*Mike Barner*

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

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POINT GUARDS

Kyle Lowry, TOR vs. NY
FanDuel = $8,000
DraftKings = $7,700

Lowry has blown past his slow start to the season as he is averaging 19.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 7.8 assists over his last five games. One of the main reasons for his increased scoring is that he is 14-for-35 from behind the arc over his last four games. He and DeMar DeRozan are the focal points of the Raptors offense, so don’t expect his scoring opportunities to decrease anytime soon. The Knicks are in the top-five for most fantasy points allowed to point guards, leaving Lowry as a viable option at a reasonable price Friday.

Spencer Dinwiddie, BKN vs. UTA
FanDuel = $6,500
DraftKings = $5,500

Dinwiddie was stellar filling in for the injured D’Angelo Russell as he scored 12 points to go along with three rebounds, and 11 assists against a tough Boston Celtics defense Tuesday. This should come as no surprise as he is averaging 13.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists in three starts this season. Russell is expected to be out again Friday, making Dinwiddie an excellent value play with so little depth behind him.

SHOOTING GUARDS

Donovan Mitchell, UTA at BKN
FanDuel = $6,400
DraftKings = $6,500

Mitchell has burst onto the scene in his rookie season and has taken away a starting job from Rodney Hood, who many had thought was primed for a big season. In seven games as a member of the starting unit, Mitchell is averaging 16.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.7 three-pointers per game. His usage rate of 29.1% puts him at 16th in the NBA, which is ahead of the likes of Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, and John Wall. The Jazz will rely on him heavily for offense again Friday, so there is great potential here against a bad Nets defense.

Jordan Clarkson, LAL vs. PHO
FanDuel = $5,100
DraftKings = $5,100

Clarkson has been playing really well this season and now he’s stealing minutes away from the struggling Lonzo Ball. Clarkson has played at least 26 minutes and scored at least 20 points in both of the last two games. He took a massive 40 combined shots in those games, so the Lakers clearly have no problem feeding him the ball when he’s hot. The Lakers just played the Suns Monday and Clarkson put up 25 points in that game, so keep rolling with him until he shows signs of slowing down.

SMALL FORWARDS

LeBron James, CLE vs. LAC
FanDuel = $11,400
DraftKings = $11,200

James continues to log heavy minutes for the Cavaliers as he has been on the floor for at least 36 minutes in nine straight games. There is never any question that he can provide elite all-around stat lines and with the Cavaliers struggles so far, there aren’t many blowouts where he sits in the fourth quarter. The Clippers have plenty of offensive weapons, so this could be another close contest. He will cost you a ton, but he should be well worth it Friday.

Thabo Sefolosha, UTA at BKN
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $4,200

Sefolosha started and played 32 minutes when these teams met Saturday, finishing with nine points, nine rebounds, one assist and five steals. The Nets play a lot of small lineups, so even if Sefolosha doesn’t start Friday, he should see increased minutes. While he doesn’t have a ton of offensive upside, he can provide you with enough rebounds and steals to be of value at this cheap price.

POWER FORWARDS

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, BKN vs. UTA
FanDuel = $7,400
DraftKings = $6,000

Hollis-Jefferson is already averaging a career-high 28 minutes per game this season, but he has played even more lately with at least 30 minutes in six of his last seven games. With the Nets down their two best offensive players in Russell and Jeremy Lin, they are going to need scoring from Hollis-Jefferson. He is taking an average of 10 shots per contest and is shooting 49.2% from the field, taking his game to new levels so far. In a game that should see plenty of small lineups, look for him to thrive.

Derrick Favors, UTA at BKN
FanDuel = $6,500
DraftKings = $5,900

Yes, I like a lot of players from this game. What’s not to like though? The Nets are allowing the second-most points per game in the league and the Jazz are without their defensive anchor in Rudy Gobert. Favors is now starting at center and crushed the Nets for 24 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in their previous meeting. The Nets are particularly bad at guarding opposing centers, so expect Favors (who is also eligible at power forward on both sites) to shine once again.

CENTERS

Jusuf Nurkic, POR at SAC
FanDuel = $7,700
DraftKings = $7,000

Speaking of teams who can’t defend centers, I present to you the Kings. The Kings were destroyed by Dewayne Dedmon of the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday as he scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. While Dedmon is a fine player, he doesn’t have anywhere near the offensive skills that Nurkic does. Don’t overthink it, put Nurkic in your entry.

Mason Plumlee, DEN vs. NO
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $3,700

Plumlee would be starting for a lot of other teams in the league, but he’s buried behind Nikola Jokic in Denver. As a result, he is only averaging 15 minutes per game. There is the potential that he could see an increase in playing time Friday against the big Pelicans frontcourt. With averages of 6.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in his limited playing time this year, he could far exceed his price point with some extra run in this game. If you want to take a chance on a cheap center in tournament play, Plumlee is someone you should consider.