NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/10/17

NBA Daily Fantasy

by Mike Barner on November 10, 20170 Comments

*Mike Barner*

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/10/17

Use Code “LLNBA17” at checkout for 10% off Seasonal Package

POINT GUARDS

Damian Lillard, POR vs. BKN
FanDuel = $10,000
DraftKings = $9,400

Lillard has been stuffing the stat sheet on a nightly basis as he is averaging 25.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.3 three-pointers per game. His scoring has been off the charts of late as he has scored at least 32 points in four of his last five games. He is averaging 19 shot attempts and 8 free-throw attempts in 36 minutes per game on the season overall, giving him plenty of opportunities to continue to produce. The Nets are allowing the most points in the NBA, making this a juicy for Lillard.

Mike James, PHO vs. ORL
FanDuel = $5,500
DraftKings = $5,100

James has played well since taking over for Eric Bledsoe, averaging 12.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.3 three-pointers in nine starts. With Bledsoe now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks and the team preferring to bring Tyler Ulis off the bench, James’ role is pretty set going forward barring another trade. If you are looking for a cost effective point guard Friday, James is your man.

SHOOTING GUARDS

C.J. McCollum, POR vs. BKN
FanDuel = $7,300
DraftKings = $7,400

Although Jusuf Nurkic has been a valuable addition for Portland, they are only going to go as far as Lillard and McCollum can carry then. Like Lillard, McCollum has also excelled to start the season by averaging 23.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.3 three-pointers per game. He hasn’t really had an off night as he has scored at least 16 points in every game so far. I already detailed the struggles the Nets have on defense, making McCollum an excellent play Friday as well.

Lou Williams, LAC at OKC
FanDuel = $5,500
DraftKings = $5,200

The Clippers are dealing with several injuries Friday as both Patrick Beverley and Danilo Gallinari have already been ruled out while Austin Rivers is listed as questionable. That’s three key players in the Clippers rotation. Williams should take on a more prominent role as a result, giving him a great opportunity to provide a lot of value at this cheap price. He’s already averaging 14.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 three-pointers in only 23 minutes per game, so the extra minutes can really make him move the fantasy needle.

SMALL FORWARDS

Evan Fournier, ORL at PHO
FanDuel = $6,800
Draft Kings = $7,200

The Magic are off to a surprising 7-4 start and Fournier is a big reason for their success as he’s averaging career highs in points (20.5), rebounds (4.5), assists (3.6), steals (1.5) and three-pointers (2.7) per game. He has only scored less than 20 points in a game twice this season and is averaging 34 minutes per game, giving him a pretty high floor. The Suns are allowing 115.8 points per game, so look for Fournier to stay hot in this game.

Denzel Valentine, CHI vs. IND
FanDuel = $5,000
DraftKings = $4,300

The Bulls can’t seem to settle on a starting small forward as Valentine, Paul Zipser and David Nwaba have all started at the position this season. Zipser and Nwaba have logged the majority of the starts though as Valentine has only been a member of the first unit in one of their nine games. Nwaba is out with an injury and Zipser has not played well at all, so Valentine might be in for a larger role going forward. He has played at least 23 minute in each of the last three games, averaging 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.0 three-pointers per game. That’s great production for a player at this price, making him a strong value play against the Pacers.

POWER FORWARDS

Blake Griffin, LAC at OKC
FanDuel = $8,400
DraftKings = $8,600

As I already mentioned, the Clippers will be limited in the players they will have available for this game. Griffin has been stellar even with the team at full strength as he is averaging 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 2.1 three-pointers per game. The increase in three-pointers is impressive as he had never averaged more than 0.6 per game heading into this season. The Thunder are struggling right now, losing four games in a row. They are extremely thin up front, so they really don’t have anyone capable of guarding Griffin. Get him in your lineup and enjoy the ride.

Luke Babbitt, ATL at DET
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $3,700

The Hawks are in full rebuild mode, leaving them with a roster with limited talent and depth. Add that to injuries to both Ersan Ilyasova and Mike Muscala and you get Babbitt playing at least 25 minutes in four straight games. He has taken advantage of the extended playing time by averaging 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 three-pointers per game over that stretch. You won’t have to pay much for his services against the Pistons, making him a viable value play for your entry.

CENTERS

Andre Drummond, DET vs. ATL
FanDuel = $10,200
DraftKings = $8,800

The Hawks don’t have much size up front, which is a recipe for disaster against Drummond. Drummond has grabbed at least 12 rebounds in every game this season and has failed to log a double-double only three times. Not known as much of a passer, he has surprisingly dished out at least four assists in a game six times already this season. With the type of production he provides and the lack of resistance, he should see from the Hawks centers, pay up for Drummond.

Aron Baynes, BOS vs. CHA
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $4,300

Al Horford missed the Celtics last game against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a concussion, resulting in Baynes taking over as the starting center. While he only played 23 minutes, he was highly efficient as he scored 21 points to go along with eight rebounds and three assists. Horford will be out again Friday, leaving Baynes with another start. He may be needed to log even more minutes against Dwight Howard, making him a great cheap option at center.

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/31/17

NBA Daily Fantasy

by Austyn Varney on October 31, 20170 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/31/17

Use Code “LLNBA17” at checkout for 10% off Seasonal Package

Point Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

George Hill
FD $4,400 DK $4,300

Happy Halloween! We finish off October with a very interesting 4-game slate, packed full of options. We’ll start at PG, where we look to save. You could obviously go with Westbrook, and he can get you 70. I would just rather have Giannis and both prices are high. I don’t need to tell you that Russell Westbrook has upside and can single-handedly win you a tournament. If you look at your lineup and have the ability to move up to him at PG, don’t hesitate. I won’t either. However, on initial looks, PG is a spot to pay down. George Hill rested on Sunday against the Wizards and will right back in the starting lineup here against the Pacers, his old team. Hill has been over 30 minutes in most games, but still sits at a ridiculously low $4.3K. Hill is a very good PG that has been priced over $6K for many years at this point. He’s obviously struggled a bit to start the season, but he should get things going against a Pacers team that loves to run. Hill is simply way too cheap for the player he is and the minutes he’s getting. He only needs you about 25 in cash, so I’ll have 100% in all formats.

Spencer Dinwiddie
FD $5,300 DK $5,100

It’s pretty crazy that we’re actually going up in price here to Spencer Dinwiddie. D’Angelo Russell is back, but Dinwiddie proved himself enough to remain in the mix no matter what. He put up 42 fantasy points in just 29 minutes of work against the Nuggets, so he can play ball. You have Dinwiddie getting half of his minutes at PG and the other half at SG. It lets him get his assists and points up. Looking at his box score, he’s a guy who can fill the stat sheet well for a little guy. He’s obviously a lot better than the benchwarmer the Nets have treated him like since being on the team. He gives the Nets a huge spark when on the floor and they’ll need it in a fast-paced game with the Suns. It’s the best game to target on this slate and we start it off early with Dinwiddie. He has to see the minutes after last game and his price is still too cheap on both sites. Feel free to pay up at PG tonight, but I won’t be.

Shooting Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Devin Booker
FD $7,200 DK $7,900

Eric Bledsoe has yet to get traded, but I still don’t think he ever sees the court again with the Phoenix Suns. He requested a trade on Twitter and the owner has already said he’s played his last game, so it’s just a matter of time at this point. That leaves Devin Booker as the clear-cut leader of the offense. He’s done quite a good job, putting up 30+ fantasy points in all but one game. He now gets his best match-up f the year against the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are running just as much as last year and we know how much it impacted DFS. They ended up ranking bottom 5 against every single position, including 2nd to SG’s at 59.1 FPPG. Booker is typically risky, but with Bledsoe out, he’s going to at least hit a few. I’d consider him a lot safer than he was last year, and certainly has more upside (consistently. I know he scored around 80 real points last year). The Nets will toss D’Angelo Russell and Caris LeVert at Booker, who will both struggle. Booker is one of the best young players in the league and should average close to 30 points on a nightly basis. This match-up with the Nets is an elite one and I’m all over it.

Bogdan (not Bojan) Bogdanovic and Buddy Hield
FD $4,500 – $4,000 DK $4,300 – $4,400

Here are 2 solid punt options from the Kings. These 2 guys will split around 65 minutes, which is fine. At the price(s), you really don’t need much more than 25 fantasy points. Against a team that runs as much as anyone, it shouldn’t be tough for either of these guys to rack up the FP. Bogdanovic is a better player than Hield and he can be argued as a cash game play. He’s the focal point of the offense when out there and has no problem shooting 15+ times. He’s only a rookie, but at 25 years, old, not really. He looks like a real NBA talent that will stick around for some time. You then get Buddy Hield, who’s hit or miss. If his shot is on, count him for 30 FP. if his shot is off, you can see 10 without a surprise. He’s a great tournament option, but nothing more for me.

Small Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Giannis Antetokounmpo
FD $12,600 DK $12,500

This is the guy I’ll be paying up for as much as I possibly can. First things first, small forward is horrible. If you make me pick 2 other guys and I have to leave Giannis sitting there, it’s hard for me to believe that’s optimal. We can always see a flukey bad game out of anyone, but it looks like Giannis may have taken the DFS LeBron role. That role is a match-up proof monster that will put up 50 points against any team. It’s also the guy who can turn it up for 80 when necessary. This match-up with the Thunder is going to be a very fun game to watch with Westbrook and Antetokounmpo battling back and forth. I’d assume Giannis will be covered by Paul George, who’s a good defender, but I don’t care. It’s pace up for the Bucks and nobody is better in the open court than ABC. I’ll have him everywhere tonight and am more than willing to sit on this limb.

T.J. Warren
FD $5,100 DK $5,200

T.J.Warren is going to be in the $7Ks before Christmas. I promise you that. Without Eric Bledsoe, he’ll be putting up 30+ fantasy points on a daily basis. The only problem is the minutes. Last season, he would see close to 38 per night. This year, he hasn’t been over 27 minutes since game 2. That is certainly worrisome. However, this is the best match-up the Suns have seen all season long and Warren has put up some nice numbers over the last 2 games. He’ll see a combo of Allen Crabbe and Caris LeVert on defense, who are both young and pretty average defenders. Warren is a lot better than them and I think he enforces his role as the number 2 option on the offense with Bledsoe in the permanent timeout chair. Warren is cheap and even if he does get less than 35 minutes, he can get to value rather easily. Small forward stinks and on the case Warren does see 35+ (very possible), he can get to 45 fantasy points without trouble.

Power Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks
Tobias Harris
FD $6,400 DK $6,700

Tobias is getting a lot of hype around him for some reason, but he’s the same player as he was last year. He’s been a very good small forward since Orlando and has turned a corner in Detroit. He has a decent jump shot, but relies on the inside game to make it work. You’ll see him work the paint and elbows in the first quarter until Drummond and RJax are out. He’ll then start isolating and posting up against the backup PF. Stan Van Gundy does a good job of getting him minutes on the floor with guys that don’t need the ball. It allows Harris to do whatever he wants for about 10-12 of his 35 minutes. He also has a pretty phenomenal match-up with the Lakers, who’ve allowed the 7th most FPPG to PF’s since the start of 2016. Harris isn’t too expensive yet and I have no problem relying on him as a cash game or tournament option.

Skal Labissiere
FD $4,900 DK $4,600

This is contingent on Zach Randolph riding the pine. He’s currently questionable with a left foot injury and at his age, I don’t think he’ll get pushed back too fast. As long as he is ruled out, Skal Labissiere is going to be one of the top point per $ plays on the entire slate. He’s one of those guys that doesn’t always see big minutes but constantly produces when given opportunity. Think James Johnson or Cole Aldrich. The only difference with Skal is that he’s extremely young and going to be a very good player at some point. For now, he’s cheap and full of upside. The match-up against Thaddeus Young is nothing to worry about, so it just comes down to Zbo and whether he plays or not. If Randolph is confirmed out before final lock, Skal Labissiere will be in 100% of my lineups.

Center

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Andre Drummond
FD $9,200 DK $8,200

We ignored the Pistons guards simply because of better options, but we love the bigs. Andre Drummond is a monster. Just watch him play or look at his box scores. Either works quite well in proving my point. In past years, when he would get into foul trouble, it would be the end of tournament hopes for whoever owned him. Now, Van Gundy just throws him in there for 18 minutes in the 2nd half and lets him get 15 points and 15 rebounds with 0 issues. When Drummond stays out of foul trouble, he’s just a lock for 45 fantasy points. He is getting bigger minutes this season and is looking like a much smarter and more developed center. He’s actually using his brain this year instead f going off of whatever crazy instincts he had in there before. The fouls should come down considerably and they don’t worry me much about this game. Brook Lopez can draw fouls, but he’s going to try and hit from deep on an immobile Drummond. I don’t see any reason why a guy that can shoot 3’s will go bang in the paint with one of the largest and strongest people on earth. The price is still fair on Drummond and he should have 20 rebounds easily if he avoids foul trouble. That’s a crazy claim, I know, but have you ever seen Brook Lopez battle for more than 1 tough rebound a game? Probably not.

Willie Cauley-Stein
FD $5,300 DK $5,400

WCS is playing a lot different than last season. He was a boom or bust type of player that we would only unleash when key players were injured. Now, he’s a middle of the road center getting 26 solid minutes a night. Against the fast-paced Pacers, you have to love it. The upside on WCS is well-noted and will continue to be until he shrinks and isn’t able to dunk/jump over every single player on the court. The Pacers will likely be without Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis, so I’m not sure what they plan to do with Cauley-Stein. His price is yet to rise and as long as he’s sitting under $6k, I have no issues with him in cash games. He gets involved on both sides of the court and will very rarely bust. Especially in a match-up like this. If you’re unable to pay up for Drummond in a lot of spots (hand raised), WCS is an option I get behind 100%. We only have 4 games on the slate, so don’t worry about being slightly overweight on a game or two. Just hope it stays close and pray for overtime.

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/20/17

NBA Daily Fantasy

by Austyn Varney on October 19, 20170 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/20/17

Point Guard

Eric Bledsoe
FD $7,500 DK $7,400

Bledsoe saw just 29 minutes in the opening contest, in what was a blowout at halftime against the Blazers. He has always been a guy that plays big minutes and I think it’s fair to expect around 35 on a daily basis. This style of game fits into Bledsoe’s hands perfectly, as the Lakers love to run and push the ball up the court. We didn’t see it much last night, but some of that can be attributed to PatBev giving them a nightmare. This game currently sits at a 220 total with the Suns favored by just 3, so it’ll be high scoring and close. Exactly what you’re looking for out of a game stack. The price is fair and he’s pretty safe, considering he fills up the box in every which way. He thrives in the open floor and should have no problem getting there often against a Lakers team that ranked 3rd worst in 2016 against transition baskets. Bledsoe isn’t a lock, but he’s as close as you’ll get at the position.

D’Angelo Russell
FD $8,000 DK $7,300

Jeremy Lin has already been ruled out for the year. Thoughts go out to him, but at least we got it over quickly. It’s surely a lot less stressful than him being questionable EVERY DAY for the entire season. like we dealt with for much with for much of 2016. With Lin gone at PG, D’Angelo Russell will slide over and let Caris LeVert and Sean Kilpatrick handle the 2. Russell gave us a taste of what to expect from him in game 1, shooting 22 times and putting up 42 fantasy points against some quality defenders in Indy. I know both of these guys are a bit expensive, but they are both in spots where the ceiling and floor is just too high for the respective price. Russell could very well be a $9K player very soon. It sounds crazy, but it’ll happen if he’s over 20 shots on a nightly basis. He did it just 6 times in 2016. The Magic play fast and don’t care too much about defense. Russell is a prime option for all formats.

Shooting Guard

Jaylen Brown
FD $6,200 DK $5,500

Until the price goes way up or the Celtics are facing a defensive juggernaut, Jaylen Brown will remain a safe cash game play. He’s the number 2 option behind Kyrie and has shot 34 times over the first 2 contests. The Celtics now see the 76ers, who will be one of the teams we target a lot this year. With the addition of Fultz and Simmons, they should want to run as much as possible. Brown derives a lot of his value from being able to get into the open court and make things happen. That shouldn’t be an issue here, as neither TLC or J.J. Redick have the speed or athleticism to stick with Jaylen. It may be tough to the pay the $6K tag for a guy who was just at $4k, but he’s worth close to 7 or 8. Expect him to once again see 30+ minutes against a lackluster defense that is fine running.

Andrew Wiggins
FD $6,800 DK $6,300

We still don’t really know how Jimmy Butler will cut into Wiggins and Towns, but I think it’s safe to assume that it won’t be much. Butler is a superstar, but he doesn’t need the ball in his hands a ton. He posted a 25% usage last season in Chicago and will likely end up with a similar one here. You also add in the fact that all these starters will see close to 40 minutes on most nights, and the safety is there. People generally see the “Utah” under the opponent and completely ignore. While they are a good team defense, they have Rodney Hood and Donovan Mitchell at the 2. Both of which are inexperienced and not known, at all, for their defense. Ignles will be on Butler, which could funnel some more production towards Wiggins on the perimeter. He’s not as safe as Jaylen is Point per $, but he’s close. He will also be just 5 or 10% owned, at most.

Small Forward

Harrison Barnes
FD $6,300 DK $5,700

We’ve been looking at a few of the more expensive options at PG and SG, so let’s look for a way to save here at SF. Harrison Barnes is the leader of the Mavs on offense and he’s going to be one of the more consistent SF’s we can lean on at such a solid price. He can handle 35+ minutes every night and had no problem shooting close to 20 times a game in 2016. The Kings have a gaping hole at SF with Rudy Gay out, so they’ll look to Justin Jackson and Buddy Hield to deal with Barnes on defense. Barnes doesn’t have the upside to put up 50 fantasy points, but you can lock him in there for 25 with the upside for 45. At this price, you can’t ask for more.

Evan Fournier
FD $5,600 DK $5,400

Evan Fournier left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouth after last season, including mine. It seemed like countless times that I rostered him and he just goofed around for 300 minutes and ended with nothing worthy of note. That didn’t look to be the guy I was watching the other night. While it can be tough to base decisions on things like the eye test, it’s really not with a guy like Fournier. He looked like he wanted to be there and was initiating a lot of the effective offense. He now heads up with the fast-paced Nets, who haven’t played defense in 2 years. This game is sitting at a 223 over/under with the Magic favored by 2. Get some exposure on both sides of the ball. Fournier is cheap enough where you really don’t have to consider him a “pay-up”, but has the upside to give you 50 in a tournament.

Power Forward

Anthony Davis
FD $10,900 DK $10,600

With Draymond Green doubtful as I type this, I’m going to assume he is out. Even if he is in, you can take all of what I’m about to say and just minimize it a little bit. Davis is unstoppable. Cousins is unstoppable. When you try to stop them with whatever combo of Zaza, Javale, David West and Jordan Bell, things may get ugly. With that being said, the same can be said for the Pelicans in regard to Kevin Durant/Klay Thompson. I think this one just turns into an absolutely shootout and stacking the entire game is a terrific idea. If it blows out, none of them make value. If it stays close, I think it does because of the back-and-forth nature. We aren’t going to see either of these teams grind out defense here. Davis saw 40 minutes last game, which is a terrific sign for a guy that is often on a minutes limit. If he’s seeing those types of minutes this early, it’s fair to assume we’re playing with a fully healthy Anthony Davis. A fully healthy Anthony Davis is something you won’t come across often, and when you do, you take advantage. Personally, you will catch me with 100% Anthony Davis if Draymond is out. I’d prefer to watch him abuse the backups and for me to benefit instead of grimace every time he slams it over anyone’s head in hopes I won’t be passed by the crowd. AD might end up being popular, which is when I’ll pivot over to Cousins. All in all, this game is a gold mine and you should get exposure from both sides.

Jae Crowder
FD $5,300 DK $4,700

This is just a simple case of a guy being a bit mispriced to start the season. It’s not too bad, but Crowder will put up numbers in this offense if he’s going to play 30+ minutes. He’s a lot better of an offensive player than many of the guys who have played the same role with LeBron in the near past. He will get as many open 3’s in the corner as he could ever want and could have some huge games if he gets hot. He’s also good at penetrating and scooping up peripherals on defense, which can’t be said for the usual LeBron corner guy. It’s also comforting to know Crowder will be out there when it matters. He is a good defender and helps make up for the atrocious Rose and Love (If you want to laugh, watch these 2 try to defend a PNR). I feel like they should have a coach out there grabbing their hips and throwing them into the proper defensive position. It’s just brutal. Getting back on topic, Crowder is going to be an integral part of this offense from the get and isn’t priced like it just yet. The Bucks play small and he’ll have no problem getting an excess of minutes at the 4 and maybe a few at the 5 when Thon Maker is out there. He isn’t going to go crazy but penciling in 25 at this price is a blessing in cash games.

Center

Nikola Vucevic
FD $8,400 DK $7,600

There are a lot of different ways you can go at center if you’re paying up, so take your choice. We’ll run with Nikola Vucevic here, who sees and up-paced affair with the Brooklyn Nets. He got dismantled by Hassan Whiteside in the first game, but did answer back with a solid 19-13-2-2 line. TheNets lost Brook Lopez in the offseason and will turn to Timofey Mozgov at center. I don’t know how they plan on making that work, but they are the Nets, so maybe they just don’t care. Bucevic will embarrass Mozgov for however many minutes the Nets can lie to themselves for. Trevor Booker and Rondae Hollies-Jefferson man the 4 and are way too undersized to mess with Vuc. To me, it looks like a severe match-up problem. Unless the Nets have a focus on taking away Vucevic from the start (no shot), he should have a big game. His price is still fair and will likely see a small bump if he continues seeing heavy minutes. Aaron Gordon is also questionable now, so Vuc could be leaned on even more down low than already expected.

Marcin Gortat
FD $6,100 DK $5,600

Now for what may be the most cut and dry option of them all, let’s take a look at Marcin Gortat facing off with the monster that is Andre Drummond. Gortat will need to be out there to match the size of Drummond, which Ian Mahinmi just can’t offer. Gortat is locked into a double-double and you can safely project him for 34+ minutes. For years now, Gortat has been getting a ton of minutes to start the year until eventually getting a nagging injury that keeps them down. Drummond is a huge center, but his defense is nothing to be worried about. The Pistons were 3rd worst against centers in 2016 and I can’t see a guy with Gortat’s skill set just flopping. Wall leans on Gortat to space the floor and he does it perfectly, knowing exactly how Wall likes to play. Gortat is the safest option at center for the price and I’ll have a ton of exposure in cash games.

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/19/17

NBA Daily Fantasy

by Austyn Varney on October 18, 20170 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/19/17

Point Guard

Russell Westbrook
FD $11,800 – DK $11,000

Look, if you’re playing on this slate, it’s going to take some real guts to fade Russell Westbrook. No matter how you slice it, he’s the top raw option at any position in any format. While he may seem expensive, if you played NBA DFS last year, you know this is nothing. He did lose Victor Oladipo and Enes Kanter, but gained 2 great players in Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. They may warrant a few more shots than the guys did last year, but this team belongs to Westbrook and the ball will be in his hands as much as he wants. This match-up with the Knicks couldn’t be better. Ramon Sessions will cover him. Yes, let that sink in. Of course, the Knicks will try to remedy that with Justin Holiday and double-teams, but we all know by now that it doesn’t work. Westbrook is a guy I’ll have 100% exposure to, bar none.

Jerian Grant
FD $6,600 – DK $5,300

Point guard is typically a position where you have to pick between 5 or 6 elite options. That’s just not the case tonight. Kyle Lowry is the 2nd safest guy, but I’m trying to include some cheaper options and I’m a bigger fan of DeRozan, who we’ll get to. The Bulls are an ultimate cluster$%%@ right now and they will need more than a few guys to step up and fill the hole that Mirotic and Portis will leave. Grant won’t see any impact minutes-wise, but he’ll be looked at to lead this young offense. He showed plenty of times last year that he was able, going over 30 FD points 7 times in his last 25 games. Kyle Lowry is known as a good defender, but he’s really not. The Raptors ranked 23rd against point guards in 2016 and while Grant is far from a typical PG, his size should give Lowry some issues. I’m not expecting a huge game out of Grant, but he can fill the stat sheet in plenty of ways and will be in there for over 30 minutes against an average defensive team.

Shooting Guard

DeMar DeRozan
FD $8,800 – DK $8,300

With just 3 games on the slate, you probably want to have either Kyle Lowry or DeMar DeRozan. Chances are at least one of them will have a superb game against the inept opponent. Before going any further, go ahead and look at the Bulls projected lineup. It is like a spring training lineup in baseball or something. I’m not sure I can remember seeing anything as bad in recent past in any sport. Justin Holiday will cover DeRozan and he’s just too small, as well as not good enough. It’s no offense to Holiday, who’s young with a ton of potential, but DeMar DeRozan is a premier NBA scorer. He can put up 40 points on any given night and will probably put up 50 a time or two before the season concludes. There aren’t too many +EV ways to pay up tonight, so you probably want some exposure to the Toronto DD.

Jordan Clarkson
FD $4,700 – DK $4,300

You have a lot of different ways to go at SG, but you’ll have to pay down in a couple spots here and Jordan Clarkson might be my favorite way to do it. With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope suspended, he will be in line to play at least 30 minutes, with some at the 1 and some at the 2. Julius Randle is also questionable, so he could end up seeing a huge uptick in usage as well. Clarkson is an extremely good guard who is underpriced on both sites. He gets the ball in his hands when on the court and if his floaters are hitting, value will come in the 1st half. The Clippers will toss Austin Rivers and Lou Williams at Jordan Clarkson, so he won’t have a hard time getting to the paint. Clarkson is nowhere near a must, but I don’t see the reasoning behind his price.

Small Forward

Paul George
FD $8,600 – DK $6,100

We have no real idea how Paul George will mesh with Russell Westbrook and the Thunder, but I’m willing to take a guess. If you’ve been watching Paul George since he came into the league, you should know that he won’t be causing any problems. There were plenty of times in Indy when a guy like Jeff Teague, Roy Hibbert, or Lance Stephenson would get hot and George would have no problem taking a backseat. He would then hop back into the driver’s seat the next night and put up 30 real-life points. In this Thunder system, I suspect he turns into quite Robin to Westbrook’s Batman. His price is way too low on DraftKings and he’s a near must in cash games. On FanDuel, I love him, but it’s not a must by any means.

Paul Zipser
FD $4,800 – DK $4,200

Hey, calm down. I know Paul Zipser isn’t a guy you wanted to roster until the end of the year when we’re scratching and clawing for value. But I don’t think this is like most years. We usually don’t have a teammate breaking another one’s face and sending him to the hospital with facial fractures. These unforeseen circumstances have led to Nikola Mirotic being out for 6 weeks and Portis suspended for 8 games. It leaves a bunch of minutes for not too many guys. Paul Zipser is locked into 36+ minutes and it’s the reason he’s in play. He will sit in the corner for most of the game, occasionally takin charge and driving to the hoop for a goofy layup. With minutes, come production, and that’s the hope here with Zipser at his depressed price tag.

Power Forward

Lauri Markkanen
FD $6,500 DK $5,600

We’ll stay here with the mess that is the entire Bulls organization. With Mirotic and Portis out, we have RoLo, Felicio, and Markkanen at the 4 and 5. Felicio physically can’t play more than 20-24 minutes, so that leaves about 75 for Lopez and Markkanen (maybe a few from Zipser). Markkanen is technically a rookie, but he’s been playing pro ball in Europe for 6 years and should be able to transition a bit better than guys coming from college. Markkanen is a very good basketball player and he can fill the stat sheet in many different ways. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him well over $8,000 on both sites come next month. This match-up with the Raptors isn’t great, but like I’ve said, minutes = production.

Blake Griffin
FD $9,500 DK $9,600

This year is going to be very telling for the outlook and legacy of Blake Griffin. The last time he was without Chris Paul for an extended period of time, he was consistently one of the top 5 NBA players on a nightly basis. His production was tempered with CP3 back, but that’s not the case anymore. This offense will run through Griffin and he will be given the opportunity to do as much damage as possible. Expect plenty of face-up and PnR opportunities for Griffin from the first possession on. He will also have some games where he distributes and sees close to 10 assists, which could very well come against the Lakers. All in all, I think Griffin has the opportunity to have a huge night and I’ll be doing my best to get him in all my contests. With the current value, I have been able to fit both Westbrook and Griffin without any worries.

Center

Brook Lopez
FD $7,400 DK $6,500

For me, it’s a toss-up between Brook Lopez and DeAndre Jordan for the top high-priced center. They both couldn’t care less about defense, but produce fantasy points in very different ways. Jordan will rely on rebounding and putbacks, while Lopez will get the ball with 15 seconds left on the shot clock and go to work, both post-up and face-up. I suspect Jordan may have some trouble covering Lopez and it could put him into some foul trouble. I doubt Lopez gets into foul trouble as he would much rather just back up. Whichever way you decide to go is fine, but Lopez is probably a bit riskier with a higher ceiling. If you don’t have Griffin and are looking for safety, play Jordan.

Steven Adams
FD $6,300 FD $5,700

If you don’t want to pay up for either Lopez or Jordan, Steven Adams is a quality pivot at $2k cheaper. The Thunder face off with the Knicks, who offer up Enes Kanter and Willy Hernangomez at the 5. If you pay attention to the NBA, you know they are both embarrassingly bad at defense. I expect we will be targeting centers against the Knicks all season long. Adams isn’t a scorer, but he can score with his back to the basket when guys like Westbrook and George are pulling all of the attention away from the paint. Adams has a double-double before the game starts and it just depends on whether the game stays close enough for him to play 35 minutes.

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/18/17

NBA Daily Fantasy

by Austyn Varney on October 18, 20170 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/18/17

Point Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Damian Lillard
FD $8,800 – DK $10,400

Welcome to the first real NBA slate of the 2017-18 season! With 11 games on the docket, we have plenty of options at each position, contrary to last night. We also have a pretty soft NBA at this point, so there are a few questionable and outs already at each position. In this circumstance, C.J. McCollum has been suspended a game for leaving the bench early in the preseason. Seems like a silly suspension, but hey, let’s use it to our advantage. This game has a 220 over/under, sitting at the 2nd highest of the night. McCollum and Lillard are the only 2 real ballhandlers on this team with Crabbe gone, so we’ll see Lillard pick up the slack like he did last season when McCollum was out. In McCollum’s absence, Lillard held a 35% usage rate, jumping from 28%. That’s a huge difference in basketball. He averaged 30 real-life points as well and sees a high-pace match-up with the run and gun Suns. Lillard is a top option at any position on this slate.

Patty Mills & DeJounte Murray
FD $4,300, $3,800 – DK $4,700 $4,100

The Spurs are starting the season without Kawhi Leonard, so there’s an immediate space to be filled in many different capacities. Tony Parker is also out for 4-6 weeks, so Murray and Mills should split time at PG, as well as a few minutes each at SG. The Timberwolves played at the 11th fastest pace last year and ranked 17th against point guards. They’re a very solid defensive team. Mills and Murray are both extremely cheap around the industry and do produce when on the court. I prefer Mills, but just slightly.

Shooting Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

D’Angelo Russell
FD $6,600 – DK $6,600

D’Angelo Russell is now a member of the Nets, and it looks like he’ll technically be playing shooting guard. With that being said, him and Link should bring the ball up about equally. Russell is simply a far better scorer and playmaker than Lin. We now look at a game between the Pacers and Nets with a 218 over/under and very close spread. Victor Oladipo is an average defender and the pace here should play right into Russell’s style of play. His price is fair and his ownership should be rather high.

Malik Monk
FD $3,800 – DK $3,700

Nicolas Batum is, once again, out for an extended length of time with an injury. Jeremy Lamb should be the main benefactor, but Malik Monk has seen over 30 minutes a few times in the preseason and has exploded given the opportunity. I don’t expect a ton of minutes out of Monk, but 26-30 seems about right. This game will be rather slow, but Monk will be covered by a combo of Reggie Jackson and Stanley Johnson. I would expect Bradley to man Kemba or Lamb when the opportunity arises. Monk is extremely cheap and this should be a prime example of minutes = production.

Small Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Jimmy Butler
FD $8,700 – DK $8,100

Jimmy Butler is back to his stomping grounds with Tom Thibodeau. This is the guy who gave Butler his “Jimmy Minutes” nickname in the first place. Thibs loves running his starters into the ground and it was why Towns and Wiggins ranked in the top 10 for minutes played and fantasy points scored. We’ll now get Jimmy Butler seeing upwards of 38-40 minutes a night and the production should flow like never before. He gets a friendly match-up with the Spurs tonight, as Kawhi is out and Kyle Anderson is in. Butler should score at will on him and this game will likely stay close throughout. Butler is one of the safer plays on the slate and that phrase will be repeated all season long.

Jaylen Brown & Jayson Tatum
FD $3,700, $3,500 – DK $3,900, $4,100

We saw Gordon Hayward suffer a brutal injury midway through the first quarter last night. There are a million words that should be said before we look at the fantasy implications, but let’s cut to the chase. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum should both see over 30 minutes per night and take plenty of shots(12 & 23 last night) to sustain cash game value until the sites bump their prices. Tatum and Brown are both near locks in my cash games tonight and it’s because of the guaranteed minutes and production. Even this early in the season, it seems like we’re being forced into some strong value. As of note, Brown is the better player and he will have the ball in his hands more often. That could also change quickly if Tatum progresses as expected.

Power Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Giannis Antetokounmpo
FD $10,200 – DK $10,300

You’re going to want to pay up for a guy or two with the value on this slate, and Giannis is as good as you’ll find. He’s the biggest match-up problem in basketball and there’s no question as to why. A 7 foot 2 frame, 7 foot 6 wingspan, and elite ballhandling skills are just some of the reasons. Go ahead and throw in a good shooting game and one of the brighter minds around and you see why teams should be so scared. This Boston team should win a lot of games this year, but they’ll have to score. With the absence of Gordon Hayward and the departure of Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder, they will struggle defensively. Kyrie, Horford, and Tatum are all subpar defenders and will rely on the likes of Marcus Smart and Marcus Morris. As for tonight, I’m guessing Jaylen Brown covers Giannis. He doesn’t match-up well because nobody does. Expect a big game out of Giannis.

Ben Simmons
FD $5,600 – DK $7,100

We just touched on a hybrid player in Giannis Antetokounmpo and now move to the guy who hopes to the best player in basketball in a few years. He is a hybrid in every sense on the word. That feels weird to say, but he was the number 1 pick just 2 years ago after being hyped as the next LeBron James since 8th grade. He enters this season with some tempered expectations because of the last season, which may help. He’s going to have the ball in his hands a ton and has proven in the preseason that he can be as diverse of a player as we thought. This match-up with the fast-pace Wizards is juicy, as I suspect Simmons will derive a lot of his value in the fastbreak game. Markieff Morris is out, so they’ll be forced to use some smaller guys on Simmons like Kelly Oubre and Otto Porter. He’s definitely a bit risky because of the team and injury past, but I feel safe with him in all formats. He’s a bit too cheap across the industry.

Center

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Andre Drummond
FD $8,000 – DK $7,600

Maybe I’m just reaching or looking for something to grasp onto, but Drummond is a guy I look to have an insane 2017 season. In the offseason, he got a surgery done to open his nasal passage, and supposedly, it has turned him into a different player. It doesn’t look to be fake news, either. He played 36 minutes in his last preseason game and threw up a stat line that we don’t typically see out of him (17 points, 22 rebounds, 7 assists). We may be running into an Andre Drummond that’s ready to play 35 minutes per game, which will put him in the pricing range of Boogie and Towns very soon. He also has a match-up with Dwight Howard, so I don’t think either team will turn to the “hack-a” strategy. Dwight Howard is a very fun guy to watch, but he’s not too worried about stopping centers at this point. He steps up for blocks far too often and leaves the block unattended. Drummond is a lock for a double-double and has 20/20 upside every time he takes the court.

Willie Cauley-Stein
FD $4,700 – DK $5,900

In cash games, at this price, you’re better off with Marcin Gortat. He’s a safe bet for 32 minutes and 25 fantasy points. If you’re looking for some fun in tournaments, look towards Willie Cauley-Stein. He’s the backup PF and C, so he’s figuring to see around 24-28 minutes on a regular basis. If you played NBA DFS last year, you know how valuable he can be in that amount of time. He put up nearly 1 FP per minute last season and is still working into the player he is at just 23. This match-up with the Rockets will be up and down and I look for Cauley-Stein to run himself into 30 fantasy points. We may also see one of the starting interior big men get into foul trouble with Harden, which could push WCS minutes over the projected 26.

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