FanDuel NBA Daily Picks: Fantasy Basketball Lineup For January 7

Portland guard Damian Lillard is one of the most steady performers in FanDuel NBA tournament play, averaging over 40 fantasy points a night.

Any concerns about lingering effects of an ankle injury that kept Damian Lillard out for five consecutive games were erased Thursday night.

Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts kept Lillard on the court for nearly 36 minutes, with his inspired play carrying the team to a victory.

Lillard only needed 14 shot attempts to log 21 points, as he connected on 4-of-10 attempts from three-point range to go along with 10 assists and five rebounds. The outing was his fourth 20-point, 10-assist, five-rebound effort of the year, and his 11th performance with four or more made shots from three-point range.

For the year, Lillard is averaging 26.8 points, 6.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 made three-pointers per game.

Despite his lofty averages, Lillard could be snubbed from the Western Conference All-Star team for the second straight year.

The first returns of All-Star balloting has Lillard receiving 117,857 votes, sixth most among back court players in the conference.

Only performances such as his fantastic return from makes leaving Lillard off the roster, with the point guard position loaded in the Western Conference with Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul and James Harden all competing for spots, even more difficult.

While Lillard may not be a sure addition to the All-Star team, he is well deserving of a roster spot in FanDuel NBA leagues.

In his last 20 appearances, Lillard has posted 40 or more FanDuel NBA fantasy points on 10 occasions and is averaging 41.2 fantasy points per game, the 10th most in the league.

For Saturday night, Lillard is facing a Pistons team that surrenders an average of 22.6 points and 9.3 assists per game to opposing point guards, one of eight teams allowing the opposition to score 45 or more fantasy points to point guards.

Lillard’s stock in FanDuel NBA leagues has increased as of late because of his increased production setting up teammates for easy looks, as he has dished out 10 or more assists in three of his last four games.

With his exceptional scoring, assist, rebound and three-point numbers, Lillard is an ideal candidate for any FanDuel NBA lineup.

Top Four Point Guards Isaiah Thomas ($9,300) vs. New Orleans Pelicans Damian Lillard ($9,100) vs. Detroit Pistons Dennis Schroder ($7,300) vs. Dallas Mavericks Shelvin Mack ($4,100) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Rationale:

A 24-point effort from Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas Friday night against Philadelphia extended his 20-point scoring streak to 20 consecutive games, five more than anyone else in the league this season. Thomas is averaging 27.7 …

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