FanNation fantasy basketball picks for Monday, March 23
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.
Sunday’s overachievers
Guard: Jeremy Lin, Lakers, +27.5
Lin bounced back from a two-point game on Thursday to lead the Lakers past the 76ers on Sunday. He made 10 of his 16 shots and finished with 29 points, five rebounds, five assists and a steal. Lin has played well for month than a month now, averaging 14.0 points, 5.0 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals while shooting 45.3% from the field. While his recent resurgence has also included several duds, Lin’s 15-point projection makes him an enticing option.
Forward: Danilo Gallinari, Nuggets, +36.4
After tearing his ACL in 2013, Gallinari has been rounding into form lately and set a career-high with 40 points in Sunday’s win over the Magic. He made six three-pointers and added seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. During the last month, Gallinari has averaged 19.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 39.0% on three-pointers. He is a good bet to beat his projection down the stretch, provided the Nuggets don’t “rest” him as they try to get a higher draft pick.
Center: Andre Drummond, Pistons, +22.4
Drummond dominated on both ends of the floor in Sunday’s win over the Celtics. He finished with 18 points, 22 rebounds, four blocks and two steals despite making just two of his 11 free throws. He has now grabbed 20 rebounds in a game 10 times this season. While Drummond’s offensive game is still a work in progress, he has the potential to be an overpowering player in the paint. Just ask Tyler Zeller.
Today’s picks
Guard: Kevin Martin, Timberwolves at Jazz, 9 p.m. ET
Highlighted by a 37-point game last week against the Raptors, Martin has beaten his projection in four of his last five games. During his hot stretch, he has averaged 23.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting better on three-pointers (52.4%) than from the field (40.2%). The Jazz have been surging since the All-Star break, but Martin should be able to continue his strong play on Monday.
Forward: Nikola Mirotic, Bulls vs Hornets, 8 p.m. ET
Mirotic has capitalized on an increase in playing time this month with Taj Gibson out of the lineup because of a sprained ankle. In his last 12 games, he has averaged 20.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. Mirotic’s minutes already dropped off when Gibson returned on Saturday, but he has certainly earned more playing time.
Center: Roy Hibbert, Pacers vs. Rockets, 7 p.m. ET
Hibbert has beaten his projection in three of his last four games and should have a good game against a Dwight Howard-less Rockets team. He has averaged 16.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in his last four games. With a measly 23-point projection, Hibbert gets the nod on Monday in Basketball Throwdown. The Pacers are a half-game out of the playoffs and will need a big night from Hibbert to keep their postseason chances alive.
