FanNation fantasy basketball picks for Thursday, Feb. 26
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: Wesley Matthews, Trail Blazers, +22.5
Matthews led the Trail Blazers to a 111-95 win over the Spurs on Wednesday. He scored a season high 31 points on 11-for-18 shooting and added five rebounds, three assists and three steals. His big night came after he missed all seven of his field goal attempts and scored just four points against the Grizzlies on Sunday. Matthews will be a free agent this summer and the 28-year-old will be in high demand on the open market.
Forward: Jason Thompson, Kings, +16.7
Thompson reportedly wanted to be traded before the deadline, but ended up staying put and had a strong game in Wednesday's win over the Grizzlies. In 33 minutes, he had 10 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks, one steal and an assist. Thompson is averaging a career-low 5.6 points and 6.4 rebounds while playing just 24.8 minutes per game this season. His low Basketball Throwdown projections makes him a good fantasy option.
Center: John Henson, Bucks, +23.8
Following a promising sophomore season, Henson has struggled to earn playing time under new head coach Jason Kidd, but he capitalized on extended minutes in Wednesday's win over the 76ers. In 29 minutes off the bench, he had 21 points on 9-for-12 shooting and added nine rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals. With his projection remaining under 20 points, Henson will consistently beat his projection, provided Kidd puts him on the floor.
Today's picks
Guard: Stephen Curry, Warriors at Cavaliers, 8:00 p.m. ET
Curry has beaten his projection in three of his last four games and should be able to score at will against Kyrie Irving on Thursday. Curry will face off with fellow MVP candidate LeBron James on the national stage. After winning the Three Point Contest during All-Star Weekend, Curry has averaged 28.5 points and 9.5 assists while shooting 52.9 percent on three pointers in two games.
Forward: Serge Ibaka, Thunder at Suns, 10:30 p.m. ET
With Kevin Durant out of the lineup, Ibaka is the obvious pick as he has beaten his projection in four straight games. Following the All-Star Break, Ibaka has averaged 20.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocks on 63.6 percent shooting from the field. He has cut down on his three-point attempts, and the Thunder are riding a seven-game winning streak. The Suns don't have the size to matchup with Ibaka in the paint.
Center: Timofey Mozgov, Cavaliers vs. Warriors, 8:00 p.m. ET
Mozgov's stats aren't eye-popping, but he has been a key factor in the Cavaliers' emergence as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. In 22 games with the Cavaliers, he has averaged 10.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in just 26.7 minutes per game. His projection is just 22 points against the Warriors and he should be able to surpass it.
