FanNation fantasy basketball picks for Friday, Nov. 14
Ready to show your friends you know more about the NBA than they do? FanNation's Basketball Throwdown fantasy basketball game is your best option. You pick a guard, forward and center who you think will exceed their fantasy projections. The scoring system takes into account points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals and turnovers. The team that surpasses their projections by the most wins, so picking a lineup of Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Joakim Noah is no sure-fire path to victory. You can also bet anywhere from $1 to $500 on each night's matchup or play for free.
I'll give you my picks each day and a recap of yesterday's top performers so you can get bragging rights over your friends.
Sign up for tonight's Basketball Throwdown here.
Last night's overachievers
Guard: Jimmy Butler, Bulls, +14.8
Butler continued his blistering start to the season after missing Chicago's first two games with a thumb injury. The fourth-year shooting guard piled up 21 points, nine rebounds, six assists and only one turnover to better his projection by 14.8 points.
Forward: James Johnson, Raptors, +18.5
Johnson was one of the best Basketball Throwdown players last night because of his stellar defense. In addition to his 16 points, five rebounds and one assist, Johnson got four steals and four blocks. Weighted at two points each in the scoring system, steals and blocks are the most valuable stat and helped Johnson rack up 38.5 points against the Bulls.
Center: Andrew Bogut, Warriors, +18.3
While Bogut's best offensive days are behind him, he has been a reliable glass-cleaner this season for the Warriors, grabbing 10.8 rebounds per game. With David Lee out of the lineup with a hamstring injury, Bogut is counted on to control the paint and that's exactly what he did last night against the Nets. Bogut finished with 14 rebounds and four blocks to go along with 11 points, five assists and a steal.
Today's picks
Guard: Rajon Rondo, Celtics vs. Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. ET
The enigmatic Rondo can be difficult to predict, but one surefire way to light a spark under him is a matchup with LeBron James. Rondo has flirted with triple-doubles all season and is averaging 10.8 points, a league-leading 11.3 assists and is second on the team with 8.2 rebounds per game. Coming off a 51.8 point game against the Thunder, Rondo is poised to blow past his 29-point projection tonight against the Cavaliers.
Forward: Anthony Davis, Pelicans vs. Timberwolves, 8:00 p.m. ET
Davis' ascent to superstardom has been rapid and nearly universally recognized, except in Basketball Throwdown's projections. Despite accumulating at least 49.6 points in each of his last four games, Davis is only pegged to get 37 tonight against the Timberwolves. His projected line (18.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.8 blocks) would be reasonable last season, but this season he has been truly elite averaging 24.9 points while leading the league in rebounds (12.9) and blocks (4.4). If Minnesota can keep the game close, Davis should get enough minutes to surpass the 50-point mark.
Center: Roy Hibbert, Pacers vs. Nuggets, 7:00 p.m. ET
After a disappointing end to last season, Hibbert has stepped up in a big way for the injury-ravaged Pacers. He is scoring a career-best 14.8 points per game and is grabbing 8.7 rebounds while blocking 3.3 shots per game. In his last two games, Hibbert has gone for 40.5 and 38.0 points, respectively. With the 1-6 Nuggets coming to town, Hibbert should continue his strong play for Indiana tonight.
- Paul Palladino
