One game with a good amount of fantasy potential is the matchup tonight between the number one and number three teams in the Eastern Conference. The 20-11 Pacers, only 2.5 games behind the Raptors, had their 7 game win streak broken last night in a 92-91 at-the-buzzer loss to the 8-23 Cavaliers. Tonight they will be looking to come back from that disappointing loss as they travel to Toronto for the start of a short two game road trip, while the 23-9 Raptors will be looking to end their current two game losing streak, having suffered losses on the road to the Trailblazers and the Nuggets. 

Victor Oladipo ($8,700/40.10 FPPG) returned to the court last Wednesday after missing the previous 11 games with a knee injury. With him playing around 32 minutes per game with an average 16 points, 6 rebounds and 7.5 assists since his return to the lineup four games ago, his rebound and assist averages appear to have bounced back quickly (average 7.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists pre-injury) but he still needs to put in some work and take some time to help regain his pre-injury scoring average of 24.4 PPG. He also hasn’t had any trouble at all picking back up where he left off in regards to fantasy points with above 30 FP in all four games, including a 57.1 FP showing in the Pacers victory against the Knicks on Sunday. While it may take a little bit for him to get fully back to his pre-injury playing levels, Oladipo has already showed great progress, making him a valuable addition to fantasy lineups tonight. 

With the Raptors plagued by injuries, Kawhi Leonard ($9,700/46.02 FPPG) has seen an uptick in his already high usage lately with 37 and 38 minutes in the two games since he returned to the lineup after a minor injury of his own. In the Raptors loss against the Nuggets on Sunday, Leonard put up a double-double with 29 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. Except for a few scattered instances, performances like this one have been common for Kawhi this season, whose average 26.3 points per game makes him the leading scorer for the Raptors as well as the 8th ranked player overall in the league for average PPG scored. Leonard has had impressive fantasy performance this season, finishing with 40 FP or above in 73.7% of the games he has participated in since October 30th including two games above 60 FP. With the Raptors  relying on Kawhi even more than usual, he is a solid choice for fantasy players looking for a dominant pick to add to their rosters tonight.

For fantasy players looking for a value pick to add to their lineups, Fred VanFleet ($5,200/21.17 FPPG) might just fit that bill. While VanFleet was out of Sunday’s matchup due to a back injury, it appears that he will start tonight in place of the injured Kyle Lowry. The last time he was in this role he played for 37 minutes, put up a season high 21 points and was also able to add 4 rebounds and 8 assists for 33.8 fantasy points. His scoring has been pretty inconsistent this season, but he will definitely see his playing time increased tonight which will give him more time on the court to put up points. While VanFleet might not be a fantasy player’s first choice on a normal day, with the injuries on the Raptors team thrusting him into a bigger role and his last performance as Lowry’s replacement in mind he is worth looking at as a low priced pick tonight and if he doesn’t pan out Fanduel drops the lowest scoring player in a lineup so he doesn’t add much risk but the upside is substantial. 

Both teams in this matchup will be desperately seeking a win. While the Raptors are still the top team in the East, with their last two games ending in a loss for them they will be working hard to win tonight so they can keep their advantage against the number two Bucks, who only trail them by 1.5 games. The Pacers, who are the number three team in the East will be looking to close their 2.5 game gap to the top while also attempting to recover from an embarrassing loss against the Cavs last night. No matter what team a fantasy player is rooting for, the picks on both sides of this matchup will definitely leave it all on the court tonight as they look to lead their teams to victory. 

Tonight in the NBA there are two games that offer good potential for fantasy players. The Lakers, looking to end their road trip on a high note after a tough 18 point loss in Washington on Sunday, are taking on the Nets in Brooklyn and the Western Conference leading Denver Nuggets will be looking to extend their three game win streak as they face off with the Dallas Mavericks in the Mile High City.  

With Rajon Rando and Brandon Ingram both out with injuries, Lonzo Ball ($6,800/25.95 FPPG) has been taking on an increased role with the team and has also been working to become more important to the offensive production of the Lakers. Still fresh off his triple-double in Charlotte, Lonzo wasn’t as hot with a 10 point game in Washington on Sunday but he helped the offense in other ways, putting up 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks and 3 steals. As far as fantasy performance goes, with the exception of one poor showing in Memphis he has been pretty consistent this month, scoring above 30 fantasy points in 62.5% of the Lakers games in December, including a season high 59 FP in his triple-double game. With Lonzo playing an average 33.4 minutes this month, he should have plenty of time tonight to put his offensive skills to the test against a Nets team that is 22nd in the league in defensive rating. 

For fantasy players that want to take  advantage of the Brooklyn side of this matchup, Joe Harris ($4,900/22.00 FPPG) is a decent pick for those looking for a good value. He is coming off a strong performance in the Nets victory against the Hawks, where he put up 16 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists and a steal. The 6 assists tied a season record for him and even though he hasn’t been Brooklyn’s highest scorer, he has been one of the team’s most consistent shooting guards. With an average of 14.2 points in the six games he has played this month he doesn’t have the highest ceiling but is still averaging 25.4 fantasy points in that same period. This combined with his low price makes him a valuable addition to fantasy lineups tonight. 

For those looking to play in contests later tonight, the Mavericks and Nuggets matchup offers many valuable additions to fantasy rosters. Jamal Murray ($8,100/31.62 FPPG) is a pick that has the ability to offer a lot of upside for fantasy players. He was one of the factors that helped ensure Denver’s late comeback from a double-digit deficit against Toronto on Sunday with his strong finish, scoring 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. He has had a strong offensive presence this month, shooting around 40% for an average 18.6 points per game and also averaging 5.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists. His fantasy showing this season has also been strong. He has put up above 30 fantasy points in 48% of games this season while averaging 34.6 FP in the month of December making him a secure pick with great potential for tonight’s fantasy lineups.  

For those willing to take some risk in their lineups, Harrison Barnes ($5,600/26.24 FPPG) is a player that definitely carries some risk on the low end but could still end up being a decent addition to fantasy lineups tonight. While his accuracy has been lower this season, he is still averaging 18.1 points in December along with an average 3.9 rebounds in the same span. This month, Barnes hasn’t had the highest fantasy points with only two games above 30 FP, but with an average 25.2 FP across the team’s previous eight games he remains a viable option especially if he can improve his accuracy and work on getting more rebounds. 

With the Lakers looking to finish their road trip strong in Brooklyn after a disappointing loss and the Nuggets working to strengthen their lead in the West and extend their three game win streak in a home game against the Mavericks, tonight’s games offer up plenty of potential to build a great fantasy lineup with. Whether looking for young talent, more experienced players, players on a streak or players trying to improve, all of these picks and more are available for fantasy players tonight making these matchups sure to be entertaining for all. 

Today’s NBA games offer many opportunities for fantasy players looking for matchups with good potential. Whether it’s the Lakers and Wizards with Lebron and Lonzo coming off their triple-double game, the top tier matchup between the conference leading Raptors and the Nuggets in Denver, or the Kings at the Mavericks, who are looking to recover from their loss to the bottom of the barrel Suns, all these matchups offer up picks with good potential for fantasy lineups. 

As the Wizards try to topple the Lakers in DC tonight, Bradley Beal ($8,300/38.66 FPPG) is one player that offers great potential and a high point ceiling for fantasy lineups. In the month of December, Beal has been on fire, having three games where he has scored above 30 points and overall averaging 27.9 points while playing an average 39.3 minutes. Looking at the fantasy side, he has picked up above 40 fantasy points in 41% of his matchups while also offering little downside, having never picked up below 25 FP so far this season. Overall Beal is a solid pick for those looking to take advantage of this matchup. 

In the Mile High City, Monte Morris ($5,200/21.46 FPPG) will continue working in his bigger, more central role as injuries take their toll on the Denver team. His performance in the Nuggets last two games showed that he can handle this role, with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assist against the Grizzlies and 14 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals against a strong OKC team. If he can keep up in tonight’s game, fantasy players can look for him to score at least 30 fantasy points, something he has done in his team’s last three games. While he comes with some risk due to some less than stellar performances this season, Morris still offers enough upside and value to fantasy players due to his increased role and should be considered a must pick for those looking to play this matchup. 

Luka Doncic ($7,900/33.35 FPPG) will be working hard tonight to help the Mavericks avoid another loss after falling last game to the Suns, who are ranked last in the West. Doncic hasn’t been very consistent in scoring in December, but his assists and rebounds have been helping to keep him relevant as far as fantasy points go. In the Mavs game against Orlando earlier this month, Doncic only scored 7 points but still came away with 34.7 fantasy points due to his 11 rebounds and 9 assists. If he can get his accuracy up and score more points he will only become more valuable for Dallas and fantasy players alike. While Doncic has had some troubles lately, he has scored above 30 fantasy points in 65.4% of his performances making him a decent pick for fantasy players willing to risk to downside. 

On the other side of the Sacramento and Dallas matchup, Buddy Hield ($6,300/29.55 FPPG) offers a more stable and consistent pick for those unwilling to risk it on Doncic’s recent accuracy woes. Hield has been great this season from long range, connecting on 42.9% of his three pointers and currently ranking 10th in the league with 79 of them. In the month of December he has averaged 20.6 points, 4 rebounds and 2.3 assists, yielding fantasy players an average 29.8 FP. His accuracy from the three and steady rebounds along with consistent fantasy points and a low price make him a value pick that will be a great addition to any fantasy lineup. 

Today’s NBA slate offers unique fantasy potential. With all the different scenarios around the league such as a top tier team like Toronto looking to avenge their earlier loss to Denver at home, or the Mavs looking to come back after embarrassment brought on by the Suns, fantasy players can choose from a plethora of different picks. Some of these players are taking different roles due to team injures, others are looking to improve from poor performances and others still are looking to keep up their stellar play. Whatever scenario or game is chosen, tonight’s NBA games are sure to be interesting matchups for both causal watchers and die-hard fantasy players. 

Tonight’s matchup between #4 Gonzaga and #12 UNC offers fantasy potential for players looking for a Top 25 matchup to play. Gonzaga has to win this game to avoid a back to back loss, something they haven’t had since 2014. North Carolina, who has gone 1-2 in non-conference matchups this season is going to be looking for a win today to add to their resume alongside a blowout win against UCLA. UNC is also the last ranked opponent on Gonzaga’s schedule, so the Bulldogs will have to make sure to take advantage of a less than stellar UNC defense to ensure they pick up this much needed win. 

One player with great fantasy potential in tonight’s game is Gonzaga’s Brandon Clarke ($8,700/36.69 FPPG). So far this season, Clarke has averaged 16.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Tonight, he will be looking to put up a similar performance to the one he had in Gonzaga’s loss against Tennessee, where despite the loss he put up 21 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals. His fantasy performance this season has also been solid. In all but two of his games, he has put up above 30 fantasy points and also has four 40+ FP games including a season high 50.6 FP in Gonzaga’s second game this season.  

Another Gonzaga player worth looking at is forward Rui Hachimura ($8,200/32.58 FPPG). He has put up an average 22.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game this season. In his last 5 performances he has played an average 33.4 minutes, with an average 21.4 points per game in that same period. His fantasy potential has stayed steady throughout this season, with many high fantasy point games. His fantasy points dropped slightly in the team’s loss against Tennessee from the prior two games but overall he still remains a solid pick, with five totals in the 30 – 40 FP range and his overall dominant offensive performances to vouch for him. 

UNC also offers fantasy players a pick in this matchup with Luke Maye ($7,800/28.00 FPPG). Maye hasn’t put up the highest totals this season, but he has supplied consistency. His average points sit at 13.7 PPG but his rebounds are where he really shines with an average 9.4 rebounds per game. In UNC’s loss against Michigan, he had a season high 15 rebounds, which also brought him a double-double due to his 11 points. His fantasy performance this year only has two performances early in the season above 30 FP, but he has been consistently in the high 20s which offers fantasy players a decent alternative to those picks which might be more expensive and less consistent. 

With both Gonzaga and UNC needing a win in this matchup, they will be sure to use their players to full potential. Gonzaga will need to use their offensive tools to take advantage of the Tar Heels weak defense, while UNC will have to throw everything they have at the Bulldogs to avoid another non-conference loss. Overall, the players that these teams will have on the court and the circumstances of both teams desperately needing a win makes this game a must watch Top 25 matchup that offers top potential for fantasy players. 

Tonight will be the first night that the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets have met since the “fight game” on October 20th where Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo and Brandon Ingram all received suspensions as a result. Since then, the Rockets season has been in a downhill tumble. They are currently 12-15 which makes them the 14th out of 15 teams in the Western Conference, the only team behind them being the 4-24 Suns. Meanwhile, with Rando and Ingram injured and James averaging the most points per game since the 09-10 season while playing on the fewest average minutes of his career, the Lakers have improved to 17-10 after a slow start. Currently they are only 1.0 game behind the Western Conference leading Warriors and Nuggets. In this contest the 5.5 point underdog Lakers will look to stay hot on the road because despite the Rockets inability to pick up wins, James Harden is still averaging 30 points and 8.8 assists per game.

With Clint Capela in an offensive slump with only 12 or 13 points in his last three games and James Harden a very expensive fantasy pick, Chris Paul ($8,200/38.02 FPPG) offers fantasy players an alternative. Even though he only scored 11 points in his last game, his passing and assists helped propel him to his first triple double of the year, finishing with him scoring 50.2 fantasy points. Despite his inconsistency in shooting, his passing and rebounds have certainly stayed steady so he still offers fantasy players the potential for high fantasy points especially if he can get his scoring back on track.

Kyle Kuzma ($7,900/29.91 FPPG) certainly seems to have been on a streak lately. In the Lakers last game against Miami, Kuzma played for 39 minutes and scored 33 points, the second highest points total for his season. Since the beginning of December he has averaged 25.0 points per game and has four games where he has played above 30 minutes. He also has above 39.0 fantasy points in every one of his December matchups, making him a solid choice for players that are looking for a value pick that has lots of potential and a high ceiling for fantasy points. 

The landscape on the court is much different for this game than the last time these two teams faced off. The Lakers have picked up the pace and improved a lot since their 0-2 record at the time and the Rockets season is in a downward slump. In this Western Conference matchup, fantasy players will be looking less for brawls and more to take advantage of Lebron’s average points being the highest in 8 years, Kyle Kuzma’s current streak, James Harden’s 30 point average and Chris Paul’s high assists and rebounds. 

Tonight the Brooklyn Nets take on the Philadelphia 76ers in Philly. Even with Jimmy Butler doubtful due to a groin injury, the 19-9 76ers will look to extend their 14-1 home win streak against the 10-19 Nets. Even though Brooklyn is tied for the most clutch games in the league, they haven’t been able to finish what they start. They are only 5-12 even when they have brought the margin to five points or fewer in the game’s final five minutes. Philly will also look to take advantage offensively of a Nets team that is only ranked 21st in the league in defensive rating. 

Even with the many problem the Nets are facing in their season they still have some players with decent fantasy potential, especially with Spencer Dinwiddie ($6,000/27.29 FPPG). The last time these two teams met, Dinwiddie came off the bench for 28 minutes and scored 31 points, including going 4-5 from the three point line. He might not be the highest scorer, but so far this season for fantasy players he has been a pretty consistent pick for those looking for a player to put up an easy 20-30 fantasy points 

On the 76ers side, Ben Simmons ($9,200/41.12 FPPG) provides a rather expensive but high fantasy scoring potential. With an average of 15.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game, he definitely appears to be a solid choice against an anemic Brooklyn defense. He has some very solid fantasy achievements so far this season, with many 40 and 50 fantasy point games and a season high game of 64.3 FP. Overall he has high caliber potential for fantasy players looking to take advantage of this matchup. 

Tonight also offers a late night fantasy matchup between the NBA’s elite. The 19-9 Golden State Warriors, who are the top team in the Western Conference and a strong favorite to make it to the NBA finals will take on the Eastern Conference leading 22-7 Toronto Raptors in Oakland. The Golden State Warriors are ranked number one for offensive rating while the Raptors are in the third place spot, only 1.2 points behind. This game will be fast paced, high scoring and have early implications for deciding who is the dominant team in the league. 

For fantasy players looking for an affordable yet high performing player for Golden State, Klay Thompson ($6,800/33.47 FPPG) is a good option. In 11 of his last 12 games, he has put up 20 or more points per game. In his last game he struggled from the two but made 51.7% of his shots from past the three point line. His fantasy performance has been been filled with consistent 30 fantasy point and above performances, including a 30.1 FP performance the last time the Warriors took on the Raptors.

With Kawhi Leonard questionable due to a bruised right hip, Kyle Lowry ($7,600/36.61 FPPG) will look to follow his high-caliber performance yesterday against the Clippers. In that matchup he recovered from a zero point game on Sunday, putting up 21 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. He has struggled some this season but hopefully for the Raptors and tonight’s fantasy players he will keep up with the 41.5. FP he scored against the Clippers and stay away from his dismal 16.5 FP performance against the Bucks. 

With the leading team in the East traveling to take on the leading team in the West, fantasy players have a huge amount of choices for top tier fantasy players. Whether they want to spend high or look for a value player, the players they choose and the two teams they play for are bound to put up a competitive and exciting matchup. 

The matchup between the #17 Villanova Wildcats and the Penn Quakers will be one of this weeks most interesting contests as it offers many top offensive performers on both sides.

The 8-2 Penn Quakers team, the top team in the Ivy League, have experienced a significant loss with the season-ending injury of sophomore guard Ryan Betley. Betley, who was expected to be a major offensive factor for the Quakers, fell in the first five minutes of the the team’s season opener. Despite this setback for Penn, his replacement, Bryce Washington ($3,900/11.26FPPG) has been performing quite well with a team high 46.7% from the three point line. The most important fantasy performer for the matchup on the Penn side is senior guard Antonio Woods ($5,500/18.86FPPG), who has an average of 10.4 points per game and has put up above 14 FPPG in every one of the matchups he has played in so far this season. Junior Devon Goodman ($6,200/22.89FPPG) is another player with lots of fantasy potential. He has averaged above 15.2 points per game so far this season with 40.9% shooting from the three and 61.1% from two, making him a pick  with a lot of potential value relative to his fantasy price.

Villanova had two early season losses against a #5 Michigan team and a #23 Furman team but have since recovered to go on a six game win streak. They will definitely put up tough competition though as they look to extend their season win streak to 7 games and their Big 5 win streak to 26 games. The team’s top performers as well as a top fantasy pick for this matchup is Phil Booth ($7,300/24.07FPPG). Booth leads the team with an average 15.6 points per game and over 3 average rebounds and assists per game as well. He only has three games this season where he picked up below 20 fantasy points, has 2 games above 30 FP and a season high of 40.1 FP in Villanova’s win against Quinnipiac earlier this season. Another top fantasy pick for those playing this matchup is Collin Gillespie ($5,800/19.14FPPG), who has averaged 10.7 points per game for the Wildcats this season. He has played over 30 minutes in the team’s past four games where he also averaged 12.25 points and will look to put up a similar performance in tonight’s matchup.

Overall this game, with Villanova looking to extend their streak and both teams looking to improve to 9-2, offers fantasy players many potential picks with huge upsides for those looking to play tonight’s college basketball slate.