NBA Picks Wednesday

G-1 Avery Bradley: Since cracking the starting lineup, Bradley has at least put up 2.0 his value in all 5 games.  Allen is expected back tonight, but Doc Rivers has hinted at the possibility of Allen coming off the bench and Bradley retaining his starting role.  Valued at 6.9K, it seems worth the risk of continuing to play him even if Allen returns.

G-2 Joe Johnson: A very streaky shooter, and usually we recommend staying away from shooting guards like Johnson, but he Hawks have had a 3 days off, plus they are playing the Bobcats tonight.  That should make for a big night for the Hawks all-star.

G-3 Randy Foye: Valued at 8.5K, Foye doesn’t receive any recognition because he plays for Lob City.  But Foye has been tearing up the nets of late: 32, 24, and 25 fantasy points in his last 3 games.  Last night Foye exploded for 28 points while taking 19 shots; he is getting plenty of looks.

Other guards to consider for tonight: Ramon Sessions, Evan Turner, Jordan Crawford, Shane Battier, *J.J. Barea*: Luke Ridnour is out tonight for the T-Wolves, and Barea is questionable tonight.  Monitor Barea’s status throughout the day because if Barea is starting, then he is a MUST play.  Valued at just under 8K, the last time he played he put of fantasy points. If Wade happens to be out again then Battier is a great under 5K play.

F-1 Ersan Ilyasova: A no brainer here.  Averaging just under 40 fantasy points a game over the last 3 games, and he has put up a double-double in all 3 of those games.  And to make it even better, the Bucks are playing the Cavs tonight.

F-2 Josh Smith: We like Smith for the same reason we like Joe Johnson tonight.  3 days of rest plus the Hawks welcome the Bobcats to the Highlight Factory.  Furthermore, Smith is coming off a huge game against the best defense in the league (76er’s) that saw him put up 34 points with 9 boards and 5 assists. 

F-3 Danny Granger: Granger is really starting to find his stroke of late.  And to add an extra incentive to play him tonight, the Pacers are playing the lowly Wizards.  In his last 4 games, he has put up: 37, 46, 21, and 43 fantasy points after that dismal performance against the Nets last week. 

Other forwards to consider: Paul Millsap, Kris Humphries, and Nicolas Batum.

C1- Pau Gasol LAL- With Bynum out yesterday, Gasol went off for 22 points and 12 rebounds. He played great and has shown to really hit his stride as of late. If Bynum is out again tonight we love him even more. He has averaged over 36 fantasy points in the last two weeks. 

C2- Byrun Mullens CHA- Have you seen Mullens play the last two games? Well, last night he terrorized the Toronto Raptors for a double double and should look to do the same tonight against the Hawks. Their "big man" is Zaza Pachulia who is nothing to brag about. With all of the minutes Mullens has picked up due to the Bobcats being so far out of the playoff race, he has been a fantasy must the last few days.  

C3- Tiago Splitter SAS- Total hunch play here, but if Duncan is out tonight like we expect him to be then we love Splitter. He hasn't been given a whole bunch of minutes as of late (15, 16, 17 minutes in last 3 games), but with the days off ahead of the Spurs, and the fact that Duncan played last night gives us a feeling that Duncan might be sitting tonight. If Duncan IS playing then stay far far away from Splitter. He doesn't get enough minutes to take a risk here. 

Other centers to consider: Nene Hilario and Chris Kaman (If both are healthy)

Lineup with Barea playing:

Ilyasova

Smith

Barea

Sloan

P. Gasol

Mullens

Granger
Humphries

Price: $99,578

Lineup without Barea:

Ilyasova

Smith

Sloan
Afflalo

P. Gasol

Mullens

Granger

G. Hayward

Price: $99,592