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

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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.