NBA $15K Saturday Best Buys
Saturday’s NBA $15k+ contest promises to be a bucket binge with four of the season’s top five scorers taking court. DeMarcus Cousins is one of these players, fresh from mopping the floors in Thursday’s postponed game against Philadelphia. One fantasy platform cancelled their contest while unaffected Draftstars customers could still play for their share of $30,000. Affected customers found consolation in a refund but can get back in the game tomorrow with ‘Boogie’ at centre. We have nine huge games to choose a winning NBA $15k+ Saturday line-up from, so here’s what we’ve come up with.
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Here is a team you may consider for the NBA Fever $30K+ Thursday competition
Point Guard
Isaiah Thomas ($15,300)
Isaiah Thomas came into the season with high expectations, but through the first few games of the season he struggled to find his rhythm. Since then, the Celtics have bounced back and are playing good basketball, and so is Thomas. The Celtics star has scored over 23 points in his last 6 games while offering up assists and steals as well, so you can guarantee that he will be pushing the ball hard against a struggling Sacramento defence. If he gets going early in the game expect to see big numbers from the little man.
Zach LaVine ($11,100)
LaVine has kept the Minnesota offence firing, and while it is impressive to see his scoreboard output increase, he is also contributing in assist and rebound categories, establishing new career high totals in both over the last few games. As teams focus on Karl Anthony-Towns and Andrew Wiggins, we will see LaVine using his impressive athleticism and improved shooting technique to put up more big numbers, especially against a New York team that can leak points.
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Shooting Guard
Jimmy Butler ($14,750)
It appears Chicago commentators have started the petition to change Jimmy’s last name to Buckets; such is the ease he seems to be scoring at the moment. The start of the season saw Chicago bring in Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo and as a result they are getting Jimmy the ball in great positions for him to score. Jimmy can sometimes have a down night in shooting but he makes up for it by getting to the free throw line and is averaging the 5th most free throws a game in the league at an impressive 88%. All signs point to Jimmy again filling the stat sheet on both ends of the court.
Lou Williams ($8,250)
The veteran guard has been on fire off the bench for the young upstarts at the Lakers. Williams has been coming off the bench and taking advantage of the opposition’s second unit, putting up big numbers in around 20 minutes of game time a night. Lou has been averaging around 4 free throws a game but over the past few games that has bumped up to 8.5 which will only help his output during the game. Expect Lou to again come good in what should be a high scoring and fast paced game against Toronto
Kawhi Leonard ($15,850)
Kawhi has been great so far this season, again leading the Spurs to be one of the top teams in the tough Western Conference. Without the retired Tim Duncan to rely on and a drop in production from Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, Kawhi has taken franchise star mantle. While the last few games have seen a drop in shooting percentage, his free throw attempts are up so he is still scoring in the high 20’s per game. Combine this with his league-leading defence and we will again see Kawhi leading the Spurs team on both ends of the court.
Marcus Morris ($8,800)
Markieff’s twin is another tough matchup for any team that comes up against Detroit. Possessing the size to go inside but also a sweet shooting touch, Morris is a defensive nightmare. With Reggie Bullock being out and Stanley Johnson struggling, Morris has taken more minutes on and as a result is averaging 16 points and 5 rebounds a game which is an improvement in both areas over his season average. Ride the hot hand while you can because Morris may see an offensive downturn once Reggie Jackson returns to the team.
Power Forward
Kenneth Faried ($9,200)
The “Manimal” is an interesting prospect on a nightly basis as he relies on hustle and toughness to get the job done. Playing as an undersized power forward, Faried has to rely on his positioning and awareness to go up against the big guys and his quickness and hustle against the smaller wing players. Faried has improved over his last few games and has been back up to averaging a over 10 points and rebounds while contributing blocks and steals with his quick hands and athleticism. Expect lots of rebounds as he goes up against a Houston team that gets a lot of shots up every game.
Taj Gibson ($8,650)
Taj seems to be rejuvenated by the new arrivals at the Bulls this season, and he is playing some of the best basketball of his career. The Bulls seem to be playing a game style that is suiting Taj, as they often use him as the focal point of the offence in the post and his passing and low post skills are used to perfection. Gibson is having a career year and has had six double-doubles already this season and is averaging career high points in rebounds and shooting percentage so far. Expect this to continue as we go forward.
Centre
Jon Leuer ($7,900)
The Pistons signed Leuer over the off-season and while it wasn’t one of the glamour moves he has quietly gone about his business and been integral at both ends of the court. While he is still coming off the bench, his play has allowed him to see starter-type minutes and he is making the most of them averaging 10.5 points, 7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. If he can get the same amount of minutes he has been seeing lately (25 per game) he could take advantage of the Atlanta backup brigade and again put up impressive numbers for an unheralded player. Leuer is also able to take advantage of the opposition big men as he is a reliable shot from beyond the arc.
The Line Up
PG: Isaiah Thomas ($15,300)
PG: Zach LaVine ($11,100)
SG: Jimmy Butler ($14,750)
SG: Lou Williams ($8,250)
SF: Kawhi Leonard ($15,850)
SF: Marcus Morris ($8,800)
PF: Kenneth Faried ($9,200)
PF: Taj Gibson ($8,650)
C: Jon Leuer ($7,900)
Salary Remaining: $200
You can catch all the action from Thursday’s blockbuster between the LA Lakers and the Chicago Bulls on ESPN Channel 508.
Click here to enter our massive $15k+ guaranteed contest!
NBA SCORING SYSTEM
Base Points
Point Scored = 1 point
Missed Field Goal = -0.25 points
Missed Free Throw = -0.25 points
Assist = 1.5 points
Rebound = 1.25 points
Turnover = -0.5 points
Steal = 2 point
Block = 2 points
Bonuses
3 Point Made = 1 point
Double-Double = 2 points
Triple-Double = 2 points
Be sure to catch all the NBA action live on ESPN Channel 508. Saturday’s doubleheader kicks off at 12pm AEDT with the Bulls hosting Cleveland, before the Rockets do battle with the Nuggets at the Pepsi Centre in Denver.