Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: NBA DFS DraftKings Best Player Picks for Nov. 12
There are only three games on the NBA schedule Thursday, so DraftKings daily fantasy players will have to choose wisely in order to separate themselves from the pack. Reigning MVP Stephen Curry has been a monster to this point in 2015-16, but is it worth spending $10,600 on him knowing he'll be in almost everybody's lineup?
Here are five picks for November 12 that should put you on your way to fielding a successful squad.
SG Eric Bledsoe, Phoenix Suns ($8,000) vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Eric Bledsoe is the most expensive shooting guard available, but he's well worth the price—especially considering he spends most of his time playing point guard.
Bledsoe has logged 37 minutes in back-to-back outings and has scored more than 35 fantasy points in five straight contests. His average numbers over that span are spectacular:
| 35.4 | 1.8 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 2.6 | 23.6 | 45.2 |
Thursday's matchup with the Clippers should be ideal for Bledsoe's fantasy production. Per Odds Shark, the over/under is 209 points and Los Angeles is favored by 2.5, the smallest spread of the evening. A close, uptempo game will maximize Bledsoe's opportunities.
C Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves ($7,500) vs. Golden State Warriors
Basketball Reference noted how impressive Karl-Anthony Towns has been in the early goings of his rookie season:
Towns posted double-doubles in his last three outings and in five of the first seven games of his career. He's also scored at least 40 fantasy points in three straight contests. After failing to block a shot in his NBA debut, Towns has at least three blocks in every game since.
Like the Suns vs. Clippers tilt, this matchup's 210-point over/under is on the high side and will have a positive effect on the fantasy numbers of everyone involved.
PF Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz ($7,100) at Miami Heat
Derrick Favors is coming off a pair of excellent performances in his past two games. He followed up a 12-point, 16-rebound effort against the Memphis Grizzlies with a stat line of 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists in Cleveland versus the Cavaliers. Favors saw at least 35 minutes of action and scored over 37 fantasy points in both contests.
The Heat are surrendering an average of 48.5 fantasy points per game to opposing power forwards, the ninth-most in the NBA.
Utah center Rudy Gobert missed practice on Wednesday and is considered questionable for Thursday, per Jazz radio voice David Locke (h/t Fox Sports). If Gobert can't suit up, Favors will be asked to carry more of the load than usual for a thin Jazz frontcourt.
PF Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors ($6,900) at Minnesota Timberwolves
Curry is stealing the spotlight for the undefeated Warriors, but Draymond Green is quietly putting up fantastic fantasy stats as well. HoopsHype pointed out how vital Green is to his club's success:
Green is averaging 10.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.6 three-pointers in 32.9 minutes per contest. Even though he doesn't yet have a double-double this season, Green has often flirted with triple-doubles, coming within three in every category in four of nine outings.
The Warriors are second in the league in pace, offensive rating and average points per game. Outside of Curry, Green is the player taking greatest advantage of the benefits.
PG Zach LaVine, Minnesota Timberwolves ($3,500) vs. Golden State Warriors
Zach LaVine has scored over 30 fantasy points in two straight games. On Tuesday, he started in place of Ricky Rubio and was on the floor for 37 minutes. However, LaVine also managed outstanding numbers in just 16 minutes off the bench in Atlanta on Monday.
Rubio is expected back Thursday (per the Associated Press' Jon Krawczynski, h/t Rotowire), and LaVine will return to his reserve role, but that doesn't mean the second-year guard won't provide solid bang for your buck. NumberFire projects LaVine to score 22.8 fantasy points, the second-highest per-dollar value of the night.
Golden State has an average margin of victory of 17.6 points this year and is favored over Minnesota by 7.5. A blowout could mean garbage-time minutes for LaVine and more dunks like the one in the above video.
All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Statistics via NBA.com unless otherwise noted. Mark Vandeusen is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @LucidSportsFan.
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