The NBA never fails to surprise – whether it’s Blake Griffin breaking his hand in an altercation with a Clippers equipment manager or the Warriors nearly losing to the woeful 76ers, there are countless reasons to turn on the T.V. to the Association every night. However, all that plays second fiddle to the thrill of fantasy basketball betting, and there is still time to cash out before the All-Star break. Much can be learned from last week, and all that information can be used next week to improve as a player and increase your payout. Have a look at the roundup of the action in NBA Week 14 to see how you could have performed and how it could help you in the future.
The Toronto Raptors extended their streak to 11 straight wins, and their dominance is no fluke. Their 4-0 record this week did not come easy, with wins over the Clippers, Wizards, Knicks, and Pistons all at the Air Canada Center. The backcourt duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan has proven itself to be the most potent in the Eastern Conference, and their bigs aren’t too shabby either. Both guards are attractive DFS options, with Lowry being the more consistent player and DeRozan the streak-shooter. The most impressive part about the success of the Raptors is that they have won all these games without the help of DeMarre Carroll, their starting small forward who they picked up in free agency last summer. The Raptors are establishing themselves as a top team in the NBA, and more and more they look like a scary team to face in the playoffs right now.
Yes, you read that correctly – the Golden State Warriors were tied with the Philadelphia 76ers with just seconds left in the game. They led by 19 at halftime on the road, but let Philadelphia back into the game by getting outscored 33-17 in the fourth quarter. However, it was Harrison Barnes to the rescue as the sharp-shooting small forward drained a three from the corner with less than a second left in regulation, ending the game and securing a nail-biting victory for the Warriors. After heating up during the month of January, Stephen Curry’s numbers have dropped off in the last three games and his play should be closely monitored going forward before picking him for daily fantasy basketball contests. Curry has scored just 13, 24, and 14 points in those contests.
Week 14 has seen many of the NBA’s stars fall back down to Earth following some crazy stretches with ridiculous numbers. Paul George scored just 11 and 19 points in his last two games this week, and both of those games were at home against mediocre defenses in the Hawks and the Nuggets. DeMarcus Cousins scored 17 points twice in his last three games after averaging over 30 for the month of January. Though Kemba Walker received the Eastern Conference player of the week in Week 13, he scored only 14 and 15 points in back to back contests last week, a far cry from his 52 and 40-point games the week before. To top it off, Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves put up only five points in a loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday. It just goes to show that you can’t always rely on a player’s reputation or popularity when you’re building your fantasy basketball lineup – the results are what matter.