Daily Fantasy NBA Player Picks for Thursday 3/22/12

Thursday night is usually not too busy in the National Basketball Association, but you can thank to the condensed schedule for a little more action than usual. If you get bored with the Sweet Sixteen action from the junior hoopsters, there will be plenty of interesting games on the pro hardwood. The Clippers-Hornets game has a lot of interesting fantasy situations, and it is the Jazz’s turn to beat up on the lowly Kings and their abysmal defense.

Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards 7pm ET

Pacers SG/PG Leandro Barbosa made his team debut Tuesday, and he played 18 minutes. He had 14 points with three assists off the bench. At $80K, he isn’t a bad play, but expect only 12-18 fantasy points unless injuries open up a more prominent role. PF Tyler Hansbrough ($73K) had 21 fantasy points Tuesday against the Clippers, and he has 16 or more fantasy points in five of the past six outings. Wizards PF/C Kevin Seraphin ($105K) had a nice little three-game run, but he came off the bench Wednesday against New Jersey. While he hit six of his seven shot attempts, he was limited to just 16 minutes thanks to the debut of PF/C Nene Hilario ($130K). You can go back to ignoring Seraphin for fantasy purposes.

Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks 8pm ET

Bucks PF/C Ekpe Udoh ($79K) posted 19 fantasy points Tuesday against Portland, even though he managed to play just 16 minutes. He racked up six rebounds, three assists and four blocks in the brief appearance. The Bucks might throw more playing time his way at some point, but for now expect no more than 10-15 fantasy points tops. Bucks PF/C Drew Gooden ($157K) has 25 or more fantasy points in eight consecutive games. Celtics SG Ray Allen ($102K) has multiple 3-pointers in seven of his past 10 games. He has managed 15 or more fantasy points in nine of his past 10 outings.

Los Angeles Clippers at New Orleans Hornets 8pm ET

Hornets C Chris Kaman has been on fire lately, posting 26 or more fantasy points in six consecutive outings. At $156K, he is a solid play. He might play with a little extra intensity against his former team, too. PF/C Gustavo Ayon ($86K) is a decent mid-level play, as he has 15 or more fantasy points in five of his past six games. He saw just 17 minutes in his last outing and still produced 16 fantasy points. Clippers SG/PG Randy Foye ($68K) bounced back with 23 fantasy points in 35 minutes against OKC Wednesday night. The solid performance came just one night after being a DNP-CD. He has 18 or more fantasy points in three of his past four games. The Clips are working swingman Nick Young into the lineup. He has 14 or more fantasy points in three straight. One night he started in place of Foye, the next night he spelled SF Caron Butler, who was simply given a rest. At $83K, Young is a decent play if he is going to be getting 30-35 minutes per game.

Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets 8pm ET

Rockets SF Chase Budinger ($84K) has managed 14 or more fantasy points in seven straight games, making him a decent mid-level play. He has been getting around 25-30 minutes per game during the span. Rockets PG Goran Dragic ($129K) continues to light it up, posting 20 or more fantasy points in nine consecutive outings, including an average of 30 fantasy points per game over his past three. Warriors SF Richard Jefferson ($85K) has 17 or more fantasy points in each of his first three games with his new team.

Utah Jazz at Sacramento Kings 10pm ET

Jazz PF Paul Millsap ($191K) has posted 28 or more fantasy points in each of his past 10 games. He should be plenty of damage against a Kings defense which is downright brutal. Jazz PG Devin Harris ($89K) is hard to figure out. He is either tremendous or awful. Lately, he has 20 or more fantasy points in four straight games, so ride him while he is hot. PF Derrick Favors was back to coming off the bench Tuesday with PF/C Al Jefferson ($164K) back from a personal absence. Favors still posted 21 fantasy points in 22 minutes. He has 21 or more fantasy points in each of his past four games. At $120K, he might be a tad overpriced since he’ll be back to 20-25 minutes off the pine. PF Earl Watson (ankle) is a game-time decision. Even at $55K, he isn’t worth the bother.

Memphis Grizzlies at Portland Trail Blazers 10pm ET

Grizzlies PF/C Zach Randolph ($127K) has managed 22 or more fantasy points in each of his three games back from a knee injury. His playing time has slowly crept up, as he saw 29 minutes in his last game Tuesday against Sacto. PF/C Marreese Speights has seen a decrease in fantasy appeal with Randolph’s return. He is averaging just 15 minutes per game off the bench in the past three, making him overpriced at $84K. Trail Blazers PF/C LaMarcus Aldridge ($134K) has managed 21 or more fantasy points in each of his past 10 games.