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Squad Up Daily NBA Fantasy Dose: Pair high-usage veterans with fill-in fliers

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NBA fantasy picture for Saturday, December 3:

Dynamic Duos

  • SG DeMar DeRozan (84K) & PG Kyle Lowry (78K), Raptors (vs. Hawks): The Raptors backcourt has combined to score 48.9 points per game while also racking up the assists, rebounds and steals. Where there is some overlap in skill, the sheer volume of playing time they monopolize ensures an equally high volume of fantasy production.
  • PG Damian Lillard (82K) & SG C.J. McCollum (72K), Trail Blazers (vs. Heat): The Heat rotation has tightened up with a number of significant injuries, with only nine players seeing the floor in their most recent outing. Miami sees the fewest 3-point attempts against per game, but that will change against the Blazers' star back court, who will do whatever it takes to avoid Hassan Whiteside in the paint.
  • PF Julius Randle (60K) & SF Brandon Ingram (41K), Lakers (at Grizzlies): The two young forwards combined for 25 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and a block against Toronto, but Randle only logged 22 minutes in that contest. They have a chance to take advantage of a beat up and aging Grizzlies frontcourt. At an average cap hit of 50.5K, they offer tournament value upside.

Bargain Plays

  • SF Joe Johnson (36K), Jazz (vs. Nuggets): The potential for a continued absence from both George Hill and Rodney Hood saw the Armadillo Cowboy Joe Johnson play 32 minutes, scoring 18 points and adding four assists and three rebounds. If that duo sits again, expect more extended run from the seven-time All-Star.
  • SG Hollis Thompson (26K), 76ers (vs. Celtics): Robert Covington hurt his knee while diving for a loose ball last night, meaning Thompson could even draw a rare start. In games where he's been afford 10-plus shots, Thompson has averaged 15.7 points per game. If his outside shot is falling, he can fill the box score in garbage time.
  • PG Jose Calderon (25K), Lakers (at Grizzlies): Calderon only logged 17 minutes in the blowout loss to his old team last night. The Grizzlies' backcourt is even more banged up than the Lakers'. Calderon is a handful of 3-pointers and assists from returning tournament value at the minimum price on Squad Up.

Top Fades

  • SF Kevin Durant (92K), Warriors (vs. Suns): It's hard to see Durant seeing an extensive workload in what should be a blowout. The Warriors' forward has averaged 39.3 MPG over his past four games. He might come out hard in the first quarter to avenge Thursday's loss to Houston, but he won't log enough minutes to come close to returning value at his price.
  • C Hassan Whiteside (88K), Heat (at Trail Blazers): As the most expensive center on the slate, expectations are high, but Whiteside could disappoint. No offense is built from the outside-in quite like the two-headed attack of Lillard and McCollum, and misses on long shots often lead to long-rebounds. It's hard to see Whiteside posting his typical 15 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in Portland.
  • Greg Monroe (50K), Bucks (vs. Nets): Monroe's playing time has been volatile, but since the Bucks' most recent game came in Brooklyn, it stands to reason that the 20 minutes he saw on Thursday night is representative to how he will be deployed on Saturday. When he's in Jason Kidd's doghouse, Moose is almost a guaranteed bust.

Contrarian Options

  • C Dwight Howard (81K), Hawks (at Toronto): Howard won't be afforded his usual spacing with Paul Millsap sitting out, but he's been a thorn in Toronto's side for years, averaging 20.5 points and 11.6 rebounds in 33 career games. Jonas Valanciunas has had particular difficulty dealing with Howard despite the latter being past his physical prime; in Dwight's most recent visit to Toronto, he dropped 21 and 11 on JV and the Raptors.
  • SG Nicolas Batum (57K), Hornets (vs. Timberwolves): Batum will have his hands full guarding -- and being guarded by -- Andrew Wiggins for much of Saturday's tilt. That said, the T-Wolves are playing the second half of a back-to-back while the Hornets are rested, so as a mid-tier cash game target, Batum could still have his typical well-rounded outing.
  • PF Ersan Ilyasova (47K), 76ers (vs. Celtics): With Joel Embiid sitting out, the defensive pressure against Ilyasova will be greater. That said, the absence of Embiid will mean that Jahlil Okafor could play extended minutes. With spotty range from the center position, the 76ers will need Ilyasova's outside scoring touch to stay afloat.

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