NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/10/17
*Mike Barner*
NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/10/17
POINT GUARDS
Damian Lillard, POR vs. BKN
FanDuel = $10,000
DraftKings = $9,400
Lillard has been stuffing the stat sheet on a nightly basis as he is averaging 25.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.3 three-pointers per game. His scoring has been off the charts of late as he has scored at least 32 points in four of his last five games. He is averaging 19 shot attempts and 8 free-throw attempts in 36 minutes per game on the season overall, giving him plenty of opportunities to continue to produce. The Nets are allowing the most points in the NBA, making this a juicy for Lillard.
Mike James, PHO vs. ORL
FanDuel = $5,500
DraftKings = $5,100
James has played well since taking over for Eric Bledsoe, averaging 12.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.3 three-pointers in nine starts. With Bledsoe now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks and the team preferring to bring Tyler Ulis off the bench, James’ role is pretty set going forward barring another trade. If you are looking for a cost effective point guard Friday, James is your man.
SHOOTING GUARDS
C.J. McCollum, POR vs. BKN
FanDuel = $7,300
DraftKings = $7,400
Although Jusuf Nurkic has been a valuable addition for Portland, they are only going to go as far as Lillard and McCollum can carry then. Like Lillard, McCollum has also excelled to start the season by averaging 23.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.3 three-pointers per game. He hasn’t really had an off night as he has scored at least 16 points in every game so far. I already detailed the struggles the Nets have on defense, making McCollum an excellent play Friday as well.
Lou Williams, LAC at OKC
FanDuel = $5,500
DraftKings = $5,200
The Clippers are dealing with several injuries Friday as both Patrick Beverley and Danilo Gallinari have already been ruled out while Austin Rivers is listed as questionable. That’s three key players in the Clippers rotation. Williams should take on a more prominent role as a result, giving him a great opportunity to provide a lot of value at this cheap price. He’s already averaging 14.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 three-pointers in only 23 minutes per game, so the extra minutes can really make him move the fantasy needle.
SMALL FORWARDS
Evan Fournier, ORL at PHO
FanDuel = $6,800
Draft Kings = $7,200
The Magic are off to a surprising 7-4 start and Fournier is a big reason for their success as he’s averaging career highs in points (20.5), rebounds (4.5), assists (3.6), steals (1.5) and three-pointers (2.7) per game. He has only scored less than 20 points in a game twice this season and is averaging 34 minutes per game, giving him a pretty high floor. The Suns are allowing 115.8 points per game, so look for Fournier to stay hot in this game.
Denzel Valentine, CHI vs. IND
FanDuel = $5,000
DraftKings = $4,300
The Bulls can’t seem to settle on a starting small forward as Valentine, Paul Zipser and David Nwaba have all started at the position this season. Zipser and Nwaba have logged the majority of the starts though as Valentine has only been a member of the first unit in one of their nine games. Nwaba is out with an injury and Zipser has not played well at all, so Valentine might be in for a larger role going forward. He has played at least 23 minute in each of the last three games, averaging 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.0 three-pointers per game. That’s great production for a player at this price, making him a strong value play against the Pacers.
POWER FORWARDS
Blake Griffin, LAC at OKC
FanDuel = $8,400
DraftKings = $8,600
As I already mentioned, the Clippers will be limited in the players they will have available for this game. Griffin has been stellar even with the team at full strength as he is averaging 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 2.1 three-pointers per game. The increase in three-pointers is impressive as he had never averaged more than 0.6 per game heading into this season. The Thunder are struggling right now, losing four games in a row. They are extremely thin up front, so they really don’t have anyone capable of guarding Griffin. Get him in your lineup and enjoy the ride.
Luke Babbitt, ATL at DET
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $3,700
The Hawks are in full rebuild mode, leaving them with a roster with limited talent and depth. Add that to injuries to both Ersan Ilyasova and Mike Muscala and you get Babbitt playing at least 25 minutes in four straight games. He has taken advantage of the extended playing time by averaging 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 three-pointers per game over that stretch. You won’t have to pay much for his services against the Pistons, making him a viable value play for your entry.
CENTERS
Andre Drummond, DET vs. ATL
FanDuel = $10,200
DraftKings = $8,800
The Hawks don’t have much size up front, which is a recipe for disaster against Drummond. Drummond has grabbed at least 12 rebounds in every game this season and has failed to log a double-double only three times. Not known as much of a passer, he has surprisingly dished out at least four assists in a game six times already this season. With the type of production he provides and the lack of resistance, he should see from the Hawks centers, pay up for Drummond.
Aron Baynes, BOS vs. CHA
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $4,300
Al Horford missed the Celtics last game against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a concussion, resulting in Baynes taking over as the starting center. While he only played 23 minutes, he was highly efficient as he scored 21 points to go along with eight rebounds and three assists. Horford will be out again Friday, leaving Baynes with another start. He may be needed to log even more minutes against Dwight Howard, making him a great cheap option at center.