FanNation fantasy basketball picks for Tuesday, March 17
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.
Monday's overachievers
Guard: Avery Bradley, Celtics, +22.0
Bradley has been a key player for the Celtics during their recent playoff push and led them to a win over the 76ers on Monday. He made eight of 14 shots en route to 20 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two steals. Boston has gone 17-10 since late January, and Bradley has averaged 15.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
Forward: Nicolas Batum, Trail Blazers, +15.5
The Trail Blazers lost to the Wizards on Monday, but Batum provided a bright spot with 12 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal. He has struggled for the duration of this season and his scoring average (9.6 points) is his lowest since his rookie season. Since Wesley Matthews was lost for the season to a torn Achilles, Batum has averaged 12.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists while shooting 47.8% from the field and 50.0% on three pointers.
Center: Jordan Hill, Lakers, +16.9
Hill had a double-double and nearly led the Lakers to an upset of the Warriors on the road. He made six of 14 shots and finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals. The Lakers have nothing to play for down the stretch, but Hill has an opportunity to be a focal point of the offense and put up some good stats.
Today's picks
Guard: Danny Green, Spurs at Knicks, 7:30 p.m. ET
Following a midseason shooting slump, Green has returned to form recently. In his last five games, he has averaged 15.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals while shooting 55.6% from the field and 55.9% on three pointers. The New York born Green will play in front of his hometown crowd on Tuesday, and the Knicks don't have the pieces to slow down his recent hot streak.
Forward: Anthony Davis, Pelicans vs. Bucks, 8 p.m. ET
Davis has been on a tear since returning from a shoulder injury, averaging 30.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 5.0 blocks and 3.8 assists while shooting 55.4% from the field. He is coming off a gigantic 81.3-point game against Denver and had a 66.0-point game against Milwaukee last week. The Pelicans are just a half-game behind the Thunder for the final playoff spot and Serge Ibaka’s knee injury could let them sneak into the postseason.
Center: Zaza Pachulia, Bucks at Pelicans, 8 p.m. ET
Pachulia has beaten his projection in four of his last five games and has a measly 19-point projection against the Pelicans on Tuesday. Luckily for Pachulia, he will matchup with Omer Asik instead of Anthony Davis. He is far from a flashy player, but he is a good choice tonight because of his low projection.
