These fantasy basketball picks will lead you to the top of the leaderboard!

Here is the recap from a crazy Friday night. Remember, studs and duds are determined based off of return on salary, not total points.

Studs: Rajon Rondo (42.75), Reggie Jackson (44.50), Michael Carter-Williams (28.25), Donatas Motiejunas (19.75)

Duds: Kawhi Leonard (26), Roy Hibbert (17.25), Anthony Davis (38.25), Anthony Morrow (16.25)

Today’s Top Plays

Guard:

Stephen Curry ($18,650) vs Charlotte – In DFS, you need to have a short memory, and I have just that. Curry is still the best shooter in the game, and one of the best all-around players. A matchup with Kemba Walker and Charlotte has me giddy like a kid on Christmas morning. Walker is a terrible on-ball defender, and has been torched all season long my elite talent. Curry is the best of the best and I expect him to play like it tonight. Many DFSers will be off him after two mediocre performances, but not me. 

Damian Lillard ($15,600) vs Brooklyn– Damian Lillard vs Deron Williams. Any questions? Needless to say, Brooklyn is near the bottom of the league in defending opposing PG (26th), and Lillard has been nothing short of electric recently. He has averaged 28/8/4.5 over his past two games, and didn’t even play the fourth quarter against Denver. This matchup is tremendous, and I’ll be playing Lillard as much as humanly possible.

Kyle Korver ($11,900) vs Cleveland – My, how the tables have turned. Once considered a player who was only valuable for his skills beyond the arc, Korver has emerged as a legitimate weapon in the Atlanta offense. He has posted 17/10/6 and 12/6/7 in his last two games, and provides a tremendous value at this price against a team who just allowed 121 points to Boston last night. The Cavaliers are still searching for their identity on the defensive end of the floor, and they have no elite defenders on the perimeter. Look for Korver to continue his solid production tonight.

Zach LaVine ($5,000) at Dallas – LaVine is still sitting at minimum salary, and draws a great matchup against Jameer Nelson and Dallas tonight. The Mavericks rank 24th against the PG this season, and LaVine is an instant plug and play for me at this price. His production hasn’t been great, but he is seeeing nearly 30 minutes on the court for minimum salary. If he reaches 15 FP, you’re thrilled. Anything above that is just a bonus.

Forward:

Blake Griffin ($16,500) vs Phoenix–Quick, guess who the worst team in the league against PF is so far this season? If you guessed the Suns, you’d be correct. Griffin is a superstar with the talent to take over a game at any time. His last two matchups against weak interior defenses resulted in 49.75 and 50.50 FP. You know what to do. Fire up Griffin as one of the top plays of the night, especially considering his price, which is nearly $4,000 lower than LeBron James’ price. 

LeBron James ($20,250) vs Atlanta – Trivia time again! Which player for the Hawks has a chance defending “The King” on any part of the floor? The answer is nobody. LeBron has shouldered the load for the Cavaliers over the past three games, and he is completely locked in, with 50, 61.25, and 56.50 FP in his last three games. If this game stays close, I wouldn’t be surprised to see LeBron come close to a triple-double in this one. He is expensive, but he is still the best player in the world in a great matchup. There are better values, but James’ ceiling is still the highest.

Chris Kaman ($8,650) vs Brooklyn – His minutes are a concern, but at this point in the season, he has my vote for 6th man of the year. In his last three games, he has posted 89.50 FP in just 59 minutes. While this sort of production is unsustainable, he has been playing like a man on a mission off the bench in Portland, and I’ll be rostering him in my tournaments tonight for these reasons. 

Center:

Andrew Bogut ($11,200) vs Charlotte – Primarily known for his tremendous defense down low, Bogut has thrived in the new offense in Golden State. With 5 assists in each of his last two games, he is beginning to show more value in daily fantasy. He posted a 14/11/5 line against Brooklyn last time out, and while those numbers may be optimistic, he draws a solid matchup tonight against Al Jefferson, who is known for his ability to stretch the floor, not his defense. Look for Bogut to be a big part of the Golden State attack down low and put up a nice stat line tonight.