NBA daily fantasy picks: Five players who could help your lineup for Dec. 1
Tuesday night’s slate is one of the most barren, in terms of star power, that we’ve seen all season. Just two players—Anthony Davis and LeBron James—have five-figure price tags among players on the 12 teams in action. That means you can’t bully your way to a successful fantasy night on the backs of a couple of the game’s best players. That makes finding guys who can play like five-figure studs in the $7,000 to $8,000 range all the more important.
Note: All prices are courtesy of FanDuel and based on a $60,000 budget.
PG: Brandon Knight ($7,900) @ BKN:Knight is definitely one such player who can do that. He’s averaging 36 fantasy points per game, but has scored 55 or more in three of his last 10 games. He’s turning into a star in Phoenix and gets a great matchup with a Brooklyn squad that has allowed the fifth-most points per game to point guards this year.
SG: Zach LaVine ($5,800) vs. ORL:LaVine has been on fire of late, scoring at least 31 fantasy points in each of his last three games. Starting in place of the injured Ricky Rubio (ankle), LaVine has put up 18.3 points, 5.7 assists and 5.3 assists in 29.7 minutes in that timeframe. LaVine slots as a shooting guard here, but he’s really playing point guard, and the Magic have allowed the sixth-most points per game to the position this season. If Rubio is out again, LaVine is an easy play in daily formats.
SF: T.J. Warren ($4,400) @ BKN: Warren is still coming off the bench, but he’s playing a key role in the Phoenix offense. In his last four games, he’s averaging 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and one block in 29.5 minutes. A naturally gifted scorer during his time at N.C. State, Warren is bringing that ability to the NBA when given enough time on the floor. He has no fewer than 15 points in any of those four contests.
PF: Jerami Grant ($4,800) vs. LAL: Grant is taking advantage of Nerlens Noel’s (knee) absence, and should continue to do so as long as the regular starter is on the shelf. In two games without Noel, Grant is putting up 28 fantasy points per game. The exact damage is 14.5 points, five rebounds, two blocks and 1.5 steals in 31.5 minutes per game.
C: Marc Gasol ($7,600) @ NO: Anthony Davis will get most of the attention on the other side, but it’s Gasol who could come away as the better fantasy player on this night. No team has surrendered more fantasy points per game to centers than the Pelicans, who allow a whopping 51.06 points to the position on an average night. Gasol’s numbers are down from last year, but he has bested his 30.1 FPPG average in six of his last 10 games.
