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NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/30/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/30/17

Point Guard

Kyle Lowry
FD $7,500 DK $7,600

Welcome to a 9-game slate full of high totals, low totals, and plenty of injuries. We start things off with a late night Kyle Lowry. Lowry and the Raptors travel into Portland to face off with a Lillard-led Blazers squad. Lillard might be the face of this team, but it’s only because 1 side of the ball. And it isn’t defense. The Blazers have ranked in the bottom of the league against PG’s since Lillard joined the team. They allowed the 3rd most FP last year and this season hasn’t started much better. We’ll also see a great defender in C.J. McCollum on DeRozan, which should funnel even more action towards Lowry. He’s easily my favorite PG on this slate and I will have him everywhere. The price is great and he’s safe as can be against Lillard on the road. This is a game with serious shootout potential and I don’t think anyone besides Lowry will be highly-owned. Don’t be afraid to take 3 or 4 shots in this game if you think it stays close. Lowry is your safest way to get exposure.

Jarrett Jack
FD $4,200 DK $4,300

We see a slight price increase after starting 2 games and producing, but nothing that worries us. Still sitting below $4.5K, Jack will only need about 20 in cash games. He should have that with ease against a Nuggets team he matches up perfectly with. Jamal Murray is at PG for the Nuggets and isn’t a defender by any means. He’s decent at basic m2m coverage, but struggles mightily with any type of movement or screens. Not good when you’re playing a Knicks team that screens all night long. Jack is going to continue to get 28+ minutes and he’s always been a 1 FP/min, at least, so I don’t see that stopping now. He’s not a very good real-life PG, but for less than $4.5k, I’ll take him 100% of the time in this match-up. I actually do have 100% Jack right now, but it could change. I just think he’s the safest value option on the board and it’s not too close.

Shooting Guard

Klay Thompson
FD $11,000 DK $11,200

I’m a big fan of this GSW @ LAC game tonight, as I think it stays close. Vegas still hasn’t released anything for this game and it’s the morning of. Assuming the O/U is around 225 and the spread is between 8 and 13, a ton of these guys are in play. On the Warriors side, we’ll start with Klay Thompson. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out why he’s in play. The Clippers sports Austin Rivers and Lou Williams at SG, so defense isn’t the priority. Klay will be able to get open whenever he wants. I don’t think that’s an exaggeration, either. There isn’t a shot in hell that Rivers or Williams can defend the 3-point game of Klay Thompson. 0% chance. It will just come down to whether they’re hitting the bottom of the net or not. Durant is seeing a lot more of the Warriors action, but Thompson is averaging just 2 fewer shots per game. It’s something, but meaningless with such a small sample size. Thompson will have a chance to have one of his games here, but he’ll have to come out hot and maintain. The Clips won’t be able to switch anyone on him because Beverley is on Curry and Gallo is on KD. If Thompson gets hot, it could be bedtime for the Clips.

Tim Hardaway Jr.
FD $4,300 DK $4,900

I’ve been on Tim Hardaway Jr. every single game so far. He disappointed me with variance for about a week before going absolutely ham against the Cavs. He finished with 34 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds. We haven’t seen the real Tim Hardaway Jr. yet. The real THJ is going to put up 2-25 real-life points and another 10 FP in various peripherals. I’m glad he broke out against the Cavs and proved to people what he could do, but I hope it doesn’t inflate his ownership. This match-up against the Nuggets isn’t great, but it’s not bad either. They’ve ranked 13th against opposing SG’s, with Will Barton and Gary Harris at the helm. Both of these teams play at a slightly above average pace and it’s why the expected total is over 210. Hardaway will be on 100% of my cash game lineup. He is a $6-$7k player, believe it or not. He’s going to average close to 20 real-life points on the season and will be a guy we will deliberate playing in the 6-7Ks. Right now, he’s under $5K and the worst priced player in the entire industry. If you find a lineup of mine without Hardaway, call the internet police. I’ve been hacked.

James Harden is great against the 6’ers, but the price is still crazy and he hasn’t been over 60 fantasy points yet. I’ll have plenty of exposure in tournaments, but didn’t need a paragraph to tell you that.

Small Forward

Kevin Durant
FD $10,300 DK $9,800

We’ll get right back to the Warriors after taking a spot off from Thompson. It might be tough to play both Durant and Thompson, but you can do it if you think the game stays close. They can both easily go off against this Clippers squad that doesn’t play much defense on the outside (besides Pat Bev). Danilo Gallinari was a capable defender early in his career, but those days are separated by about 5 surgeries and 10 years. That’s a big difference when you have the responsibility of covering Kevin Durant. Durant is going to, like Thompson, have his way when on the floor. He’s being looked at as the top option on this team and they’ve been willing to feed him whenever he wants. Sitting over 45 fantasy points in each, there isn’t much risk here. He is a lock for 4-45 fantasy points and that’s if the game blows out in the first half. If it stays close and Durant sees closer to 40 minutes, there’s no telling what his ceiling is. We haven’t seen it yet, that’s for sure. He’s my favorite SF on the slate and while nobody at that price is a must play, he’s close if you have the $ to spend on SF. Your other options aren’t the greatest.

Robert Covington
FD $6,400 DK $6,000

We haven’t touched on this affair between the Sixers and Rockets yet, but it’s my 2nd favorite game to target after the Clips and Warriors. It’s another game without a Vegas spread, but these 2 teams faced off just days ago and it resulted in plenty of fantasy goodness. Trevor Ariza didn’t play, however, so the individual match-up for Covington will be different. He still put up 34 fantasy points against them last time and is looking for a consistent option on the outside. In the past, he was a risky play every game due to the potential of going cold from the3-point line and being useless. That doesn’t look to be the case this year, as he’s been over 34 minutes in 3 straight contests. He’ll still have up and down the game because of his nature, but they will occur far less when the minutes are locked in. He will be able to work through those cold streaks instead of being put on the bench and told to wait until next game. There’s plenty of usage to go around on this 6’ers team and Covington is cheap-ish access to it. This game will remain close and should be high-scoring, so don’t be afraid to get extended exposure.

Power Forward

Blake Griffin
FD $9,500 DK $9,300

This one is risky. Even with Griffin being safe in terms of point per $, we don’t know how close this one will stay and Griffin is directly affected by that more than anyone else. If the Warriors do come out and slam the CLips into lockers, Griffin will stink it up. There’s just no reason for him to battle with Draymond Green for 35 minutes if it’s a 20 point uphill battle Then there’s the other side, that I’m on. The one where the game stays close and we get 48 meaningful minutes of basketball. If that’s the case, Griffin is one of the best plays of the season. This is a perfect match-up for him pace-wise, but will still struggle with the menace that Draymond is. Blake just loves to run at this pace and make things happen in the open court. He’s touching the ball on nearly every possession and this is his team to control. I will personally have cash game exposure as well, but can’t say it’s safe by any means. I’m just confident that the Clippers keep this one relatively close at home. In that scenario, stacking the game could come with some very nice benefits. Let’s hope, right?

Ryan Anderson
FD $5,400 DK $5,100

We’ll get right back to this ROckets game now after targeting Robert Covington at the 3. Anderson isn’t a guy I roster a ton, but you have to acknowledge when he’s getting the minutes and taking the shots. He’s always talented enough to sink them when given the chance. It’s just hard to pin down when he will be on the court. Over the past 3 games, he’s seen at least 34 in each. That lets me unleash him here in a match-up with the 76ers that fits perfectly. You almost need a stretch against them on the floor, so Anderson could see close to 40 minutes if it remains close. He can’t really guard anyone, but he’s certainly more athletic than the other options they have. Anderson will shoot the ball 12-15 times and give you a locked in 15 FP of rebounds/assists. His price is still way low and I’m fine with him in all formats. Power forward isn’t very deep, but Anderson is cheap and gives you a nice floor + ceiling.

Center

Karl-Anthony Towns
FD $9,800 DK $9,000

Hassan Whiteside is officially “unlikely” to play against the T-Wolves. He should probably get himself in there because this could get ugly. Quick. Just take a look at the Heat frontcourt and who exactly you think will cover Karl-Anthony Towns. The answer is nobody. Because of his size, the Heat will be forced to run Bam Adebayo and A.J. Hammons for more minutes than they should see in a month. They are both young, inexperienced, and not very good yet. But hey, they’re big, and that’s what the Heat need right now. In reality, Towns is just going to obliterate anyone not named Hassan Whiteside. He is right up there as the best offensive center in the league and will face a team that literally has no NBA center. I’m not sure what Spoelstra will truly draw up to slow Towns, but unless he has magic in those veins, I’m not sure it’ll work. Towns is a guy I want a lot of cash game exposure to, but he’s expensive. I just don’t see a single player having a shot at stopping Towns 1-on-1, so I’ll be aiming for 100% in cash.

Clint Capela
FD $7,500 DK $6,700

Clint Capela took the court against this same 76ers team a few days ago and put up 56 fantasy points. While we can’t depend or expect another number like that, Capela plays well and matches up against this squad. The 76ers continuously struggle against the PnR, which is what catapulted Capela into 50+ against these guys last time. If Harden comes out and does the same with certainly Capela this game, I think we see exactly what happened once again. He is a double-double on the bus against this team and has more upside than we even know. I certainly wouldn’t have said his upside was 56 prior to a couple games ago, so who knows. What we do know is that James Harden will get Capela involved early and often in a match-up he dominated. I do hope Embiid plays, for as Capela matches up with his size a little bit better. If Embiid is out, I could see the 6ers forcing small ball and the Rockets going along. That could leave you wait a 10 or 15 out of a pricey center.

 

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/28/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/28/17

Point Guard

Damian Lillard
FD$9,300 DK $8,800

If you’re ever going to play Damian Lillard, this is the spot. I’m not sure there is a single better situation he could be in right now. With Eric Bledsoe out, this fast-paced Suns team is working with Mike James and Tyler Ulis at the point. Both have been pitiful and it’s a big reason why the Suns have allowed the 4th most FP to PG’s on the season. Lillard has played well to start the year, but we haven’t seen the breakout contest we all know is right on the horizon. He’s also at home in the Moda Center, where most of those games happen. Lillard is my favorite guard on the slate and it isn’t very close. He will be in 100% of my cash games and tournaments. While I don’t think he’s THAT big of a must, that’s my personal stand. PG as a whole is pretty weak and Lillard gives you a 45 fantasy point floor with the upside for 65.

Dennis Smith Jr.
FD $6,500 DK $6,000

Dennis Smith Jr. has been as advertised. It’s always tough trusting preseason numbers, but it looks like they were correct here. Dennis Smith Jr. is a very good point guard and it looks to me like he has quite the future in this league. As for his role on this team, it’s consistent. He is getting the ball in his hands for 28-30 minutes and creating whenever possible. He then gets another 5-10 mins at SG, where he’s averaged just over 1 FP per minute. He’s bounced back quickly from the injury and is looking like a guy we will be targeting all season long. Tonight, he faces off with the 76ers. The 6’ers play a lot faster than the Mavs and the PG is always the one to benefit most in pace-up affairs. Smith is still affordable on both sites and makes an excellent play in all formats. He’s locked into the minutes and at least 30 fantasy points in this cupcake match-up.

Shooting Guard

Devin Booker
FD $7,000 DK $7,400

With shooting guard one of the ugliest spots on the board, we’ll return to the Moda Center and take a look at the Suns side of the ball. With Eric Bledsoe all but ruled out forever, this is Booker’s team to lose. He is going to get the ball in his hands and shoot as much as he possibly can. He’s been over 20 shots in each game without Bledsoe and this pace-up affair with the Blazers should be no different. He’ll match-up with a good defender in C.J. McCollum, but it doesn’t matter. He isn’t a Tony Allen or Pat Bev type, but more of just a hard-nosed defender. Booker has put up 40 real-life points on guys much better. When his shots are falling, it doesn’t matter who is playing defense. This game is currently sitting with the highest over/under of the night and I’ll be looking to get as much ownership as possible to it. Booker gives you the top Suns piece in a way too affordable tag. Look for Booker to be closer to $9k before too long. You can target McCollum on the other side as well, but I like the Lillard side of things more.

Rodney Hood
FD $5,300 DK $5,100

Rodney Hood is quite the stressful DFS asset. Opposed from having some type of injury tag EVERY DAY, he produces. However, for the first time in what seems like years, Rodney Hood has no O or Q next to his name. Crazy, I know. So, that means we can assume a healthy Rodney Hood against the Lakers. We know the Lakers don’t play much defense and they ranked 3rd worst against SG’s in 2016. That could change with KCP there now, but it hasn’t yet. Hood has played well through his nicks, intestinal issues, and whatever else may hinder a guy with no pain tolerance. He’s gone for well over 1 FP per minute, while shooting under his career average. Hood is way too cheap on both sites for this match-up and he should hit value easily and early. Shooting guard isn’t a very attractive spot, so Hood will be my main focus after Booker. At most positions, I spread my exposure to 4 or 5 guys in total. At shooting guard, there’s a good chance it stays at 3 tonight.

Small Forward

LeBron James
FD $11,300 DK $10,700

We haven’t touched on anyone super expensive, so you can fit LeBron if you want him on this slate. I definitely don’t think it’s a must, so keep that in mind. James is playing great basketball and has been over 60 fantasy points in each of the last 2 games. He now sees a favorable match-up against the Pelicans, who have no SF. They also don’t have anyone that is remotely Lebron James body type. I know not many are, but most teams have some 6’8 fighter than can go and duel with LBJ. For the Pelicans, I guess that’s Dante Cunningham or Quincy Pondexter. LOL. Lebron is going to run this floor and do whatever he wants. The Pelicans should also be without Anthony Davis, which widens the floor and the paint. Cousins is fine down low, but he’s not much of a shot contender. As long as this game stays remotely close, you can pencil in James for 50. His upside is always 70+ if the game stays close down to the final buzzer. Pairing James and Cousins is something I’ll look to do a lot of in tournaments. You have the value on this slate to do it with Lillard still in your lineup.

Harrison Barnes
FD $6,400 DK $5,700

There could be a bias here, as Harrison Barnes is a guy I love to roster. I’m not sure why. I despised him on the Warriors and said many times that he was my least favorite player on the planet. THen he moves to Dallas and after watching him play, was a fan. Now, I roster him what seems like every day. It works quite well for the intended purpose. Now, Barnes can be played in tournaments, but it’s not his thing. He’ll have a few random big games this year, but it won’t be often. Barnes is a guy who lives on consistency. He’s been over 25 FP in each game and now sees one against the shot-happy 76ers. This is one of the games with a bunch of points and a close spread, so you’re going to almost need some exposure. Barnes and Covington will be an interesting match-up to watch as they both play solid defense. Barns is the guy who this offense runs through and at this price, he’s as safe as can be against a run and gun 6ers squad. Don’t hesitate on Barnes if you need to pay down to the mid-range.

Power Forward

Kelly Olynyk
FD $5,500 DK $5,400

I could have gone James Johnson here as well, but he’s been priced up like crazy. Instead, with Hassan Whiteside out, we’ll look for revenge in Kelly Olynyk. Olynyk expressed to the media that this isn’t much of a revenge game as all the Celtics are gone. Still, he admitted there will be some extra juice there. It’s undeniable. He could also be lying and have a lot of vengeance towards this organization. They stuck him on the bench over guys like Amir Johnson for 4 seasons. None of it matters if he doesn’t get the minutes. Fortunately, this Celtics match-up fits his style perfectly and we should see no less than 30 minutes out of him. He has been at 2.32 FP/min on the season and is looking like a guy who has a lot of fantasy relevance at the price. The match-up with the Celtics is a speed-up game for the Heat, who play at a league-ranked 28th pace. Olynyk will come off the bench, but should be in there down the stretch. Expect 28-32 solid minutes.

Lauri Markkanen
FD $6,700 DK $6,300

Lauri Markkanen is a bit more expensive than Olynyk, but it makes sense why. Markkanen has been pretty consistent as a rookie, going for 25+ fantasy points in each of his first 4 games. Coming out of Arizona, he was supposed to be ready for the NBA, but this is still a surprise. He now sees his best match-up yet against a fast-paced Thunder team who doesn’t love defense. They have a lot of strong individual defenders (George, Roberson, Adams), but lack as a team because of the pace they play at. It gives teams extra possessions and even if the possessions aren’t super efficient, it’s better than Facing the Miami Heat and having far less of them. Markkanen is getting the ball a ton and we’ll see a solid 40 FP breakout a lot sooner than later. I’m hesitant to call it here, but I love him as a cash gameplay that you don’t have to worry all that much about.

Center

DeMarcus Cousins
FD $12,000 DK $11,900

Let’s assume Anthony Davis is playing. DeMarcus Cousins is interesting, but nowhere near a must. He would get a solid match-up against Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, but will see a dramatically smaller usage %. Personally, if Anthony Davis plays, I’ll just try to get more LeBron James in hope it stays close. Now if Davis is out, this is once again a spot for Cousins to wild out. Because Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson don’t have much of a chance on a guy like Boogie, I’d bet LeBron covers him on the outside in the 4th quarter. He will still get bullied inside by Boogie, though, so it’ll be tough. It’s never easy when the 340 pound 7-foot behemoth can shoot it like a butterfly and then talk about your mother as he runs down the court. Cousins is a match-up nightmare for any team in this league, but one that sports Kevin Love at the 5 is in greater need than most. If Davis is out, play COusins in cash games and tournaments. You won’t be alone, but neither were the people who jumped on last game. I’m sure they weren’t upset about too many people on the train with them.

Jusuf Nurkic
FD $7,000 DK $6,400

To start the year, it’s been Jusuf Nurkic and Tim Hardaway Jr. that are giving me mini heart attacks. At least for Hardaway, he’s on the floor and able to do damage. For Nurkic, the dude just fouls every single second he’s out there. It’s literally tough for me to write this without any expletives towards the guy. I lost a huge H2H by 4 points with a 10 from him, so forgive me. You’re probably now wondering why the hell I would want to play him against Tyson Chandler and Alex Len. Well, for one, variance. Nurkic hasn’t had these foul issues in the past and they will once again fall by the wayside in the near future. We’re (I) am just getting screwed over in the process. Secondly, there aren’t many fouls to be had against the Suns. With Bledsoe going, the main scorer is a jump shooter. Booker doesn’t enter the lane often and when he does, it’s a floater. This is the fastest game on the board and Nurkic is a lock for 1 FP/min. As long as he can stay out of foul trouble, a 45 FP performance is no big deal at all.

 

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/27/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/27/17

Point Guard

John Wall
John Wall and the Wizards will head to Golden State to face off with the Warriors tonight. With a 230 over/under, Vegas expects points to be scored. We haven’t seen much of classic John Wall yet this season, but we all know it’s coming and coming very soon. This match-up with the Warriors will give him the opportunity to run as much as he wants and do it against a subpar defender in Stephen Curry. If the Wizards are able to keep this relatively close, it’ll probably end up as the most productive game stack on the board. The Warriors and Wizards both play very fast and small, so it’ll be exciting to see how rotation and minute-distribution goes. We know Wall will see 35 minutes if it stays close and give you at least 45 FP with upside for 70.

Spencer Dinwiddie
With D’Angelo Russell looking all but out, Spencer Dinwiddie will slide in there once again and give the Nets 30 minutes at a minimum. He saw 31 against the Cavs last time out and put up 38 fantasy points, even though the match-up was horrible. This one against the Knicks is far better as Dinwiddie matches up well with Sessions and the Knicks’ backup PG’s. Dinwiddie isn’t some horrible stand in the corner guy either. He will control the ball when in the game and do a great job at it. He’s an easy cash game and tournament play for me once we learn Russell is confirmed out. Point Guard is likely the deepest position on the slate. Make sure you get it right.

Shooting Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Tim Hardaway Jr. - New York Knicks

Tim Hardaway Jr.
9-for-37. Hardaway Jr. is a very good scorer that is going through a really bad cold streak. We’ll see it snap any night now and when it does, expect a big night. Hardaway is a guy who put up 30 fantasy points almost every night last year for about a month. He now faces off with the Nets, which is the best possible match-up for an SG. They allowed 61 FP to them per game in 2016 and have started this campaign on a not so good note. The Nets love to play fast and it forces the other team to match, resulting in an excess of possessions and peripherals to go around. Hardaway Jr. is too cheap on both sites and I’ll have 100% exposure. I don’t see many ways around him missing value against the Nets. Even if he has a bad shooting night, he should get there with peripherals. If he has a good shooting night, it’s gravy.

Jeremy Lamb
Shooting guard isn’t the greatest, but these 2 guys I’m touching on are fairly priced and give you some real safety at a position that lacks it. With Michael Kidd-Gilchrist back, Lamb has still played productive minutes. He now faces off with James Harden and the Rockets. Lamb should be out there at least 32-35 minutes as I suppose he will draw the initial Harden match-up. Fortunately, Harden isn’t nearly as good at defense as he is on offense. Lamb should be able to get in the paint with ease and make things happen. He’s a guy who can rebound extremely well (16 career-high) when he puts his mind towards it, so you never really know what Jeremy Lamb you’ll see. We do know he’ll be out there for 32+ minutes against a fast-paced team that likes to give up points.

Small Forward

Golden State Warriors - Kevin Durant - Lineuplab.com

 

Kevin Durant
Durant is the first superstar we’ll touch on and I prefer him over KD/Harden because of the discount and similar projection. Durant has been dominant this season and has clearly surpassed Stephen Curry as the number 1 option on offense. This is kind of KD’s team, or at least on offense. He touches the ball nearly every possession and it’s worked, sitting over 50 FP in each. He now gets a very friendly match-up with the Wizards, who he’s always dominated. Kelly Oubre and Otto Porter and solid defenders on most nights, but don’t have the length or skill to stick with Durant. He averaged 61 FP against them last year and will look to put up another masterpiece. I have a lot of exposure to this game as I think it stays pretty close all the way throughout, giving all the starters 4 quarters of full playing time.

Wilson Chandler
After Kevin Durant, small forward is ugly. Not as ugly as PF, but you don’t get too many solid choices. You do have Wilson Chandler, who’s been absolutely pitiful to start the year. Like Tim Hardaway Jr., Wilson Chander is a solidified scorer that is simply going on a cold streak. We all know he’ll be putting up 20 real-life points on mist night and should be around $6.5 to $7K. The match-up with the Hawks isn’t anything special, as they’ve allowed the 9th most FP to SF since the start of 2016. Chandler is still going to see 30 minutes in this offense and he will not stop shooting. He never has. He knows more than anyone that this is variance and his shots will start going through in no time. Don’t be afraid to jump on a guy early in the season because of a couple bad games. It happens.

Power Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Frank Kaminsky - Charlotte Hornets - Lineup Lab

Kristaps Porzingis
At the weakest position of the night, you have 1 very easy choice. With the Nets being fantasy gold mines, Kristaps Porzingis is a guy I want all of. He was pitiful last time out against the Celtics, but that game got away early and he didn’t ever get into a groove. He was over 45 FP in each of the other 2 games and it looks like he’s turned a corner without Melo. The offense runs squarely through him and I’m not sure who plans on stopping him here. The Nets have Trevor Booker and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Booker can battle inside, but he’ll have a lot of trouble with the length. RHJ just isn’t a PF and will have trouble with every face of POrzingis’ game. That’s what happens when you’re a 2017 PF taking on a real one. Porzingis is my favorite player on the slate and I will do everything I can to get as much ownership as possible. This is a guy who should put up 50 fantasy points without much problem if the game stays close. He’s also much cheaper than the studs and lets you pay up in an extra spot or two.

Frank Kaminsky
Cody Zeller has already been ruled out for this game, so you can lock into Frank the Tank Kaminsky for another 28-35. I personally never though Kaminsky would be good in the NBA, but I was plain wrong. He has done a good job of transition his game slowly. He probably would have flopped if thrown into the fire like a lot of guys are initially. Instead, he let himself develop and slowly grow into the solidified power forward that he is today. He has a scoring presence from any spot on the floor and is noticeable smart when out there. He does a great job of spacing the floor and communicating with guards as to PNR and GNG’s. He sees a solid match-up against a Rockets team without a real PF. Ryan Anderson does his best, but he’s a shooter. He isn’t going to do very well banging with Kaminsky back to the basket. They also have Luc Mbah a Moute, who’s a great defender, but also an SF playing big. Kaminsky is cheap enough on both sites for all contests and with PF weak, I’ll have a ton.

Center

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Nikola Jokic - Lineuplab.com

Jakob Poeltl
If Jonas Valunciunas is out, we now know who to target. After years of atrocious Raptors backup bigs, we may have found someone. Jakon Poeltl came out of college as a stud. He’s the best player to play for the Utah Utes in a long time and turned that team into a contender. With that being said, his style of play was always very nice for the NBA. Now that he has been given the opportunity with Jonas Valunciunas out, he’s taken advantage. In the last 3 games, he’s seen 16, 25, and 26 minutes. He’s been over 30 fantasy points in every single one of those. We now see Jonas Valunciunas and Nogueira out, which should let Poeltl get over that 30-minute mark. If he does against the Lakers, it’s not crazy to expect 35 fantasy points. The price is too cheap and POeltl will be a big help for paying up elsewhere.

Nikola Jokic
If you feel the need to pay up at center, Nikola Jokic is a great way to go. He’s still too cheap on both sites and I’ll keep playing him until he’s priced appropriately. Tonight, he sees a nice match-up with the Hawks pitiful interior. Dewayne Dedmon has absolutely no chance of slowing down Jokic, and they don’t have anyone else big enough. I guess that just means Jokic will have a huge advantage in the paint at all times tonight. He will also be able to get as many wide open looks from the outside as he could want. The Hawks simply can’t match-up with the size and savvy of the Joker. You can pencil him in for 40 fantasy points and look for 75 point upside, as he showed plenty in 2016. The Hawks have no shot at stopping him, so if this game stays close, I’ll probably wish I had more exposure here.






Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 8

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations – Week 8

Get our NFL Seasonal package for 50% off for a LIMITED TIME using code "NLA5017"

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Week 8 looked like a week that was going to be missing several key players with six teams on a bye, including the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants. However, with Aaron Rodgers, David Johnson and Odell Beckham Jr. out for most (if not all) of the season with injuries, the damage was already done. Luckily DFS gives you the opportunity to still come away a winner even with some of the best players in the game unavailable. Put your favorite daily fantasy football recommendations from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the NFL Player Lab.

**QUARTERBACKS**

Carson Wentz vs. San Francisco 49ers
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
DraftKings = $7,200
FanDuel = $7,900

To say Wentz is on fire is an understatement. Over his last three games, he has thrown 11 touchdown passes compared to only two interceptions. He already has 17 touchdowns passes this season, passing his total of 16 for all of 2016. Not only is he throwing for more touchdowns, but he only has four total interceptions compared to 14 last year. This a great matchup Sunday against a 49ers defense that has allowed 259 net passing yards per game and 12 touchdown passes, both of which are towards the bottom of the NFL.

Jameis Winston vs. Carolina Panthers
Stadium – Raymond James Stadium
DraftKings = $6,100
FanDuel = $7,600

Winston entered Week 7 against the Buffalo Bills coming off of a shoulder injury, but he showed no ill effects as he threw for 384 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. That’s impressive on the road in Buffalo. If you exclude the previous Week 6 contest where he left early with the injury, he has thrown for at least 328 yards in each of his last four full games. Expect him to throw a lot again Sunday and put up valuable numbers against the Panthers.

Josh McCown vs. Atlanta Falcons
Stadium – MetLife Stadium
DraftKings = $5,600
FanDuel = $7,300

Don’t look now, but McCown has thrown for at least two touchdown passes in each of his last three games. Although he only threw for 209 yards last week against the Miami Dolphins, he threw a season high three touchdown passes and also had a rushing touchdown. The Falcons defense doesn’t create a lot of turnovers as they only have two interceptions to go along with nine passing touchdowns allowed this season. With only a few elite options this week, McCown has the potential to put up valuable numbers at a reasonable price.

**RUNNING BACKS**

Le’Veon Bell vs. Detroit Lions
Stadium – Ford Field
DraftKings = $9,300
FanDuel = $9,400

The key for Bell this season has been volume as he has rushed for at least 134 yards in all three games where he received at least 32 carries. The good news is that all three of those game have come over the last four weeks as the Steelers have been making a concerted effort to stick with the run. It hasn’t hurt Bell’s involvement in the passing game though as he has received at least six targets in four of the last five games. Look for him to put up big numbers again Sunday.

Mark Ingram vs. Chicago Bears
Stadium – Mercedes-Benz Superdome
DraftKings = $7,400
FanDuel = $7,200

Ingram has become more involved in the rushing attack since Adrian Peterson was traded to the Arizona Cardinals. He has not let the opportunity go to waste as he has rushed for at last 105 yards and one touchdown in both of his last two games. He’s also been involved in the pass catching side of things as he has received at least five targets and hauled in at least four receptions in both of those games as well. Look for him to continue to get plenty of volume Sunday, making for a solid play against the Bears.

Wendell Smallwood vs. San Francisco 49ers
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
DraftKings = $4,900
FanDuel = $5,500

Smallwood returned from injury Week 7 to rush for 25 yards on eight carries and catch two passes for 14 yards. While those numbers aren’t impressive, LeGarrette Blount struggled in the game as well as he only had 29 yards on 14 carries. Week 8 brings a matchup against a 49ers defense that has allowed the fourth most rushing yards in the league this season. He’s cheap enough to take the risk on this week if you need to save money at running back.

**WIDE RECEIVERS**

A.J. Green vs. Indianapolis Colts
Stadium – Paul Brown Stadium
DraftKings = $8,600
FanDuel = $8,500

Green is coming off of a tough game against the Pittsburgh Steelers as he hauled in only three catches for 41 yards. Don’t be overly concerned though as the Steelers have allowed the fewest net passing yards in the NFL. His overall production this season has been solid as he has 35 receptions on 57 targets for 545 yards and three touchdowns. Week 8 brings a great matchup against the Colts, who have allowed the second most net passing yards this season. This is the week to pay up for Green.

Michael Crabtree vs. Buffalo Bills
Stadium – New Era Field
DraftKings = $6,300
FanDuel = $7,200

Simply put, Crabtree is a touchdown machine. He has scored in each of the last three games and has six touchdowns on the season overall. He’s heavily involved in the passing attack in general as he is averaging just under seven targets per game. While the Raiders successfully got Amari Copper more involved in the offense last week, Crabtree still received seven targets in the game. After Winston and the Buccaneers receivers lit up the Bills last week, Crabtree could be in for another strong performance.

Kelvin Benjamin vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stadium – Raymond James Stadium
DraftKings = $6,400
FanDuel = $6,600

The Panthers offense has been inconsistent this season, resulting in only 29 receptions on 44 targets for 436 yards and one touchdown for Benjamin. He had scored at least seven touchdowns in each of his first two seasons in the NFL, so his inability to reach the end zone has been a disappointment. There is potential for him to succeed this week though against the Buccaneers as they have allowed the third most net passing yards per game in the NFL this season. Benjamin posted 163 receiving yards and a touchdown against them in two games last year and I expect him to be productive in their first meeting this year.

Marquise Goodwin vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
DraftKings = $3,900
FanDuel = $4,900

With so many teams on a bye, there aren’t many intriguing cheap options at wide receiver. Goodwin hauled in four of eight targets for 80 yards last week against the Dallas Cowboys and has at least 80 receiving yards in two of his last three games. The Eagles might be up big early in this game, resulting in the 49ers needing to throw a lot. The Eagles defense has allowed the fourth most net passing yards per game this season, so be willing to take the risk on Goodwin if you want to spend money elsewhere this week.

**TIGHT ENDS**

Zach Ertz vs. San Francisco 49ers
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
DraftKings = $7,000
FanDuel = $7,300

Ertz has scored at least one touchdown in four of the last five games and his five touchdowns on the season have already established a new career high. He has 58 targets this season and if he stays healthy, he should easily receive at least 100 targets for the third consecutive season. With an emerging young quarterback in Wentz having a lot of trust in him, Ertz should be another excellent play this week.

Kyle Rudolph vs. Cleveland Browns
Stadium – Twickenham Stadium
DraftKings = $4,500
FanDuel = $5,800

Rudolph’s numbers don’t jump off the page as he only has 26 receptions, 244 yards and two touchdowns this season. He has been more involved in the offense over the last three games though, hauling in 16 receptions on 25 targets for 135 yards and a touchdown. Week 8 brings a favorable matchup against the Browns as they have allowed 487 receiving yards and five touchdowns to opposing tight ends this season.

**DEFENSES/SPECIAL TEAMS**

Minnesota Vikings vs. Cleveland Browns
Stadium – Twickenham Stadium
DraftKings = $4,000
FanDuel = $5,300

The Browns offense is an absolute mess as they continue to struggle to find a competent starting quarterback. As a result, they are averaging an NFL-worst 14.7 points per game. The Vikings defense has been excellent at getting to the quarterback as they have 16 sacks over the last four games. Expect them to shut down the Browns in this contest.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
DraftKings = $3,500
FanDuel = $4,900

It’s been a struggle for the Broncos to score points this season as they are only averaging 18.0 points per game. If you think that’s bad, they are averaging a paltry 8.0 points per game on the road. That doesn’t bode well for playing in the unfriendly confines of Arrowhead Stadium. Expect this to be another struggle for them to score, making the Chiefs a solid play at this price.

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/26/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/26/17

Use Code "LLNBA17" at checkout for 10% off Seasonal Package

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Point Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Lineuplab.com - Jrue Holiday is on anything but a holiday.

Jrue Holiday
FD $7,300 DK $6,200

Anthony Davis is currently listed as questionable, but it doesn’t look good. For the sake of this article, we’ll assume he’s out. With just 5 games on the board, we have to take huge advantage of this situation. Holiday should be 2nd behind Cousins in terms of who benefits most here. Holiday moves over to PG with the Rondo injury and has been consistent. He’ll now see an extra 5-10 shots and have his minutes locked in over 35 as long as it stays close. The price is still fair on both sites and he’ll be hard to stay away from in cash games. The match-up with George Hill and De’Aaron Fox is average. Holiday is an elite cash game play and a very solid GPP play on a slate that doesn’t do much at PG.

Malcolm Delaney
FD $4,800 DK $4,400

The only easy choice for me at PG is Malcolm Delaney. With Dennis Schroder already ruled out, he is locked into 32+  minutes. With just 5 games on the slate, we don’t have any value this good. At least not yet (written the night before). If no value opens up as the day progresses, Delaney will be highly owned. There are a lot of studs, who we’ll get to, that force you to pay down elsewhere. That elsewhere could very well be PG. The matchup with Chicago is a lot better than Miami, but not great. They play at an average pace and have a solid paint defender in Robin Lopez. Still, this is a pure opportunity play. Delaney is in the $4k’s on both sites and a lock to hit value if he sees the minutes. The upside for 35 FP and a must in tournaments is quite possible.

Shooting Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Lineuplab.com - CJ McCollum dribbles like no other
C.J. McCollum
FD $7,700 DK $7,300

This game between the Blazers and Clippers currently holds the highest O/U on the night at 212. On the Blazers side, it’s McCollum and Lillard who do most of the coring. With Pat Beverley on Lillard, let’s move to McCollum. C.J. will see a combo of Austin Rivers and Lou Williams, who are both pretty bad at defense in general. He will easily get his shot against either of those guys and it should lead to them finding someone else, but I’m not sure who. Beverley will be plenty busy with Lillard, so they might just have to take the McCollum blows. He is fairly priced on both sites and makes for an excellent play in both formats. This is a game I want a lot of exposure to with a 212/-2, so McCollum does that at a cheaper price than Lillard or Blake Griffin, while still having similar upside. The Clippers will struggle to guard SG’s this season and McCollum will look to take advantage tonight.

Buddy Hield
FD $5,100 DK $5,000

Hield saw just 16 minutes of work last game but put up 30 fantasy points. It makes no sense. As for the 16 minutes, 3 starts saw it. I guess it was punishment. They should be right back out there for this one and see the typical 30-35 minutes a starter sees. He finally hit his groove last game and could be in for a nice stretch. if you remember correctly, Hield was about $6500 for a while last year and getting plenty of interest and putting up 30 fantasy points on a regular basis. He will definitely get back to that this year once he can get it going. This match-up with the Pelicans is very nice. E’Twaun Moore is a pitiful defender and I have no idea why he has a starting gig in the NBA. He’s much worse than even Troy Daniels, who’s at least elite at shooting the 3. Anyways, Hield will see a cupcake match-up that should remain very close throughout. He’s a lock for 20 fantasy points with the upside for 45.

Small Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Lineuplab.com - Giannis Ant shoves defenders to the side

Giannis Antetokounmpo
FD $12,400 DK $12,000

Giannis is in too good of a spot to ignore. While there are some stars that we’ve yet to touch on,  Gianni’s is right with them at the top of the list. He sees the same Celtics team he saw on opening night and dominated for 37 points and  13 rebounds. They struggled to cover him that night and will struggle just as much here. Expect Jaylen Brown to get most of the minutes on Giannis, but he won’t have much success. He has held 60 fantasy points in each of his first 4 starts while also maintaining a + (+/-) in every game. You can expect Antetokounmpo to have another 60 FP night. It just comes down to the price. He is going to make you sacrifice a lot and it could bite you in the ass. Or not. With the other guys we’ll touch on, they aren’t AS expensive, so they don’t force you into such a corner. With that being said, if you have the space for Giannis, play him without hesitation.

Dante Cunningham
FD $3,500 DK $3,300

This is 100% contingent on Anthony Davis being ruled out. Cunningham will see close to 35 minutes at the 3 and 4 if Davis is out, and while he won’t be a focus of the offense, he gets involved more than enough. When AD is on the court, he’ll just sit in the corner. With AD off, he will try to get down low and make things happen. Sitting at the minimum price, there’s really no discussion to be had. With the studs on this slate, you need value and there isn’t much of it. If Davis is ruled out, go ahead and play Cunningham for the guaranteed value in all formats.

Power Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Lineuplab.com - Blake Griffin dunks on the Miami Heat

Blake Griffin
FD $9,800 DK $9,500

Here’s one of my two favorite superstars. As you can see, he’s nearly $2k cheaper than Antetokoumpo, letting you pay up at another position or two. This game, as mentioned, holds the highest over/under on the slate at 212. The Blazers are also just favored by 2, so Vegas expects it to stay close throughout. The Blazers have Aminu and Caleb Swanigan at PF, which is kind of sad. Aminu is fine against smaller PF’s, but holds no chance against a literal monster in Blake Griffin.  This is his offense to run and he does what he sees fit. Against a Blazers team that should double him every time, my guess will be a spread out, stat-stuffing night. If the Blazers try to let Aminu take care of Griffin alone, well, no bueno. Griffin is easily my favorite PF on the board and there’s no discussion to be had as long as AD remains out. It’s an absolutely brutal position, so I’m guessing the ownership will be relatively high.

Zach Randolph
FD $4,500 DK $4,900

Zach Randolph has definitely fallen quite a bit from the guy he was in Memphis a couple years ago. I actually don’t think his skill is much different. I just don’t think his style of play is very effective in today’s NBA. It’s tough to center your offense around a back-to-the-basket PF who grinds out 15 seconds of shot clock every time. You throw Z-Bo back in the 90’s and we discuss him as one of the greatest forwards of all time. As for tonight, he looks at a solid match-up against the presumed short-handed Pelicans frontcourt. Cousins will be focused on Nukic, which will leave Cunningham and Diallo on Randolph. Diallo should have more success, but Cunnigham will get more minutes. Randolph was one of the other starts to see under 20 minutes for punishment, so expect that to go back up tonight and make him a viable option in all formats.

Center

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Lineuplab.com - DeMarcus Cousins & Anthony Davis hug it out

DeMarcus Cousins
FD $11,800 DK $11,500

My favorite play of the night is DeMarcus Cousins. Remember, this is all with the contingency of Anthony Davis sitting out. If he plays, the slate is a mess and I’ll be moving a lot of my Cousins over to Griffin and Antetokounmpo. If AD misses like we think, this is Cousins’ game. He’s facing off with his old Kings that he absolutely hates. HATES. He dominated them last year and I don’t take Cousins as the guy to let things go. Hey, maybe I’m wrong, lol. Expect Cousins to go out there and try to score a million points. He will likely have a good amount of turnovers without AD on the floor, but he’ll more than outweigh them with points, rebounds, and assists. The Kings will likely toss WCS at Cousins for the most part. He can rebound with Cousins, but is way too skinny to deal with him in the post. Play Boogie.

Jusuf Nurkic
FD $7,500 DK $6,200

On the other side, we have Jusuf Nurkic. Cousins is a solid defender, but I don’t think that will be the focus tonight. Nurkic has struggled to start the season, but if you watched last game, you get it. He is a guy they involve like crazy on offense. He was cruising last time out until he had 2 phantom fouls in 2 minutes. it put him on the bench for the rest of the half and turned what would have been a good game into absolute garbage. He should be back out there tonight for another chance at a big night. Again, Lillard doe shave Pat Bev on him, which could funnel some offense away. Nurkic is willing to shoot and wants to show what he does for an offense. He has the upside to be just like Nikola Jokic production-wise but has to maintain some level of consistency to get there. As for tonight, he’s a clear 2nd to the Boogieman. Good luck!!!

Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pick’Em Breakdown – Week 8

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pick’Em Breakdown – Week 8

For a limited time use code "NLA5017" to receive the rest of the NFL season for 50% off!

For a limited time use code “NLA5017” to receive the rest of the NFL season for 50% off!

 

Tier 1

Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Who to pick, who to pick? --- Every week Lineuplab.com has the answers!

There are only three players in the first tier again this week but the decision is much tougher. Both LeSean McCoy and Julio Jones are coming off a week in which they reached the endzone for the first time in 2017 while A.J. Green had a down week in a divisional matchup vs. the Steelers. This week they all get near elite matchups and it starts with LeSean McCoy who faces a Raiders team that ranks 20th in DVOA vs. the rush, and 18th in DraftKings points per game vs. the running back position(113.9 yards per game). The Bills are at home where they have yet to lose a game this season and open as slight favorites(-2.5) and with the lack of receiving options, will rely heavily on McCoy. He is my top choice in this tier. If you are looking to go with a wideout here, I prefer Julio who gets a slightly better matchup vs. a Jets team that ranks 23rd in DVOA vs. pass and 27th in DraftKings points per game to the position. What scares me most about A.J. Green this week is that the Bengals are currently double-digit favorites which could take the game script away from Green as they could focus more on getting the run game going this week.

Tier 2

Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Who to pick, who to pick? --- Every week Lineuplab.com has the answers!

Looking at the running backs in the second tier, there is a case to be made for and against both of them. Melvin Gordon gets the much better matchup facing a Patriots team that ranks 26th in DVOA vs. the rush and 29th in DraftKings points allowed to running backs but Chargers are currently 7.5 point dogs which doesn’t bode well for Gordon’s projected carries. The good news is that he ranks 6th among running backs with 6.1 targets to game. For Ingram who has the lesser of the matchups vs. the Bears who rank 16th in DVOA vs. the rush and 14th in DraftKings points per game allowed, he does have the projected game script in his favor as the Saints sits as large nine-point favorites. He also sits in the Top 10 with 5.1 targets per game and has been much more effective since the departure of Adrian Peterson with back to back 100-yard rushing games. With all that said, I lean Ingram in this spot, even over Mike Evans who has been a beast with touchdowns in three of his last four games. The issue with Evans is the matchup vs. the Panthers who rank Top 10 in DraftKings points allowed to wideout this season and have allowed the fourth-fewest yards per game through the air(180.7).

Tier 3

Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Who to pick, who to pick? --- Every week Lineuplab.com has the answers!

Naturally, Tom Brady will see a lot of ownership in a pick’em format and it makes sense as the Pats have the #2 passing offense with 300 yards per game. The issue for me in Week 8 is the matchup vs. the Chargers who rank 8th in DVOA vs. the pass, have allowed the fifth-fewest yards per game through the air(185.4), and rank 6th in DraftKings points allowed to the QB position. The other seasoned veteran, Drew Brees, also gets a tough matchup vs. a Bears team that ranks 10th in DVOA vs. the pass and 6th in DraftKings points allowed to the position. Cam Newton has been struggling big time following his back to back 300+ yard games with just one touchdown in his last two games while not breaking the 250-yard mark. Matt Ryan also falls in the struggling quarterback column as he has not broken the 300-yard mark since week one and has just seven touchdowns all season. He would be my low-owned contrarian play in this range as he is starting to target Julio Jones more and faces a Jets team that ranks 23rd in DVOA vs. the pass and ranks 20th in passing yards per game allowed(231.3). My favorite play in this tier is young Carson Wentz who has helped the Eagles to the top overall record in the league. He has been dominant over the last three weeks with 794 yards passing and 11 touchdowns while averaging 28.6 DraftKings points per game. He also gets an elite home matchup vs. a 49ers team that ranks 29th in DVOA vs. the pass and 31st in DraftKings points allowed to the quarterback.

Tier 4

Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Who to pick, who to pick? --- Every week Lineuplab.com has the answers!

I suspect in this tier a lot of people will be chasing points with Derek Carr and Jameis Winston who are both coming off monster games. I am not buying into it as Winston faces a very stout Panthers defense that has limited opposing quarterbacks to the fourth lowest passing yards per game(180.7) and ninth fewest DraftKings points per game. Carr also gets a tough matchup going on the road to Buffalo to face a Bills team that ranks 11th in DVOA vs. the pass and 11th in DraftKings points per game allowed to the position. The Raiders wideouts also have some tough matchups as they will face E.J. Gaines and Tre’Davious White who rank 34th and 4th when looking at PFF’s cornerback rankings. I do like Andy Dalton as a low-owned option in this range but like I mentioned with A.J. Green, I think the game script gets the Bengals away from the pass as they sit as double-digit home favorites. My favorite play in this range is Philip Rivers who shouldn’t have an issue with game script facing a New England team that leads the league with 410 yards per game and sit as 7.5 point favorites at home. I have a feeling the Chargers will be chasing most of the game and that means volume for Rivers and his receiving core. While the Pats defense looked better last week, they still rank 28th in DVOA vs. the pass and dead last in DraftKings points per game allowed to quarterbacks.

Tier 5

Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Who to pick, who to pick? --- Every week Lineuplab.com has the answers!

Tier 5 gives us two elite tight ends with monster upside but the issue is they both get very tough matchups vs. teams that rank inside the Top 5 when looking at Draftkings points per game allowed to the position. I just finished telling you how Rivers was my top QB in the fourth tier so I naturally like the upside that Keenan Allen provides as his top target. I also doubt he will be the highest owned player in this tier either as he has struggled this season with just one touchdown(week 1) but sits Top 5 in targets and could easily breakout vs. a Pats team that ranks 30th in DraftKings points per game allowed to wideouts. Of the two running backs, I prefer Jordan Howard who continues to see the volume and gets a plus matchup vs. the Saints who are giving up 114 rush yards and 26.9 DraftKings points per game.

Tier 6

Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Who to pick, who to pick? --- Every week Lineuplab.com has the answers!

In Tier 6 we have five wideouts and Christian McCaffrey who has been used almost primarily like a wideout for the Panthers. His average of 8.4 targets per week not only leads all running backs in 2017 but would also rank him 13th if he were a wide receiver. He has not received double-digit carries in a game since week one but could possibly get a little more volume this week as Jonathan Stewart is dealing with a toe injury. If that is the case, he gets a nice matchup this week vs. the Bucs who have allowed 113.7 rushing yards per game and rank 23rd overall when looking at DraftKings points per game allowed to running backs. His teammate Kelvin Benjamin is my favorite target in this tier as he gets a nice matchup vs. a weak Bucs secondary that has allowed the third most passing yards per game(294.8) and rank dead last in DraftKings points per game to wideouts. I like the upside that the New England offense presents with Tom Brady under center but will be avoiding the situation this week as the Chargers outside cornerbacks ranks #9 and #11 out of 112 cornerbacks when looking at Pro Football Focus and rank 5th overall in passing yards allowed per game(185.4).

Tier 7

Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Who to pick, who to pick? --- Every week Lineuplab.com has the answers!

Combining opportunity and matchup in this tier, I turn to Pierre Garcon who leads all players(in the tier) with nine targets per game and gets a matchup vs. an Eagles secondary that ranks 28th in DraftKings points per game allowed to wideouts. The game script is also right for the picking as the 49ers are 13 point underdogs and should be forced to throw the ball a ton. I mentioned Kelvin Benjamin in the last tier and if you are not using him there, I would consider using Devin Funchess in this tier as the Bucs secondary, as I already mentioned, is bad. Both of their outside corners(Brent Grimes & Robert McLain) rank outside the Top 65 in PFF’s rankings. Nelson Agholor is also a nice high upside play in this tier. The floor is low as he only sees an average of five targets per week but he knows how to gain yards after the catch and reach the endzone and has done so in three straight weeks.

Tier 8

Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Who to pick, who to pick? --- Every week Lineuplab.com has the answers!

With the news on Wednesday that Michael Thomas is dealing with a knee injury, I like the upside that Tedd Ginn Jr. provides. He is coming off a monster week where he went off for 141 yards and has scored twice in his last four games. Even with Michael Thomas in the game, teams have been blanketing coverage his direction forcing Drew Brees to go other directions and Ginn has been the benefactor. In a similar situation, I also like Mohamed Sanu of the Falcons as the Jets are likely to shadow Julio Jones with Morriss Claiborne which could open up extra targets for Sanu who is coming off a decent week where he caught six of his 10 targets for 65 yards. The final play I would consider in this range is tight end Hunter Henry who has all but taken over for future Hall of Famer, Antonio Gates. He has seen 80%+ snaps in back to back weeks while has seen just 57% and a season-low 31% last week. In those two weeks, Henry has caught nine of 12 targets for 163 yards and scored a touchdown in the two weeks prior to that. He gets a nice matchup this week vs. the Pats who rank 26th in DraftKings points allowed to the position.

 

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions leading up to Sunday morning lineup lock, be sure to hit me up on Twitter(@Jager_Bombs9). Good luck everyone!

 

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/25/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/25/17


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Point Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Russell Westbrook - Oklahoma City Thunder - Lineuplab -

Russell Westbrook
FD $10,800 DK $11,400

If you’re looking at Westbrook and trying to decide if he’s in the same spot as last year, you’re in the same boat as the rest of us. Personally, I don’t think his stats will be AS crazy, but I do think he’s still underpriced at this number. I look for Westbrook to put up around 60 FP on most nights. Tonight, he draws an elite match-up with the fast-paced Pacers. They have Darren Collison at point guard, who’s all but a great defender. Westbrook will blow by him with ease and look at an interior full of guys like Domantas Sabonis, T.J. Leaf, and Al Jefferson. He should have his way in every facet of the game tonight and when you consider that the Pacers prefer to run, it’s gravy. Westbrook is an elite play in all formats, but be cognizant that he is expensive and you’ll be sacrificing later in spots you may not want to. My other favorite top PG is John Wall, who’s just a bit cheaper and facing a similar Lakers squad. Don’t be afraid of these high-end PG’s tonight. At least one of them is going to go nuts.

Tyler Johnson
FD $4,200 DK $4,300

We enter the day with Hassan Whiteside out while Dion Waiters and Goran Dragic remain questionable. Tyler Johnson has been seeing big minutes with these guys in, so he’d be forced to get close to 40 if they both miss. This is a guy who just signed a $50 million dollar deal with the Heat a year ago, so he’s going to get worked into the game plan as much as anyone. This isn’t a punt play where you have to worry about the guy seeing the court. Anyway these injuries end up, Johnson will see between 30-40 minutes. The Spurs are still a good defensive team, but not nearly to the same degree as when Kawhi is on the floor. Johnson is a pure minutes and price play. The match-up isn’t great, but it’s doable.

Shooting Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Avery Bradley - Detroit Pistons - Lineuplab.com

Avery Bradley
FD $5,300 DK $5,000

Stan Van Gundy has “taken fault” for the Pistons early struggles. Uh ya, I think so, Stan. When you pick up one of the best perimeter defenders in the league that can also shoot the 3 and rebound, you don’t play him 20 minutes for no reason. Avery Bradley should NEVER see less than 34 minutes if the Pistons goal is to win. But no, he will let Stanley Johnson accumulate 0 fantasy points in 40 minutes for who knows what reason. Sorry for the rant, but let’s hope it works. Bradley finally saw normal minutes last game and stunk. Sweet. Now his price is low and people will be off of him. The best of both worlds. If you think Bradley is just bad now, pick up my h2h’s. He sees a match-up with the T-Wolves where his defense will be very necessary. If Van Gundy finds a way to leave Bradley off the court against Wiggins and Butler, I give up on Stan the man for good. If Bradley sees the floor like normal, pencil in 6x value at $5k with the upside for much more.

Bradley Beal
FD $8,000 DK $7,300

Bradley Beal is one of the guys in the NBA that is truly fun to watch. He doesn’t flop. He doesn’t exaggerate or whimper over screens and throw his hands in 84 directions. He plays solid basketball on both sides of the floor. He was a top 4 3-point shooter in 2016 to combo with the Wizards effectiveness against opposing SG’s. Beal is one of the best SG’s in the game and sees a phenomenal match-up with the fast-pace Lake show. Beal has been over 40 in 2 of his first 3 contests and sees his best match-up yet. With a 231 over/under, Beal will demolish value as long as he sees 4 quarters of action. Vegas doesn’t expect it to be much of a blowout, so you can’t fade for that reason when these guys are projected so high. Shooting guard has some options, but Beal won’t be popular and has a great shot at putting up 45 in the late night hammer. 

Small Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Los Angeles Lakers - Brandon Ingram - Lineuplab

Brandon Ingram
FD $5,100 DK $5,200

Brandon Ingram joins Bradley Beal as one of the guys in the NBA that’s fun to watch. The only problem is you never know if he’s going to be in the game. The Lakers rotations are always weird, but it looks like Walton is focused on getting Ingram over 28, at least. He is an FP per minute monster when on the floor and gives you some solid savings from similar guys a bit higher. The Wizards play just as fast as the Lakers, if not faster, and Kelly Oubre Jr. is no shutdown defender. This is also the same game we just touched on with the 231 over/under, so there’s never anything wrong with stacking that total. Ingram gives you a good amount of safety with an unknown ceiling. Expect this guy to have a couple games this year that blow people away. From the looks of my teams right now, let’s hope that’s tonight.

Paul George
FD $8,700 DK $8,000

I’d be careful to call this a “grudge match” or anything of the sort, but put yourself in his situation. For Paul George, this is one of the most important games of the season. For everyone else, it’s a game against a crappy Eastern Conference team in October. For that reason, look for George to get it working early and often. The Pacers don’t really have an SF, so they’ll toss a combo of Bogan Bogdanovich and Lance Stephenson at him.  Good luck. Paul George is also still in his prime, so let’s not look at him as such a clear cut 2nd option. He’s definitely a cut behind Russ, but most 2nd options aren’t putting up 50 FP a night. Play George if you have the salary and get the 40-60 safe fantasy points. 

Power Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Draymond Green - Golden State Warriors - Lineuplab

Draymond Green
FD $7,800 DK $7,200

Draymond has yet to have a big game, which I love. Unless the narrative is that he’s now a bad basketball player, there is no argument as to why he’s a bad play. He’s facing a Raptors interior that will likely be without Jonas Valunciunas. That leaves a bunch of young PF’s and C’s with no experience to face off against Draymond Green, who is lethal from any spot on the court. He has the ability to go for 60 FP by stuffing the stat sheet, as long as the game stays close. He can also have an average Draymond game with 20 points, 8 board, 8 assists and a solid 50 fantasy points. This match-up with the Raptors won’t stand out to the public with more eye-catching games like Hou-Phi and Was-Lal. I’m not sure who they plan to put on Green, but they will definitely struggle. He’s a match-up problem for every team, but they should struggle to a much different degree. I guess Serge Ibaka will do his best as he has a pretty good defensive reputation, but it’s not for facing guys like Draymond. He is good against back to the basket PF’s. Not guys who do everything from everywhere. I hate Draymond Green as much as the next guy, but have to admit when the guy is in a good spot. I’ll have exposure to him over Simmons in a lot of tournaments. The % owned difference will be hilarious.

James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk
FD $6,500 – $5,500 DK $6,100 – $5,600

This, like Tyler Johnson, is a pure opportunity play. With Hassan Whiteside already ruled out, the Heat will be forced into some size against the Spurs. This will give both Kelly Olynyk and James Johnson around 30-35 minutes. They are both well over 1 FP/minute so far this year and it’s pretty consistent with 2016. Olynyk is a bit risky by nature(3-point shooter), but the opportunity will be there against guys like Pau Gasol and LMA. As for me, I’ll have exposure to both. I’m not a big fan of the 195 over/under, but as long as it keeps the crowds away, it’s fine. The Spurs play slow and so do the Heat, but these guys are just too cheap and seeing extended minutes at good positions. LMA and Gasol are also bad defenders, so it’s not like old Spurs team. The only real worry is the snail pace without Kawhi. Both Johnson and Olynyk are in play across the board. Keep out for news on who I’ll start against a bigger Spurs squad.

Center

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Rudy Gobert - Utah Jazz - Lineuplab

Rudy Gobert
FD $8,500 DK $7,500

The Suns play fast, and while that doesn’t help most centers this size, Gobert is amazing in it. He loves running the floor as it results in an abundance of blocks, putbacks, and transition dunks. The Jazz don’t typically run very much, so they see a huge uptick in production and projection when they do. He’ll individually face off with Tyson Chandler and Alex Len, who are both pretty good defenders. The thing is it doesn’t really matter. Gobert doesn’t score 1-on-1. He gets his numbers from everyone else screwing up. He’s a bit too cheap on both sites and it could cause him to gain some ownership, but there are a lot of good options at center, so maybe not.

Steven Adams
FD $6,900 DK $5,800

It looks like Myles Turner will be out once again and it opens the door up for Steven Adams. Adams has 40 fantasy points in 2 of his last 3 games and sees his best match-up yet. The Pacers, who play very fast, are also missing the only big guy that can guard anyone. Domantas Sabonis will have no chance at banging with Adams and you can pencil in the double-double right now. We’ve touched on a few of these Thunder guys and it has a lot to do with pace. The Pacers are extremely fast and have no problem shooting with 16 on the shot clock. They also give up a ton of FP to everyone besides the SG position. Take advantage of the high total and opportunity here.






NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/24/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/24/17


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Point Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - D'Angelo Russell - Los Angeles Lakers

D’Angelo Russell
FD $7,800 DK $7,800

We expected D’Angelo to play like he has, but the absence of Jeremy Lin has only helped. He now has the ball in his hands for every minute he’s on the court and is already showing his per minute effectiveness. The Nets and Magic will face off for the 2nd time in a week, after these 2 teams combined for 247 points on the 20th. Russell ended up with 34 fantasy points in just 25 minutes of work. He should be back up to the 35-ish minute total here and see a similar FP per min, putting him well over 40. The Magic are without Elfrid Payton, who’s a pretty good defender. Especially compared to D.J. Augustin and Evan Fournier, who will take turns on Russell. Point guard may be pretty deep, but Russell is both safe and has upside in a match-up featuring a 229 over/under. You’ll need exposure to this game and Russell is the safest way to do it on the Nets.

Jrue Holiday
FD $6,900 DK $6,500

With Rajon Rondo out for the first few weeks, Jrue Holiday will step back into his PG role for the time being. He’s been a point guard his entire career, so it’s not much of a change. The switch to SG might take a few weeks, but there’s nothing to worry about with him at the 1. He’s been consistent to start the season, but hasn’t exploded yet. Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins are getting all the shots, and rightfully so. Holiday does have an excellent match-up with Damian Lillard, however, so he should try to get it going on offense a bit. This affair between the Blazers and Pelicans should be close, high-scoring and full of fantasy goodness. Don’t shy away from the guards or big men.

Shooting Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - TrailBlazers - Lineuplab.com

C.J. McCollum
FD $7,800 DK $7,100

We’ll stay in Portland and take a look at the backcourt mate of Damian Lillard. McCollum missed the first game of the year, but returned with no hiccup. He’s been over 26 real-life points in each of the first 2 contests and has contributed plenty of peripherals.  This match-up with the Pelicans is prime and I’m not sure who plans on covering him. E’Twaun Moore is starting at SG, but he’s just nowhere near good enough to cover McCollum. The Pelicans allowed the 4th most FP’s to guards in 2016 and have similar guys manning the spots. McCollum is going to shoot at least 15-20 times and if he’s hot, value is no problem. His price is fair across the industry and with SG being pretty weak, he should be popular. He’s a fair play in both cash games and tournaments.

Tim Hardaway Jr.
FD $4,700 DK $5,000

Looking at the box scores, you probably don’t have interest in Tim Hardaway Jr. If you’re looking at what you should be, you probably love him. He shot 16 times last game and dropped just 4 buckets. He shot closer to 50% in 2016 and is a very good shooter in general. His numbers will certainly go up and I don’t think the general public will be on him. The Boston Celtics play fast and don’t love defense. They don’t guard the paint and are extremely susceptible to SG’s (If Marcus Smart is out). Hardaway is way too cheap on both sites and if he has a typical game, it will be around 25 fantasy points. If he gets hot, it can get to 40. He hit 40 fantasy points 3 times in the last month of 2016. Don’t be short-sighted and ignore him because of a couple rough shooting nights.

Small Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler
FD $8,300 DK $7,000

On DraftKings, go ahead and plug Jimmy Butler into your cash games. I know he hasn’t been amazing, but that is going to 1000% change. He is getting used to playing with these guys and will be putting up 50 burgers in no time. Thibs is giving him the 38 minutes a game we expected and I’m willing to put my head on the line that production is coming soon. The Pacers are the 3rd fastest team in the last 2 years and it’s why a slow team like the Wolves is in a 217 over/under. Butler has had 3 tough match-ups so far and now sees a Pacers team who has no true SF. Lance Stephenson and Bojan Bogdanovich will see the 48 minutes there and neither can guard Jimmy. Wiggins also has a pretty tough match-up with Oladipo, so the ball should get funneled towards Butler on the perimeter. He’s the safest option in SF for his price and he’ll  be locked into my cash games.

Evan Fournier
FD $7,000 DK $6,1oo

Fournier has exceeded expectations so far, which has led to his price going up just a little bit. On FanDuel, you don’t have to get exposure outside of tournaments. He can still smash value, but there are some better values. On DK, however, $6,100 is perfect. Fournier has been phenomenal to start the season and without Elfrid Payton on the court, he is doing whatever he wants. He now sees the same Nets team that he put 44 fantasy points up on less than a week ago. He also saw just 25 minutes last game, so he’s fully rested and ready to go once again. With a 229 over/under and some injuries to take advantage of, this is a game I want a lot of cash game exposure to. Fournier gives you a 30 point floor with a 50 point ceiling, as long as Payton remains out.

Power Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Anthony Davis - Pelicans

Anthony Davis
FD $12,200 DK $10,900

Alright, this is getting fun. Watching Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins play next to each other is fun. There is no other team I can put my eye on when they are playing. Tonight, the Pelicans take on the Blazers and their non-existent interior. I guess the only guy you can give some credence to is Jusuf Nurkic, who at least has some size. He’ll be on DeMarcus Cousins, so that leaves Aminu and Swanigan to cover Anthony Davis. Nope. No shot. Good luck. This, in my opinion, turns into a shootout between Lillard/McCollum and Cousins/Davis. If you’re looking for a game to stack, this is as good of a candidate as any. Because they all are so expensive, Cousins is the 1 of the 4 I would fade. There are plenty of other options at center. Anthony Davis is my favorite superstar of the night and I’m not sure how close it is. The Blazers allowed over 60 FP per game to Davis in 2016 and he looks like he’s turned the leaf that will hand him the MVP trophy this season. As for tonight, I’ll do whatever I can to get the Brow in 100% of my lineups.

Kristaps Porzingis
FD $9,300 DK $8,500

Talking about turning over a leaf, here’s Kristaps Porzingis. I don’t know if Porzingis is much better or if it’s because Melo is gone, but Porzingis is playing phenomenal. He has 46 and 47 fantasy points in each of the first 2 games and sees his best match-up yet against the Celtics. The Celtics are tossing Jaylen Tatum at PF, who has quite the disadvantage against Kristaps. They also have Horford at C, who’s a pitiful rebounder and worse defender. His price is yet to get too high and I want to take advantage against one of the best match-ups possible. Power Forward is pretty deep, so let’s take a look at another guy a bit cheaper.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
FD $6,200 DK $5,200

It was either Trevor Booker or Rondae Hollis-Jefferson here. With Aaron Gordon looking like he will return, I expect the Nets to match his athleticism with that of Hollis-Jefferson. RHJ has been damn good to start the year when given opportunity and he’s actually taking initiative on a Nets team that needs some. I’ve said it enough, but this game is sitting at a 229 total, so we’ll be all over it. RHJ is a concrete solid value play that will let you pay up for guys like Davis while still holding some upside. He’s a lot better priced on DraftKings, so I may just find a way to pay up completely on FanDuel if no value emerges. All in all, power forward is a spot where you may need to hit the nuts in tournaments.

Center

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks - Orlando Magic - Lineup Lab

Nikola Vucevic
FD $9,800 DK $8,300

We’ve looked this game up and down, so let’s top it off with the whipped cream, cherry, and fudge. Vucevic has been disgusting this year and it looks like this is finally a team he’s locked down as his. He gets a touch on almost every possession and sees the best match-up possible. The Nets don’t really have a center, but they throw Timofey Mozgov and Jarrett Allen there for the bulk of the game. If you were able to watch Vucevic face these guys a couple of days ago, you’ve already plugged him into your lineup. It was utter domination on every possession and the game had a total 15 fewer than tonight. There are a lot of solid high-priced options tonight, so it’ll be tough to choose who you want to lead your squad. However, if you go with Vuc, there’s a good shot you’ll be in the mix. He, like a few other guys, see a much friendlier tag on DraftKings. He’ll be tough to fade there.

Jusuf Nurkic
FD $7,900 DK $6,800

Both of the centers in this game are in play, but Nurkic is cheaper and we already looked at Vuc on top. Nurkic finally got things going last game with 41 fantasy points in 31 minutes. That’s what we expect. He should see closer to 40 minutes tonight to match the Pelicans size and he should put up at least 30 with a 70 ceiling. Ya, I know that sounds crazy, but he did it twice last year and didn’t look like he was having a fluke game either. Cousins is not a good defender and the Pelicans ranked 8th worst against centers in 2016. Lillard and McCollum should take most of the responsibility here, but they have no chance of winning unless Nurkic has a big game. He’s very fairly priced on both sites and you can play him in all formats. There are 2 big games we like to target tonight and as long as they stay close, things should turn out. Good luck!!!






NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/23/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/23/17


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Point Guard

John Wall
FD $10,300 DK $10,100

John Wall is a quality play in 90% of the games he plays. Because the ball is in his hands so much, he is very safe, regardless of matchup. However, when he runs into a team like the Nuggets, who play at a top 6 pace, things can get interesting. Vegas currently has this game with a 223 over/under and 3 spread. That’s ideal. Jamal Murray and Emmanuel Mudiay will split time at PG and try to figure out how to slow Wall. They shouldn’t have much success, as long as the game stays close and Wall gets the minutes. They won’t be able to switch either, because Bradley Beal has no problem dipping 40 with a small PG on him. I don’t see a way around 50 fantasy points and the upside in tournaments is close to 80. Wall is one of the top NBA orchestrators and you will very rarely see him against a fast-paced, Western Conference team. This should be a game you pay a lot of attention to, and John Wall is by far the best player in it. Don’t get cute with some of the expected PG value.

George Hill
FD $5,600 DK $5,100

This affair between the Kings and Nuggets isn’t expected to be as high scoring as the Wizards game, but a 211 total isn’t far off. It’s a difference of 5 points for each team. Here we have George Hill at just way too cheap. He was rested in the 2nd half of a B2B 2 nights ago, so should be fully rested and ready to go another 35. He’ll match up with Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker, who are both quality defenders, but have given up the 24th most fantasy points to guards. How? Pace. The Suns play super fast and no matter how good of a 1-on-1 defender you are, you can’t stop a fast break or transition bucket very often when you’re shooting with 15-20 seconds left on the shot clock and forcing the big men to labor back into the play. George Hill is a very good PG and one that should certainly be more expensive. The match-up is absolutely perfect and I see no reason to go elsewhere in this price range.

Shooting Guard

Dion Waiters
FD $6,400 DK $5,600

It’s fair to say that Dion Waiters is a matured player. It’s not fair to say, however, that he’s completely different. He still chucks the ball as much as you possibly can and we saw It just 2 nights ago with 16 shots against the Pacers. He finished the night with 32 FP on 50% shooting. Waiters can and will get hot, and when he does, there will be some 40 FP performances. Hassan Whiteside is expected to miss his 2nd straight game as well, so there are some shots to be taken that aren’t usually there. Waiters always comes with a great amount of risk, but I’m not sure he can get any safer than tonight. Waiters will be one of the guys I’m way overboard on, but it’s Dion Waiters and I know all too well what can happen.

Jeremy Lamb
FD $5,500 DK $5,700

After a worrisome 28 minutes out of Lamb in the opener, he backed it up with 38 in his last contest. That’s what we expected out of a guy who routinely filled in with those types of minutes in 2016. With Batum and Kidd-Gilchrist still out, they’ll need Alan to step up on the wing once again. This Bucks team is pretty bad on defense and as long as Lamb doesn’t somehow end up on Giannis, he will blister value. This is a guy who was at 1.3 FP/ min last season, so don’t let 2 games of mediocrity worry you. He’s primarily a scorer, but averaged close to 5 boards a game over the last 3 months of 2016. Shooting guard is ugly and Lamb gives you an option with some real safety and upside. It’s tough to find both under his price.

Small Forward

Harrison Barnes
FD $6,100 DK $5,600

Getting back to a bit of safety, we’ll set our sights on Harrison Barnes. Barnes and the Mavs will face the Warriors, who come in after a loss as look to prove themselves. If the Warriors want any chance of keeping the contest close, they’ll need Harrison Barnes to have a career night. Either way, the ball will run through him on most possessions. Even if the Warriors do blowout the Mavs, I think you can expect 32 minutes and 30 fantasy points out of Barnes. The Warriors play at a top 5 pace compared to the Mavs’ bottom 5, so they’ll be playing way quicker than usual. With that, comes more possessions and more opportunities to gather fantasy points. Barnes is going to get you 1 FP/minute as long as he’s on the court. He’s cheap enough on both sites where I’m comfortable in even cash games. If the Warriors obliterate the Mavs, he should still keep you afloat. That can’t be said for most of the SF in this price range. Let’s touch on a guy who’s a bit more risky with some upside.

T.J. Warren
FD $5,600 DK $5,300

T.J. Warren had a typical game against the Lakers. He then garnered almost 40% ownership against a Clippers team that stepped on the Suns throat. He’s a guy who needs the game to stay close, as he will just sit in the corner if not. When getting involved, Warren looks like an all-star. He can shoot, penetrate, and has the brains to break a defense down and hit an open shooter. He’s also a big reason that the Suns play so fast. Behind LeBron and Durant, Warren moved the most of any SF in 2016, showing his urge to space the floor and create. The Kings don’t really have a real solid SF, so Warren will have an advantage over whatever small or big they throw at him. This game is very nice from a fantasy perspective and it’ll be very intriguing to see how things turn out. Warren, in particular, is an excellent option in all formats where his price is still low.

Chandler Parsons is definitely an insane flier, but I like the idea of it. He’s dirt cheap, making 24 million dollars this year, and should start to see closer to 20 minutes per game. He’s facing his former team and should want to shoot when in there. He’s a VERY good player, so if he sees those minutes, he’ll bash value. I don’t know if I’ll pull the trigger, but it’s interesting.

Power Forward

James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk
FD $5,900 – $5,200 DK $6,300 – $5,800

Power Forward is one of my favorite positions of the night and these 2 guys have to do with it. With Hassan Whiteside presumably out 1 more game (keep an eye out), Johnson and Olynyk will see big minutes. The Heat played small last game and were allowed to, which won’t happen against the Hawks. They don’t have great big guys, but they are 7 foot and if you have James Johnson on them, it won’t end well. Olynyk should get close to 30 minutes at the C and another 10 or 20 at PF. Johnson will see most of his at PF with a few point forward minutes when Dragic/Waiters is out. He’s a do it all player who has no problem getting on the floor for a loose ball. He always makes sure he gets involved 1 way or another, which is comforting from a DFS perspective. There is nothing worse than rostering a guy who loves sitting in the corner. It’s a big reason why I’ll have a tough time playing Kyle Anderson. He’s a strong value, but the guy stinks. He’s not very good at basketball, compared to his compadres. Johnson and Olynyk should both demolish value if given the expected minutes. Don’t get cute here.

LaMarcus Aldridge
FD $8,800 DK $8,500

If paying up at PF, I think most will go Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s undoubtedly a great play that could go for 75 FP on any night. However, with his recent boost in production has come with a price rise. Now, Giannis will need to get you at least 60. That’s tough and not going to happen. He will still have his usual 45 FP games where he spreads it around and struggles from the field. I’m willing to bet it happens against the pace-down Hornets on the road. Don’t let me take you off of Giannis, because I’ll have exposure in tournaments, but he’s simply not safe at this crazy price tag. If he had 5 fewer shots fall in last game, the entire narrative would have been different here. Instead, I look towards LaMarcus Aldridge. The Spurs have been running the offense through LMA with Kawhi Leonard on the pine with an injury. It’s resulted in 46 and 52 fantasy points. When LMA is touching the ball like this, he’s as an elite of a big man as you’ll find. If you’re an NBA fan, you know this. He can put up 40 real-life points and the 10 rebounds is a lock against the Raptors weak interior. He’s going to cost you a pretty penny, but not nearly as much as Giannis and you can still get 40 FP rather easily.

Center

Joel Embiid
FD $8,500 DK $8,200

It looks like the 76ers are getting a bit more liberal with Embiid and his minutes and instead just allowing him to sit out when sore. I like the idea a lot more than throwing a superstar on the court for 16 minutes and then leaving the team to dry when the playmaker suddenly disappears for 70% of the game. It’s tough to get in a groove that way. Instead, he’s getting close to 30 minutes when he plays and backing it up with production, as everyone expected. He faces a Pistons team that has no shot at staying with him. I don’t know if Van Gundy will try to stick with Drummond, but he shouldn’t. Joel Embiid is just going to take him to the perimeter and demolish/break both of his ankles. Drummond can pave his way in the paint, but there’s no shot he contests a single jumper. If Embiid is feeling it, he will have a huge game. The Pistons have ranked in the bottom 1/3 against Centers for 4 years now and unless Drummond dramatically improved in the offseason, I see no changes.

Nerlens Noel
FD $5,000 DK $5,200

Being clear, this is a GPP only play. DO NOT play Nerlens Noel in a cash game unless just about every single Maverick is injured. He could see 8 minutes tonight and I wouldn’t be all that surprised. However, if the Mavs want to match-up with the Warriors, Noel is a way they can do it. He’s a big man that can run the floor and won’t get tired from the Warriors tireless attack. He’s a fantastic fantasy player as well, averaging well over 1.4 FP per minute when on the floor. It’s not too tough to figure out with him. Except it is. When the minutes are there, so is the production. We have just to get in the mind of a coach who doesn’t have much of an idea of what’s going on. On the off chance that Noel sees the floor for an extended period of time, he could win you a tournament. He has legitimate 50 fantasy point upside every time he sees 30 minutes.






NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/21/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/21/17


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Point Guard

Yogi Ferrell and J.J. Barea
FD $4,100 – $3,900 DK $4,200 – $4,200

Dennis Smith Jr. missed the game last night and has already been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Rockets. J.J. Barea and Yogi Ferrell will benefit most, deserving plenty of attention in both cash games and tournaments. Chris Paul has already been ruled out on the other side, so the match-up here won’t be an issue. J.J. Barea got the start last night, but both him and Ferrell got 30 minutes. You can expect at least that many tonight in a fast-paced matchup with Houston. With CP3 gone, Eric Gordon shifted over to covering the PG and split time there with James Harden. Both Harden and Gordon are lackluster defenders would much rather run the floor than grind it out. I really don’t prefer either over the other, but if you forced me, I’ll go with Ferrell as he was controlling the ball when the game mattered down the stretch. He’s also just a tad bit cheaper on both sites, so there’s that.

Ricky Rubio
FD $7,600 DK $7,000

I don’t love PG tonight, so I’m fine punting with all of the value available. I think Westbrook may be popular, and he’s great in cash games, but the match-up with the Jazz is pace-down and he will need to be almost perfect to hit value. Looking a bit cheaper, Ricky Rubio stands out. He’s played over 30 minutes in each of the first 2 games and has held on to a 1.56 FP/minute. It’s obviously an insanely small sample size, but it’s nice to see a guy like him starting off hit. Thibs will keep him on the court a lot when playing like this and the match-up is perfect tonight. Russell Westbrook has the athleticism to be a great defender, but he doesn’t have the lungs. He has enough to do on the other side and it’s why the Thunder ranked 22nd against PG’s in 2016. Rubio isn’t going to put up a bunch of real-life points, but he’ll stuff the sheet in a fast-paced game where he’ll be needed a ton on both sides.

Shooting Guard

James Harden
FD $11,000 DK $10,600

I’m writing this on Thursday night, so forgive me if my assumptions are off a bit. I assume Russell Westbrook is going to be a lot more popular than James Harden and I like Harden more. For one, Chris Paul is out. He’s going to eat into Harden’s numbers this year, as he holds the ball a ton. Two, Westbrook has more opportunity cost. There are some nice options at PG, compared to the mess that is value SG’s. Harden was the primary ballhandler last game and that shouldn’t change here after playing well. The match-up with the Mavs is great, especially with Seth Curry and Dennis Smith being ruled out. That leaves Barea, Ferrell, and Wes Matthews at the 1 and 2. Matthews will cover him most of the time, but the other guys will eventually have to take a shot. It won’t end well for any of them. Harden is going to dominate this defense and their non-existent interior. I’m not saying it’s the safest option, but I’ll be going Harden over Westbrook tonight.

Buddy Hield
FD $5,000 DK $5,400

Shooting Guard is currently my least favorite position, so I’m pretty happy we have James Harden to lean on at the top. With that being said, there are still some guys you can lean on for 25+ FP. Buddy Hield is the easy choice for me. He is going to be a big part of the Kings offense this year and he’s already shown it, going for 32 over the first 2 games. He’s shot the 3rd most on the team and will continue to get around 30 minutes. He’ll see a pairing of Will Barton and Gary Harris on defense, who are both pretty average. The game is sitting at a 216 over/under, so getting some exposure is probably a good idea. Hield lets you do that at a friendly price, while maintaining the upside to give you a huge boost. Hield went over 40 FP 8 times in 2016 and he’s still 4 years from his prime, so it’s possible. It really just depends if he’s hot or not. You’ll know early.

Small Forward

Evan Fournier
FD $5,800 DK $5,600

Elfrid Payton hurt his hamstring last night and he left the game for good. I could be wrong, but I don’t see him coming back tonight. If he does, you can lower my love for Even Fournier here. You also have Aaron Gordon questionable, who missed last night entirely. Fournier and the Magic will have to travel to Cleveland and face off with the same Cavs that just laid the smacking on a skilled Bucks team last night. The Magic don’t have much of a chance at winning here, but they will have to score. Fournier is going to see a lot of ball-handling opportunities and I expect the Magic to run a lot of Fournier/Vucevic PnR. Vuc played a lot last night, however, so I think Fournier steps up and takes on the scoring responsibility. We also shouldn’t have to worry about LeBron covering him (unless he gets hot_, as he won’t be playing the 3 at all with Elfrid out. Small forward isn’t pretty today and Fournier gives you a 30 floor and 60 ceiling at 5.5K.

Josh Richardson
FD $4,900 DK $4,600

This is one of my favorite plays of the night. Josh Richardson played 34 minutes last game and stunk. I love to see it. With just 1 game on the board, people will look at that and draw conclusions. Josh Richardson is a damn good basketball player and one that can fill it up for fantasy. If he continues seeing 30+ minutes at this price, you play him. Every game. The match-up with the Pacers is exquisite, considering they played at the 3rd fastest pace in 2016 and lead thus far in ’17. Richardson is a guy who thrives in the open court, but is perfectly fine in the halfcourt set as well. The Pacers, like the Heat, don’t have a real SF, so Lance Stephenson should be on him a lot. With Hassan Whiteside ruled out, the Heat are going to need a few guys to step up. I expect Josh Richardson to be one of them and for him to be about 5% owned. If he had a good game last time out, he would be close to 40%. Sample size. use it to your advantage.

Power Forward

Blake Griffin
FD $9,800 DK $9,800

I highlighted why I like Griffin so much this season in his first game and everything turned out perfectly. Like I was hoping, Doc Rivers has handed Blake Griffin the offense. It is run around him and what he wants to do. Against Phoenix, that should be a very, very glorious thing to watch. Well, only if you click on his name. I’m of the opinion that Griffin is a top 5 fantasy player this season, so it’s going to be tough for me to not recommend him in any match-up, let alone against the Suns. He’s getting the ball whenever he wants and has a diverse post-game, while also keeping the pace and possesions up. It’s great news if you’re a fan of Blake Griffin. He put up 50 fantasy points in just 33 minutes in game 1 and will look to turn that into 60+ tonight. As long as the game stays close, I don’t see anyone stopping that from happening. I like Harden a bit more, but I’ve been able to fit both on FD without much quarrel. On DK, we all know how tight it can get.

James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk
FD $$5,300 – $4,400 DK $5,200 – $4,800

With Hassan Whiteside out, these are the 2 guys who will fill the hole. Or at least try there best. As for a minutes projection, I’m looking for 32 out of Johnson and 28 from Olynyk, give or take 5. It’s a perfect match-up with the Pacers and they’ll both be able to play down if Myles Turned remains out with a concussion. James Johnson is one of my favorite cash game value plays on the slate and I think he may be the safest of all. Against the Pacers, there is no chance he sees less than 30 minutes. It’s the perfect game for his style of play (aggressive). The Pacers run as much as anyone and it’s shown when a team like the Heat in is a game with a 212 over/under. They like to play slow and aren’t very good at scoring. As for Olynyk, I’ve learned my lesson enough times in cash games. He does have 40 fantasy point upside, however, so it’d be wise to get some GPP exposure. The only worry is if both teams agree to play small and Johnson ends up at the 5. If Myles Turner plays, I may have to try my hand again at Olynyk in cash games. His size will be needed.

Center

Nikola Jokic
FD $9,000 DK $9,300

Jokic faced Rudy Gobert in game 1, so go ahead and throw it out the window. He still played pretty well, but I’m glad people are going to see a 37 when considering to play him or not. He was one of the best fantasy assets in 2016 and the Nuggets have only tailored the offense more in his favor. He is the focal point of the team and is leaned on to not only score but to distribute as well. He’s one of the more gifted passers in basketball and will see double-digit assists plenty of times in the campaign. This game is sitting at a 216 over/under with the Nuggets -11. The Kings will toss Willie Cauley-Stein and Zach Randolph at Jokic, but neither will stick. WCS has a better shot, but he’s not gifted enough on defense and is also a bit skinny. Jokic is a top 2 center in my book and against the Kings, I’ll have exposure every time. I do like him less than Blake Griffin, but BARELY.

Robin Lopez
FD $5,800 DK $5,400

Ya, I know. It seems kind of early to be recommending Robin Lopez. Trust me, I don’t want to play him either. I just have to be objective. With Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis out for an extended period of time, RoLo will be forced to play AT LEAST 30 minutes. He should see close to 40 on certain occasionas. He faces off with the Spurs tonight, who on the surface dont look like a great match-up. However, pace-adjusted, they ranked 21st against centers in 2016. Neither Pau Gasol nor LaMarcus Aldridge is any good at defense, so it makes sense. This is also a different Robin Lopen than you’re used to. Nobody is left on this team, so he’s almost the leader. He’s going to shoot the ball close to 15 times a game and should be close to a lock for a double-double on most nights. Good luck out there tonight! Here’s to avoiding the traps!