantasy points in back-to-back games. If he gets 30-plus minutes tonight versus the Clippers, who have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing centers, Lopez should have a chance to reach value once again.

Others to consider: Mason Plumlee, Brooklyn Nets ($5,400); Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota Timberwolves ($5,300); Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland Cavaliers ($5,000); Alex Len, Phoenix Suns ($3,500)

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Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Jan. 30)

2015-01-30T11:54:00.004-05:00

With my value posts in the past, I've listed several options at each position that I liked for that night's games. The idea was that multiple suggestions would lead to greater flexibility when constructing your lineups.

For today's post, I'm going to switch things up and give you my favorite value play at each position as well as list several alternative options that I like as well.

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With that said, here are some DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Friday's NBA games:

PG - Mario Chalmers, Miami Heat (vs. DAL), $4,800: With Dwyane Wade (hamstring) out for several weeks and Luol Deng (calf) out on Friday as well, Chalmers will get a nice bump in his usage rate. Chalmers has scored 30-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games and should be able to duplicate those numbers against the Mavs, who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season.

Others to consider: Darren Collison, Sacramento Kings ($6,500); Jarrett Jack, Brooklyn Nets ($6,200); Isaiah Thomas, Phoenix Suns ($5,400); Greivis Vasquez, Toronto Raptors ($4,200); Zach LaVine (if Mo Williams is out), Minnesota Timberwolves ($4,000)

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SG - Kevin Martin, Minnesota Timberwolves (at PHI), $4,600: In the two games back in November before Martin's extended absence, he scored 40.75 and 51.5 fantasy points, respectively. Returning from his wrist injury on Wednesday, Martin came off the bench, but he played 29 minutes and scored 21 (real) points as well as 27.5 fantasy points. Facing a Sixers team that has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing off guards, Martin should build upon the success he had earlier this week.

Others to consider: Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans ($5,900); J.R. Smith, Cleveland Cavaliers ($5,000); Lou Williams, Toronto Raptors ($4,700); Avery Bradley, Boston Celtics ($4,200); Iman Shumpert, Cleveland Cavaliers ($3,000)

SF - Joe Ingles, Utah Jazz (vs. GS), $4,100: I strongly considered listing Danny Granger here as he should get another start with Deng ruled out, but Ingles has played a minimum of 30 minutes and scored at least 21.5 fantasy points in four consecutive games. Over that four-game span, Ingles has averaged 8.5 points including 2.0 three's, 6.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.

Others to consider: Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks ($5,800); Josh Smith, Houston Rockets ($5,300); Danny Granger, Miami Heat ($3,400); Jerami Grant, Philadelphia 76ers ($3,200)

PF - Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. MIN), $5,000: With a relatively inconsistent game log, Noel is better as a tournament play, but he has averaged nearly 30 fantasy points (29.28) per game over his past eight games. Noel has averaged 9.13 points and 7.88 rebounds per game during that span, but his upside comes from both blocks (2.0/G over past 10 games) and steals (2.11/G over past nine games). Last but not least, the T'Wolves have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards.

Others to consider: Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns ($5,800); Donatas Motiejunas, Houston Rockets ($5,300); Brandon Bass, Boston Celtics ($5,200); Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers ($5,200)

C - Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls (at PHO), $6,400: Both Noah and Miami's Hassan Whiteside are priced at $6,400 and there is no wrong choice here, but I like Noah's matchup better. (To be fair, I'll have plenty of exposure to Whiteside tonight as well, though.) One concern is that the Bulls game went into double OT last night and Noah has now played 40-plus minutes in two games over three nights, but he was a point and assist shy of a triple-double last night and has racked up 96.0 fantasy points in those two games. Even though the Bulls are 5.5-point underdogs, they are projected to score the sixth-most points (of 18 teams) based on Vegas odds tonight.

Others to consider: Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat ($6,400); Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland Cavaliers ($5,200); Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota Timberwolves ($5,000); Omer Asik, New Orleans Pelicans ($4,400); Alex Len, Phoenix Suns ($4,200); Alexis Ajinca (if Anthony Davis is out), New Orleans Pelicans ($3,000)

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Fantasy NBA FanDuel DFS Values (Jan. 29)

2015-01-29T14:18:00.000-05:00

Earlier today, I posted some value plays that I like on DraftKings and now I turn my attention to FanDuel.

With that said, here are some FanDuel values (salaries of $7,000 or less) for Thursday's NBA games:

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PG - Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic (vs. MIL), $6,000: Payton has displayed incredible consistency for a rookie point guard by scoring more than 25 fantasy points in eight consecutive games. Over that stretch, Payton has averaged 13.13 points, 8.0 assists and 2.13 steals per game. Although the Bucks have held opposing point guards to the fewest fantasy points this season, Payton does a number of different things to generate fantasy points.

PG - Langston Galloway, New York Knicks (at IND), $4,800: Playing 30 or more minutes in all five of his starts, Galloway has scored at least 20 fantasy points in all five of those games. Based on average production of 29.16 fantasy points per game as a starter, he's priced at 6.08 times his bargain-basement salary. During that five-game span, he has averaged 15.2 points, 2.0 three's, 5.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Especially if Carmelo Anthony sits on the second night of a back-to-back, Galloway may need to shoulder more of the scoring load.

PG - Beno Udrih, Memphis Grizzlies (vs. DEN), $4,200: If Mike Conley (wrist) misses another game (and he's considered to be a game-time decision), then Udrih is a strong value play even though Nick Calathes was more productive in their last game. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies pay at 8 PM so it's possible that we won't know Conley's status prior to the 7 p.m. lineup lock. That said, Udrih has played at least 20 minutes in five of his past seven games and has at least 21 fantasy points in four of those five 20-minute games.

* FanDuel's $275K NBA Super Slam: $275,000 in prizes including $20,000 to 1st in tonight's NBA Slam tourney ($25 entry).

SG - Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets (at MEM), $5,900: Afflalo has scored more than 20 fantasy points in 13 of his past 14 games and has averaged 26.62 during that 14-game span. The Grizzlies have one of the league's best defenses and play at the fifth-slowest pace in the league, but Afflalo has a high floor and scored 28.2 fantasy points in his first matchup against the Grizz.

SG - Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers (vs. CHI), $3,700: Clarkson is nearly a must-start for me tonight. Not only is he starting at point guard and only $200 above the minimum salary, but the combo guard is listed at shooting guard on FanDuel (unlike DraftKings, PG). Plus, we have to start two SGs on FanDuel. In his third consecutive start on Tuesday, Clarkson played more than 36 minutes, scored 18 (real) points and 27.1 fantasy points, all of which were highs this season. He has scored at least 19.6 fantasy points in two of his three starts and he just needs to score 18.5 fantasy points to reach 5x value.

SF - Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks (at ORL), $5,500: Compared to other positions, small forward leaves a lot to be desired tonight. Having to start two of them exacerbates the issue. That said, Middleton has scored at least 20 fantasy points in 11 of 13 games and he has averaged nearly 30 fantasy points (29.83) over his past three.

SF - Lance Thomas, New York Knicks (at IND), $4,000: With or without Carmelo Anthony in the lineup, Thomas has been productive in his past three games. The game during that span that Melo missed, however, Thomas played 41 minutes compared to 25 minutes in the other two games. That said, he has scored at least 21.5 fantasy points in all three games with an average of 26.8. If Melo sits, Thomas becomes an especially attractive value play at small forward.

PF - David West, Indiana Pacers (vs. NYK), $6,500: Although he rarely hits 40-plus fantasy points, West is remarkably consistent and priced below the average starting salary ($6,667). In his past 25 games, West has scored less than 20 fantasy points only twice and those two games were 19.6 and 18.7 points, respectively. During that same 25-game span, he's averaging 28.52 FPPG and has averaged a line of 13.12/7.28/3.56 with 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks per game as well.

PF - Jason Smith, New York Knicks (at IND), $4,200: Smith had his first double-double of the season last night with 11 points and 11 rebounds while adding six assists and a steal. He has now played 32-plus minutes in five consecutive games. Smith has scored at least 30 fantasy points in two of his past three games and at least 24 fantasy points in four of his past five games.

C - Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls (at LAL), $6,500: Like West, I like Noah a little more on FanDuel than DraftKings. In both cases, they are priced slightly higher than the average salary on DraftKings but slightly less than the average salary on FanDuel. It was good to see Noah get his first double-double in 11 games and blow up for 47 points in his last game. While repeat numbers (18/15 with six assists and two steals) shouldn't be expected for tonight's game, it's excellent that he feels as good as he has all season and has an exploitable matchup against the Lakers tonight.

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Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Jan. 29)

2015-01-29T10:06:00.000-05:00

Salaries are fairly low at the top tonight as only six players, four of which are bigs (PF/C), are priced at $8,000 or more, which includes brothers Pau Gasol ($9,300) and Marc Gasol ($8,000).

Both Gasol brothers have great matchups -- Pau vs. LAL and Marc vs. DEN -- and stacking them will be a popular strategy tonight. Marc's teammate Zach Randolph ($8,200) is a strong play as well as the Nuggets allow the second-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards and Z-Bo has 10 consecutive double-doubles.

If you load up on high(er)-priced bigs, the good news is there is plenty of value at guard tonight to allow you do so.

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With that said, here are some DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Thursday's NBA games:

PG - Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic (vs. MIL), $5,600: With impressive consistency for a rookie point guard, Payton scored an eight-game low of 26.5 fantasy points against the Grizzlies on Monday. Over that stretch, Payton has averaged 13.13 points, 8.0 assists and 2.13 steals per game. Although the Bucks have held opposing point guards to the fewest fantasy points this season, Payton does a number of different things to generate fantasy points.

PG - Langston Galloway, New York Knicks (at IND), $4,300: Playing 30 or more minutes in all five of his starts, Galloway has scored at least 32 fantasy points in four of those five games. Based on average production of 30.95 fantasy points per game as a starter, he's priced at 7.2 times his bargain-basement salary. During that five-game span, he has averaged 15.2 points, 2.0 three's, 5.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game. If Carmelo Anthony rests on the second night of their back-to-back, Galloway may need to shoulder more of the scoring load.

PG - Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers (vs. CHI), $3,800: Starting his third consecutive game at the point on Tuesday, Clarkson played more than 36 minutes, scored 18 (real) points and 28.25 fantasy points, all of which were highs this season. He has exceeded 20 fantasy points in two of his three starts and he just needs to score 19.0 fantasy points to reach 5x value.

PG - Beno Udrih, Memphis Grizzlies (vs. DEN), $3,200: If Mike Conley (wrist) misses another game, then Udrih is a strong value play even though Nick Calathes was more productive in their last game. That said, Udrih has played at least 20 minutes in five of his past seven games and has at least 22 fantasy points in four of those five games with 20-plus minutes.

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SG - Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets (at MEM), $6,100: Afflalo has scored at least 22.5 fantasy points in 13 of his past 14 games and has averaged 28.7 during that 14-game span. The Grizzlies have one of the league's best defenses and play at the fifth-slowest pace, but Afflalo has a high floor and scored 29.75 fantasy points in his first matchup against the Grizz.

SG - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (at ORL), $5,400: The allotment of minutes by Jason Kidd is as difficult to predict as the allocation of workloads to running backs by Bill Belichick, but the Greek Freak has seen 33-plus minutes in five of his past six games. During that span, he has averaged 25.67 fantasy points per game -- or slightly less than 5x his salary (4.75). With his all-around statistical contributions, The Alphabet has upside for 35-40 points (and would be 1 and 2 in the player nickname rankings tonight).

SG - O.J. Mayo, Milwaukee Bucks (at ORL), $4,400: With limited upside as a bench player getting less than 30 minutes per night, Mayo has still been consistent with at least 21.5 fantasy points in nine consecutive games and an average of 25.97 during that stretch. Mayo needs just 22.0 fantasy points to reach 5x value.

SF - Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks (at ORL), $5,200: On nights with a large slate of games, I typically avoid the Bucks with the possible exception of Brandon Knight. On a night with four games, I'm more willing to roll with some Bucks in my lineups. That said, Middleton has scored at least 25 fantasy points in three consecutive games and in six of his past nine. Based on the options throughout the price scale tonight, small forward is my least favorite position, which means that Middleton will likely be my most-owned Buck tonight.

PF - David West, Indiana Pacers (vs. NYK), $6,300: Perhaps one of the least exciting options in daily fantasy basketball, West is consistently productive, which is exciting in its own way. In his past 25 games, West has scored less than 20 fantasy points only once and that one game was 19.5 points. During that same 25-game span, he's averaging 30.18 FPPG and has averaged a line of 13.12/7.28/3.56 with 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks per game as well.

PF - Jason Smith, New York Knicks (at IND), $3,900: Smith had his first double-double of the season last night with 11 points and 11 rebounds while adding six assists and a steal. Smith has played 32-plus minutes in five consecutive games and he has scored at least 25.5 fantasy points in four of those games.

C - Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls (at LAL), $6,300: Although we shouldn't expect another 50 fantasy points, Noah had an 18/15 double-double with six assists and two steals in Tuesday's overtime win at Golden State. Noah has recently mentioned that he feels as healthy as he has felt all season and he should easily reach value in an exploitable matchup against the Lakers.

C - Zaza Pachulia, Milwaukee Bucks (at ORL), $4,600: If Ersan Ilyasova (groin) misses tonight's game, Pachulia may get a bump in minutes. (Pachulia has played roughly two minutes less over his past six games with Ilyasova in the lineup than he had in the previous 10 games without him.) Either way, he has a favorable matchup against the Magic, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing centers. Over his past 16 games, Pachulia is averaging 27.86 fantasy points, which is 6.06 times tonight's salary.

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Fantasy NBA FanDuel DFS Values (Jan. 28)

2015-01-28T15:18:00.000-05:00

Earlier today, I posted some value plays that I like on DraftKings and now I turn my attention to FanDuel.

Wednesdays always have a large slate of games and there are four $11,000-plus players on tonight's 11-game slate: Anthony Davis ($11,400), James Harden ($11,400), DeMarcus Cousins ($11,100) and LeBron James ($11,000).

In order to afford one of those high-priced studs, finding lower-priced bargains is essential. With that said, here are some FanDuel values (salaries of $7,000 or less) for Wednesday's NBA games:

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PG - D.J. Augustin, Detroit Pistons (at PHI), $6,000: In his second start following the season-ending Achilles injury to Brandon Jennings, Augustin followed up his 49.8-point performance with 36.3 fantasy points. Augustin had 19 points, nine assists, four rebounds and two steals against the Cavs in 36 minutes last night. While he may not score 36 fantasy points again tonight, Augustin has a favorable matchup against the Sixers.

PG - Isaiah Thomas, Phoenix Suns (vs. WAS), $5,800: Over his past four games, Thomas has knocked down 15-of-30 three-pointers and scored at least 22 (real) points in every game. During that four-game span, Thomas has averaged 32.38 fantasy points (5.58 times tonight's salary). Even though the Wizards have one of the league's best defenses, they have been a little friendlier to opposing point guards recently by allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to the position over their past five games and Vegas projects the Suns to score the most points tonight. IT2 will be on a few of my FanDuel tournament lineups.

PG - Langston Galloway, New York Knicks (vs. OKC), $4,800: Signed for the rest of the season after a pair 10-day contracts, Galloway has been one of the bright spots for the Knicks. In his past four games, he has averaged 32 minutes and 28 fantasy points per game.

PG - Zach LaVine, Minnesota Timberwolves (vs. BOS), $3,700: LaVine gets a huge boost tonight with both Mo Williams (personal reasons) and Ricky Rubio out and should see 30-plus minutes at a near minimum salary. In 11 games in which he has played at least 30 minutes, LaVine has averaged 24.34 fantasy points per game.

PG - Dante Exum, Utah Jazz (vs. LAC), $3,500: The good news is that Exum should score more than he did in his last game. Of course, it'd be difficult to score less than 2.2 fantasy points. The matchup against Chris Paul and the Clippers tonight is difficult, but Exum is priced at the position-minimum salary, his ownership levels should be very low after his previous dud and he had scored at least 19.5 fantasy points in his previous two games.

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SG - Wes Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers (at CLE), $6,000: Matthews has been really productive over his past five games. During that stretch, he has scored at least 26.6 fantasy points and averaged 29.66 per game. Matthews has a little more upside on DraftKings due to the half-point bonus for three-pointers as he's averaging four three-pointers over that stretch, but he's a solid bet to reach value tonight.

SG - Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans (vs. DEN), $5,600: Over his past 11 games, Gordon has scored a minimum of 19.1 fantasy points in each game with an average of 25.83 per contest. During that stretch, he has averaged 15.36 points and 2.18 three's per game. Over their past 10 games, the Nuggets have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards.

SF - Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets (at NO), $5,900: Chandler has now scored 34-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games and at least 32 fantasy points in three consecutive games. And Chandler had 30.5 fantasy points the first time this season against the Pelicans, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards.

SF - K.J. McDaniels, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. DET), $4,600: I considered listing McDaniels in the DraftKings values post, but I like his value even more on FanDuel where he is priced $100 less. And with a higher average salary on FanDuel, that puts McDaniels' salary at 69.0 percent of the average starter salary versus 75.2 percent on DraftKings. That said, McDaniels has scored at least 28.5 fantasy points in two of his past three games and should be able to reach value tonight.

PF - Thaddeus Young, Minnesota Timberwolves (vs. BOS), $6,800: Over his past seven games, Young has scored at least 32 fantasy points five times and has averaged 34.59 fantasy points per game. During that span, he's averaging 18.57 points, 6.14 rebounds, 4.71 assists and 1.43 steals per game. In addition, he has played over 40 minutes in back-to-back games.

PF - Jason Smith, New York Knicks (vs. OKC), $4,100: Playing at least 32 minutes in four consecutive games, Smith has scored more than 24 fantasy points in three of those four games. With Amar'e Stoudemire dealing with some injuries (ankle and wrist) and expected to miss some time, Smith should continue to see big minutes.

C - Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards (at PHO), $5,500: Gortat's production has underwhelmed recently and he's been a bit inconsistent as well -- less than 20 fantasy points in six of his past 16 games. That said, he has averaged 24.1 fantasy points per game over his past 12 games and I think he has an excellent shot to reach 5x his value tonight. Moreover, I'm not crazy about many of the other low-priced center options tonight.

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