The Daily Fantasy Basketball Du-Rant
Today is a day of mixed emotions as the Fantasy Basketball and NBA regular season comes to a close, but it is also a day I have been chomping at the bit to arrive for I have held the lead in the Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association season-long roto league. We all have those leagues or contests that we hold a little higher above the others and the FSWA league was the one league above all others that I wanted to win. In short the FSWA league consisted of 23 other Fantasy Basketball writers in the industry with the winner earning league naming rights and recognition. With my win this year it will mark the second consecutive season a member of our Fantasy Alarm team has won the title as Mark Kaplan brought home the title last season proving that Gingers know hoops. While I anxiously await the cumulation of the FSWA league I hope to also help you bring home at least one last big cash in your daily league contests, so here are today’s tiered recommendations using DraftStreet pricing and fantasy points (FP). Note: Many teams will be resting players this evening so it is even more influential that you bookmark FantasyAlarm.com and follow them on twitter @FantasyAlarm as well as myself at @FantasyNomad as we will keep you updated throughout the day of any late scratches so you do not get stuck with an inactive player(s).
A-All Star priced players that should put up All Star stats today (target 35+ FP, $16,000-on up).
GPP
Joakim Noah (18%) has exceeded 35 fantasy points in each of his last five games and 43 FP in three of his last four. Noah should be in line for another huge night in a game the Bulls need to win to have a chance at the number three seed in the Eastern Conference. If that were not enough, there is a good chance that Bobcats center Al Jefferson could sit out tonight or at least see less minutes as their playoff fortunes have already been decided.
DU
John Wall (16%) the Wizards have a chance to move up a seed with a win tonight and a Nets loss, so Wall will see all the minutes he can handle. Wall is averaging over 30 FP in three games against the Celtics this season and there is a good chance that Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo may sit out tonight. Should Rondo sit then the 6’4” Wall could possibly be defended by the 5’11” Phil Pressey at times, which is a matchup made in heaven.
B-rated Ballers: Big name players with big games, but not as high of a price tag as the top five or so priced players at each position (around 30 FP, $13,000-$16,000).
GPP
Marc Gasol (15.4%) has exceeded 35 fantasy points in three of his last four games and will be facing a Mavs team who are allowing the sixth most fantasy points to opposing centers over the last 15 days in a game that the Grizzles need to win to get the seventh seed in the Western Conference.
DU
Zach Randolph (15.3%) is coming off a 32 point, nine rebound game against the Suns and he finished around 40 FP in his last outing against tonight’s opponents, the Mavs. The Grizzlies will be bringing their A-game tonight as which ever team wins between these two teams will lockup the number seven seed in the Western Conference.
C-as in players that COULD be in line to provide you with good to great value in the mid-tier price range (target 25+ FP, $10,000-$13,000).
GPP
D.J. Augustin (11.4%) and the Bulls are one of the few teams with something to play for and Augustin has a little extra incentive as he welcomed in a new addition to the family with the recent birth of his son. Augustin is currently putting up his best per game totals of any month this season in points (19.8) and rebounds (2.7) to go with a respectable 4.3 assists for April.
Marcus Thornton (10.8%) has a good chance of starting tonight, but regardless there is a great chance he sees near or above 30 minutes of action should a few of the Nets starters get the night off. Thornton is averaging 13.6 points when he plays between 30-39 minutes and 23.5 points when he has played 40-plus minutes this season.
Darren Collison (10.9%) may see some extended run tonight as J.J. Redick did not travel with the team to Portland and Chris Paul is not expected to log as many minutes as usual with the Clippers locked into the third seed in the Western Conference. I do want to caution you that Clippers head coach Doc Rivers could easily decide to limit Collison’s minutes as well, which makes DC more of a GPP play then a cash game or double up one.
DU
Timofey Mozgov (12.7%) has been a beast of late having posted a double-double in each of his last three games, including amassing 66.75 fantasy points to begin the streak against tonight’s opponent the Golden State Warriors. Mozgov has a great chance to extend his double-double streak as the Warriors will be without Andrew Bogut, Jermaine O’Neal, and David Lee tonight.
Randy Foye (12.1%) had a rough shooting night Tuesday making just two of his 12 shot attempts, but he has a more favorable matchup tonight against the Warriors in a game Vegas expects to be a high-scoring affair as they have the over/under set at 210 points. Foye averages about eight more FP at home then on the road and finished with 33-plus FP in his previous matchup against the Warriors just three games ago.
D-Discounted Dandies: Players on the cheap whose production may exceed what their discounted price tag suggests. (Double Digit Fantasy Production, $3,500-$10,000).
GPP
Nick Calathes (8.8%) interesting back story on Calathes. He was high school teammates with Chandler Parsons and it was Calathes who was the superstar of that team. The rookie may not be a superstar in the NBA, but he has shined bright when given the opportunity to start this season averaging 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and over two steals per game. As of now Mike Conley is questionable with a hamstring I believe he will play as the Grizzles are fighting for the number seven seed as I mentioned above, but should Conley sit then Calathes makes for one of the best value plays of the night against a Mavs team that are allowing the seventh most fantasy points to opposing point guards over the last 15 days.
DU
Marreese Speights (9.5%) David Lee, Jermaine O’Neal, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are all expected to sit out tonight’s game so Speights will be one of the Warriors who will get a chance to start against a Nuggets frontcourt whom are allowing the third most points per game to opposing frontcourts. Speights is averaging 16.1 points and eight rebounds in the eight games where he has played 20-plus minutes, only one of which he got the start, this season.
Best of Luck tonight and don’t be afraid to go rouge and post your questions in the comments section and/or send me a tweet @FantasyNomad.