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. 20
Nerlens Noel, PF ($6,700)
The Philadelphia 76ers are the lone winless team in the NBA and, just like last season, seem headed for another trip to the NBA Draft lottery. And just like last season, too, power forward Nerlens Noel is in the midst of a stellar campaign. Noel has picked up where he left off in his rookie season and then some, raising his scoring to 11.1 points while adding 8.8 rebounds. His real value comes in his ability to get steals and blocks, too, as he’s averaging 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks in 2015-16 and has two or more steals in three of his last four games. A matchup with Charlotte’s defensively challenged frontline of Marvin Williams ($5,000), Cody Zeller ($3,800) and rookie Frank Kaminsky ($3,600) gives him a decided edge on that end of the court as well as the Sixers take on the Hornets (7 ET, NBA League Pass).
? Tonight on NBA TV: FanDuel Tip-Off Show (6:30 ET) ?
Dwight Howard, C ($8,100)
The days of Dwight Howard putting up 20-point, 20-rebound games (like he did in his Orlando Magic heyday) are likely long over. That doesn’t mean that you can’t count on “Superman” for some other FanDuel points this season. Yes, the Rockets’ plan to rest him often has made him a risky pick this season. But when he’s played, he’s contributed if nothing else on the defensive end. Over his last five games he’s averaging 36.3 FanDuel points, which is a tick above his average. He’s had 10-plus rebounds in each of his last six games, notching 19 rebounds and three blocks in Wednesday’s win against the Portland Trail Blazers. Howard has a good matchup tonight with All-NBA center Marc Gasol ($7,500) — a slightly cheaper option and a player struggling in his own right this season — as the Rockets visit the Memphis Grizzlies (8 ET, NBA League Pass).
Carmelo Anthony, SF ($9,600)
The New York Knicks visit the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight (8 ET, NBA League Pass) in a matchup of two teams that are in the middle of the pack in Defensive Rating. Normally, this would be a matchup between Carmelo Anthony and OKC superstar Kevin Durant, but Durant is still nursing a hamstring injury. Either way, you get a matchup between Anthony and another elite scorer, OKC’s Russell Westbrook ($11,700), who is coming off back-to-back 40-point games. The sub-par defenses combined with a showdown between Anthony (who has yet to break the 40-point barrier this season) and Westbrook should make ‘Melo a smart play tonight.
Will Barton, SG ($5,200)
In his first three NBA seasons, Will Barton was a deep bench player on a stacked Portland Trail Blazers squad. He impressed with his athleticism, but finding a consistent role behind Damian Lillard ($9,000) and Wesley Matthews ($4,900) back then was tough. Since he got dealt to the Denver Nuggets at the trade deadline last spring, though, Barton has blossomed. He came into his own late in 2014-15 and has gone further this season, scoring in double figures in 10 of his 12 games, getting five or more rebounds four times and registering a steal or more in all but two games. Although he’s a reserve player, he remains a solid FanDuel option for his off-the-bench scoring and consistent ability to outperform his price-point. A matchup with the Phoenix Suns’ backcourt of Eric Bledsoe ($8,500), Brandon Knight ($7,500) and Co. should be a fun watch at the very least.
Trey Burke, PG ($4,000)
The Jazz moved Trey Burke into a backup role right about the time Utah went on its post-All-Star break surge to close out 2014-15. Burke again finds himself as a backup in Salt Lake City to rookie Raul Neto ($3,500), but that may be coming to an end soon. Neto struggles to score (he has yet to record double-figure points this season) as a pass-first point guard, while Burke has had few problems filling up the scoring column. A matchup tonight in Dallas (8:30 ET, NBA League Pass) and their high-paced attack means a lot of points, which means a lot of chances for Burke.
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