NBA Fever $20K+ Thursday Best Buys
Thursday’s a massive day on the NBA schedule. With 14 teams on display, it means picking the right players for your Draftstars team.
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Here is a team you may consider for the NBA Fever $20K+ Thursday competition.
Point Guard
Russell Westbrook ($21,950)
The Thunder will travel to Sacramento on Thursday, which should give Westbrook a chance to fire once again. The Kings have gone with a backcourt of Ty Lawson and Darren Collison in recent times, sacrificing defence for offence. This is great news for the visiting Westbrook who should continue to put up league-leading numbers in this game. OKC play at a fast pace, and the Kings are looking to do the same (starting Lawson and Matt Barnes at Shooting Guard and Power Forward), which should be a perfect recipe for Russ to put up plenty of shots and grab plenty of rebounds.
Kyrie Irving ($14,950)
Irving is showing no signs of a Championship hangover so far. He is currently averaging 24 points, 5 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game, whilst shooting efficiently from beyond the arc. The Cavs have started the season beautifully and the upcoming game against Portland should be no exception. The Blazers are missing their best defender (Al-Farouq Aminu), which should only make their league-worst defence worse. Add Kyrie’s hunger to prove he’s a better player than the much-hyped Lillard and you can expect a feast from him this game.
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Shooting Guard
DeMar DeRozan ($15,100)
DeRozan has been the best player in the league so far this season. He’s averaging nearly 31 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists and he’s doing so efficiently. So far, this has resulted in him averaging 41.5 fantasy points per game, albeit at a hefty price tag. So why have him in here? The Raptors come up against the Houston Rockets on Thursday, which will see DMDR defended by the likes of James Harden and Eric Gordon. This should be a fairly close game, which will see DeRozan play big minutes and with the form he is in, he will torch these guys and have a huge one.
Dion Waiters ($6,750)
If your first three players are Russ, Kyrie and DeMar, you have to find value somewhere, and value is exactly what Dion Waiters presents. At only $6,750 he is too good to refuse considering his ability to heat up and the lack of options on the Heat at the moment. He’s currently averaging 24.1 fantasy points per game but could easily outdo this if he has a big game against the Pistons. He’s a risky selection, but there is a high upside to the former number four draft pick.
Note: Waiters is a game-day decision with a groin injury. Ensure he plays before selecting him.
Small Forward
Wilson Chandler ($6,950)
The Nuggets are lacking wing depth due to injuries at the moment, which opens the door for Wilson Chandler to play big minutes and have big production. In his last three games, he’s averaged over 23 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists which has resulted in a whopping 40.77 fantasy points per game over that period. At this price, he is simply too good to refuse and he should once again have a big game in Utah.
Maurice Harkless ($6,350)
For the Blazers to have any chance against the Cavs without Al-Farouq Aminu, Harkless must step up. The versatile combo-forward is currently 21.4 fantasy points per game, but has plenty of potential to score big. His ability to score, rebound, play defence and shoot give him a huge ceiling, albeit one he rarely reaches. However, if Harkless can give you just 25-30 fantasy points against the Cavs, he’ll be a good selection considering his price.
Power Forward
Al Horford ($11,950)
The Celtics big acquisition has had a slow start to his season with a nasty concussion keeping out of the action early. However, with his pedigree in Atlanta, he is hugely under-priced, especially seeing as the early signs are positive with Boston. Upon his return, in his first two games, Horford has shown no trouble integrating with his new Celtics teammates, scoring 51.5 and 42.25 fantasy points respectively. Boston have come out and said that there will be no minute restrictions on Horford, which is great news for fantasy players who can look forward to another big game.
Patrick Patterson ($6,350)
Patterson has had a fairly slow return from injury, but he was huge in his last hit-out against the Clippers. In 36 minutes of action, he had 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals whilst hitting three shots from deep in a truly stat stuffing performance. As mentioned earlier, the Raptors play the Rockets whose terrible defence should allow plenty of open looks for Patterson. Look for him to have a big game.
Centre
Joel Embiid ($8,900)
Picking Embiid is truly risky. ‘The Process’ has had an incredibly entertaining start to his career, averaging 18.4 points and 7.3 rebounds for the season in just 22 minutes per game. The minutes won’t increase against the Grizzlies, but the production should remain. Embiid is getting a phenomenal amount of ball when he’s on the court and has reeled off 34.75, 41.75 and 23.75 fantasy points per game in his last three contests. At that price, he is too good to refuse, you just have to hope that the Marc Gasol-led Grizzlies’ defence can’t stop this young big man
The Line Up
PG: Russell Westbrook ($21,950)
PG: Kyrie Irving ($14,950)
SG: DeMar DeRozan ($15,100)
SG: Dion Waiters ($6,750)
SF: Wilson Chandler ($6,950)
SF: Maurice Harkless ($6,350)
PF: Al Horford ($11,950)
PF: Patrick Patterson ($6,350)
C: Joel Embiid ($8,900)
Salary Remaining: $750
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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