FanNation fantasy basketball picks for Wednesday, April 8

Fantasy basketball picks for Wednesday, April 8, including Lou Williams, Kawhi Leonard and Dwight Howard.

Ready to show your friends you know more about the NBA than they do? FanNation’s Basketball Throwdown fantasy basketball game is your best option. You pick a guard, forward and center who you think will exceed their fantasy projections. The scoring system takes into account points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals and turnovers. The team that out-performs its projections by the largest amount wins, so picking a lineup of Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Joakim Noah is no sure-fire path to victory. You can also bet anywhere from $1 to $500 on each night's matchup or play for free.

I'll give you my picks each day and a recap of yesterday's top performers so you can get bragging rights over your friends.

Sign up for tonight's Basketball Throwdown here.

Tuesday’s overachievers

Guard: Kevin Martin, Timberwolves, +28.0

Martin matched his season-high with 37 points in Tuesday’s high-scoring loss to the Kings. Despite making just three of his 11 three-point attempts, he scored 37 for the third time this season and added eight assists, five rebounds and a steal against the team that drafted him. The Timberwolves also got a combined 47 points from rookies Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, but still lost, 116–111.

Forward: Omri Casspi, Kings, +25.5

Casspi was on the other end of Tuesday’s barnburner between the Kings and Timberwolves. He scored a career-high 31 points, including 16 in the third quarter, while making 12 of his 20 shots and adding five rebounds, one assist and one steal. In addition to Casspi’s big night, the Kings also got 33 points from Rudy Gay to help snap a five-game losing streak despite playing without DeMarcus Cousins.

Center: Bismack Biyombo, Hornets, +25.4

With Al Jefferson out of the lineup, Biyombo got the start and recorded a double-double on Tuesday against the Heat. He made four of his six shots and piled up 12 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks, two steals and two assists. In his last six games, he has been a consistent contributor for Charlotte, averaging 8.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in 28.8 minutes. While Biyombo played well, the loss dropped the Hornets to two games out of the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference.

Today’s picks

Guard: Lou Williams, Raptors at Hornets, 7 p.m. ET

While the Raptors are sliding into the playoffs, Williams has beaten his projection in six straight games while averaging 19.5 points and 3.2 assists on 53.2% shooting from the field and 41.9% on three-pointers. In his first season in Toronto, he is averaging a career-high 15.4 points, despite playing just 25.0 minutes per game off the bench. The Raptors to have improved to No. 5 in scoring this season, but have fallen off on defense to No. 19.

Forward: Kawhi Leonard, Spurs vs. Rockets, 8:30 p.m. ET

The Spurs have won 18 of their last 21 games, and Leonard is playing like he did last June when he was named MVP of the Finals. During the Spurs’ surge, he has averaged 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals, 2.7 assists and 1.0 block while shooting 54.6% from the field and 42.6% from beyond the arc. With Leonard leading the way, the Spurs are primed for yet another deep playoff run this spring.

Center: Dwight Howard, Rockets at Spurs, 8:30 p.m. ET

Howard’s return from his latest knee injury has shown flashes of promise, particularly his 22-point, eight-rebound performance in just under 23 minutes against the Thunder on Sunday. While limited playing time has skewed his averages, Howard has shot 65.0% from the field in his first five games back. He should have no problem surpassing his miniscule 23-point projection on Wednesday against the Spurs.