Every day with FanDuel, you’re the GM. Use your NBA knowledge to create the best nine-man team with a salary of $60,000. Once your roster is set, enter a contest, sit back and enjoy the games.
Players To Watch: Nov. 13
Jonas Valanciunas, C ($6,300)
If it’s easy to overlook someone who is 7 feet tall and weighs 255 pounds, the Raptors center is your guy. As other names in the post — such as DeMarcus Cousins ($10,200), Dwight Howard ($8,400) and even rookie Karl-Anthony Towns ($7,100) — Valanciunas is plugging away with a solid season of his own. He’s averaging a solid double-double this season (14.6 points, 10.2 rebounds) and while his shot-blocking remains an issue (only 0.7 a game), he has become a more consistent force for one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. A matchup tonight with the New Orleans Pelicans (7:30 ET, NBA League Pass) and a frontcourt of Omer Asik ($3,900) and Alexis Ajinca ($3,500) should give Valanciunas another chance to make a little more noise.
? Tonight on NBA TV: FanDuel Tip-Off Show (6:30 ET) ?
Alec Burks, SG ($5,500)
This swingman is proof that you don’t have to be a starter to make an impact in an NBA game. Burks has yet to start a game for the Jazz this season, but he’s sizzled none the less, out-performing his FanDuel averages over his last five games and routinely closing out games for Utah. A matchup tonight (7 ET, NBA League Pass) with another fast-rising, youthful shooting guard on the Orlando Magic, Evan Fournier ($5,600), could make for some fun play on the perimeter in the City Beautiful. On the season, Burks is on pace to surpass his career marks in scoring (16.6 points), free throw percentage (83.3) and 3-pointer made (10 this season, career high is 50).
Jared Sullinger, PF ($4,500)
Boston’s once-rotund power forward made a commitment to slim down in the offseason and all that work to get quicker seems to be paying off. While he started the season in a reserve role, coach Brad Stevens has moved Sullinger into a starting role the last four games and Sullinger hasn’t disappointed. He posted a double-double in two straight games and flirted with one in his first two starts. As well, Sullinger has become more active on defense, recording five blocks and five steals in that stretch, too. A start tonight against the Atlanta Hawks (7:30 ET, NBA League Pass) and their All-Star forward Paul Millsap ($8,500, the highest-priced FanDuel power forward tonight) may provide a good litmus test for Sullinger’s season.
Jeremy Lin, PG ($4,900)
Say what you want about the man’s hairdo, but don’t talk about his game in a negative way. Lin has shown flashes of the play that started the “Linsanity” crazy three seasons ago and is performing above his FanDuel averages (more or less) over his last five games. He was fantastic in his last game against the team that birthed Linsanity, the New York Knicks, with a 17-point performance on 7-for-11 shooting. Lin has posted double-figure scoring in four of his last five games as his Charlotte Hornets visit the Chicago Bulls tonight (8 ET, NBA League Pass). His likely matchup from the Bulls, guards Derrick Rose ($6,900) and Aaron Brooks ($4,200), provide a challenge defensive assignment for the defensively-challenged Lin.
Moe Harkless, SF ($3,500)
If you’re looking for a cheap (and potentially valuable) addition tonight, Harkless is your guy. The Blazers’ starting power forward, Meyers Leonard, likely won’t suit up tonight after he suffered a shoulder injury against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. That means more minutes in the frontcourt for Harkless as Portland travels to face the Memphis Grizzlies (8 ET, NBA League Pass) tonight. Harkless has put in some solid games with limited minutes (see his effort against the Utah Jazz on Nov. 4) and it will be interesting to see how he responds to a bigger role. His likely matchup tonight, Jeff Green ($3,600) and Matt Barnes ($3,600), will be looking to snap out of the slumps they are respectively enduring to start 2015-16.
—
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.
