FanNation fantasy basketball picks for Wednesday, Feb. 4
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 Jamesand 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.
Tuesday's overachievers
Guard: D.J. Augustin, Pistons, +31.3
Augustin continued his standout play since Brandon Jennings was lost for the season to a torn Achilles, leading the Pistons to a 108-91 win over the Heat on Tuesday. He made eight of his 14 shots en route to 25 points, 13 assists, four rebounds and a steal. The Pistons outscored the Heat by 37 points when Augustin was on the court. As long as Augustin's projection remains low, he is a great option in Basketball Throwdown.
Forward: Jared Sullinger, Celtics, +12.8
Sullinger rebounded from a two-game shooting slump to lead the Celtics to a road win over the Knicks. He piled up 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists while making 11 of his 19 shots. In his third season, Sullinger is averaging 14.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists, but is shooting just 44.6 percent from the field. His numbers are very similar to last season and he may have already reached his peak as a player.
Center: Jason Smith, Knicks, +11.9
Smith didn't do anything spectacular, but he was efficient in Tuesday's loss to the Celtics. He made six of eight shots and had 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists. In his last eight games, Smith has responded to increased playing time by averaging 10.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists.
Today's picks
Guard: D.J. Augustin, Pistons at Pacers, 7:00 p.m. ET
Despite Augustin's 51.3-point performance on Tuesday, he is projected for just 18 points against the Pacers on Wednesday. He is a no-brainer choice.
Forward: Anthony Davis, Pelicans vs. Thunder, 8:00 p.m. ET
Davis' MVP-level play this season has the Pelicans ahead of the Thunder in the race for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. With Kevin Durant's status up in the air for Wednesday's game, the Pelicans could give themselves a three-game lead on the Thunder with a win. Davis has beaten his projection in four straight games and is averaging 24.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and a league-leading 2.8 blocks this season.
Center: Joakim Noah, Bulls at Rockets, 8:00 p.m. ET
Since declaring himself healthy last week, Noah has returned to his All-Star form. While beating his projection three straight games, he has averaged 12.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists. With Dwight Howard out of the lineup with a knee injury, Noah should be able to control the paint on Wednesday.
- Paul Palladino
