NBA $10,000+ Saturday Line-Ups
Saturday brings us 14 cracking NBA games, and there is no way to spend your weekend than watching some quality basketball and get behind your $10k+ Draftstars team. Last week’s Saturday line-up unearthed a couple of gems, so let’s see who we’re backing in this week.
Here is a team you may consider for the NBA $10k+ Saturday competition
Point Guard
John Wall ($17,150)
Wall has been playing fantastic basketball over the last stretch and his play has allowed him to lead the Wizards to some unexpected wins. Wall is averaging an impressive 24 points and 10 assists per game over the last few games and will come up against a Milwaukee team who loves to play fast, up-tempo basketball – which suits Wall just fine. Expect Wall to again drive the ball right to the bucket and look for his outside shot. Given his ability to contribute a large number of rebounds for his size as well as his quick hands getting steals, Wall should again be a high scorer in this game.
Lou Williams ($10,650)
The Lakers veteran will again look to dominate the play off the bench, as his impressive form shows no sign of stopping. A constant threat in both wins and losses for the Lakers, Williams has been a steady hand despite the Lakers suffering a lot of injuries recently. Williams is still averaging an impressive 18.8 points and 3.5 assists per game on the season and should again contribute well to the Lakers against a struggling Orlando team.
Shooting Guard
Eric Gordon ($9,100)
Gordon has been an impressive pickup for the Rockets this season, steadily moving into the number two option on offence behind James Harden. Gordon has taken advantage of lapses in defence as teams look to double on Harden, which allows Gordon to have open shots. He is currently averaging just over nine 3 point attempts per game and if he gets hot he can put up big numbers. Against Memphis, look for Gordon to be heavily involved as the Grizzlies will put their best defender straight over to Harden giving Gordon every chance to exploit his match up.
Nick Young ($7,150)
Swaggy P has been on fire over his last few games, especially from the three-point line. Young has been shooting a tick over 43% from beyond the arc and as a result the Lakers have been running more plays to get him open for shots. While Young won’t contribute much on the defensive end, he is always a chance to get hot early and have a big night. His last five games have seen him average just over 18 points and against a struggling Orlando team he could fire from the start.
Small Forward
Jabari Parker ($10,650)
Parker and his young Bucks team have been on a good run of late as the young roster looks to gel and continue to gain experience together. While Giannis Antetokounmpo gets the majority of attention, Parker himself has put in an impressive season. Parker is able to fill the stat sheet on both ends of the court and he uses his size and athleticism to grab boards and play the passing lanes for steals. Averaging a notch under 20 points for the season, we can expect Parker to again get up and down the court against the Wizards in an up-tempo game which will suit him perfectly.
Trevor Ariza ($9,450)
Ariza will come up against a Grizzlies team whose main focus will be one thing – stopping James Harden. This should be of huge benefit to Ariza who is a sharpshooter from deep and loves to take advantage of Harden’s ability to drive and dish to perimeter shooters. While Ariza has been poor so far in December from deep (34%), his October form was much better (53%) and if he can shoot anywhere near that mark he will be able to put up big numbers. His high number of rebounds and steals per game also adds to his fantasy output and he should go big against the Grizzlies.
Power Forward
Al Horford ($13,200)
The big man from Boston has been hugely impressive for the Celtics this season and his well-rounded game on both ends of the court will always see him contribute high fantasy scores. Horford has always been a presence inside but this season has seen him step out to the arc, making him even more of a match-up nightmare. Always with an impressive amount of rebounds and blocks, Horford will look to exploit the big men of the Thunder, who at times have looked fragile this season. Horford has also averaged an impressive amount of assists for a big man (5.3 per game) which only adds to his value.
Ersan Ilyasova ($9,150)
The smooth-shooting big man from the 76ers has performed impressively over the last few games, resulting in a spike in his playing minutes. Ilyasova has settled into his role off the bench and his impressive play has seen him play starter-type minutes as the coach trusts him more and more. Averaging a career high 13.3 points per game on 45% shooting, Ilyasova is also contributing in other areas as he is averaging 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Against a Phoenix team who is giving up the second-most points in the league, Ilyasova will again be a major threat.
Centre
Marc Gasol ($12,550)
Veteran big man Marc Gasol has been hugely impressive for the Grizzlies this season as his previous game against Detroit saw him put up 38 points and pull down five boards and dish four assists. Gasol has been the dominant man for Memphis this season as his season averages of 19.5 points and 6.5 assists per game confirm him as a leader at both ends of the court. Gasol will come up against Houston who will be without young centre Clint Capela who has sustained an ankle injury. Against the ageing Nene and poor defensive play of Ryan Anderson, Gasol should be able to dominate the game on both ends of the floor.
The Line Up
PG: John Wall ($17,150)
SG: Lou Williams ($10,650)
PG: Eric Gordon ($9,100)
SG: Nick Young ($7,150)
SF: Jabari Parker ($10,650)
SF: Trevor Ariza ($9,450)
PF: Al Horford ($13,200)
PF: Ersan Ilyasova ($9,150)
C: Marc Gasol ($12,550)
Salary Remaining: $950
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
Tune into ESPN Channel 508 from 2pm AEDT to watch the San Antonio Spurs clash with the Portland Trailblazers..