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NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/28/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/28/17


CYBER MONDAY special only use Code “CYBER30” at checkout for 30% off Seasonal Package
 

Point Guard

Tyus Jones
FD $5200 DK $4300

We’re going to be paying down at point guard tonight. Jeff Teague is currently on the downside of questionable, so we’ll assume he misses this game. If he does play, Tyus Jones can be ignored. With Teague on the sideline last game, Jones went nuts in 38 minutes with 51 fantasy points. He put up 34 the game before. This is a very good point guard who just happens to be a backup. When given the minutes, it’s quite clear that he’s worth $7k, at least. That match-up with Tim Frazier is great and the Wizards play at a solid PACE. If Teague misses this game, do yourself a favor and play Tyus Jones. You’re not chasing points.

Tim Frazier
FD $4900 DK $4100

We’ll stay in the same game with our other value PG. John Wall is going to miss about 2 weeks, so look for the Wizards to solidify Frazier as their temporary starting PG. He saw 28 minutes last game with Wall out, but I think it’s safe to assume 30-32. He is a good point guard and can stuff the stat sheet in a lot of different ways. Tyler Ulis is a far worse defender than Jeff Teague and the T-Wolves have already struggled against Pg’s (7th worst). Frazier is just a bit cheaper than Ulis and while he has nowhere near the upside, the floors are comparable. In cash games, these are 2 guys I’m all over. You’ll see why it’s necessary very soon.

Shooting Guard

Bradley Beal
FD $8300 DK $7900

The absence of John Wall is going to do a lot more than just give Tim Frazier some minutes. Beal is going to see his usage spike 5+% and will have the ball in his hands far more. This is usually how Beal ends up hurting his ankle, but he’ll likely get stretched for close to 38 minutes and end up shooting 22-27 times. It sounds incredulous, but Wall is the only guy that keeps Beal from shooting. With the keys to the offense, the upside here is limitless. The Timberwolves obviously have some very accredited defenders, but they stink against everyone, so I guess it doesn’t matter when you have Kat and Taj down low. Beal is an elite play in all formats.

Justin Holiday
FD $5500 DK $5500

Let’s venture outside of Minnesota. The Bulls will see a match-up with the Suns tonight that figures to be an extreme pace-up game. Devin Booker is also questionable, so we may be seeing some very weak defenders. Justin Holiday is nothing to write home about, but he’s a solid SG with scoring upside. He excels in faster-paced games and you can be sure this is one of them, considering the Suns play faster than anyone ever. You can count on 32-35 minutes of a streaky SG against a team that will do their best to leave him open. It just comes down to whether he can hit the shots. There’s a lot of different ways to go at SG, so nobody is a must, but Holiday is a solid mid-range option that won’t hurt you.

Small Forward

LeBron James
FD $12000 DK $11300

With Tyus Jones and Tim Frazier holding down the value fort at PG, we may be able to pull both of these guys off. Let’s start with LeBron. On a B2B, I usually wouldn’t like him, but I don’t think he is going to throw in the flag tonight. I know it’s been countless years, but this is his former team and it’s his first game against them with D-Wade. He only played 31 minutes against Philly last night, so he’s ready to play another 35-38 if it ends up staying close. I’m sure it’ll be James Johnson and Justise Winslow that try their hand at LBJ, but I think we know by now how much that matters. James is an elite play and can be locked in for 50 fantasy points. If it stays close throughout, there is no ceiling.

Giannis Antetokounmpo
FD $11800 DK $11200

If you’re talking about a ceiling, this is the guy who probably has the highest of which. Maybe this sounds crazy, but I bet he hits 100 FP by the end of the season. I’m by no means insinuating that’s tonight, but I guess it could be. The Kings are a solid match-up for Giannis, who excels in the open floor. I assume it’ll be Justin Jackson who gets the cover, but he’s by no means capable. He’s a below average defender at this point and heavily relies on his length. Ya, good luck with that against this guy. Giannis, like LeBron, is as consstent as could be. He’s a lock for 50 fantasy points, though I do think he ends up higher owned than LeBron. He’s slightly cheaper and LBJ did play yesterday. I’m about even on both, but lean LeBron BARELY.

Power Forward

Derrick Favors
FD $6900 DK $6300

Power forward is by far the ugliest position on the slate. Derrick Favors is the most expensive option. He’s not a bad one, but you know that’s when it’s ugly. He’s been pretty great with Gobert out, putting up 34+ on most nights with a rather frequent 40 burger. His price has risen, but not enough. This match-up with the Nuggets is great whether he plays PF or C. Jokic is by no means a rim protector and we know Kenneth Faried just wants to dunk. They’ve ranked 26th against PF/C for a reason. Favors is an uber-safe option at a position that lacks safety. There are other ways to pay down, but you might as well play Favors if you can afford it.

Bobby Portis
FD $4800 DK $5200

You can go with Markkanen here too, but I like Portis a little bit more and didn’t want to look at the 2 most expensive guys for the 2nd position in a row. Bobby Portis is a great DFS performer and has found a way to be consistent from the bench. Over the last 4 games, he’s seen around 24 minutes and 25 fantasy points in each. If he ever sees the 32+ minutes he should, his floor is closer to 30. Against  the Suns, he should get in the game. He runs better than Markkanen on RoLo and matches up well with Bender/Chriss. Portis is a guy I’ll have a lot of exposure to and i’m hoping he stays under the radar.

Center

Nikola Jokic
FD $9300 DK $8700

With Rudy Gobert out, I’m all but scared to target centers against the Jazz. Especially a guy like Nikola Jokic who is smarter and better than 99% of centers in the league. This is a guy who would be in the NBA if he was a 6’3 guard. He’s just a very smart basketball player and doesn’t really care about being flashy. He’s consistently over 35 fantasy points, but bounces around after that. This match-up against the Jazz should stay close (-4) and I don’t see how Jokic doesn’t take advantage of a weakened interior. His price is fine and with so much value floating around, you can probably fit him in there. If you have to go down to Hassan Whiteside, don’t freak out. He’s cool too.

Robin Lopez
FD $5000 DK $4900

I will be paying up at center tonight (thx PG), but RoLo is a great savings option. He is a safe 25 minutes in a game that will be MUCH faster than the Bulls are used to. His size will also be necessary for the likes of Tyson Chandler and Alex Len. His price is down and he has no problem having a big game when given the opportunity. He gets shots in this offense and Kris Dunn has involved him a little more since getting entered into the starting lineup. He’s not exciting, but a fine way to pay down in cash games. He won’t be the guy that makes you lose. Good luck tonight!

 

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/27/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/27/17


CYBER MONDAY special only use Code “CYBER30” at checkout for 30% off Seasonal Package
 

Point Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks
Damian Lillard
FD $9000 DK $8800

Point guard is always an interesting position. It’s typically one of the higher scoring positions and one that you need to nail on the head. Tonight, by the time 7:00 hits, you’re going to have plenty of options. There are countless injuries on this slate and things are going to get weird. With that being said, there are some guys you can pay up for and Damian Lillard is my favorite. While he is known to be better at home, it’s not been the case this year. I think it has a lot to do with him stepping up as a superstar and entering his prime. He’s deadly everywhere. Tonight, he heads into Madison Square Garden to face off with the Knicks. We all know stars love playing in New York and the Knicks can’t cover point guards. Lillard is fairly priced on both sites and makes sense in both cash games and tournaments. With all the value on this slate, you should have no problem paying for Dame Dolla (Yes, his rap name and he has dropped an album).

T.J. McConnell
FD $5400 DK $4700

There’s going to be a whole lot you need to pay attention to on this slate. Ben Simmons is going to be one of them. If Simmons plays, he’s going to play a lot of minutes at point guard and a match-up with LeBron James. T.J. McConnell would be useless in that scenario. If Simmons is out, there are 30 minutes of PG and a bunch of ball-handling up for grabs. With Simmons out last game, McConnell saw 36 minutes and put up 54 fantasy points. We probably won’t see that for another season or so, but it proves his capability. If given the opportunity, he’s a guy you want exposure to in a game that should remain close. If Simmons is out, McConnell is an elite play in all formats.

Shooting Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks
James Harden
FD $11800 DK $11800

With all the value on this slate, you can easily pay up for James Harden. While he’s nowhere near a must and there are other guys you can pay for on the slate, we know the upside Harden has. The blowout is a risk tonight, but if it stays remotely close, you can guarantee 55+ fantasy points out of the beard. If it’s a blowout, it’s because Harden went off, so he won’t see less than 40. His upside is in the 90’s against a Nets team that plays faster than anyone in the past 10 years (109 PACE). They don’t have any perimeter defender to slow him down and certainly don’t have any rim protection. If you have the funds, don’t run away from James Harden against the lowly Nets.

Klay Thompson
FD $7000 DK $7000

As we sit, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala are all questionable. Let’s say all 4 of those guys find a way to play. Thompson would be a normal low-end cash game play in a great match-up against the Kings. If 1 or 2 of them sit, he’s an elite play in all formats that will see an increase in usage and minutes. Now if 3 or 4 of those guys sit, play Klay Thompson. It should allow this game to stay close and we know the kings stink against guards. Thompson will be able to shoot 25+ times without worrying about it and will see a guaranteed 35+ minutes (if stays close). You’re going to have to wait for all the news to break, but could easily end up as one of the top plays on the slate.P.S, Klay Thompson destroys the Kings almost every time and was the team he put up 30+ in one quarter against.

Small Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks
Omri Casspi
FD $4000 DK $3800

This is one of the value plays that could be a must. We just touched on this entire situation with Klay Thompson and there’s no reason to do it again. The Warriors have yet to stretch out Casspi for over 30 minutes, but they might not have a choice tonight if both Iggy and Durant are unavailable. In his recent games with 24-28 minutes, he’s been extremely productive with 1.2 FP per minute. He’ll also have a little personal edge around him facing the Kings team he’s been on for a few years. Near minimum-price, Casspi is a lock for value in both cash games and tournaments. Depending on the injury news, Casspi could very well be in 100% of my lineups.

Joe Harris
FD $4100 DK $3600

We do have 1 solidified piece of news. Allen Crabbe and D’Angelo Russell are both going to miss this game. They both missed yesterday and it results in Joe Harris picking up 36 minutes. It was a tough match-up with the Grizzlies, so who really cares how he produced. Tonight, he gets a far better match-up against a Rockets squad that loves to run. You can bank him in there for another 33+ fantasy points and count him in for 25+ fantasy points as well. He’ll be covered by James Harden and Trevor Ariza and neither will be paying much attention to his game. He can shoot 3’s well and will have plenty of them to shoot. He’s a phenomenal value option in all formats and will get the minutes whether the game blows out or not.

Power Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks
Aaron Gordon
FD $7400 DK $7400

Tonight is going to have a whole bunch of stars and scrubs, which only makes sense. There’s a bunch of value and it forces people into that type of lineup. I will certainly fall victim to the same thing, but will make sure I have Aaron Gordon as a mid-priced option at power forward. The Pacers are the league’s worst team against power forwards and are the only ones to give up over 50+ fantasy points per game. Gordon is an absolute monster this season and he’s been very consistent for his price. Gordon has an ideal match-up tonight and he is a phenomenal play in both cash games and tournaments.

Michael Beasley
FD $4600 DK $3700

Kristaps Porzingis is currently questionable, so add his name to the list of many. If he plays, you can ignore this Michael Beasley play. If Porzingis misses, Beasley is an elite play in all formats. With Porzingis out last game, Beasley ended up with 36 minutes and 40 fantasy points. We know how much Michael Beasley loves to shoot and when Porzingis isn’t out there, he’s allowed to. There’s no way he misses value if he sees 30+ minutes. He is just far too involved in the offense. The Blazers are nothing to be scared of and 25-30 fantasy points is my expectation is ‘Staps is out. The upside for more is there, believe it or not.

Center

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks
Joel Embiid
FD $9700 DK $10000

Embiid is just a monster. On a per-minute basis, he may be the best DFS player we have. He’s just ow getting his full allotment of minutes and it’s been quite fun to watch. Tonight, the 76ers face off with the Cavs in what should be a very exciting game. Ben Simmons is questionable and Embiid may see more looks if he misses, but it doesn’t really matter. In a way, Simmons can help Embiid against an elite opponent that will keep it close. The Cavs don’t have any real centers, so it’ll be Kevin love doing his best. Good luck with that, Kevin. Embiid is going to dominate for as long as he’s in the game here and I could see a 60 FP performance without much trouble. 40 is the floor.

Jusuf Nurkic
FD $7,400 DK $6,800

I don’t think Nurkic will be very popular tonight, but that’s great for us. With Porzingis and Kanter both likely to miss, the Knicks don’t have much of any rim protection. Nurkic will have a huge advantage over the likes of Hernangomez, Beasley, and O’Quinn. Nurkic is a big part of the offense and he shouldn’t have any problem getting involved early. I guess Nurkic is just going to be an inconsistent player, because he has been since entering the league. For that reason, I’ll typically reserve him for tournaments. With all the value on this slate, I’ll be finding a way to pay up in cash games for Mr. Embiid. Either way you go is a solid option, but it might be a good idea to pay for the safety at this position. Good luck tonight!!!

 

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/20/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/20/17

Get 20% off for a limited time off of NBA Seasonal Packages
Use Code “LLNBA17” at checkout for 20% off Seasonal Package
 

Point Guard

Tim Frazier
FD $3,100 DK $3,400

John Wall missed yesterday’s game against the Raptors, so we’re assuming he’s going to miss this one against the Bucks. If he does end up playing, you can scratch Tim Frazier completely off the board. He saw 35 minutes last game and came through with 24 fantasy points. He didn’t shoot well and he is typically a guy shot creator and maker. Expect him to pick it up a little bit here with at least 10 shots. He fills up the stat sheet very nicely for a point guard and doesn’t need to do much at this price. He’s an elite play in both cash games and tournaments and a guy I’ll have in 100% of lineups.

Kemba Walker
FD $8,300 DK $7,900

Kemba is dominating. We always see a few of these streaks every year, but this has been a little bit different. He’s been magnificent at home and on the road and it’s pretty clear that he’s emerging as one of the top PG’s in the league. This match-up against the Timberwolves may not seem like the best considering the T-Wolves have some devastating defenders, but they’ve actually allowed the 4th most FP’s to opposing PG’s. Vegas has the Hornets favored by 2 points, so they fully believe in what Kemba and crew is doing. Jeff Teague is a fine defender, but he isn’t a guy that can single-handedly shut anyone down. Especially not a hot Kemba Walker in Charlotte.

Shooting Guard

Brad Beal
FD $7,900 DK $8,000

Continuing to assume John Wall is out, Brad Beal has to be one of the top options on the entire slate. He’s a guaranteed bet for 20+ shots and Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t be able to cover him with Porter deserving nearly as much attention. Khris Middleton is a fine defender, but he’s nothing special. The Bucks have allowed 46.2 FP to opposing SG’s, giving Beal a great shot at 40+ tonight. With Wall out, he’s a lot safer than on most nights. He’ll be in every cash game of mine and at least the majority of tournaments. If Wall plays, Beal becomes a tournament-only option.

Alec Burks
FD $3,300 DK $3,500

You can play Donovan Mitchell too here, but I wanted to look at another value play. Burks has been over 22 minutes in 3 straight games and in turn 22+ fantasy points in 2 of the 3. If you’ve been a basketball fan for a few years now, you know Alec Burks and how much upside he has. He’s not going to see more than 25 or 26 minutes, however, so you put his ceiling around 30-35 fantasy points. His floor is around 15, which is perfectly fine at near minimum-price. I like a lot of expensive options tonight, so these cheap options are very useful.

Small Forward

Giannis Antetokounmpo
FD $12,000 DK $11,500

Giannis Antetokounmpo is probably our best DFS NBA player right now. He typically sits around 60 FP and sees a top 10 match-up tonight. The Wizards like to play fast and don’t have any real rim defense. Sure, Gortat is fine, but he’s nowhere near the defender he was just a few years ago. Antetokounnmpo is unguardable, for one, as he’s a 7-foot point guard. It’s pretty understandable to be matchup-proof at that point. Vegas thinks this game will be high-scoring and close, so it’s fair to expect at least 35+ minutes. He’s a safe bet for 50 fantasy points with the upside for who knows how much. He’s going to cost you an arm and leg, but it just very well may be worth it.

Evan Fournier
FD $6,400 DK $6,300

We haven’t touched on the Magic yet, but they are firmly in play. Fournier is the main scorer for this Orlando squad and his price isn’t too high. He struggled against the Jazz, but has typically been consistent on the season. You can count on him to shoot 15+ times in this game and they will need his scoring punch to keep up with Oladipo and Turner. This match-up with the Pacers in an elite one, considering they play at a top 10 PACE and don’t have much of a big man to defend the rim. Myles Turner is fine, but he’s in the NBA for his offense. Small forward is a spot I’ll definitely be paying up at and Fournier is probably the cheapest I’ll go.

Power Forward

Aaron Gordon
FD $7,500 DK $7,200

This isn’t too tough of a play to figure out. On the season, the Pacers rank dead last against PF’s with 55.6 FPPG allowed. Aaron Gordon has struggled in 3 straight performances and it will hopefully keep at least some people off of him. He’s a lock for 35 fantasy points with the upside for 70. He is right there with Fournier in terms of scoring and he excels in the open court. The Pacers love to play fast and Thad Young simply can’t keep up. Gordon has shot 13-for-34 in his last 3 games and you can be sure that won’t continue. Gordon is locked into 100% of my lineups. Nobody is ever a must in NBA DFS, but he’s just a guy I have a phenomenal feeling on tonight. The numbers back it up.

Marcus Morris
FD $4,800 DK $4,900

Marcus Morris still isn’t to full health, but his price is way too cheap and he’s very productive for his 25ish minutes that he is out there. He’s seen 25 minutes in the last 3 games and put up FP totals of 22,27, and 31. The Mavericks are a team that doesn’t cover anyone down low and it has a lot to do with Dirk. He’s still a good scorer, but possibly the slowest and worst defender in the entire league. Morris is under $5k on both sites and will only need to get you 20-25 in cash games. He’s a solid way to get value at a position that doesn’t have all that much.

Center

Marc Gasol
FD $8,200 DK $8,100

Gasol is a stud. He’s always one of the safest options at center, year in and year out. He will then put up 60+ fantasy points every week or so. Tonight, he sees a big match-up with a WC foe in the Blazers. Jusuf Nurkic is a great offensive player, but he’s a very unstable defender. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get into early foul trouble and for Gasol to take advantage of young guys like Noah Vonleh and Plumlee. There is a clear mismatch for Gasol here and he should take advantage in a very close game.

Steven Adams
FD $6,200 DK $5,700

Adams came right back from injury and had 30 fantasy points in 34 minutes. Tonight, he will be needed BADLY against a huge Pelicans team. His defense is the only hope they have to stay close in this game. I think you can chalk 35 minutes up if he stays out of foul trouble and while the Pelicans will score, they don’t really stop centers. They are league average against big men and Adams doesn’t rely on scoring, so the minutes bump will do more than enough. I prefer Gasol and will do my best to pay up, but have no issue settling for Adams in a few lineups.

 

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/18/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/18/17

Get 20% off for a limited time off of NBA Seasonal Packages
Use Code “LLNBA17” at checkout for 20% off Seasonal Package
 

Point Guard

Damian Lillard
FD $9,500 DK $8,800

With a packed Saturday full of football, the NBA has blessed us with a very solid 8-game slate to keep up. We start things off with Damian Lillard, who will be hosting the Kings in Portland. We know Lillard prefers being home and he sees more minutes there as well. The match-up with the Kings is pretty average, considering they all the 11th most FPPG to opposing point guards. Fox and Hill are 2 very different guys. Hill is much better on defense and Fox is offensive-driven. If Fox is in there to match the pace of the Blazers, Lillard should have no problem putting up big numbers on him. His price is fair on both sites and I’m willing to play him in both cash games and tournaments. POint guard isn’t all that great on this slate and Lillard is easily my favorite.

Raul Neto
FD $4,000 DK $3,000

There isn’t a ton of value yet on this slate, so let’s take a look at a guy who does deserve some attention. With Ricky Rubio out of last game, Net0 only played 19 minutes, but went crazy and dropped 32 fantasy points in that time. With that performance, you have to think he sees at least 20-25 minutes tonight against an average Magic squad. His prie is near-minimum on both sites, so he’ll need you about 15-20 in cash games. He’s proven his ability to produce when on the floor, so you can be certain this won’t be one of the guys who just stand in the corner for 28 minutes. You then run into a situation where maybe Neto gets almost 30 minutes, in which case you have to have him everywhere. No matter what, unless more news breaks at PG, Neto is my value guy.

Shooting Guard

MEMPHIS, TN – OCTOBER 21: Tyreke Evans #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies handles the ball against the Golden State Warriors on October 21, 2017 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Tyreke Evans
FD $7,400 DK $7,000

The resurgence of Tyreke Evans has been pretty cool. I definitely wasn’t expecting it after he signed with the slowest team of his career. He’s been great in every way imaginable, putting up between 30 and 45 FP in almost every game. He now sees a match-up with a Rockets squad that likes to run. Evans will be out there for both his athleticism in the open court as well as his ability to match the Rockets scoring surge. He’ll presumably match-up with Harden, at least to start, and will have a field day. Expect Ariza to take him for the rest of the game, who isn’t much a lockdown defender anymore anyways. Evans is getting expensive, but he’s consistently producing at this price tag and sees an excellent match-up.

Donovan Mitchell
FD $6,400 DK $6,700

Mitchell would be in play here no matter the circumstance, but Ricky Rubio being out just pushes it over the top. Mitchel has been incredible in his rookie season, putting up 20+ in 8 of his last 9 and 30+ in 5 of them. Without Rubio, he saw 35 minutes and put up 40 fantasy points. It was in a stellar match-up against the Nets, but that doesn’t really matter. He held a 38% usage rate in the game, compared to the 43% Westbrook held in 2016. The point is that he’s doing whatever he wants without Rubio on the floor and he has the trust of coaches. He’s an elite play in all formats and a guy I have more than a lot of.

Small Forward

Harrison Barnes
FD $7,100 DK $6,200

Like every other day, you won’t have much fun rostering Harrison Barnes. Barnes is a very boring player, but he’s extremely consistent. Extremely. He’s the number 1 option on this team and he will shoot between 15-20 times, at least. He sits around 30-40 fantasy points every game and now gets a solid match-up with the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo may see some time on Barnes, but I highly doubt he follows him around all game. He only plays about 1/4 of his time at SF and it would create mismatches elsewhere. This game will remain close throughout and Barnes is sure to see at least 34+ minutes.

Wesley Johnson
FD $3,800 DK $3,700

I know Wesley Johnson scored 50 fantasy points against the Cavs, but that’s not the reason we’re targeting him. With Danilo Gallinari out, he’s sitting around 30 minutes a game and takes plenty of shots. His price is still way down on both sites and you can rely on at least 15 FP, which is all you really need in cash games. The upside for WAY more is obviously there as we just saw it last game. The match-up is very average, but it comes down to minutes = production and the lack of value on this slate. Johnson isn’t exciting most games, but he should get it done pretty easily.

Power Forward

John Henson
FD $5,500 DK $4,800

Power forward is pretty ugly, so let’s take a look at 2 guys you can save a little with. John Henson is matching up with Dirk Nowitzki, who has no chance of staying with his physicality at this point in his career. Henson is playing extremely well and this is exactly when people expected him to get good. he was extremely young and raw when drafted, so it made sense that he was foul-trouble prone and unable to stay on the court for more than 20 minutes. He’s getting 25-30 minutes a game right now and is a fantasy monster when in there. The Mavs lack any interior presence and his size should disrupt.

Dario Saric
FD $4,600 DK $4,500

Dario Saric is still getting the minutes and his price is not nearly high enough. He’s been over 30 minutes in 4 of his last 5 games and the fantasy production has followed. The Warriors are obviously a tough match-up, but Saric will be getting the worst defender out there. Saric was a guy that was putting up 40 FP every night last year and while I doubt that ever happens again, he’s way too cheap for his ability to play. Saric is a little more risky than Henson, but the upside is greater too.

Center

Nikola Vucevic
FD $7,800 DK $6,800

It feels unnatural to recommend a center against the Jazz, but here we are. With Rudy Gobert out for an extended time, we’re seeing Epke Udoh and Derrick Favors at center. This team will see a huge hit against big men and defend the paint in general. However, they will still remain the slow snails they like being. In turn, centers should be in a good spot to produce. Most prefer slow-paced games and now don’t have to worry about a big presence to stop you. Vucevic will be able to dice up both Favors and Udoh down low and can hit from the outside as well. I do think this is a little bit risky, but every single C play comes with risk tonight. Vucevic will shoot 15-20 times here in a game that should remain close throughout. Don’t fade Vucevic because of a guy that’s not playing. He makes u for about 70% of the team defense. Literally.

Willie Cauley-Stein
FD $4,100 DK $4,200

The big question mark in any game that Willie Cauley-Stein plays in is the minutes. If you can handcuff the coach and play him for 33-35 every single night, he would in the $6k-$7k range. He puts up over 1 FP per minute (high) and does so in nearly every match-up. Tonight, a match-up with the Blazers should dictate his size be out there. Jusuf Nurkic is a hoss in the paint and WCS is the only guy good enough on defense to stop him. He’ll also be tasked with slowing the penetration of Lillard and McCollum. If he’s able to stay out of foul trouble, I see his getting 30 minutes here. At least. His upside is in the 50’s and he doesn’t really have a floor. With the minutes, his floor is about 25. I’ll have more Vucevic than WCS, but exposure to both is definite.

 

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

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

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

Point Guard

Ricky Rubio
FD $7,600 DK $7,100

The Utah Jazz are a team that play extremely slow. On most nights, they see less than 100 possessions in a game. Tonight, that won’t be the case. Coming off a late night bout with the Blazers, the Nets will be struggling to keep up with the Jazz here. The Nets play faster than anyone, and it puts a lot of these guys on the other side in play. We start out with Ricky Rubio, who fits perfectly into this match-up. Rubio isn’t reliant on any one stat, stuffing the sheet as well as anyone in basketball. His peripherals have actually been down because of the pace the Jazz typically play at. He has triple-double upside in any fast-paced game and this is certainly one. The Nets are currently playing faster (109.2) than any NBA team ever has. PF is the only position they can really guard, so mark Rubio as an elite cash game play with a huge ceiling in tournaments. The Nets might get blown out, but the Jazz will get their numbers if that’s the case.

Jeff Teague
FD $7,100 DK $6,800

Jeff Teague has been the big surprise on the Timberwolves. While everyone expected him to be decent, he’s made a huge jump from last season. He’s controlling this offense and has the ball in his hands a lot more than anticipated. He’s only produced, over and over, so let’s get on him here against the Suns. After the Nets, the Suns are the 2nd fastest team. PACE is extremely important to PG’s as a +possession is worth more. Guards have been brutalizing the Suns all season long and they’ve given up the 3th most FPPG at 51.2. Teague will see Mike James and Tyler Ulis individually, which should be pretty fun. For Teague. And you if you play him. Point Guard is a spot you’ll want to pay up for. We will get to some value elsewhere.

Shooting Guard

Tim Hardaway Jr.
FD $6,300 DK $6,400

Sure, you can pay up for James Harden. He put up 76 fantasy points against the Jazz, so there really isn’t a bad match-up for the guy. However, I want to play him when he’s playing up in pace. The Grizzlies play extremely slow and have an interior that actually may slow him. There are few guys in the last 20 years that can defend a drive like Marc Gasol. Instead, we’ll look at two mid-range options who are underpriced. Tim Hardaway Jr. went off last game with Porzingis out, ending with 40 fantasy points. He won’t see as many shots tonight, but around 15 as the 2nd option against the Kings is great. SG against the Kings is something we’ve been attacking for a while and Buddy Hield hasn’t stopped it. Hardaway Jr. is a safe bet for 25 fantasy points with the realistic upside of 45.

Donovan Mitchell
FD $5,500 DK $5,600

Donovan Mitchel is my pick for rookie of the year. Maybe the hype will come through and he’ll get buried, but I love how this kid plays and I think he ends up being the leader of the Jazz team one day. As a rookie, he’s been over 30 fantasy points in about every game. He’s typically over 20 fantasy points, but I’m looking at 30 tonight against the Nets. Brooklyn plays incredibly fast, as we’ve already looked at, and it will benefit Mitchell just as much as Rubio. His price is still incredibly fair on both sites and he’s in play in all formats. I’ll have a ton of exposure to this Jazz team in an up-pace match-up with the best possible scenario Nets squad. If this game finds a way to stay close, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of the Jazz guys demolish value.

Small Forward

Giannis Antetokounmpo
FD $12,200 DK $11,200

He is so damn good. I don’t know if there’s a player that is more fun to watch than Giannis Antetokounmpo in the league right now. He was already amazing last year, and only got better. They have now added Eric Bledsoe, which I see as a positive. It takes some attention away from Giannis and forces the defense to spread out a bit. This match-up with the Lakers should be fast-paced and close throughout. Brandon Ingram is the obvious choice to cover Giannis because of length, but he’s not big enough. Antetokounmpo bullied him around last year and Ingram has been average so far on defense at best. It’s not really his fault, but the addition of KCP has pushed some offense towards him. We’ve seen a huge price jump on Giannis, but it’s obviously warranted. There’s no real reason to fade besides the price. If you’re going with a stars and scrubs build, I think you need ABC. The floor is around 55 and I don’t think we know the ceiling yet. Bold prediction? I think he hits 100 FP this year at least once.

Wesley Johnson
FD $4,600 DK $3,900

Wesley Johnson is horrible, although he tries to trick you into thinking otherwise on occasion. Why am I recommending a guy who isn’t good? Because Doc Rivers hasn’t realized it yet and minutes + production. Not all minutes are created equal, but Johnson does take some usage (17%) on an offense where it’s available. Danilo Gallinari will miss this game with a hip injury and it secures Johnson over 25 minutes. Against the Pelicans, I’ll take it. They don’t play any defense and the defenders they do have will not have a single care about Wesley Johnson. They have much bigger fish to fry, like a 6’10 gorilla that can jump out of the arena and outrun guards. Johnson is safe for 20 FP with the upside for 40 if his corner 3 gets hot.

Power Forward

PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 4: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers brings the ball up court during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies during a preseason game on October 4, 2017 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Ben Simmons
FD $9,800 DK $8,700

This could go two ways. One, the Warriors come out and absolutely obliterate the 76ers. It’s very possible and if it happens, Simmons won’t hit value. On the other hand, this stays close and Simmons sees insane numbers. When Warriors games stay close, the numbers that starters put up are usually crazy. They play at a fast pace and the only real way to keep it close is to score a ton. Simmons isn’t necessarily the scorer of the team, but he’s about everything else. As just a rookie, he’s playing as well as anyone has. Sure, his jumper needs work, but the guy has an insane basketball IQ and has a model basketball figure. Tonight, he’ll see both Kevin Durant and Draymond Green. I assume Embiid will draw Green, which will give the Warriors some issues with Simmons. His floor is about 20 tonight in a blowout and 50 in a close game, with a ceiling of 70. I won’t recommend him in cash games, but  I think it stays close, so he’ll be in all of mine. This is a guy I’m willing to take a stand on a guy that may not be very high-owned.

John Henson
FD $5,200 DK $4,500

Henson drew the start against the Spurs last game and ended up with 39 fantasy points. With the impressive performance and Greg Monroe officially gone, Henson will likely stay in this starting C role. If we’re able to count on 28+ minutes out of this guy every night, he’s going to be in the $7k’s. He’s a volatile player, of course, but he averaged 1.29 FP per minute in 2016 and is at 1.49 this year. He’s an extremely lengthy and wide dude who has an extreme presence in the paint. Against a Lakers squad who doesn’t really have an interior, he should excel. Brook Lopez can score, but it’s all he does. He has no interest in playing real defense or rebounding. Kyle Kuzma won’t either, as he’s more of a wing forward. Henson should get to a double-double in 20 minutes if he stays out of foul trouble, and everything else is gravy at his price. Power forward isn’t great and both of these guys will be all over my teams.

 

Center

Karl-Anthony Towns
FD $9,700 DK $9,300

When moving up in pace, KAT is my favorite guy to target. That’s usually not the case with centers, but he’s no average big man. He can run with the Warriors, so there’s no team he can’t run with. We touched on Jeff Teague against these Suns early and the game stack is one I love in tournaments. Assuming this game stays close, 2 or 3 guys from each side will blow up their price. Tyson Chandler is looking to be out for the Suns, so it’ll be a far weaker Alen Len on defense, backed up by Chriss and Bender. 2 guys who weight about 150 pounds wet, combined. Towns should have no problem controlling the paint and getting 40-50 FP no matter the outcome of the game. The upside is limitless here if he has one of his crazy games.

Alex Len
FD $4,400 DK $4,900

We’ll get right to the other side of things and look at the guy who will be covering KAT. Tyson Chandler is currently listed as doubtful, so just make sure he’s out before you plug in Len. What Len did last game is he showed the people who like to box score watch how wrong they are. After his insanely dissapoint 6 FP perforance against the Heat, they all ran away and cried the next game. He put up 41 fantasy points. We don’t care about either of those games. Tonight, the Wolves are a team that will warrant the size of Len. Like I said, the alternative to cover KAT are Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender. Expect 30 minutes out of Len if he can stay out of foul trouble, and while KAT is an elite scorer, he’s average on defense. Both of the centers in this game are elite plays. It just depends how you want to build your roster. Good luck everyone!!

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/7/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/7/17

Point Guard

Kemba Walker
FD $7,400 DK $7,300

After a measly 3-gamer on Monday, the NBA bounces back with a solid 10 game slate packed full of value and superstars. There’s plenty of things to consider across the board, so let’s get into some of the top plays at each position. We’ll start it off with Kemba Walker, who’s been dominating in Madison Square Garden since college. He now sees one of the worst teams he’s ever faced there, at least against point guards. Jarrett Jack is not at all a good defender and Kemba should be able to get to the rim or shoot on the perimeter at will. Dwight Howard is also questionable, so a lot of the offense may funnel even more of the offense towards Kemba. He already has one of the highest usage rates in the league, so 25-30 shots are more than possible in what should be a close game. Kemba is fairly priced on both sites and I’m not sure it’s necessary to pay for anyone more expensive.

T.J. McConnell
FD $5,500 DK $4,800

Let’s take a look at T.J. McConnell, who I think is an easy play. While the Jazz are a tough match-up for any position, McConnell has proven his ability to produce when given the minutes. With Markelle Fultz out for a while and Jerryd Bayless ruled out, you can count him in for 35-40 minutes. Jacob Pullen is the only other PG on the roster and he hasn’t seen a minute all season. McConnell has seen a slight price increase over the last week or two, but it’s not to the point where you need to worry. He is a lock for 20-25 fantasy points against Ricky Rubio and has 40-50 FP upside. It doesn’t seem like it, but this is a guy who had a triple-double last year. It’s not a possibility against the Jazz, but I’m trying to get the point across that he’s a pretty decent player. I’ll have him in my cash games and will be one of the guys I worry about least.

Shooting Guard

Victor Oladipo
FD $7,300 DK $8,000

Wow, Victor Oladipo has been amazing. If you’ve tuned in to the last few games, you’ve probably stopped reading already and have ‘Dipo plugged in. He is the CLEAR number 1 option on this Pacers offense and he’s looking a lot like the guy he learned from last year in Russell Westbrook. He’s also using a lot of his similar moves, like putting the ball on the back of the rim on layups and using his short burst speed to separate from the defense when nobody is expecting it. He gets a match-up here against the Pelicans where it may be tough to get inside, but they have no perimeter defenders to stop him from getting there. His price is still fair, at least on FD, and he makes for a very safe cash game play. His tournament upside is well noted already, but I think DeRozan or Russell have just as much and will be lesser owned.

Gary Harris
FD $5,700 DK $5,200

We saw a very disappointing game last night between the Suns and Nets that went way under the projected total. Hopefully, it keeps a lot of people away here, because some of these Nuggets are phenomenal plays. Gary Harris is the first. He isn’t a focal point of the offense, but he’s a key role player. He’s averaging 34 minutes a game and has the 3rd highest usage % in the starting lineup. He doesn’t rely on scoring, seeing he averages about 10-15 in peripherals on a nightly basis. That’ll be no issue at all against a Nets team that plays faster than anyone since 2013. Harris only needs around 25 fantasy points to hit value in cash games and I don’t see that being an issue at all.

Small Forward

LeBron James
FD $11,300 DK $11,400

The first superstar we’ll touch on is LeBron James. You can definitely go with Giannis Antetokounmpo here if you want, but I’m personally leaning just a bit to the LBJ side. He’s having his best fantasy season in a while, putting up over 50 FP in 70% of his games and has hit a 95 FP ceiling. Just a little reminder out there for the people who forget who the best player on the planet is. His price has definitely risen, but he needs about 60 to get you there. In a match-up against Giannis Antetokounmpo, I think he goes for big numbers. Expect a dual between Giannis and LBJ that results in both of them having a big night. The Bucks plays faster than the Cavs and this will be a pace-up for LeBron and a pace-down for Giannis.

Harrison Barnes
FD $6,200 DK $5,800

If you need a guy in the mid/low range at SF, Harrison Barnes is a guy you can count on in both cash games and tournaments. He’s one of the more consistent players in the league for his price and this fast-paced game against the Wizards will help a ton. The Mavericks typically play slow, so fast-paced teams can make a huge impact on everyone, as they’re priced for a slow game. Barnes is the top option on this offense and he’ll see the average defense of Kelly Oubre and Otto Porter. Count on 25 fantasy points as the worst-case scenario and 50 as the best. He’s pretty similar to Gary Harris at SG.

Power Forward

Anthony Davis
FD $11,700 DK $11,200

Another superstar to consider comes in the form of a 7 foot 2 Pelican. Anthony Davis has been unguardable this season, putting up 50+ in every single game of the season. He now gets a fantastic match-up against the Indiana Pacers, who play super fast and have nobody to cover AD. Myles Turner is back in the lineup, so he’s the big body that will be on Cousins. I don’t think he’ll do much, but it will still give Davis the ball more to start. Thaddeus Young has 0 chance of staying with Davis and it’ll be a matter of time before the Pacers are scrambling to double both Boogie and Davis. It won’t work very well and 2 7 foot monsters aren’t easily guardable when running 20 MPH. The Pacers love to run as much as anyone and you can lock in 60 for AD.

Quincy Acy
FD $3,000 DK $3,000

Talk about a bottom barrel price. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was injured last night in a game that Quincy Acy saw 20 minutes. With Trevor Booker already out, Ac should be in line for 30+ minutes. It’s something that should never happen in 2017, but the Nets don’t have an option. Sad. The Nuggets are a fine team to face for Acy, who doesn’t score at all. If he does score, it’s on putbacks. Even though he’s not a great player at this point, he’s still probably a top 10 rebounder. I can’t imagine 10 humans getting a rebound 1-0n-1 against him, at least. He should have no problem getting to 25 fantasy points against the Nuggets and that will blow value out of the water. Make sure both Trevor Booker and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson are out before locking in Acy everywhere.

Center

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Nikola Jokic
FD $9,500 DK $8,500

We’re back on to the Nets with one of my favorite plays of the slate. Jokic wasn’t able to do much with the Warriors, but that’s fine. We knew it was a possibility going in that the Warriors would go small and force Jokic to sit, which is exactly what happened. The Nets don’t get the respect for that. Jokic will be in there for 25 minutes once again and I’d be surprised to see less than 50 fantasy points. He lives off of stuffing the stat sheet and we know the best possible match-up for them is the Nets. They play at an insane pace that hasn’t been seen in a long time. His price is fine on both sites and I’ll have exposure everywhere, but he’s a near-lock in cash games on DK at just $8.5k.

Cody Zeller
FD $4,000 DK $4,000

Dwight Howard is currently questionable, so make sure he ends up missing the game before plugging Zeller in. Dwight Howard takes up about 30-35 minutes a game, so at least 15-20 of those will have to go to Zeller. That puts him at around 30. Against the Knicks and Enes Kanter defense, yes, please. This won’t be the fastest game for either team, but that isn’t a big deal for a guy like Zeller that relies on points and rebounds strictly. While he isn’t a big part of the offense on most nights, they give him a 19% usage rate when he is in there. Zeller is super cheap and he’s another value play that will help you pay up elsewhere.

 






NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/6/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/6/17

Point Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Kyrie Irving
FD $9,500 DK $8,800

Kyrie hasn’t been the same player he was in Cleveland. He’s been a lot more consistent and in tune with his game, compared to last season when he would constantly sit from 30-65 fantasy points. This season, you can count on 40 with the hopes of 50-60. Against Dennis Schroder, you have a pretty good chance. The Hawks have been in the bottom 5 since the start of 2016 and top 8 the year before. Non-coincidentally, last year is when Schroder got the starting gig. Vegas has this game at a 208 total and a close spread, so go ahead and target anyone you want from this game. With just 3 games on the slate, most are going to come from the Suns and Nets. However, if you do want to get a little crazy, game stacking here isn’t a horrible idea. If it does stay close, having 2 or 3 of the studs could pay off in tournaments. In cash games, Irving is one of the best 1-offs of the entire night. You will not find a cash game lineup of mine without him.

Mike James
FD $5,800 DK $5,300

There’s an old saying in DFS that minutes = production. It’s not a perfect science (Tony Snell), but we’re seeing a perfect example out of it here with Mike James. James isn’t special. Sorry to the Mike James fans, but he’s no different than a lot of different placeholder young backups PG’s. He’s just getting a lot of minutes in a fast-paced offense. We saw Tyler Ulis average over 30 FP in the same offense and now he’s on the bench. The truth is that Devin Booker is a big help as well, as he dictates the best defender and most attention. James gets an ideal match-up against a Nets team that loves to run and gun. James is a lock for 25 with the upside for 40 with minutes.

Shooting Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Devin Booker
FD $8,200 DK $8,400

Now for my favorite play on the night. I know it’s a very obvious choice, but I’m not going to be crazy just to be crazy. Vegas currently has this game at a 237 total with just a -1 spread, so that should give you a good idea of what’s going on here. You will not see an O/U higher than that all year. These 2 teams are playing at the fastest in all of basketball and the Nets are playing faster than anyone has played since the 2013 76’ers. An average PACE is 100. The Suns are at 105 and the Nets are at 109. The two fastest in all of the league. Devin Booker is going to go insane and I will have him in every single lineup I create. With 0 exceptions. The Nets have nobody to cover him and I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see 40 real-life points with 60 FP. I guess you can fade Booker in hopes they only focus on shutting him down, but go ahead and grab my H2H’s if that’s your plan.

D’Angelo Russell
FD $8,000 DK $8,200

We’ll stay right in the same game and look at the best option on the Nets. Devin Booker, who we just talked about, is at a 30% rate since Bledsoe went out. That’s very high. However, we have D’Angelo Russell sitting here with a 33%. That’s just bonkers for a team who hasn’t even run into injury problems yet. The ball is touching his hand son every play and he’s touching it last or 2nd to last (assist) in nearly half. The Suns are one of the only teams that are willing to runs with the Nets, so he’ll have about 10 extra possessions tonight. That may not seem so valuable, but it’s worth as much as an at-bat in baseball would be for a superstar. I think this game turns out being a shootout between Booker and Russell. They’re my 2 highest owned plays on the entire slate and I’m not even comfortable recommending anyone else. This is not a normal high total game. I want to make that clear. 240 total points is CRAZY.

Small Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Kevin Durant
FD $10,500 DK $10,100

Durant is the only guy over $10k tonight, and there is a good amount of value. Therefore, if you’re not playing Durant, you’re likely in the minority and going quite contrarian. I don’t hate the move necessarily, but I don’t think anyone besides Booker has similar upside. Durant is a lock for 45 fantasy points in this match-up and his upside is right around 65. We haven’t seen it yet this year, but he’ll do it more than a few times. The Heat doesn’t have anyone to throw on him, so it’ll be Josh Richardson and Wayne Ellington who will try their best. James Johnson has the best chance, but he’s going to need to be on Draymond. Durant is a mismatch for most teams, but especially the Heat. This game has a great chance of blowing out, but Durant should still get his in 3 quarters. There isn’t anywhere else to spend up, so if you have the funds, this is your guy.

Josh Richardson
FD $4,800 DK $4,800\

We’ll stay right here in Golden State and take a look at Josh Richardson. You definitely can play T.J. Warren here as well, but I think we’ve touched on the Suns enough. Richardson is another tremendous value option at just $4800 on both sites, where he needs you about 20-25 for value. Richardson is too good of a player to be at this price and 25 FP to him is not much of a challenge if he sees the minutes. Especially against a fast-paced Warriors team. He has typically just been a scorer, but his ability to stuff the stat sheet so far has been nothing short of impressive. Richardson is also likely blowout-proof, so you can count on the 28+ minutes either way. You can bump him up for a guaranteed 34+ if Waiters does sit again. I doubt it, though.

Power Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Marcus Morris
FD $4,000 DK $4,000

Marcus Morris is still heavily limited, so I’ll be clear in saying this is a cash game play. I might have some exposure in tournaments just to help me pay up elsewhere, but there’s no upside here. Morris isn’t going to see over 25 minutes no matter what, so his FP cap is around 30. He’s returning from injury and while it may go slow, he saw 23 minutes last game, so he’s pretty healthy. The match-up with the Hawks bench is fantastic and he should have no problem doing damage for the short time he’s on the floor. He will see John Collins and Luke Babbitt on defense, so scoring shouldn’t be the issue. At just $4k, you don’t need much at all. Morris is a great value play that you can chalk in for 20-25 fantasy points at an atrocious position.

Rondae-Hollis Jefferson
FD $6,700 DK $5,900

We’ll get right back to the Nets with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. At a position without much depth, he gives you a locked in 20 fantasy points with legitimate upside at 40. He has been great on the season, stuffing the stat sheet over and over. This match-up with the Suns couldn’t be any better unless he got traded to the Suns and played against the Nets. RHJ relies on speed, so the Suns 2nd highest PACE in the NBA is important. He’s all over the court against teams like the Hawks, so I can’t imagine how active he’ll be where it’s encouraged form both sides to run. His price is way too cheap (especially DK) and value is close to a lock. He’s a mainstay in my cash games without much opportunity cost at the position.

Center

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Al Horford
FD $7,500 DK $7,200

Center is pretty ugly and Al Horford is clearly my favorite at the position. You obviously have plenty of upside there with Hassan Whiteside, but I’m not sure he’ll be able to keep up with the pace after just returning from injury a few games ago. Horford has a great match-up with the Hawks interior that includes Dewayne Dedmon and John Collins. Neither have a shot at stopping Al Horford. Especially Dedmon, who might just fall down if he has to go to the 3-point line. The Celtics have made it clear that Horford is the number 2 option and he’s been impressively consistent all year. Against his former team in the Hawks, expect at least 30 fantasy points with the potential for way more. If this game does stay close, it could be a nice one for fantasy. We’re paying a lot of attention to the Suns/Nets and rightfully so, but don’t ignore this one.

Tyson Chandler / Alex Len
FD $4,900 – $4,500 DK $4,100 – $4,600

Full disclosure, Al Horford is my guy. I have 4 other Suns, so Len and Chandler won’t fit for me. With that being said, I truly do like them as value options. The Nets are just atrocious at everything and these are both guys who do produce when on the floor. Especially against teams that don’t contest their rebounds. If you need the value, I say go with the guy who’s cheaper on your site. I think Len fits the style of game a bit better, but there’s no doubt that Chandler could put together a double-double in 20 or so minutes. The Nets stink, so just make sure you remember that when putting your lineup together.






NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/4/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/4/17

Just a little note before we get going. This is by far one of the ugliest slates you will see all season long, so don’t expect crazy scores like last night. I would say a solid cash game goal is 4-5x here. Let’s jump into the top plays at each position.

Point Guard


Stephen Curry
FD $9,200 DK $9,500

There’s 5 games on the slate, but 1 is at 3:30, so that cuts us down to 4 for the main slate. I’ll be the first to say I’m not a big fan of how the NBA is scheduling this season, but we have to deal with what we’re given. There’s still spots to strategize on slates like this and the edge is still present. It just takes a little more work to get to. Curry was on the last short slate and performed, putting up 44 fantasy points against the Spurs. It’s what he’s been doing all year long. With the shots being spread around a ton, Curry hasn’t been over 60 FP. However, he’s been a lot more consistent than last season and his price is still down. On a slate with just about 0 good PG’s, Stephen Curry is close to a must. The Nuggets don’t play much defense and while this will likely be a blowout, he’ll get more numbers in 3 quarters than any other PG.

Dennis Smith Jr.
FD $5,600 DK $5,100

The best thing working for Dennis Smith Jr. on most nights is that he’s a great player. The situation, however, is not. He’s the PG of one of the slowest teams in the WCF. Still, with just 4 games on the slate and PG being very thin, he’s in play here. When given the 25-30 minutes, you can almost guarantee 25-30 fantasy points will follow. The Timberwolves are worse against PG’s than any other position, allowing 48 FPPG (7th worst). Smith is still fairly priced on both sites and this game should remain relatively close. With some real studs on the T-Wolves defense, the offense may get tunneled toward Smith and Nowitzki (the two spots T-Wolves struggle against).

Shooting Guard

Klay Thompson
FD $6,900 DK $7,000

The only position more disappointing than PG is SG. Or maybe it’s SF. The point is they are all pretty horrible and it’s a bit tough to fish out plays. The only real clear option at SG is Klay Thompson, who like Stephen Curry, has been very consistent. He’s been under 27 fantasy points just 1 time all season long and typically sits around 35. The Nuggets are a stellar match-up as they love to run the floor and give up a ton of 3’s. Things could change this year, so take this lightly, but the Nuggets allowed the 2nd most 3’s per possession in 2016. If the Warriors splash brothers start hot, they could have some big nights. We know Klay will have 3 or 4 huge games this year, and this could certainly be one. He’ll probably be 80% owned, but we just deal with it on this slate.

Will Barton
FD $5,200 DK $5,500

If you have all the funds, sure, you can play both Wiggins and Thompson. The floor is nice, but you’re going to have to find value that isn’t there at other position. Instead, you can go down to Will Barton and get some exposure on the other side of this game. With the Warriors being such a high-scoring team, you have to figure the Nuggets will let Barton out there for 35+ minutes as he is a great scorer and can match the pace that the Warriors play at. He’s been around 30 fantasy points in the games he starts, but is still inconsistent as Will Barton will always be. Klay Thompson is a good defender, but the Warriors allow the 9th most FP to SG’s because of the PACE(103.7) they play at.  Against the Warriors, I have a hard time believing he doesn’t get to at least 25. On this slate, that’s perfect.

Small Forward

SHANGHAI, CHINA – OCTOBER 05: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in action during the game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors as part of 2017 NBA Global Games China at Mercedes-Benz Arena on October 8, 2017 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Zhong Zhi/Getty Images)

Jimmy Butler
FD $8,300 DK $7,500

Yes, you can play Kevin Durant here. If you have the funds, he’s the top play. I just don’t need to keep telling you that about all of the Warriors. Let’s touch on the Timberwolves, instead. Jimmy Butler is better than Andrew Wiggins and he’s making it pretty clear. He hasn’t gone for the 70 he went for a couple times in Chicago, but he’s getting huge minutes and laying extremely well. The consistency we expected with Thibs is already here and Butler will soon be the leader of this franchise. His price is too low and I personally like Butler over Durant in terms of point per $. If you can afford both, great, but if not, you’re going to have to decide what position is worth more to you. For me, Butler is a guy I’ll have a lot of.

David Nwaba
FD $4,600 DK $3,900

Small forward is right up there with PG and SG as positions that have some pretty ugly value. The guys at SF you can lean on is David Nwaba. Nwaba was in our lives for a few games in L.A. last year, but never materialized into a real DFS asset. This year, the Bulls just keep churning out random 6’4 SG/SF. Kris Dunn, Nwaba, Holiday, Valentine, and LaVine are all young perimeter players that can be succefull. Nwaba is getting around 25-30 minutes per game and he should see the upper end against a Pelicans team they will play big against. Nwaba is actually a very versatile offensive player, so don’t expect a guy that will sit in the corner all game. Value is a lock on a slate that has none. All you need is about 20.

Power Forward

Anthony Davis
FD $11,800 DK $11,200

Supposedly, Alvin Gentry is one of the 30 best human beings at coaching basketball in this world. I think I can find 30 better in my town. My neighborhood, maybe. He’s the worst coach in basketball and it isn’t close. Opposed from having some of the best assistants in the league that carry him, Gentry does 0 things. His big contribution is minute distribution. And like the genius he is, he’s figured out a way to play Anthony Davis for 40 minutes a game after injuring his knee. He’s also figured out a way to let both he and Cousins be on the bench for 2-3 mins a game, even though they’re both close to 40 by the time it ends. It takes a real genius to let that happen. Whatever. Until he gets worn down and injured again, we have to keep playing Anthony Davis. This match-up against the Bulls is as good as ever, with Lauri Markkanen at PF. He will have his way once again and likely finish around the 50-60 fantasy point mark. If salary wasn’t a thing, Davis is the top play of the day.

Dirk Nowitzki
FD $5,100 DK $4,600

Dirk turns 63 years-old today, so let’s get a little celebratory DFS roster going. Its only possible because of how ugly this slate is and how friendly the price on Dirk happens to be. He’s having a better year than the past 2, at least in terms of consistency in both minutes and production. It looks like Dirk is super healthy at this point and playing out the end of his career like we all hoped. He’s been over 20 fantasy points in all but 2 of the 9 games, and were in touch match-ups. He sees the T-Wolves tonight, who are nothing to worry about against bigs. Nowitzki is a lock for another 20 tonight with a ceiling barely over 30.

Center

Nikola Jokic
FD $9,500 DK $8,500

For future reference, maybe there’s a bias here I am not aware of. As a Cowboys and Cubs fan, I think I can objectively say I have 0 bias. If anything, I roster guys against the Cubs way more than I should. Why the hell do you care? Because Nikola Jokic is my favorite player and I feel like I roster him on every slate (I do). However, he’s objectively the way to go at center in tournaments. Sure, Boogie Cousins and KAT are both safer. Their games are guaranteed to stay close and they will get minutes. With Jokic, however, I see this is a boom or bust game. If it happens to stay close, he could legitimately get to 80 FP. Sure, think I’m crazy, but he averaged 1.96 FP per minute against the Warriors in 2016. He loves the pace and is able to break down any defense with his league-best passing efficiency. Jokic is a guy I’ll be taking a stand on tonight, so if you find a lineup of mine without him, Oklahoma probably lost and the beer put me to sleep.

Robin Lopez
FD $6,100 DK $5,400

The only reason Robin Lopez is somewhat tolerable this year is because the Bulls have nobody to lean on. When they have 2 or 3 of these guys (Holiday, Dunn, LaVine, etc.) step up as solidified scorers, RoLo will go back to 15-20 FP in 35 minutes. For now, he’s getting a bunch of shots and is needed for size. Especially against this Pelicans team. You can count on 35-40 minutes out of Lopez as long as he doesn’t fall into early foul trouble. The price is fair and with a lot of different ways to pay up on the slate, you may need some value at center. Personally, Nikola Jokic is the only guy I’m owning, so that tells you where I’m at here.

 

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/3/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/3/17

Point Guard

John Wall
FD $9,900 DK $9,700

There’s an argument to be made for both John Wall and Russell Westbrook. On FanDuel, where Westbrook is barely more expensive, I’ll have plenty of exposure to both. On DraftKings, Wall is $2k cheaper and a better play in cash games. He hasn’t had one of his huge 60 fantasy point games yet, but it’s coming. He gets match-up tonight against the Cavs, who barely have a PG. Derrick Rose is back, but he may be one of the worst defenders at any position in basketball. I’d expect the Cavs to make a switch pretty soon after Wall burns him every play. It doesn’t help when Kevin Love is the guy on the help-side. The Cavs are allowing 46 FPPG to PG’s and I look for Wall to push that number up tonight. This is a game I’m all over and we’ll get to another couple guys later.

Lonzo Ball
FD $7,500 DK $7,300

He disappointed about 50% of DFS’ers yesterday, so maybe his ownership will stay down against the Nets. I highly doubt it. He only played 27 minutes, so he’s ready to go on the back to back. The match-up couldn’t be better, facing off against D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie. They are both pretty horrible defenders and Ball will be able to get inside on both. The Nets allow the most peripherals in the league and it feeds into Lonzo’s game perfectly. His price is still fair on both sites and as long as he keeps getting the minutes, he’ll put up 30-40 fantasy points in most games. This is a top 2 or 3 match-up possible.

Shooting Guard

D’Angelo Russell
FD $7,500 DK $7,900

D’Angelo Russell plays the Lakers for the first time tonight and the Nets players have already been quoted saying they expect him to “attack” and be “extremely aggressive”. While Russell is both of those on most nights, you have to be foolish to think it doesn’t make an impact tonight. he obviously has some problems with the Lakers organization and he is going to have a big game. Maybe if the Lakers had someone to slow him down I would get the fade, but they don’t. He can get to the hole or get open on every single one of these defenders, including Brandon Ingram. Which won’t happen unless Russell is at 40+ real-life points. His price is too low for the role he plays on the high-pace team and I’ll continue targeting him in match-ups much worse than this. If you don’t play Russ tonight, never play him.

Donovan Mitchell
FD $4,400 DK $3,800

Donovan Mitchell has played exceptionally well and his price is yet to react. Especially on DraftKings at just $3,800. Mitchell saw a season-high 34 minutes against the Blazers and responded with 37 fantasy points. There’s been the talk of him getting the start here, but even if not, he won’t see under 30 minutes. The Raptors fit his style of play well and he is a similar body style to DeMar DeRozan. They’ll likely match-up for a decent amount of this game until Joe Ingles is sent to lock him down in the 4th. The Raptors are nothing special on defense, allowing the 11th most FP’s to both PG’s and SG’s. Mitchell is an extremely safe value play tonight at a position without a whole lot of opportunity cost. Compared to other positions, at least.

Small Forward

LeBron James
FD $10,600 DK $10,600

LeBron is having a phenomenal start to the season. Even if the Cavs are “struggling” or whatever people want to portray after 7 games, it doesn’t matter AT ALL. It seems like people do the same thing every year and then laugh about how stupid they were when they thought the Cavs were bad. And then they do the same thing next year. As long as you’re getting this LeBron James, the Cavs will be the team facing the Warriors or Thunder in the championship. James has been over 50 fantasy points in 5 of the 7 games to start the season and sees his best match-up yet. The Wizards play fast (103.3 PACE) and love fastbreaks, which is where LBJ obviously excels. He averaged 62 FP against the Wizards in 2016 and I’d expect a similar number tonight. With these rumors out there as well, he will want to shut them up on national TV. LeBron is a guy I have in 100% of lineups and that will not change.

Brandon Ingram
FD $5,900 DK $6,100

Ingram is going to keep producing and until his price matches, we have to keep playing him. Hen ow sees the best possible match-up he can against the fast-paced Brooklyn Nets. We’ve already touched on D’Angelo Russell and Lonzo Ball from this game, so it’s one you’re going to want exposure to. Especially with the latest news on Larry Nance. Ingram will get about 35 minutes tonight and I think you pencil in a 30 fantasy point floor. That’s extremely difficult to find at $6k. The Nets will have enough on their hands with Ball and Lopez, but I’m sure will try to put RHJ on Ingram at some point. He’s a great defender, but Ingram will still get his peripherals. He’s a safe option that helps you pay up elsewhere.

Power Forward

Kyle Kuzma
FD $4,700 DK $4,700

This is probably the easiest play on the slate. Kyle Kuzma is already getting 25-30 minutes a game and now Larry Nance has broken his thumb. Go ahead and lock Kuzma in there for 30-35 minutes against a putrid Nets squad. That’s all that really needs to be said. They play at an incredibly fast-pace and this is a game we already have a lot of interest in. Do yourself a favor and lock Kuzma into your cash games. The only possible way he doesn’t hit value is an early injury or some crazy Drummond-esqe foul trouble. Assuming no other pivotal Lakers news breaks, Kyle Kuzma is the easiest guy to press the lock button on the entire slate.

Ben Simmons
FD $9,400 DK $9,100

We’ll touch on the two Sixers studs here. Starting with Ben Simmons, he’s been insane. I think most people were expecting a slow start that eventually led to this, but 50 FP a game from the start is quite telling of what his eventual upside is. He now sees a match-up against a Pacers squad that loves to run. Simmons will have no quarrels, as that’s where he makes his dough. He isn’t a big scorer, so is heavily dependant on how many possessions there are. The more possessions, the more boards/assists/steals etc. available. This bout between the 6’ers and Pacers is going to be one of the higher scoring games on the schedule and you’re going to need exposure. If you’re looking to stack, you can look at Oladpio on the Pacers side.

Center

Joel Embiid
FD $9,300 DK $8,300

I get that he’s expensive and won’t play over 34 minutes, but we have to accept that it truly doesn’t matter. He can literally put up 70 fantasy points in 30 minutes of court time. He gets a match-up against the Pacers where he will be an extreme mismatch. With Myles Turner doubtful, it’ll have to be Domantas Sabonis on Embiid. We all know how that will end up. We just touched on why Simmons is a great play and Embiid is the same blueprint. The Pacers like to run and it ups the possessions for these guys to accumulate numbers. There’s plenty of different ways to go at center, but Embiid is undoubtedly one of the best.

Marcin Gortat
FD $5,900 DK $5,900

The Cavs have been horrible against the pick and roll since Kevin Love joined the team. It’s not going to change tonight. The bread and butter of this offense is the John Wall/Marcin Gortat pick and roll with a backside off-ball screen for John Wall. It’s effective as any play in basketball and the Cavs have had plenty of trouble stopping it. Love is a great rebounder and scorer, but he can’t cover anyone in the paint. Expect another double-double out of the ever-consistent Marcin Gortat.

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/1/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/1/17

Point Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

John Wall
FD $9,700 DK $9,500

The theme of the day is going to be the few games that have incredibly high over/unders. This affair between the Suns and Wizards leads the bunch at 226 with the Wizards favored by 10. Both the Wizards and Suns have played at a 103+ PACE, which would have made them the fastest team in the league in 2016. Those numbers should end up going down, but it doesn’t take away from how quickly both of these teams play. You also have Eric Bledsoe out indefinitely for the Suns, which leaves Mike James and Tyler Ulis to cover John Wall. Yeah, good luck with that Phoenix. Wall has yet to have a huge game, but this could very well be it. The Suns have allowed 58 FPPG to PG’s which is 4 higher than the 2nd worst team. Wall is easily my favorite play at PG and my 2nd favorite superstar on the slate. He is going to be in every single one of my lineups unless some news breaks that significantly changes things. He has a 45 fantasy point floor with an 80 ceiling.

Jarrett Jack
FD $5,200 DK $4,700

He’s still getting the start and the price is yet to rise too high, so let’s not jump off because he’s no longer the shiny new toy. If you can count Jarrett Jack in for 25-30 minutes against the Rockets, I’ll take it every time. For fantasy, Jack is great. He’s not only unafraid to shoot, but he gets involved on the boards and in the passing lanes. At his price, he gets to value without doing much scoring. When he ends up getting hot and going for 20 real-life points, we’ll see a solid upside game. For now, he’ll be a perfect cash game savings option at a position that isn’t as deep as usual. Unless some more PG news comes out that gives a cheaper option 30 minutes, Jack is the guy to own.

Shooting Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Tim Hardaway Jr.
FD $5,200 DK $5,400

We’ll stay on the Knicks side of the court and look at Tim Hardaway Jr., who’s had quite a weird year. Opposed from having one of his coldest streaks ever, he went berserk against the Cavs with 55 fantasy points. He then followed it up with a more normal THJ game, at 30 fantasy points. You can expect him to be around there for the most part with an occasional 45+ explosion when he gets hot from behind the arc. The Knicks don’t really have anyone they need to feed besides Porzingis, so the shots go to Hardaway. He’s shot just 4 times less than Kristaps per game and 3 more than any other player. It looks like his cold streak is long gone, so don’t expect any 2-for-13 games out of Hardaway for at least 2 weeks. He’ll match-up with James Harden and Eric Gordon at the 2, who are a lot more worries about offense than Hardaway. Expect another 25-30 fantasy points with the upside for a lot more if the game stays close. This is another 210+ total with a close spread, so Vegas thinks it stays close and high-scoring.

Devin Booker
FD $7,200 DK $7,800

With Eric Bledsoe out indefinitely, it’ll take a lot more than $7,500 to make me fade Devin Booker in this match-up. While Bradley Beal can play defense, Devin Booker can play better offense. He can play the type of offense that is literally unstoppable. Think hot Damian Lillard or Kemba Walker. He’s put up 45 fantasy points in B2B games with one of them against an even better defender in C.J. McCollum. Booker gives you a 35 point floor with a ceiling we really don’t know of. The guy was 30 away from breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record last year, so I’m a bit afraid to throw a ceiling on his fantasy points. If he gets hot, he may be a necessity to win a tournament. For me, this game is my top priority and Booker is an elite option. Playing devil’s advocate, the Suns played last night and Booker is a jump shooter. Maybe he goes out and stinks, giving the Wizards a large early lead. If you want to fade, I don’t hate it, but it’s not the side of the coin I’ll be on.

Small Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

LeBron James
FD $10,400 DK $10,400

Small forward is going to be a spot I look to pay up at. LeBron James is right up there with John Wall and Anthony Davis as my favorite superstars of the night. The Cavs haven’t been playing well, and while we all know it’s the same thing that happens every year, Lebron has to prove it. Why? I don’t know. People are stupid. Anyways, this is certainly the match-up to do it. The Pacers don’t even really have an SF, so they’ll throw Bojan Bogdanovic and Lance Stephenson at LeBron. Opposed to blowing hot air into his ear, they won’t do much. LeBron has played 37+ minutes in all but 2 of 7 games so far, so the whole age thing isn’t what’s going on. He’s going to get 55 fantasy points tonight if the game stays remotely close. If it stays close down to the wire and LBJ is needed for the last 10 minutes, a 70 burger here wouldn’t surprise me. It’s nowhere near a guarantee, but this seems like a perfect recipe for a LeBron game.

Jimmy Butler
FD $7,900 DK $7,100

We’ve somehow ignored the game with the 2nd highest projected total on the slate. At 224 and the NO -3, Vegas expects the game to be just as high scoring at WAS/PHO, but a lot closer. There are plenty of options to choose from in this game and Butler is my favorite option on the T-Wolves. He originally got his “Jimmy Minutes” nickname from Thibs, which went to Jimmy Bucks after he was treated like a human with non-metal knees and elbows. He’s now back to seeing 40 minutes each game with the big doofus at the helm. It’s at least good for us, though, as you can guarantee production. This defense is nothing to be scared of and Butler will likely see E’Twaun Moore and Dante Cunningham for most of the game. Lock him in as one of the safest cash game plays on the board at under $8k.

Power Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Anthony Davis
FD $11,800 DK $11,200

Our 3rd and final superstar of the night is the most expensive of the bunch. Some people have taken the stand that rostering AD at all is a bad idea because of his injury history. To those people, please keep depositing. You’re the reason people are still able to make money in DFS. For the rest of us logical beings, Anthony Davis has a phenomenal match-up with the Timberwolves. Karl-Anthony Towns and DeMarcus Cousins will be battling at the 5, which should leave Gorgui Dieng and Taj Gibson on Davis. I’m sure Davis and KAT will match-up at some point because they have a long history, but Davis has dominated him in the past anyway. He’s put up 61 fantasy points in B2B games and looks to be fully healthy. As long as he’s a full go, he’s on my radar as a 60 fantasy point monster. if you have the funds to spend at PF, don’t go looking to switch your lineup around because the guy gets hurt in 1% of the games he starts.

Otto Porter
FD $7,300 DK $7,100

We’re touching on this game between the Suns and Wizards a lot because it holds the slate’s highest expected total at 226. It’s also expected to stay relatively close, giving the starters a full allotment of minutes. Here we have Otto Porter, who’s played most of his career as a role player. He’s now a pivotal piece of a contending lineup. He is a close 3rd option and a guy that is no longer going to randomly play 20 minutes. You can lock him in for 30+ with Markieff Morris out and the Wizards needing a backup 4 as well as a starting 3. The match-up with the Suns couldn’t be any better, as they’ve allowed the most FP to PF’s on the season. Marquese Chriss is quite the shot blocker, but he isn’t strong and can’t contend with Porter on the outside. Porter has been one of the more consistent players this early in the season and while his price has risen, it’s rightful. This is the best match-up as a team the Wizards have had and I love the 3 stars in both cash games and tournaments.

If you’re searching for value, Olynyk and James Johnson have a lot of upside if Hassan Whiteside misses another game.

Center

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Kevin Love
FD $7,700 DK $7,500

You’ll rarely see a Cavs game with a 219 over/under. They’re on the slower side of things and have a relatively solid defense. However, the Pacers are on the absolute opposite side of that. They’re the 3rd fastest team in the NBA and don’t play much defense at all. Myles Turner has already been confirmed out, so that’ll leave Domantas Sabonis and Al Jefferson on Love. He should be able to shoot over both, as well as out-rebound. He has a huge individual mismatch, let alone the pace that these guys will be playing at. LeBron is looking for Love more than he ever has before and it’s turned in quite the consistency. Through 7 games, Love has 6 double-doubles. In that 1 “bad” game, he had 9 rebounds. Yep, Love is the real deal this year and you can count on him when healthy in all formats. His price is still too low for me and I’ll continue targeting him in these types of games.

Dewayne Dedmon
FD $5,100 DK $4,500

I know it’s scary, but if you need to pay down at center, you could do much worse. The 76ers and Joel Embiid require a lot of size, which will put Dedmon on the floor for at least 28-30 minutes. the only game he hasn’t seen big minutes in recently was against the Bucks, who don’t require any size to be dealt with. Dedmon has average just over 1 FP per minute, giving him a good shot at 25-30 here. You also have to add in that the Hawks are playing way pace-up and they stink against centers. Dedmon isn’t the sexiest option out there, but he’ll get you at least 20, which won’t kill you at this price. I prefer Kevin Love quite considerably, but the salary god does too.