NBA Expert Picks Preview: Wednesday, March 18th
Glean insight from the best minds in the industry as they list picks they’ll actually be targeting in their tournament games, along with detailed analysis and reasoning.
Author Disclaimer: Please remember, these picks are not necessarily safe for your 50/50-H2H games. They are intended to separate yourself from the herd in an attempt to be contrarian and different. The most logical outcomes don’t always play out on a given NBA slate, so we are looking for the guys that may surprise, that few will roster.
Wednesday, March 18
Point Guard
Jeff Teague – Teague hasn’t been particularly productive lately, but tonight’s matchup with the Warriors will likely have some fireworks. Golden State is a tremendous team defensively, but given they play at such a fast pace, opposing players can have some big games against them anyway, assuming the games stay close. I see no reason to think the Hawks, one of the best teams in the NBA, won’t keep this close until the end. Last time these two teams met, the game was extremely high-scoring, and I’m expecting the same thing yet again. With people focusing on Reggie Jackson and Kyle Lowry coming off huge games, and of course trying to fit Russell Westbrook into their lineups, Teague will fly under the radar tonight.
George Hill – Hill is a bit too expensive for me to target in anything outside of GPPs, but like Teague, I imagine he’ll fly under the radar tonight. Since Aaron Brooks took over as the starting point guard, the Bulls have been atrocious against opposing point guards. It’s not surprising, given Brooks is a terrible defender. Hill has done an admirable job filling the offensive void that Paul George left this season, and while his usual production doesn’t justify this salary, the fact that he has well over 40 point upside certainly does. This game projects to be low-scoring, but someone has to score the points, and nobody else in that Pacers starting lineup appears to want to take on that role on a consistent basis.
Shooting Guard
Victor Oladipo – I think many players are going to see the Mavericks as 12.5 favorites and write off using and Orlando players. While that’s certainly the smart play in cash games, we all know that things like the Knicks beating the Spurs in overtime can happen, and thus, nearly every scenario is in play when you’re building a GPP lineup. It sure seems like Dallas should roll over Orlando, but they might not, and if they don’t, Oladipo is probably in line for a big game.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – For some reason, people were on Jodie Meeks last night, but nobody talked about KCP. It’s not like KCP has been great or anything, but Meeks has been borderline awful this season, and there’s just no reason ever to target an unproductive bench player over a starter that at least has the possibility of having a big game. With Greg Monroe back, KCP’s shots may go down, but he’s had several big games with all of the starters before, and a matchup with the Sixers and their miserable perimeter defense is a good spot for him to do it again. He’s not a viable cash game option on a big slate, but he can be a cheap source of 30 fantasy points, and this puts him in play in GPPs.
Small Forward
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