FanNation fantasy basketball picks for Wednesday, March 18
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.
Tuesday’s overachievers
Guard: Reggie Jackson, Pistons, +30.4
Jackson had his best game as a Piston on Tuesday as Detroit snapped its 10-game losing streak by beating the Grizzlies. He made 10 of his 18 shots en route to 23 points, 20 assists, two rebounds and one steal. Jackson has struggled since assuming the starting point guard duties in Detroit, averaging 15.0 points, 7.8 assists and 4.1 rebounds while shooting just 38.8% from the field. Jackson will be a restricted free agent this summer and a performance like this will certainly factor into the offers he receives.
Forward: Tiago Splitter, Spurs, +16.6
Although the Spurs fell to the Knicks on Tuesday, Splitter recorded his first double-double of the season. He scored 12 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and made five of his 10 shots. Splitter is primarily a defensive player, but his low projection makes him a good option in Basketball Throwdown.
Center: Andre Drummond, Pistons, +17.7
Drummond teamed with Jackson to lead the Pistons to an upset victory over the Grizzlies. He finished with 16 points, 16 rebounds, five blocks, two steals and one assist while making six of his 12 shots. While Jackson and Greg Monroe will be free agents this summer, Drummond appears to be the only cornerstone for the franchise. His numbers are nearly identical to last season, but at just 21 years old, he still has plenty of room to develop his game.
Today’s picks
Guard: Marcus Smart, Celtics at Thunder, 8 p.m. ET
Wednesday’s game against the Thunder will be a homecoming of sorts for Smart, who played his college ball at Oklahoma State. Smart has struggled mightily with his shot this month, making just 29.9% of his shots. In March, he has averaged 8.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.7 steals. With Isaiah Thomas still out of the lineup, Smart should thrive playing in front of his former home crowd. A matchup with one-man wrecking ball Russell Westbrook will also bring out the best in Smart.
Forward: Andrew Wiggins, Timberwolves at Raptors, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Rookie of the Year frontrunner will play the first game of his NBA career in front of his hometown of Toronto on Wednesday. He has not beaten his projection in any of his last five games. He has shot just 37.7% from the field in his last five games while averaging 13.2 points and 5.0 rebounds. The Canadian prodigy should have some extra motivation to bring his A-game against the Raptors.
Center: Enes Kanter, Thunder vs. Celtics, 8 p.m. ET
With yesterday’s news that Serge Ibaka will be out for the next four to six weeks, Kanter will have to carry a larger load for the Thunder than originally anticipated. He has played well since joining Oklahoma City at the trade deadline, averaging 16.0 points and 10.4 rebounds. The Thunder have fallen into a tie with the Pelicans for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and can’t afford a loss to the surging Celtics on Wednesday.
