NBA daily fantasy: February 25 picks
We’ve got a busier-than-usual Thursday on tap, with six games on the NBA schedule. It is a TNT Thursday, of course, so we also have a lot of star power at our disposal. There are nearly as many five-figure players (five) as there are games, with Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant all priced between $10,200 and $10,900. None of them, however, is the hottest player in action Thursday. That player kicks off our lineup for the evening...
All prices are courtesy of FanDuel and based on a $60,000 budget.
• MORE NBA: Why Rockets, 76ers have failed in their drastic NBA rebuilds
PG: Damian Lillard ($9,500) vs. HOU:Lillard is working on a five-game streak with at least 30 real points and 44.4 fantasy points. He’s averaging 35.8 points and 50.5 fantasy points. Lillard should be in a great environment Thursday night, going up against a Houston team that isn’t exactly known for it’s defense. On top of that, the over/under on the game is 222.5 and Portland is favored by five points. That suggests the sort of pace in which Lillard should thrive.
Open Floor podcast: Blazers' Meyers Leonard on his journey to the NBA
SG: Victor Oladipo ($6,900) vs. GS: Oladipo has started the second half of the season strong, scoring at least 17 points and 35.8 fantasy points in all three of Orlando’s games. Golden State may roll right over the Magic, but Oladipo should benefit from the heightened pace inherent in going up against the Warriors. This game also has a robust 222 over/under, giving the Magic an implied team total of 108.
SF: Evan Turner ($5,700) vs. MIL:Turner continues to fill up the box score for the Celtics, averaging 12.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 28.6 fantasy points over his last 10 games. The Bucks have allowed the seventh-most points per game to small forwards this year, and fifth most to shooting guards, so no matter where Turner slots when he’s on the floor, he should be in a plus-matchup.
PF: Anthony Davis ($10,200) vs. OKC:Davis followed up his 59-point, 20-point effort against the Pistons with 50 fewer points, but the exact same number of rebounds, still piling up 40.5 fantasy points. This is, yet again, a game with a healthy over/under, checking in at 222.5, tied with Houston-Portland for the highest on the board Thursday. You want to find investment in Thunder-Pelicans, and Davis is one of the best avenues to do so.
C: Tyson Chandler ($4,500) vs. BKN:Chandler will return to the floor Thursday after missing two games with a shoulder injury. Alex Len, meanwhile, is expected to miss the game after re-spraining his right ankle in practice on Wednesday. Chandler will play a ton of minutes if Len indeed sits, and he has regularly delivered when getting significant playing time this season. The veteran center is averaging nine points and 13.8 rebounds in games in which he has played at least 30 minutes this season.
