Daily Fantasy Basketball (Feb. 27th): FanDuel Bargains

If you play daily fantasy sports (and who doesn't these days?!), you know that one of the keys to success is uncovering undervalued players to allow you to load up on studs elsewhere.

In case you've never played daily fantasy basketball, every player has a salary and your roster cannot exceed the game's salary-cap maximum.

For FanDuel leagues, rosters consist of nine players and the salary cap is $60,000, which averages to roughly $6,667 per player. To give you an idea of the range for Thursday's games, Heat SF LeBron James ($11,400) has the contest's highest salary while many are tied for the lowest at the game-minimum salary ($3,500).

There are a number of benefits compared to traditional full-season re-draft leagues, such as:

• you don't have to worry about being saddled by players sidelined by injury;
• having a late pick doesn't rule out owning studs like Kevin Durant or LeBron James;
• you get the instant gratification of winning your league(s) that night.

And you know that enthusiasm you have after drafting your fantasy team(s)? Well, you get to experience that feeling on a nightly basis with daily fantasy basketball.

OK, with the preliminary stuff out of the way, here are some value plays to consider for Thursday (Feb. 27th) FanDuel leagues:

PG - Aaron Brooks, Denver Nuggets (vs. BKN), $4,200: With only a four-game slate tonight, there aren't a ton of bargains and that is especially true with point guards. If Ty Lawson (ribs) misses another game, and it's possible he returns tonight, I'd consider Brooks as the Nets have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing point guards over the past 15 days.

* Note: The Nuggets tip off late (10:30 PM ET), which means Lawson's status may not be known by the contest start time (7:00 PM).

SG - Marcus Thornton, Brooklyn Nets (at DEN), $3,600: After missing a couple of games with food poisoning, Thornton made his debut with the Nets and played 27 minutes scoring only nine points with two rebounds and one assist. Thornton and the Nets' shooting guards have a nice matchup against the Nuggets, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to the position over the past 15 days.

SG - O.J. Mayo, Milwaukee Bucks (at IND), $3,900: While he doesn't have a great matchup against the league's best overall defensive team, Mayo is coming off a 25-point performance (31.7 fantasy points) in 35 minutes against the 76ers on Monday. He had played only 23 and 17 minutes, respectively, in his previous two games.

SG - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (at IND), $4,400: Not a great matchup, as I noted with Mayo, but the rookie from Greece has 29-plus fantasy points in three of his past four games. Of course, the lone exception was the matchup against the Pacers (17.7 fantasy points).

SF - Jeff Adrien, Milwaukee Bucks (at IND), $3,700: Not that you should load up on Bucks, but Adrien has a salary barely above the game minimum and has posted back-to-back games with double-digit boards. In each of of those games, he has posted 22-plus fantasy points.

PF - David West, Indiana Pacers (vs. MIL), $6,800: Considering that only Carmelo Anthony ($10,800) has a higher salary at the position, West is not necessarily a bargain but his salary is only slightly above the starter average ($6,667). West has had strong outings in back-to-back games including 30 points, seven boards and five assists against the Bucks on Saturday. In the past two games, he has averaged 42.4 fantasy points.

PF - Amir Johnson, Toronto Raptors (vs. WAS), $4,900: Consistent but not spectacular in his past five games, Johnson has scored a minimum of 22.2 points in each of those games. Tonight, Johnson and the Raptors face a Wizards' front court that will be without Nene Hilario and possibly Kevin Seraphin.

C - Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards (at TOR), $6,700: Miami's Chris Bosh is the most expensive center tonight at $7,300. As productive as Bosh has been over his past three games (24.67 PPG, 40.53 Fantasy PPG), Bosh and the Heat face the Knicks, who have defended the position well.

The Polish Hammer is slightly less expensive option and he's been productive and consistent (five consecutive double-doubles). During that five-game stretch, Gortat has averaged 16. 4 points and 11.2 rebounds per game and he has scored in a minimum of 30.9 fantasy points each game. Over the past 15 days, the Raptors have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing centers.

C - Timofey Mozgov, Denver Nuggets (vs. BKN), $4,300: If at first you don't succeed ... Getting the start against the Blazers, Mozgov had a decent line (14 points, six boards, two blocks and an assist) while J.J. Hickson, who went to the bench, blew up with a 16/25 night. That said, I wouldn't bank on Hickson having another monster night off the bench and I think Mozgov has a better night this time around. (Hickson's salary is $5,900, fourth-most at center tonight.)

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If you play in full-season leagues, check out my rest-of-season Fantasy NBA rankings.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball (Feb. 26th): FanDuel Bargains

If you play daily fantasy sports (and who doesn't these days?!), you know that one of the keys to success is uncovering undervalued players to allow you to load up on studs elsewhere.

In case you've never played daily fantasy basketball, every player has a salary and your roster cannot exceed the game's salary-cap maximum.

For FanDuel leagues, rosters consist of nine players and the salary cap is $60,000, which averages to roughly $6,667 per player. To give you an idea of the range for Wednesday's games, Thunder SF Kevin Durant ($12,000) has the contest's highest salary while many are tied for the lowest at the game-minimum salary ($3,500).

There are a number of benefits compared to traditional full-season re-draft leagues, such as:

• you don't have to worry about being saddled by players sidelined by injury;
• having a late pick doesn't rule out owning studs like Kevin Durant or LeBron James;
• you get the instant gratification of winning your league(s) that night.

And you know that enthusiasm you have after drafting your fantasy team(s)? Well, you get to experience that feeling on a nightly basis with daily fantasy basketball.

OK, with the preliminary stuff out of the way, here are some value plays to consider for Wednesday (Feb. 26th) FanDuel leagues:

PG - Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks (at BOS), $5,800: Since missing the Pistons game on the 21st, Teague has scored at least 26 points with six-plus assists in back-to-back games. With the injuries on the Hawks, Teague should continue to be aggressive on the offensive end once again on Wednesday.

PG - Trey Burke, Utah Jazz (vs. PHO), $5,900: Burke had an off night on Monday (21.5 fantasy points), but he had a minimum of 31.6 fantasy points in each of his previous three games. Look for him to bounce back here.

SG - Vince Carter, Dallas Mavericks (vs. NO), $5,200: Carter has now scored 33-plus fantasy points in back-to-back nights. Against the Knicks on Monday, Carter had 23 points, three rebounds, three assists and a block.

SG - Kent Bazemore, Los Angeles Lakers (at MEM), $3,600: Against the Pacers last night, Bazemore led the Lakers in minutes (39) and points (23) and has now scored 15-plus points in all three of his games with the Lakers. In addition, Bazemore has a total of seven steals in his three games with the Lakers.

SF - Paul Pierce, Brooklyn Nets (at POR), $5,800: With at least 33 minutes in each of his past two games, Pierce scored 25 points with seven boards and four dimes on Sunday for 35.4 fantasy points. On Wednesday, the Nets will face the Blazers, who have allowed the fourth-most points per game this season.

SF - Kyle Singler, Detroit Pistons (at SAS), $4,200: Although the matchup is far from ideal, Singler has scored at least 20 fantasy points in five of his past six games including 30.6 on Monday against the Warriors.

PF - Tobias Harris, Orlando Magic (at PHI), $6,700: After three consecutive games with 35 or more fantasy points, Harris had an off night Tuesday: 11 points, four rebounds and one assist. That said, nothing helps a player bounce back like facing the Sixers.

PF - Brandon Bass, Boston Celtics (vs. ATL), $4,500: It's unclear whether Jared Sullinger (concussion) will miss another game, but Bass has played 30-plus minutes in four consecutive games. Averaging a little more than 25 fantasy points per game during that stretch, Bass has averaged 14.5 points, 6.75 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block per game.

C - Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic (at PHI), $7,000: Averaging a double-double on the season, Vucevic had 19 points and 14 boards against a depleted Wizards frontcourt on Tuesday. Vucevic has now scored more than 30 fantasy points in six of seven games and he faces a fantasy-friendly Sixers team on Wednesday night.

C - Alexis Ajinca, New Orleans Pelicans (at DAL), $3,600: With 27 minutes in each of the past two games, Ajinca followed up a solid performance (nine points, nine rebounds) with a double-double (19 points, 12 rebounds) on Monday.

C - Kelly Olynyk, Boston Celtics (vs. ATL), $3,700: If Sullinger misses another game, it could mean additional minutes for Olynyk once again. On Monday, Olynyk had 21 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a steal.

[Update: Both Olynyk and Sullinger are out tonight.]

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If you play in full-season leagues, check out my rest-of-season Fantasy NBA rankings or my waiver-wire post from Sunday.

Keep track of our Fantasy NBA updates by following us on Twitter, "liking" us on Facebook and/or adding us to your Google+ circle.

Kevin Love: One assist shy of triple-double

Just a few days ago, Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love recorded his first-ever triple-double.

Against the Suns tonight, Love came very close to getting his second in three games as he finished with 33 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists while also adding two blocks.

Love has now scored 30-plus points in six consecutive games and has 30 or more points in eight of nine games this month.

In those nine games this month, Love is averaging 34.0 points, 14.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

The Timberwolves don't play again until Saturday against the Kings, but he has become a must-start in daily fantasy basketball regardless of how high his salary becomes.

2014 NBA Mock Draft, 1.0: Embiid, Wiggins, Parker go 1-2-3

Last year's NBA draft class was one of the most lackluster classes in recent memory. Based on the group of draft-eligible prospects this year, however, the 2014 draft class has the potential to be one of the greatest ever.

While some in the group may never live up to their potential at the next level, this year's class certainly does not lack hype.

Although this is my first mock draft of the year, it will be updated often and all the way until the 2014 NBA Draft on Thursday, June 26th.

[Follow our basketball updates on Twitter via @HitTheBoards.]

Until the actual draft order is known, I will use the inverse order of our consensus NBA power rankings for the draft order.

In addition, more of our contributors will provide their take on how the first round will shake out as we get closer to the draft. For now, if you would like to view other opinions, check out our mock draft database for other 2014 NBA mock drafts.

Otherwise, here is my early 2014 NBA Mock Draft:

1. Milwaukee Bucks - Joel Embiid, C, Kansas

With roughly two months left in the regular season, the Bucks are guaranteed to have a losing record as they have already lost 45 games this season. As bad as the Bucks have been, they can use help across the board.

Part of a talented freshmen class for the Jayhawks, it's Embiid — not Andrew Wiggins — that ends up going first overall. There have been reports that Embiid may return to Lawrence for another season, but the big man from Cameroon has as much of a chance to go first overall as any other prospect in the country.

If Embiid stays in school, the good news for the Bucks is the talent at the top of this draft class is so strong that they would get another franchise-changing player in his place.

2. Philadelphia 76ers - Andrew Wiggins, SG, Kansas

Long rumored to be dealt and otherwise scheduled become a free agent after the season, Evan Turner (and Lavoy Allen) was dealt to the Pacers for Danny Granger and a second-round pick. As you can imagine, Granger wasn't thrilled with going from a top contender to a franchise that has the second worst record in the league and has lost 11 games in a row.

To fill the void at shooting guard, the Sixers have the opportunity to add one of the most highly-touted prospects in years. With elite athleticism and an ability to score from anywhere on the court, Wiggins, whose father played for the Sixers in the early 90's, is the type of player that can lift the Sixers out of mediocrity (or worse).

3. Orlando Magic - Jabari Parker, SF, Duke

While he may not have as much upside as the Kansas tandem at the top of this mock, Parker has an excellent all-around (especially offensive) game. In addition, no prospect is as ready to make an immediate impact in his rookie season than Parker at this point.

4. Boston Celtics - Dante Exum, PG, Australia

Regardless of how Rajon Rondo fits into the long-term plans of the Celtics, Exum can play alongside Rondo, who will be in a walk year next season, or eventually replace him. The Australian point guard has outstanding size and length for a point guard with excellent quickness and the ability to get to the rim.

5. Los Angeles Lakers - Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky

The Lakers could go in a number of different directions with this pick. After all, only five of the team's current players have contracts for the 2014-15 seasons. In fact, it's just Kobe Bryant and Robert Sacre that are under contract by the Lakers to start the 2015 season.

Averaging a double-double (15.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game), Randle is the best player available and can fill the void of free agent-to-be Pau Gasol. This coast-to-coast dunk for the 6-foot-9 250-pounder shows his unique skill set for his size:



6. Sacramento Kings - Noah Vonleh, PF, Indiana

With a backcourt of Isaiah Thomas and Ben McLemore, the No. 3 overall pick last year, I think the Kings would pass on Marcus Smart and go with Vonleh here. Since Jan. 18th, Vonleh has averaged a double-double (10.78 points and 10.22 rebounds) in addition to 1.33 blocked shots per game.

7. Denver Nuggets (via Knicks) - Aaron Gordon, SF/PF, Arizona

While his offensive game, specifically his jumpshot, leaves a lot to be desired, Gordon has elite athleticism, is an excellent defender and has a high motor.

8. Utah Jazz - Marcus Smart, G, Oklahoma State

Since returning from his three-game suspension, Smart has averaged 16.5 points, 8.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 steals in his two games played. (Next up is a huge matchup against Kansas on March 1st.)

Obviously, Smart received a ton of negative attention from his incident involving a Texas Tech fan. By all accounts, however, that was an out-of-character reaction from Smart, who is otherwise viewed as a high-character guy.

9. Charlotte Bobcats (via Pistons) - Tyler Ennis, PG, Syracuse

Granted, Kemba Walker has point guard size and he starts at the point, but he is much more of a scorer than a pass-first type in the traditional mold of a point guard. Poised beyond his years, Ennis has a stellar 3.39-to-1 ratio of assists to turnovers and actually has more steals (59) than turnovers (46) this season.

10. Cleveland Cavaliers - Gary Harris, SG, Michigan State

While the NBA trade deadline has come and gone, shooting guard Dion Waiters is still on the roster but there have been plenty of rumors about the team wanting to move him partly due to his relationship with Kyrie Irving. Drafting a two guard like Harris will only intensify those rumors from draft day through the trade deadline next season.

- See my full first-round projection here

[Note: All updates will be made to the link above all the way up to June 26th.]

For more mock drafts, view our NBA Mock Draft Database here.

2014 NFL Draft: My 2014 NFL mock draft - our NFL draft big board - our NFL mock draft database

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Daily Fantasy Basketball (Feb. 25th): Some FanDuel Bargains

If you play daily fantasy sports (and who doesn't these days?!), you know that one of the keys to success is uncovering undervalued players to allow you to load up on studs elsewhere.

In case you've never played daily fantasy basketball, you select your team based on a player's salary and your team's salary cannot exceed the game salary-cap maximum.

For FanDuel leagues, rosters consist of nine players and the salary cap is $60,000, which averages to roughly $6,667 per player. To give you an idea of the range for Tuesday's games, Timberwolves PF Kevin Love ($11,600) has the contest's highest salary while many are tied for the lowest at the game-minimum salary ($3,500).

There are a number of benefits compared to traditional full-season re-draft leagues, such as:

• you don't have to worry about being saddled by players sidelined by injury;
• having a late pick doesn't rule out owning studs like Kevin Durant or LeBron James;
• you get the instant gratification of winning your league(s) that night.

And you know that enthusiasm you have after drafting your fantasy team(s)? Well, you get to experience that feeling on a nightly basis with daily fantasy basketball.

OK, with the preliminary stuff out of the way, here are some value plays to consider for Tuesday (Feb. 25th) FanDuel leagues:

PG - Aaron Brooks, Denver Nuggets (vs. POR), $3,600: If Ty Lawson (ribs) misses another game (although it's possible that he returns tonight), the recently-acquired Brooks is a quality low-priced option at the point in FanDuel leagues. Starting in only his second game with the Nuggets on Sunday, Brooks finished with nine points, eight assists, two rebounds and two steals in 32 minutes.

PG - Jarrett Jack, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers (vs. TOR), $3,800: Big minutes does not necessarily mean big production as we've seen with Jack in his past two games. Despite averaging nearly 40 minutes per game over his past two, Jack has barely averaged 15 fantasy points. That said, he should get plenty of minutes with Dion Waiters and C.J. Miles out again tonight. Feeling lucky?

PG - Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers (at DEN), $7,900 Five point guards have a higher salary than Lillard so he's not a bargain in absolute terms, but Lillard has scored 40-plus fantasy points in three consecutive games. Only the 76ers (111.0) and Lakers (105.9) allow more points per game than the Nuggets (104.7). [The Blazers allow the fourth-most points (103.6) in the NBA.]

SG - Evan Fournier, Denver Nuggets (vs. POR), $4,400: Like with Brooks above, Fournier could see expanded minutes especially if Lawson misses another game. Fournier has scored 40-plus fantasy points in two of his past four games. On Sunday, Fournier had 27 points, four rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block in 36 minutes off the bench.

SG - Kent Bazemore, Los Angeles Lakers (at IND), $3,600: In two games with the Lakers, Bazemore has scored 15-plus points and added two steals in at least 29 minutes in each game. Despite the tough matchup against the Pacers, Bazemore is a cheap option that should get roughly 30 minutes and 20 fantasy points.

SG - Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings (vs. HOU), $3,600: With Marcus Thornton now in Brooklyn, McLemore moved into the starting lineup and played 36 minutes on Sunday. Even though he only scored six points, he added four boards and three steals. Going forward, I would expect better shooting performances from McLemore.

SF - Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers (at DEN), $6,200: While he isn't necessarily cheap as only four small forwards have a higher salary, Batum is coming off a monster game and could very well follow that up with another strong performance tonight. On Sunday, Batum had 22 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal. Especially if LaMarcus Aldridge misses a fourth consecutive game tonight, the Blazers will need more production from Batum.

PF - Mike Scott, Atlanta Hawks (vs. CHI), $4,500: With Paul Millsap out tonight and tomorrow, Scott has an opportunity to continue his hot streak even though the Hawks have a tough matchup. In his past two games, Scott has scored a total of 50 points including a career-high 30 on Saturday against the Knicks.

PF - Thomas Robinson, Portland Trail Blazers (at DEN), $4,300: As noted with Batum, it's possible that Aldridge misses another game and if he does, Robinson will be a quality low-priced option at power forward. On Sunday, he posted a double-double (14 points, 18 rebounds) in 33 minutes while adding a couple of assists and blocks as well.

In the majority of my FanDuel leagues for tonight, I'll be starting Chicago's Joakim Noah at center. Although he's not cheap at $9,100, Noah has averaged 13.54 points, 13.08 rebounds, 5.96 assists, 1.92 blocks and 0.88 steals per game since January. In his past seven games, he has double-digit assists in three of them and even had a triple-double earlier this month.

C - Timofey Mozgov, Denver Nuggets (vs. POR), $3,900: If I were looking for an option (much) less expensive than Noah, Mozgov could be the guy. With Mozgov moving into the starting lineup on Tuesday, that hopefully means that he also gets starter's minutes as well. In the five games in which Mozgov has 30-plus minutes this season, he has averaged 12.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 0.8 steals per game.

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If you play in full-season leagues, check out my rest-of-season Fantasy NBA rankings or my waiver-wire post from yesterday.

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Report: Nene out 4-6 weeks with sprained knee

Initially, there were fears that Washington Wizards center Nene Hilario would miss the rest of the season after sustaining a knee injury on Sunday against the Cavs.

Per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Monday's MRI shows that Nene has a sprained left MCL and he will miss four to six weeks with the injury.

Based on the longer end of that range, that would put Nene's return roughly on or before April 7th. The regular season concludes for the Wizards on April 16th.

Only John Wall (19.7) and Bradley Beal (16.8) are averaging more points per game than Nene (14.2), who is tied with Trevor Ariza for third on the team in scoring. Nene is also third on the team in rebounding behind Marcin Gortat (8.9 rebounds per game) and Ariza (6.5). In addition, he ranks second on the team in blocks (0.92 per game) and third in steals (1.24).

With Nene sidelined, both Trevor Booker and Kevin Seraphin will see more minutes.

Daily Fantasy Basketball (Feb. 24th): Some FanDuel Bargains

If you play daily fantasy sports (and who doesn't these days?!), you know that one of the keys to success is uncovering undervalued players to allow you to load up on studs elsewhere.

In case you've never played daily fantasy basketball, you select your team based on a player's salary and your team's salary cannot exceed the game salary-cap maximum.

For FanDuel leagues, rosters consist of nine players and the salary cap is $60,000, which averages to roughly $6,667 per player. To give you an idea of the range for Monday's games, Knicks PF Carmelo Anthony ($10,700) has the contest's highest salary while many are tied for the lowest at the game-minimum salary ($3,500).

There are a number of benefits compared to traditional full-season re-draft leagues, such as:

• you don't have to worry about being saddled by players sidelined by injury;
• having a late pick doesn't rule out owning studs like Kevin Durant or LeBron James;
• you get the instant gratification of winning your league(s) that night.

And you know that enthusiasm you have after drafting your fantasy team(s)? Well, you get to experience that feeling on a nightly basis with daily fantasy basketball.

OK, with the preliminary stuff out of the way, here are some value plays to consider for Monday (Feb. 24th) FanDuel leagues:

PG - Brandon Knight, Milwaukee Bucks (at PHI), $6,700: At roughly the average salary for the contest, Knight is a much better than an average option for tonight's games. After missing a game, Knight returned to drop 52 (FanDuel points, that is) against the league's best defense on Saturday. Tonight, Knight and the Pistons face the league's 30th-ranked defense in the Sixers (110.7 PPG allowed).

PG - Trey Burke, Utah Jazz (vs. BOS), $5,700: Burke has had three consecutive solid performances in a row. Averaging 33 minutes per game in that stretch, the rookie out of Michigan has scored 34.6, 38.7 and 31.6 fantasy points, respectively. During that span, he has averaged 17.0 points, 7.67 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 steal and only 1.0 turnover per game.

PG - Will Bynum, Detroit Pistons (vs. GS), $3,900: Bynum has been playing extremely well recently. Since the All-Star break, Bynum is averaging 12.25 points and 7.25 assists in four games.

SG - Vince Carter, Dallas Mavericks (at NYK), $5,000: Over his past three games, Carter has been productive with 24.9, 26.8 and 34.7 fantasy points, respectively. On Saturday, Carter scored 18 points and added six boards, five assists, a steal and block.

SG - James Anderson, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. MIL), $4,300: Anderson has played at least 30 minutes in each of his past three games. In those games, Anderson has knocked down eight treys to go along with seven steals.

SF - Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors (at DET), $5,300: Iggy has had back-to-back strong performances. In those two games, he has averaged 9.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.5 steals.

SF - Matt Barnes, Los Angeles Clippers (at NO), $4,200: Barnes followed up a strong Friday performance (15 points and seven boards) with an even better outing against the Thunder on Sunday. Barnes had 24 points, seven rebounds, two steals and assist in OKC on Sunday.

SF - Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors (at DET), $3,700: With David Lee (flu) expected to miss tonight's game, it should more minutes for Green again. With Lee out on Saturday, Green had the second double-double (career-high 18 points with 10 rebounds) of his career and added three steals and two assists in 38 minutes.

PF - John Henson, Milwaukee Bucks (at PHI), $5,600: Henson has played 25 minutes (or less) in each of his past two games, but he has the potential on any given night for big numbers if given the minutes. With both Larry Sanders and Ekpe Udoh out, Henson (and the Bucks) get a great matchup against the Sixers.

That said, if you're looking for bargains in order to load up with studs, this is the star-studded position for Monday night. In addition to Melo being the most expensive option, the next two highest-priced options tonight are power forwards as well: Blake Griffin ($9,900) and Anthony Davis ($9,800).

PF - Kris Humphries, Boston Celtics (at UTA), $4,100: With Jared Sullinger (concussion) out on Saturday, it appears that he won't play on Monday either. With Sullinger out on Saturday, Humphries took advantage: 19 points, eight boards, four dimes, two blocks and two steals in 36 minutes.

PF - Arnett Moultrie, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. MIL), $3,800: A former first-round pick, Moultrie got 31 minutes on Friday. With Spencer Hawes in Cleveland, Moultrie should continue to get extended minutes and put up roughly 20 fantasy points as a low-priced option.

C - Tyson Chandler, New York Knicks (vs. DAL), $5,500: Chandler has scored a total of 80.8 fantasy points in his past two games. While I wouldn't count on another 23-rebound performance like he had on Saturday, a double-double (plus) with a couple of blocks is close to a sure thing.

C - Enes Kanter, Utah Jazz (vs. BOS), $5,400: Frustration! That's probably the word best used to describe the emotion most experienced by Kanter's fantasy owners. That said, Kanter is getting minutes with Derrick Favors currently sidelined. In his past three games, Kanter has played 33-plus minutes each game. Not only does he have two double-doubles in that span, but he has scored 25 points in back-to-back games.

FanDuel leagues: Fantasy Basketball Games - Win Cash In Just 1 Day!

If you play in full-season leagues, check out my rest-of-season Fantasy NBA rankings or my waiver-wire post from yesterday.

Keep track of our Fantasy NBA updates by following us on Twitter, "liking" us on Facebook and/or adding us to your Google+ circle.

Consensus NBA Power Rankings, Week 18

Entering the 2013-14, the LeBron James-led Miami Heat were clearly the favorites to emerge out of the Eastern Conference in the playoffs.

Along with the Pacers (and the Nets to a lesser degree), the Bulls were one of the teams that seemed most likely to pose a threat to the Heat's potential opportunity for a three-peat.

Perception changed earlier in the season when Derrick Rose went down with another knee injury.

Via Sam Smith with the team's website, here are comments from Rose about the possibility of returning at any point this season for the Bulls and playing for team USA in the summer:

“For sure, if my leg is feeling healthy I’m all in,” Rose said about the USA Basketball invite for this summer’s pre World Cup tournament. ”Of course I want to play for that team. Playing for that team, I think, helped the year I won MVP, just getting in a groove. I’m excited if I am able to play in it.

“I haven’t even had a chance to think about it, to tell you truth,” Rose said about holding open the possibility of a return this season or in the playoffs. “I’m just worrying about my next stage in this process and that’s running. Right now I’m not. I’m on the Alter G (anti gravity treadmill) right now, running on that and hopefully I’ll be running without it pretty soon.

“I haven’t even asked; we haven’t even talked about it (a return schedule),” said Rose. “I just come every day, six days a week and try to do all my work and see how far it’s going to take me when I step back on the court.”

On Sunday, the LeBron-less Heat beat the Bulls by 14 points, but the Bulls aren't a team that should necessarily be counted out.

Even though they rank last in the NBA in scoring offense (92.5 points per game), only the Pacers (90.9 PPG allowed) have a stingier defense than the Bulls (92.3 PPG).

One of the league's most underrated players is Joakim Noah, who has been playing great lately.

Since January, Noah has averaged 13.54 points, 13.08 rebounds, 5.96 assists, 1.92 blocks and 0.88 steals per game. In his past seven games, he has double-digit assists in three of them and even had a triple-double earlier this month.

Compared to our power rankings last week, the Bulls have moved up from 13.00 to 10.50, which is just outside the top 10 in our power rankings. The Suns are currently 10th with an average ranking of 10.25.

- See our full 2013-14 NBA Power Rankings

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Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire (February 23rd Update)

With roughly two months left in the regular season, now is the time to make your push in your fantasy league(s).

Here are some players to consider adding and all are available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues:

PG - D.J. Augustin, Chicago Bulls (48 percent): It was an ugly performance for Augustin on Sunday. In fact, it was the worst shooting performance of his career as he was an imperfect 0-for-10 from the field against the Heat. Previously, his career-worst was an 0-for-8 performance.

In his previous two games, however, Augustin was 9-of-12 from behind the arc. And in 18 games from Jan. 15th to Feb. 21st, Augustin averaged 2.94 three-pointers per game and connected on 51.46 percent of his 103 treys attempted during that stretch. During that span, he has averaged 17.39 points, 5.06 assists and nearly a steal (0.94) per game.

PG - Patty Mills, San Antonio Spurs (31 percent): Over his past eight games, Mills has scored 16 or more points six times and he has averaged 18.88 points per game during that span. Mills has also averaged two treys and one steal per game while adding 3.88 rebounds and 2.38 assists per game.

PG/SG - Alec Burks, Utah Jazz (27 percent): Over his past 18 games, Burks has scored in double digits in 15 games and has averaged 16.6 points during that stretch. Averaging more than seven free-throw attempts per game over the stretch, he has been especially aggressive over the past five games with an average of 10.4 FTA per game.

PG/SG - Patrick Beverley, Houston Rockets (21 percent): Although he is not a big scorer, Beverley has averaged nearly two three-pointers (1.88) per game over his past eight games played. In addition, Beverley has also averaged two steals, 4.38 rebounds and 4.13 assists per game during that span.

PG/SG - Lou Williams, Atlanta Hawks (21 percent): In his past two games, Williams has averaged 14.5 points, 7.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. In addition, he has made six three-pointers as well.

PG/SG - Brian Roberts, New Orleans Pelicans (20 percent): Until Jrue Holiday returns, Roberts will continue to get the start at point guard. In his past eight games, Roberts has averaged 14.88 points, 4.88 assists, 1.5 three-pointers and 1.63 steals per game.

SG - Jodie Meeks, Los Angeles Lakers (50 percent): Back from injury, Meeks has connected only 4-of-14 three-point attempts over his past two games, but he has scored 17.5 points per game in those two games. Meeks is one of the league's better three-point shooters.

SG - Tim Hardaway, Jr., New York Knicks (22 percent): Hardaway's primary fantasy value comes from scoring and more specifically his three-point shooting. Over his past four games, Hardaway has made 11 three-pointers and averaged more than 15 points per game. In addition, Hardaway Jr. has played at least 30 minutes in five consecutive games.

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SG/SF - Vince Carter, Dallas Mavericks (32 percent): In February, Carter is averaging 11.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Over the past six games, Carter has knocked down three three-pointers three times and averaged 1.43 steals per game over that span.

SG/SF - Mike Dunleavy, Chicago Bulls (25 percent): Over his past six games, Dunleavy has averaged 6.5 rebounds, 1.33 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. While his scoring has been down in general, he has scored double figures in three of his past four games.

SG/SF - P.J. Tucker, Phoenix Suns (22 percent): Although he had a disappointing performance on Friday (four points and five rebounds), Tucker had three double-doubles in his previous four games. Since January 8th, Tucker has averaged 10.05 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.

SG/SF - Kyle Singler, Detroit Pistons (11 percent): Scoring double figures in 10 of his past 12 games, Singler has averaged 11.92 points per game during that span. In addition, he is averaging 1.58 steals and 1.92 three-pointers per game during that stretch.

SG/SF - James Anderson, Philadelphia 76ers (10 percent): Anderson has played more than 30 minutes in three consecutive games and has eight three-pointers and seven steals in those three games.

SG/SF - Kent Bazemore, Los Angeles Lakers (four percent): In 33 minutes on Friday, Bazemore scored 15 points and added three rebounds, four assists, two steals and two treys. Bazemore will move into the starting lineup on Sunday.

SF/PF - DeMarre Carroll, Atlanta Hawks (35 percent): On Saturday, Carroll scored a career-high 24 points and hit four three-pointers. In addition, he added six rebounds and two steals in 34 minutes.

PF - Mike Scott, PF, Atlanta Hawks (six percent): In his past two games, Scott has scored 50 points on 20-of-30 shooting from the field and 8-of-11 from behind the arc. For as long as Paul Millsap (knee) is out, Scott should be a productive fantasy option even if he's not shooting 72 percent from three-point range.

PF/C - Josh McRoberts, Charlotte Bobcats (30 percent): Over his past six games, McRoberts has knocked down nearly half of his three-point attempts (14 of 29). During that span, he has averaged 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.67 assists.

PF/C - Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns (42 percent): With the exception of a zero-point performance on Feb. 8th, Morris has scored in double digits in 16 of 17 games and is averaging 15.59 points and 5.88 rebounds per game during that stretch. In his past seven games, Morris is averaging more than a steal and block per game as well.

PF/C - Brandon Bass, Boston Celtics (41 percent): Bass has played at least 30 minutes in three consecutive games and he has scored in double figures in five consecutive games. In those five games, he is averaging 14.8 points and 6.2 rebounds.

For more assistance with waiver-wire decisions, check out my rest-of-season fantasy basketball rankings.

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Kevin Love gets first career triple-double

On Saturday night, Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love did something he had never done in his career.

Known for his double-doubles, Love recorded his first-ever triple-double against the Jazz with 37 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

At the All-Star break, we made some bold predictions for the second half and my "bold" prediction was that Love would average 30 points and 15 rebounds per game after the break.  (As I noted when making the prediction, no player has averaged 30/15 for a full season in the past 40 years.)

In two games since the break, he is averaging 39.5 points and 14.0 rebounds per game.

Love has scored 30-plus points in eight of his past 10 games and he has a streak of nine consecutive games with a double-double.

On the season, Love is averaging 26.37 points, 13.25 rebounds and 4.06 assists per game.  If he maintains those averages, it would be a career high in both points and assists.

NBA Poll: Who will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals?

With nearly half of their conference's 12 All-Stars, the Heat (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh) and Pacers (Paul George and Roy Hibbert) joined forces on Sunday to help lead the Eastern Conference to a win in the NBA All-Star Game.

Best of the East?

Who will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals? Indiana Pacers Miami Heat Other Team view results

As the "second half" is set to resume today, however, the Eastern Conference will essentially be a two-team race between those two squads.

At the moment, the Pacers (40-12) have the best record in the conference, but the Heat (37-14) seem less concerned about hosting a potential Game 7. The Raptors are a distant third in the standings (28-24).

Current odds to win the Eastern Conference (via Sportsbook.com): Pacers (5/6), Heat (1/1) and then Raptors and Nets are tied for third with 30/1 odds. The Heat will pick up after the All-Star Break with games against the Mavs on Tuesday and then the Thunder on Thursday. As great as Kevin Durant has been playing, he is expected to get back teammate Russell Westbrook for Thursday's showdown.

Could this be a potential NBA Finals preview? Or will the Pacers (or another team) represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals?

Vote on more of our polls:

• Who should be the No. 1 pick in 2014 fantasy football drafts?
• Who will be the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft?
• Which Bears WR should be selected first in fantasy drafts?

Consensus NBA Power Rankings, All-Star Break

With NBA All-Star Game upon us, we are now at the unofficial midway point of the 2013-14 NBA season.

In reality, we hit the midway point of the season about a month ago as all teams have played anywhere from 51 to 55 regular-season games so far.

Considering the break in action in the regular season, it seems to be a good time to request a bold "second-half" prediction from each of our rankers.

Without further ado, here are some bold second-half predictions:

John Trifone

My bold prediction will be that the Golden State Warriors will make the Western Conference Finals. Currently, the Warriors sit in the No. 8 spot, and the Grizzlies are just 1.5 games behind them. It's certainly plausible that the Warriors could miss the playoffs altogether.

The West, in general, is so deep, that picking any one individual team to navigate it seems like a bit of a bold prediction. The Rockets, for example, have propelled themselves up to the No. 3 seed, but as strong of a team as they have, I wouldn't be surprised if they made a first-round exit. It seems to me that just about anyone in the West could be one-and-done or make a run.

In fact, aside from Phoenix and Dallas, I wouldn't be surprised in the least at any of the other six teams advancing to the NBA Finals. As tough of a road as it will be, I think that the Warriors have the talent to make the Conference Finals and give the Thunder a real run, if that is indeed who they meet there. Who knows? If Kevin Durant cools down a bit, the Warriors may even win the series.

Kevin Hanson

My bold prediction is that T'Wolves forward Kevin Love will average 30 points and 15 rebounds per game for the remainder of the season. While that may not seem outrageously bold for Mr. Double-Double, the last time a player averaged 30/15 for a full season was Bob McAdoo for the Buffalo Braves 40 years ago (1973-74).

While I'm not predicting that he boosts his full-season averages to those numbers, the fact that nobody has done it in 40 years illustrates how difficult it would be to maintain that pace over a significant stretch of the season.

In his first 50 games this season, Love had seven 30/15 games. Looking at each of those stats on an individual basis, Love had 30-plus points in 16 of 50 games and 15-plus rebounds in 18 of 50 opportunities.

Sean Beazley

Here are a couple of bold predictions:

• The Knicks get the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference (not so bold), but they will beat the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs.
• The Heat sweep their way through the Eastern Conference playoffs, only to get swept in the NBA Finals by Oklahoma City.

Dan Yanotchko

This year, the MVP award will go to Kevin Durant rather than LeBron James, as Durant has been leading the Thunder to the league's best record even though the Thunder are missing All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook.

Durant has won the NBA scoring title three years in a row, and he is also on pace to win it for 2014 as well. At the All-Star Break, Durant has the following splits 31.5 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 5.5 APG and is shooting 41% from 3-point range. LeBron's splits are, 26.5 points per game, 7.0 boards per game, 6.6 assists per game.

Yes, King James has taken home the MVP award four of the last five years, but the way Durant is playing in absence of a star, will earn him his first MVP award.

- See our 2013-14 NBA Power Rankings at the All-Star Break here

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John Henson (foot) to miss Pelicans' game

Bucks power forward John Henson stepped awkwardly on the foot of Zaza Pachulia in the fourth quarter of Monday's game against the Celtics and did not return.

At a minimum, Henson won't be available to play on Wednesday night against the Pelicans, according to Andrew Gruman of Fox Sports Wisconsin.

In addition to Henson, the Bucks will also be without Ekpe Udoh, Larry Sanders, O.J. Mayo and Caron Butler on Wednesday.

This will be the 12th game that Henson has missed since Dec. 21st.

It's unclear whether Henson will be able to return directly after the All-Star Break or if he will miss more time.  When asked about Henson's return, Gruman responded, "Unknown yet. He's getting checked out today."

Over 40 games this season, Henson is averaging 11.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.

Patty Mills scores season-high 32 points

Coming off the bench, San Antonio Spurs point guard Patty Mills led the team in scoring with a season-high 32 points in only 25 minutes.

Mills connected on 10-of-13 shots from the field including four three-pointers and added seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.

In all five games this month, Mills has played between 20 and 25 minutes, but he has made the most of his playing time in his past few games.

Mills, who is currently owned in only six percent of Yahoo! leagues, has averaged 23.7 points and made 10 three-pointers in his past three games.

After missing the previous game, Tony Parker returned to the starting lineup and scored nine points on three-of-13 shooting.

Video: Marcus Smart pushes fan

It's unclear what was said by a Texas Tech fan to Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart; but we know how Smart responded to those comments.



With six seconds to go in the game, Smart ended up in the crowd after a shot-block attempt. When Smart got up, he took offense to the comments and let his frustrations get the better of him.

After pushing the fan (Jeff Orr), dubbed Texas Tech's "number one fan," Smart was assessed a technical foul but not ejected.

Jeff Orr to a #TexasTech friend of mine via text "I kinda let my mouth say something I shouldn't have,I feel bad" #MarcusSmart
— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) February 9, 2014

Not only did Oklahoma State lose tonight's game 65-61, but they have now lost four consecutive games.

While this incident seems out of character for Smart, it seems likely that the incident will lead to Smart missing a few games due to a suspension.

[Update: Smart was suspended for three games.]

Consensus NBA Power Rankings, Week 15

With Super Bowl XLVIII (already under way) tonight, the NBA had only one game on its slate today.

In a game featured two teams that now have a combined 29-69 record, the Celtics hosted (and beat) the Magic this afternoon.

One of the plays in the game that is definitely worth seeing again is Jeff Green's block on Arron Afflalo and you can see that play here:



Here are the NBA's top 10 "clutch shots" of January, which includes Orlando's Glen Davis at No. 10:



With shots also by Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Paul George, it was Toronto's Patrick Patterson that had the month's top clutch shot.

- See our 2013-14 NBA Power Rankings for Week 15 here

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