Daily Fantasy Basketball: FanDuel Values for March 14th

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 Friday's games, Timberwolves ($11,800) 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 Friday (March 14th) FanDuel leagues:

PG - Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs (vs. LAL), $6,600: Despite the favorable matchup against the Blazers, Parker had a disappointing performance on Wednesday with only 17.3 fantasy points (nine points, five assists, four rebounds and four turnovers). In his previous two games, Parker had 35-plus fantasy points and gets another favorable matchup against the Lakers to redeem himself. Only the Sixers and Cavs have allowed more fantasy points to opposing point guards.

PG - George Hill, Indiana Pacers (at PHI), $4,800: In his past two games, Hill has averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Tonight, Hill and the Pacers face the Sixers and Hill has a great opportunity to exceed the 29.05 fantasy points he's averaged in those two games.

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SG - Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs (vs. LAL), $4,800: Even though he played only 18 minutes on Wednesday, Ginobili scored 27.2 fantasy points and he now has at least 24.9 fantasy points in three consecutive games. The Lakers allow more fantasy points to opposing shooting guards than any other team in the league.

SG - Austin Rivers, New Orleans Pelicans (vs. POR), $3,700: Rivers has seen 26-plus minutes in back-to-back games and he has produced with at least 24.9 fantasy points in each game. In those two games, he has avergaed 13.5 points,7.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

SF - Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs (vs. LAL), $6,400: The theme continues as another Spur with a fantasy-friendly matchup vs. the Lakers makes this list. In his eight games since returning from injury, Leonard has scored more than 25 fantasy points in all eight games played. During that stretch, Leonard has averaged 14.63 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.38 steals and 1.5 blocked shots.

SF - Ryan Kelly, Los Angeles Lakers (at SAS), $4,500: Kelly continued his hot streak last night with 28.8 fantasy points against the Thunder. During a three-game stretch, he has averaged 35.5 fantasy points per game. Even though the Spurs are tough against small forwards, he's still worth consideration here due to his modest salary and (recently) immodest production.

SF - Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors (vs. CLE): Green has a much more favorable matchup than Kelly as the Cavs have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards. Green does a bit of everything and he has scored more than 20 fantasy points in five of his past six games.

PF - David West, Indiana Pacers (at PHI), $6,700: At roughly the average cost of a nine-man FanDuel starting lineup, West is an above-average option. Over his past 10 games, West has averaged 31.94 fantasy points per game. The Sixers have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards.

PF - Amir Johnson, Toronto Raptors (vs. MEM), $5,200: With Patrick Patterson out, Johnson should be in line for another productive outing at his modest cost. Johnson has scored 36.0 and 37.3 fantasy points in his two most recent games and has averaged 18.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.0 steals per game.

PF - Thomas Robinson, Portland Trail Blazers (at NOP), $4700: With LaMarcus Aldridge (back) out for tonight's game, Robinson should see an increase in minutes against the Pelicans. As we saw with a game last month, Robinson showed his potential for a monster game (14 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks in 33 minutes vs. MIN). If Robinson gets 20-plus minutes vs. the Pelicans, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards, Robinson could deliver for DFSers.

PF - Drew Gooden, Washington Wizards (at ORL), $3,500: In his past four games, Gooden has played only 17 to 19 minutes per night, but he has averaged nearly 20 fantasy points (19.83) per game. The Magic have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season.

C - Miles Plumlee, Phoenix Suns (at BOS), $4,100: Plumlee has averaged 26 minutes and 24.65 fantasy points in his past two games. In those two games, he has averaged nearly a double-double (10.5 points and 9.5 rebounds) and a block per game.

C - Henry Sims, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. IND), $3,900: Of course, Sims is not going to give fantasy owners 20 points, 10 boards, three assists, three steals and two blocks every night like he did on Wednesday against the Kings. That said, Sims has played 20-plus minutes in eight consecutive games and has scored at least 20 fantasy points in three of his past five games.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball: FanDuel Values for March 6th

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, Thunder PF Kevin Durant ($12,100) 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 (March 6th) FanDuel leagues:

PG - Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder (at PHO), $7,700: In only 20 minutes against the Sixers, Westbrook recorded a triple-double (13 points, 10 rebounds, 14 assists) and added three steals for a total of 46 fantasy points. In a game that should be more competitive, Westbrook shouldn't sit out the fourth quarter tonight like on Tuesday.

PG - Darren Collison, Los Angeles Clippers (at LAL), $5,600: While I have a Chris Paul-Westbrook PG combo in most of my FanDuel leagues for tonight, Collison is a (much) cheaper option. With Jamal Crawford considered to be "doubtful" for tonight's "road" game, Collison will once again get a ton of minutes. In 40 minutes on Tuesday, Collison finished with 18 points, five assists and three steals.

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SG - Kent Bazemore, Los Angeles Lakers (vs. LAC), $4,800: In 35 minutes on Tuesday, Bazemore tied his Lakers high with 23 points and added four rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal. Coincidentally, he tied his highest total of fantasy points (35.3) as a Laker and he now has 20-plus fantasy points in five consecutive games.

SG - Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs (vs. MIA), $4,700: Even though Ginobili will likely see only 20-something minutes, he has now scored more than 20 fantasy points in four consecutive games. During that four-game stretch, he has averaged 14.25 points, 6.75 assists and 1.25 steals per game.

SF - Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs (vs. MIA), $6,200: In his four games since returning from injury, Leonard has scored a minimum of 27.9 fantasy points each game and has more than 30 fantasy points in three of those outings. He is averaging 15.25 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game during that span.

SF - Matt Barnes, Los Angeles Clippers (at LAL), $5,300: Like Collison, Barnes played 40 minutes on Tuesday and will benefit from Crawford's likely absence tonight as well. Barnes scored 28 points and added six boards, two assists, a steal and a block for 41.2 fantasy points on Tuesday. Even when he played only 24 minutes against the Pelicans on March 1st, Barnes still scored 31.2 fantasy points.

SF - Perry Jones, Oklahoma City Thunder (at PHO), $3,700: Jones got the start against the Sixers and had a productive outing: 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 29 minutes. Even with the addition of Caron Butler, Jones should continue to see around 25 minutes per game while Thabo Sefolosha is out and is a solid value with a cost barely above the game minimum.

PF - Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns (vs. OKC), $5,700: Morris is coming off a disappointing performance of nine points, four rebounds and four turnovers against the Clips on Tuesday. That said, he had scored 30-plus fantasy points in his previous two games and in his previous five of six games.

PF - Boris Diaw, San Antonio Spurs (vs. MIA), $4,900: With back-to-back games of 31 fantasy points, Diaw has scored 21-plus fantasy points in nine of 10 games. In his past four games, Diaw has averaged 11.5 points, 5.75 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.25 blocks and 0.75 steals per game.

PF - Marcus Morris, Phoenix Suns (vs. OKC), $4,000: The other Morris twin has been productive recently. Like his brother, he had a down game on Tuesday, but he had scored 29-plus fantasy points in his previous two outings. At only $4,000 and with only three games on Thursday, Morris is a solid option at PF.

C - Tiago Splitter, San Antonio Spurs (vs. MIA), $4,500: Based on his current pattern of alternating between 25-plus fantasy points and less than 15 fantasy points, he is due for a 25-plus night. Of course, that pattern is purely a coincidence, but the Heat have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season, which could bode well for the Brazilian.

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

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

Daily Fantasy Basketball (March 2nd): DraftKings Bargains

If you play daily fantasy sports (and who isn'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 DraftKings leagues, rosters consist of eight players and the salary cap is $50,000, which averages to roughly $6,250 per player. To give you an idea of the range for Sunday's games, Thunder SF/PF Kevin Durant ($11,300) has the contest's highest salary while many are tied for the lowest at the game-minimum salary ($3,000).

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 Sunday (March 2nd) DraftKings leagues:

PG/SG - Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic (vs. PHI), $6,900: With eligibility at either guard spot in DraftKings leagues, Oladipo is only the 10th-highest priced point guard-eligible player. Despite an off game against the Heat last night, Oladipo racked up 40.25 fantasy points against the Sixers on Wednesday with 17 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

PG - Jose Calderon, Dallas Mavericks (at SAS), $5,600: Over his past five games, Calderon has averaged 12.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game. Although Tony Parker is expected back today, the Spurs have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season.

PG - Tony Wroten, Philadelphia 76ers (at ORL), $4,700: Wroten has gone to the free-throw line at least nine times in three of his past four games. During that four-game stretch, Wroten has scored 18.5 points and averaged 28.0 fantasy points per game in DraftKings formats.

PG/SG - Reggie Jackson, Oklahoma City Thunder (vs. CHA), $5,100: With Thabo Sefalosha (calf) out on Sunday, Jackson should see an uptick in minutes. Sefalosha left Friday's game early and Jackson played 34 minutes. Especially so in FanDuel leagues, where his salary ($7,400) is $900 less than what it is in DraftKings' contests ($8,300), I really like Russell Westbrook today. That said, I could see the potential of Westbrook playing less than his normal amount of minutes in what could turn out to be a blowout against the Bobcats as well. Based on odds from Sportsbook.com, the Thunder are nearly double-digit favorites over the Bobcats.

SG/SF - Mike Dunleavy, Chicago Bulls (vs. NYK), $5,300: Over his past three games, Dunleavy has averaged 35.8 fantasy points per game. During that stretch, he has averaged 17.67 points, 6.67 boards, 3.67 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

SG/SF - Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs (vs. DAL), $5,200: Especially due to his defensive stats, Leonard has had two productive outings in a row since missing 14 straight games. With 36.0 and 33.0 fantasy points against the Pistons and Bobcats, respectively, Leonard had a total of five steals and four blocks in those two games in addition to 27 points, 14 rebounds and five assists.

SG/SF - James Anderson, Philadelphia 76ers (at ORL), $4,400: Only five teams have allowed more fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season than the Magic. Anderson has at least 25 fantasy points in two of his past three games.

SF - Maurice Harkless, Orlando Magic (vs. PHI), $3,600: With 30-something minutes per night over his past three outings, Harkless has been relatively productive with a minimum of 23.75 fantasy points during that stretch. With the 76ers coming to town today, Harkless may improve upon those numbers (although that low of 23.75 fantasy points was against Philly on Wednesday).

SF/PF - DeMarre Carroll, Atlanta Hawks (at PHO), $5,100: In his past three games, Carroll has played 34-plus minutes per game and has knocked down nine of 18 three-point attempts. Carroll has 37-plus fantasy points in two of those three games.

PF/C - Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic (vs. PHI), $7,800: Vucevic played only 23 minutes last night, but he finished with his third consecutive double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds). During that span, he has averaged 43.08 fantasy points per game that included 49.75 against the Sixers on Wednesday. Vucevic has now scored at least 33 fantasy points in eight of his past nine games.

PF/C - Elton Brand, Atlanta Hawks (at PHO), $5,200: With Paul Millsap out again on Sunday, the good times may continue to roll for Brand. Brand has at least 34.25 fantasy points in back-to-back games and he has averaged 8.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.5 blocks and 1.5 steals in those two games.

PF/C - Kyle O'Quinn, Orlando Magic (vs. PHI), $4,100: Despite playing only 22 minutes last night, O'Quinn also had a double-double (14 points, 15 rebounds) against the Heat. In fact, he hasn't played more than 24 minutes in any of his past four games, but he has scored 24-plus fantasy points in three of those games. In his past four games, he is averaging 9.0 points, 8.25 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.25 blocks and 1.0 steals per game.

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For those interested in FanDuel leagues, I posted some FanDuel values earlier this morning here.

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

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

NBA Predictions for the 2013-14 Season

With NBA preseason under way and the start of the regular season only a few weeks away, Kyle Baillargeon makes his predictions for NBA awards and playoffs below:

2013-14 NBA Postseason Award Winners

MVP - LeBron James, Miami Heat

I wouldn't be surprised to see Derrick Rose here if he leads the Bulls to one of the best records in the league, if only because MVP voters have shown that they tend to grow tired of giving the award to the same person over and over again.  That said, LeBron is the clear frontrunner for MVP.  The Heat will be in the championship hunt once more, but Dwyane Wade isn't getting any younger, and this team still looks pretty thin outside of LeBron.  I expect James to have the best statistical season of his career, with his fith MVP to boot.

Most Improved Player - Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

Leonard already started to make the leap last year, especially in the playoffs.  With the Duncan/Manu/Parker era winding down in San Antonio, Leonard stands to become the face of the franchise's next era of basketball.  Entering his third year in the league, he has plenty of room for improvement and could very well become a household name before the season is over.

Sixth Man of the Year - Tyreke Evans, New Orleans Pelicans

Evans could certainly start in New Orleans, but a backourt rotation of Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon, and Evans could be devastating.  The big question would be if Evans is willing to sit to start each game. But if he can get over that, then he would be a huge contributor off the bench.

Don't be surprised, however, if a member of the Brooklyn Nets winds up with this award.  The expectation is that one of either Paul Pierce or Andrei Kirilenko will come off the bench this year.  If it turns out to be Pierce, then the award will be his.

Rookie of the Year - Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings

McLemore will have plenty of opportunity to light it up on the court, and that's what he does best.  Greivis Vasquez will be looking his way often.  The Kings still have work to do to become a contender, but McLemore will prove himself to be a great piece to the puzzle.

Defensive Player of the Year - LeBron James, Miami Heat

James is so good at everything, that it seems easy to overlook how dominant he is on the defensive end.  One of his personal goals has been to win the award, and hopefully voters will finally recognize what many smart observers in the league already know: LeBron James is unquestionably THE best defender in the league.

NBA Finals Predictions

Eastern Conference Finals - Miami over Chicago in 7 games

As long as LeBron James is at the height of his powers, there is no reason to believe that anyone will stop Miami.  This Chicago team will have an overwhelming defense, and combined with a returning Derrick Rose could very well go on to a number one seed in the East.  I fully expect both teams to pummel their competition all the way to one of the biggest heavyweight battles the NBA has seen in years.  This one could go either way, but ultimately the tie-breaker goes to the team with the greatest player of the last 25 years.

Western Conference Finals - San Antonio over Los Angeles Clippers in 6 games

It might be a little overzealous to send the Clippers to the WCF in Doc Rivers' first year at the helm, but this team does have Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, along with a good bench.  Once Doc figures out his rotation, and as long as the team buys in to playing legitimate defense, the Clippers could knock on the door of the title.  That said, the Spurs will not go down without a fight.  Greg Popovich is smart enough to understand exactly what his team needs and when, and his team should be healthy and well-rested leading into the playoffs.  He knows he needs to save the firepower for the playoffs, and they should be able to make it through the tough Western Conference one more time in their Big Three era.  Once these two squads meet, Popovich's knowledge of his own team, combined with Tim Duncan's front-court dominance and Tony Parker's ability to go toe-to-toe with Chris Paul, will lead the Spurs to victory.

NBA Finals - Miami over San Antonio in 7 games

It may seem like a cop-out to go with the repeat in the Finals, but after last year's amazing seven-game set, is anyone going to complain about seeing it again?  As stated before, it wouldn't make sense to pick against LeBron James.  He is the best in the world and will lead the Heat to victory again.

Soon, we will release our 2013-14 fantasy basketball rankings.

Visit our NBA home or follow us on Twitter (@HitTheBoards) for updates.

2011 NBA Mock Draft, 2.0

The 2011 NBA Draft is roughly 72 hours away.

Here is the latest update of our mock draft from Kyle Baillargeon, our NBA Draft guru, (see his first mock) with plenty of changes throughout:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers - Kyrie Irving, Duke (discuss pick): Irving has the potential to be an all-star caliber point guard. In an era of great point guards, Cleveland would be smart to start rebuilding around one of their own.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves - Derrick Williams, Arizona (discuss pick): I still think Minnesota will wind up making a trade here. If that doesn't work out, however, expect them to take Williams and look to trade someone out of their front court (likely Beasley, if anyone is willing to take him). Rubio to Williams doesn't sound so bad in Minnesota.

3. Utah Jazz - Brandon Knight, Kentucky (discuss pick): The Jazz will look to start from scratch at the point guard position and it looks like Knight gets the edge over Kemba Walker.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers - Enes Kanter (discuss pick): The Cleveland dream scenario is gone now that Minnesota has taken Williams. Expect them to go with Kanter to beef up their front court.

5. Toronto Raptors - Jonas Valanciunas (discuss pick): Colangelo loves international players, and with his recent extension he has the kind of security to make this pick. Also, Toronto doesn't have a good center on the roster.

6. Washington Wizards - Tristan Thompson, Texas (discuss pick): The Wizards can pair Thompson up with JaVale McGee and potentially trade Andray Blatche for some help elsewhere. The team is still in the early rebuilding stages, and Thompson is a good building block here.

7. Sacramento Kings - Kemba Walker, Connecticut (discuss pick): While Knight isn't available in this version of the mock draft, Walker can come in and allow the Kings to move Tyreke Evans to the SG position where he belongs.

8. Detroit Pistons - Bismack Biyombo (discuss pick): The Pistons will hope that Biyombo can be another Ben Wallace. Thankfully, the original Ben Wallace is already in Detroit and hopefully he can take the beast from Congo under his wing.

9. Charlotte Bobcats - Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State (discuss pick): New GM Richard Cho will try to make a splash by taking a player we had in the top three in our last mock. Charlotte would be very happy to see Leonard slide this far.

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Alec Burks, Colorado (discuss pick): Burks could give Milwaukee an explosive tandem in the backcourt for years to come.

11. Golden State Warriors - Marcus Morris, Kansas (discuss pick): Morris is a bit on the smaller side, but that won't hurt him as much in the run-and-gun Golden State offense. He can also inject some much-needed toughness into the front court.

12. Utah Jazz - Jan Vesely (discuss pick): Vesely could very likely be gone at this point in the draft, perhaps even to Utah with the third pick. But if he somehow falls this far, expect Utah to snatch him up.

13. Phoenix Suns - Chris Singleton, Florida State (discuss pick): Singleton can give Phoenix a strong perimeter defender from the start. While Singleton has a lot of work to do on the offensive end, who better to learn from than Steve Nash?

14. Houston Rockets - Jimmer Fredette, BYU (discuss pick): Jimmer may seem like a bit of a head-scratcher here, but are Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic really the point guards of the future in Houston? Not likely. Jimmer would be an upgrade for Houston, and likely just the first of many moves by Daryl Morey this offseason.

15. Indiana Pacers - Klay Thompson, Washington State (discuss pick): The Pacers will hope that Thompson becomes their point guard of the future. There is a chance he won't be, but he can shoot and could at the very least be a good role player.

To see the rest of our first-round NBA Mock Draft, click here. Or for our NBA Mock Draft database, click here.

2011 NBA Mock Draft, 1.0

The NBA Finals will end June 14th (or earlier if the series does not go seven games) and then all attention will turn to the 2011 NBA Draft, which will happen in Newark (NJ) on Thursday, June 23rd.

At least, it will be all of the good attention considering the NBA's current labor deal ends on June 30th and there is the threat of a shortened 2011-2012.

Back to the good stuff, here are the first ten picks of our 2011 NBA mock draft from Kyle Baillargeon, our NBA Draft guru:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers - Kyrie Irving, Duke (discuss pick): Irving has the potential to be an all-star caliber point guard. In an era of great point guards, Cleveland would be smart to start rebuilding around one of their own.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves - Enes Kanter, International (discuss pick): We can't predict trades, but we expect Minnesota to trade out and someone else to come in and take Derrick Williams. Assuming Minnesota stays with this pick, however, Kanter is the guy here, as the Wolves are already set at SF and PF.

3. Utah Jazz - Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State (discuss pick): The Jazz would rather have Kanter, for sure. But he's gone. Andrei Kirilenko will be gone soon, and the Jazz can use this pick to get their SF of the future.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers - Derrick Williams, Arizona (discuss pick): A dream scenario for Cleveland, this will allow them to not only build around two potential studs, but also trade J.J. Hickson for some help elsewhere.

5. Toronto Raptors - Jonas Valanciunas, International (discuss pick): Colangelo loves international players, and with his recent extension he has the kind of security to make this pick. Also, Toronto doesn't have a good center on the roster.

6. Washington Wizards - Tristan Thompson, Texas (discuss pick): The Wizards can pair Thompson up with JaVale McGee and potentially trade Andray Blatche for some help elsewhere. The team is still in the early rebuilding stages, and Thompson is a good building block here.

7. Sacramento Kings - Brandon Knight, Kentucky (discuss pick): Knight gives the Kings a chance to move Tyreke Evans to the SG position where he belongs. Kemba Walker is an option, but Knight looks to have the bigger upside.

8. Detroit Pistons - Bismack Biyombo, International (discuss pick): The Pistons will hope that Biyombo can be another Ben Wallace. Thankfully, the original Ben Wallace is already in Detroit and hopefully he can take the beast from Congo under his wing.

9. Charlotte Bobcats - Kemba Walker, Connecticut (discuss pick): The Bobcats have a penchant for taking known collegiate products in the draft. It hasn't really worked out for them, but Walker is an immediate upgrade over D.J. Augustin.

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Chris Singleton, Florida State (discuss pick): The Bucks could use a strong permimeter defender, and Singleton would help immediately. He needs to work on his offensive game, but that could come with time and hard work.

Click here to view the rest of the first round in our 2011 NBA Mock Draft. Or, to see more mocks from around the internet, check out our 2011 NBA Mock Draft Database.