The Shot Dude: No Frills, Just Ballers
You know it's laundry day when all you have left to wear is one clean outfit.
That last clean outfit is most likely your least favorite and not very comfortable.
That's very similar to what your favorite Shot Dude can offer you for fantasy NBA.
I've assembled a band of ballers who might not be the most spectacular but are in great situations to help your fantasy team cash in. You can get an eyeful of today's 12-game schedule with the help of the Bovada data tool on our Home page:
Since they have great games, give FanDuel a chance to shine; try them out if you haven't already.
Point Guards
Trey Burke, Utah ($4800) ... has scored in double digits in his last 8 straight games. Dude averages over 12 shots a game at home, four more than on the road. His last 5 home games have all resulted in fantasy scores of 22 points or higher. Not only is Burke on his home court tonight, but he'll face Denver, which ranks third worst in defending opposing point guards.
Raymond Felton, Dallas ($4900) ... is in a contract year and has contributed offensively with double-digit scoring in 7 of his last 10 contests. Felton's hard work has translated into reliable fantasy output, with a score of at least 22 or higher in 8 of his last 9 games. Dallas will be home against Memphis. If there's a defensive deficiency on the Grizzlies, it's against point guards, where they rank 25th.
Shooting Guards
Zach LaVine, Minnesota ($5900) ... is on a consistent run, with minutes in the mid- to high-20s due to backing up starters at two different positions. Dude averages almost 13 shots per game and only failed to reach double-digit scoring once in his last ten. LaVine has registered at least 27 fantasy points in six of his last 10 games and gets a great matchup against a Phoenix team that's fifth-worst at defending both shooting guards and small forwards.
Kent Bazemore, Atlanta ($5500) ... has been a fantasy point-per-minute performer in six of his last nine games. Dude's minutes have varied but not gone below 23 in any of his last 7 games. He's seen some spot starts because of the nagging ankle injury to Thabo Sefolosha and could possibly see an increase in floor time due to his consistent play. Tonight's game against Boston should be fast-paced, and the Celtics are below average in defending shooting guards.
Small Forwards
Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota ($6500) ... has been too inconsistent for some include in their fantasy plan. I like to buck the trend, and he's one of the reasons I'm paying down for guards and spending up for bigs. The matchup here is just too good. Phoenix is not only deficient in their defense of shooting guards, they're no better than 25th in the NBA at defending point guards, shooting guards, and small forwards.
Paul George, Indiana ($9600) ... has been on the quiet side of fantasy greatness lately. I think that changes tonight. Not only is George ready to bust out, he might just put up a fantasy number north of 50. Dude's now recovered from an upper respiratory illness that kept him grounded. Not only should his minutes increase tonight, Indiana's team total is 108 points, and I think Brooklyn will keep it close enough to keep George's fourth-quarter minutes necessary.
Power Forwards
Kristaps Porzingis, New York ($6400) ... is a rookie who's been inconsistent at times this season. In the games when his matchup has been good, the Latvian has flourished. Tonight lines up well for him, not just because the Knicks are playing Philadelphia, but because they rank 29th in the league against opposing power forwards. In a game last month, Porzingis tallied 38 fantasy points in 30 minutes against these same 76ers.
Dramond Green , Golden State ($9100) ... has revenge on his mind tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks. This is the first time these two teams have met since the Bucks ended the Warriors' 24-game winning streak. Golden State's team total is 115, and Green still gets his minutes, even in blowouts. In fact, 31 minutes were the smallest amount dude's played in the last 10 games. Also in Green's favor is the fact there are only five teams in the NBA that defend power forwards worse than the Bucks.
Center
Nikola Vučević, Orlando ($7300) ... might very well have the best chance for a big game out of anyone mentioned here. Orlando hosts Portland, who's consistently failed at containing centers this season. The Trail Blazers rank 29th in that department; Vučević torched Denver for 43 fantasy points in 34 minutes against Denver, who's one notch below Portland in defense against centers. To his credit, dude's scored double-digit points in nine straight and grabbed double-digit rebounds in five of those.
Your favorite Shot Dude certainly hopes you earn some fantasy game bucks tonight so you don't run out of clean laundry.
Just like your number one baller, always take your best shot!
You can follow me on twitter@fsofia8