NBA Lineup Optimizer Picks for 02/23/17

James Leer

We’ve been waiting oh so long, but it’s finally here; The triumphant return of the terribly missed NBA. Teams have been shuffled and the trade deadline is ticking to its demise. (Keep an eye out for any roster changes up until 3 P.M.) After tons of hype and Twitter explosions, we finally get to see what the Pelicans look like with the powerful duo of DeMarcus Cousins & Anthony Davis on the court. Will they make a deep run into the playoffs? I can’t wait to find out.

PG

Darren Collison vs. DEN- $5500 FD – $7400 DK
Projected Points – 30.76 FD – 32.5 DK
With Cousins now a part of the Pelicans you will see Collison’s usage rate spike. Collison has seen over 40 minutes in 3 of his last four games. The Nuggets offer up an excellent matchup as they have given up the 2nd most DK & FD points to PG this season (second only to the Nets). Make sure you lock him in your FD lineups with the substantial price of difference of nearly $2k.

Kemba Walker @ DET – $7700 FD – $7700 DK
Projected Points – 40.62 FD – 43.56 DK
Kemba Walker has been playing at his prime the last couple of games before AllStar break. In the last matchup vs. DET, he scored 44.9 FD points, which just so happens to match up perfectly with his ceiling. On top of this, he has been playing an enormous amount of minutes with 40.8 mins in his last three games and 35.4 mins over his last 16. Look for Walker to have a peak performance tonight.

SG

James Harden @ NO – $12600 FD – $12500 FD
Projected Points – 59.32 FD – 66.05 DK
With the Pelicans trading some of their best defenders, this matchup becomes increasingly appetizing. I know that you may have some reservations with the salary being so high, but you can fully expect the floor for Harden to be around 60/70 FD/DK Pts. All of the fantasy eyes are going to be watching intently as Cousins/Davis rack up the points for the Pelicans. Harden should counter-balance and bring the pain as he decimates what is left of the New Orleans backcourt.

Evan Fournier vs. POR – $5400 FD – $6000 DK
Projected Points – 27.79 FD – 29.9 DK
With Ibaka now to the Raptors, Fournier is going to be put into a bigger role for the Magic. With a discount on FD, you can feel secure locking him into most of your lineups. He has hit 33.3 DK Points in his last four home games and 27.4 over his last 9. I fully expect him to hit projected on both sites.

SF

Trevor Ariza @ NO – $5300 FD – $5600 DK
Projected Points – 26.46 FD – 28.44 DK
Even though the Rockets have been shuffled around, with the arrival of Lou Williams, I don’t expect it to eat into the minutes of Ariza that much. As a defender, he is one of the best on the team. As an offender, he has a moderate floor while staying fairly consistent. Even though his upside is limited, he torched the Pelicans last game putting up 33.5 FD pts.

Kevin Durant vs. LAC – $10300 FD – $9400 DK
Projected Points – 50.35 FD – 52.91 DK
You might have some trouble today finding players at the SF position. With that said, you can always count on the reliable Kevin Durant. You may have to pay up a bit, but his high floor and ability to push through ceilings on any given night makes him one of the best at his position. Don’t be surprised if he’ll earn you 60+ DK pts tonight.

PF

Frank Kaminsky @ DET – $6000 FD – $6300 DK
Projected Points – 31.59 FD – 33.61 DK
Kaminsky has been tearing up the courts as of late, and the price hasn’t yet reflected the damage that he’s been doing. Leaving defenders scratching their heads, Kaminsky has been able to take full advantage of his role. The ceiling is high (~40), and he has been getting 36.8 mins in his last three games.

Channing Frye vs. NY – $5400 FD – $5500 DK
Projected Points – 28.31 FD – 30.98 DK
With the Cavs now getting no (Kevin) Love, you can expect Frye to become a staple in lineups until his price increases. His monstrous game vs. MIN shows that he is a big guy that can post up and also throw up a three-pointer. The Knicks defense will struggle to stop him along with the rest of the Cavs tonight.

C

Nikola Vucevic vs. POR – $7200 FD – $7100 DK
Projected Points – 40 FD – 43.25 DK
Once again the Ibaka trade should come into play here, look for Vucevic’s usage rate to increase. The last time out vs. the Trailblazers he absolutely crushed their squad with 53 FD Points. He has been one of my favorite go-to options for tournament plays as he has stayed relatively low-owned with a solid ceiling. So don’t tell anyone, but I highly recommend Vucevic in GPP’s tonight.

G. Hernangomez @ CLE – $5800 FD – $5700 DK
Projected Points – 32 FD – 35.25 DK
Some individuals, for whatever reason, seem to be better away players than home. With 36.88 DK Pts over his last six away games, Guillermo Hernangomez is one of them. With Joakim Noah ruled out, he should get more than enough minutes to roster him in GPP’s & Cash. Beating his projection in each of the last two meetings I expect him to do more of the same tonight.