FanNation fantasy basketball picks for Thursday, March 12
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 out-performs its projections by the largest amount 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.
Wednesday's overachievers
Guard: J.J. Redick, Clippers, +23.5
While Chris Paul led the Clippers with 33 points, Redick also played a big role in Wednesday's road win over the Thunder. He finished with 25 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals while making all 10 of his free throws. Redick has been on a roll for his last five games, averaging 22.6 points while shooting 48.3 percent from the field. After battling injuries during his first season in Los Angeles, Redick has stayed healthy this season and is scoring a career-high 15.3 points per game.
Forward: Chris Andersen, Heat, +24.3
With Hassan Whiteside serving a one-game suspension, Andersen started against the Nets and took advantage of playing extended minutes. He made eight of his nine shots en route to 18 points, 14 rebounds, one block, one steal and one assist. Whiteside's return to the starting lineup will limit Andersen's playing time moving forward, but he is still a good bet to beat his 15-point projection.
Center: Andre Drummond, Pistons, +26.4
Drummond controlled the paint on both sides of the ball Wednesday, but it wasn't enough as the Pistons lost their eighth straight game on Wednesday against the Warriors. He had 22 points, a career-high 27 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. The Pistons have struggled since acquiring Reggie Jackson at the trade deadline, but Drummond has put up good numbers, averaging 16.0 points, 16.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.
Today's picks
Guard: Rodney Stuckey, Pacers vs. Bucks, 7 p.m. ET
Stuckey has been on a tear for the Pacers and is coming off a 34-point game against the Magic on Tuesday. In his last nine games, he is averaging 19.6 points, 4.4 assists and 4.4 rebounds. Stuckey is playing on a one-year contract and is due for a nice pay raise this summer after a solid season in Indiana. On the strength of a six-game winning streak, the Pacers are 4.5 games behind the Bucks for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Forward: Khris Middleton, Bucks at Pacers, 7 p.m. ET
Middleton has scored 30 points twice in his last three games and has been playing well since the start of February, averaging 18.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists. Middleton will be a free agent this summer and is one of SI.com's most underrated free agents. The Bucks have lost seven of their past 10 and will need a strong game from Middleton to knock off the Pacers on Thursday.
Center: Rudy Gobert, Jazz vs. Rockets, 9 p.m. ET
In the midst of a breakout second season, Gobert's Basketball Throwdown projection has finally increased to 31 points, but there aren't any better options than him against the Rockets on Thursday. He has beaten his projection in 10 straight games since moving into the starting lineup while averaging 9.7 points, 13.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks. Gobert shouldn't have a problem controlling the paint against a Dwight Howard-less Rockets team.
