Hoops Habit
Fansided

FanDuel NBA: Best Picks And Lineup For Dec. 7

By Michael Yaffe

Nov 11, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) breaks away from Philadelphia 76ers guard Isaiah Canaan (0) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Toronto Raptors won 119-103. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 11, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) breaks away from Philadelphia 76ers guard Isaiah Canaan (0) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Toronto Raptors won 119-103. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 7
Next
Dec 2, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) helps forward Ryan Anderson (33) get up off the floor after a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 2, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) helps forward Ryan Anderson (33) get up off the floor after a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

Read on for the top four picks at each position for FanDuel NBA and a sample lineup:

The Western Conference has dominated the headlines so far this season, and deservedly so. The Golden State Warriors are still undefeated, the San Antonio Spurs are perfect at home (no one in the East can even make that claim), the Oklahoma Thunder are back to their full complement of players, the Memphis Grizzlies have righted the ship, the Los Angeles Clippers are treading water and the Dallas Mavericks have exceeded expectations after scrambling to field a competitive lineup at the 11th hour.

After those six teams, everyone else in the conference is either .500 or below, so the concerns about the suddenly diluted playing field still fester. Although the elite teams have still performed as anticipated (if not better), the second tier’s “stronghold” on their current seeding is tenuous at best.

That leaves the door open for the New Orleans Pelicans to get their act together and stake their claim to the field of sixteen. Had the season ended on Saturday, the Houston Rockets would have been the eighth seed, and Alvin Gentry would probably take the fall for not being able to coax more wins out of a team that had Anthony Davis healthy for the majority of games despite the rash of injuries elsewhere.

Friday night’s OT victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers was a bold step in the right direction, as the team barely withstood a vintage LeBron James performance in the fourth quarter and needed a buzzer-beater from Jrue Holiday (of all people) to set up the extra frame.

More from Fantasy Basketball

From a Fantasy NBA standpoint, the take-home lesson is that Anthony Davis appears to have a higher ceiling with his full complement of teammates. Unlike Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and James Harden, whose upsides seem to rise when they are tasked with doing more with less, the Brow seemed to profit from finally having Tyreke Evans on the wing.

It’s too early in his career to declare Davis as unfit to be a one-man show, but in DFS play his $11,200 cost can still be justified (if not made more viable) when the team is closer to full strength.

Tonight on NBA TV, the Pelicans host a Boston Celtics team that is fourth overall in Defensive Rating (99.5) but surprisingly fourth worst against opposing power forwards on FanDuel NBA, so the stage is set for another pterodactyl-worthy performance from Davis, and hopefully there will be more forthcoming as New Orleans looks to justify last season’s ascendance to the playoffs.

Elsewhere, the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards will be playing their second consecutive game and their third in four nights, so that favors the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls (7-2 at home), Charlotte Hornets (8-3 at home) and Miami Heat (10-3 at home), respectively.

While the Heat have been particularly formidable at the AmericanAirlines Arena, the Bulls have the benefit of facing a Suns team that could be road weary in the finale of a six-city tour, in addition to dealing with their condensed schedule. The forthcoming ratings will reflect those mitigating factors.

Next: Top Four Point Guards