FanNation fantasy basketball picks for Tuesday, April 14
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.
Monday’s overachievers
Guard: Randy Foye, Nuggets, +22.4
Despite struggling with his shot, Foye nearly led the Nuggets to an upset win over the Clippers on Monday. He made just six of his 21 shots, but still managed to pile up 16 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and a steal. While playing extended minutes in his last six games, Foye has averaged 14.3 points while shooting 41.2% from beyond the arc.
Forward: Trevor Booker, Jazz, +19.4
After scoring a career-high 36 points against the Trail Blazers on Saturday, Booker continued his strong play with a nice game against the Mavericks. He recorded a double-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds and two assists while making five of his 10 shots in Utah’s win. The trade of Enes Kanter to the Thunder opened up a few more minutes for Booker, and he is a nice complement to both Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert in the frontcourt.
Center: Jason Smith, Knicks, +24.3
Smith has played well in his last four games, and he helped lead the Knicks to their second straight win on Monday. He made seven of his 13 shots en route to 20 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks as New York upset No. 1 seed Atlanta. Unfortunately for Knicks fans, the win moved them out of a tie for the worst record in the league with the Timberwolves, which means they would have fewer ping pong balls in May’s draft lottery.
Today’s picks
Guard: Isaiah Thomas, Celtics vs. Raptors, 7:30 p.m. ET
Since his midseason trade from the Suns, Thomas has been an indispensable member of the Celtics coming off the bench. In 20 games in Boston, he has averaged 19.5 points while playing just 25.9 minutes per game. The Celtics have won six of their last seven and can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Raptors at home on Tuesday.
Forward: Patrick Patterson, Raptors at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET
Patterson has beaten his projection in four of his last five games and is a good bet to continue his strong play against the Celtics on Tuesday. With two games remaining, the Raptors are a half-game behind the Bulls for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Patterson has already set a career high with 102 three-pointers this season, nearly doubling his previous best season of 55 threes.
Center: DeAndre Jordan, Clippers at Suns, 10:30 p.m. ET
Jordan’s career year couldn’t have come at a better time for himself or the Clippers. He is set to become a free agent this summer and should receive a maximum contract. He also was instrumental in the Clippers’ success when Blake Griffin missed time with an elbow injury. Jordan is averaging a career-high 11.5 points, league-leading 15.0 rebounds and shooting a league-best 70.8% from the floor. The Clippers are still battling for playoff position so Jordan should play heavy minutes tonight.
