The Shot Dude: Hump Day Hoops

Do the mid-week blues have you feeling down?

Hump day can be hard to get through without something to look forward to.

Luckily for us, the NBA schedule-maker came through big time with 24 teams in action tonight. The 12-game slate doesn't look that intimidating once you break it down, and the Bovada data tool on our Home page is here to help:

In the hopes that you can profit from my lead, your favorite Shot Dude has put together a dynamite FanDuel roster, complete with prices, below:

Point Guards

Stephen Curry, Golden State ($11,100) ...  has been the king of shot-taking with an NBA-leading average of 20.6 per game. Dude's also the king of salaries at FanDuel and the only player lacing up his sneakers tonight at $11,100, which will scare others from using him. I think he's worth it due to Golden State's team total being a projected 116 points for tonight; as well, tonight's tilt with Phoenix has the total set at 220. Also working in Curry's favor is Phoenix ranking as the 26th-worst defense in the NBA against point guards. Back in late November, Curry nearly had a 60 fantasy point night against these same Suns.

Goran Dragić, Miami ($5700) ... is not a pick for the faint of heart. In fact, you might only want to use him in tournaments. Dragić has had some games this season that could be described as stinkers, but he's seemed to put it all together lately. In his last game against Atlanta, dude played 35 minutes, flirted with a triple-double, and scored almost 40 fantasy points. Tonight, he gets to face Brooklyn and the NBA's 28th-worst defense against opposing point guards. 

Shooting Guards

Klay Thompson, Golden State ($6000) ... should be able to play his full complement of minutes tonight for the first time in three games. An ankle injury has limited Thompson recently and many might just look at his minutes and fantasy scores and shy away. This is the exact reason to use him! Thompson, like Curry will benefit not only from the high amount of points that should be scored but Phoenix also ranks 26th in the NBA defensively against shooting guards. It is hard to ignore the great potential value in a fantasy option when the highest-scoring game on the board is combined with a great defensive mismatch.

Gerald Green, Miami ($4000) ...  will most likely get some extra run tonight with the status of Dwayne Wade uncertain. Wade missed the morning shootaround, and if he indeed doesn't play, it will mean a boost in court time for Green and the aforementioned Dragić. Green has been at or above 20 fantasy points in four of his last six games, which is the target fantasy value for a $4000 player. If it seems like I'm picking on Brooklyn, that's because I am. In addition to struggling against point guards, the Nets rank 25th in the league at defending shooting guards.

Small Forwards

Matt Barnes, Memphis ($4900) ... has really turned his fantasy status up a notch the last few games. The two factors contributing to his recent success are an injury to Tony Allen and the coach's choice of playing  with smaller lineups. Not only has Barnes been getting the starting nod,  but he eclipsed the 30-minute mark in three of his last four games. While any fantasy player would be happy with a fantasy score of around 25 points for Barnes' salary, dude's exceeded 32 points in his last two games.

Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio ($8800) ... will have a great fantasy scoring night as long as this contest doesn't turn into a blowout. The Spurs are favored by 13 over the Wizards, but it was just announced that Tim Duncan will not play in this game. So, more of the scoring burden might just fall to Leonard, who already shoots 15.3 times on average each game. If dude gets 20 or more shots coupled with all the other offensive categories he fills, a repeat of the last three-game performances or surpassing the 37 fantasy point mark is very likely. Oh yes, and there are only two NBA teams that defend small forwards worse than the Wizards.

Power Forwards

Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers ($9400) ... falls into the must have stud category alongside Curry and Leonard tonight, as far as I'm concerned. Dude made my shot-o-meter ping five times, one for each positive factor he has going in this matchup. He shoots almost 19 times a game, is playing at home, just scored 46.8 fantasy points against the same team a week ago, has a double-double in four of his last six games, and is facing Milwaukee, who ranks 25th-worst against power forwards. The Bucks might be winded from their loss to the Lakers last night, as well.

Jon Leuer, Phoenix ($5000) ... has had a sharp increase in fantasy salary recently. It's been for good reason, as he not only has cracked the Suns' starting lineup but has contributed a double-digit scoring effort in eight straight games. A smart fantasy player will include as many participants in the highest-total game of the night to maximize his team's score. Golden State is great defensively, but not stellar at defending opposing power forwards. On top of that, Leuer is also a good contributor in other offensive categories, scoring 25 or more fantasy points in seven of his last 10 games.

Center

Gorgui Dieng, Minnesota ($4500) ... has seen his playing time stay consistently in the mid-20-minute range for some time now. His fantasy production over that same stretch has also been steady, with at least 21 fantasy points scored in eight of his last 10 games. The centers in this price range seem to be a crapshoot other than the reliability we have seen from Dieng. Even though the Knicks do a decent job at defending opposing centers, dude should at least flirt with a double-digit scoring and/or rebounding game tonight.

Your favorite Shot Dude really hopes you construct a strong fantasy squad and get over on your hump of a fantasy foe.

Be the greatest everyday by going out and giving life your best shot!

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