Wednesday brings plenty of action in the NBA with nine games on the schedule. Injuries will once again have a significant impact on the slate.
Read MoreNBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Recommendations for February 24 2020
There is value galore across Monday’s eight-game slate in the NBA. With so many cheap players set up to potentially thrive, we can also set out sights on a few stars who could shine.
Read MoreNBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Recommendations for February 20 2020
The NBA finally returns from the All-Star break to bring us a six-game slate Thursday.
Read MoreNBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Recommendations for January 30 2020
Thursday brings a lot of star power in the NBA despite there being only six games. In order to fit some of those stars into your DFS entry, you’ll also need to find some cheaper options who can help balance out your budget.
Read MoreNBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Recommendations for October 30 2019
Buckle up for a wild Wednesday with 11 games on the NBA schedule.
Read MoreNBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Sleeper Lineup Picks for 10/16/18
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
After an eventful summer that saw stars like LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard change teams, the NBA season tips off with a two-game slate Tuesday. Normally we highlight cheaper sleeper plays that could help you cash in DFS. However, since there are only two games to select from, we’ll take a look at some of the better options available across the entire price scale. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
POINT GUARDS
Stephen Curry, GS vs. OKC
FanDuel = $9,600
DraftKings = $8,600
The Warriors made a big splash in free agency by signing DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins has traditionally been among the league leaders in usage rate, but he’s obviously never been surrounded by such elite scoring talent. It will be interesting to see how his addition impacts the rest of the All-Stars on the team, but that’s of no concern Tuesday as Cousins continues to work his way back from a torn Achilles. Curry’s 30.6% usage rate was 10th-highest in the league last season and the Warriors played a the fifth-fastest pace (100.4 possessions per game), so expect him to have plenty of opportunities to contribute in their opener.
Markelle Fultz, PHI at BOS
FanDuel = $5,700
DraftKings = $5,000
Fultz’s rookie campaign was nothing short of a disaster. The top pick in the draft played only 14 games due to injury and worked extensively to try and correct his shooting woes. In something you don’t really see in the NBA, the Sixers used Fultz in the starting lineup to begin games during the preseason but brought him off the bench in the second half. They have confirmed they will also deploy this strategy Tuesday, so expect Fultz to play somewhere around the 23 minutes per game that he averaged across the preseason. His upside isn’t very high, but if you want to go cheap at point guard, he’s at least someone to consider based on his new role.
SHOOTING GUARDS
Dennis Schroder, OKC at GS
FanDuel = $6,100
DraftKings = $6,300
The addition of Schroder could prove to be significant for the Thunder. He was stellar for the Hawks last year, averaging 19.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 three-pointers per game. Expect those numbers to decline playing alongside Russell Westbrook and Paul George, but Westbrook might not play in this contest as he recovers from knee surgery. If he indeed sits, George is going to need all the help he can get to keep up with the Warriors high-scoring offense, so expect Schroder to be productive.
Andre Iguodala, GS vs. OKC
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $4,000
The Warriors could be forced to play a lot of small lineups Tuesday. Not only is Cousins out, but Draymond Green is likely going to be on a minutes limit as he battles a knee injury. The Warriors don’t have much size behind Green, so expect Iguodala to be heavily involved. Although Iguodala likely won’t be counted on to provide much scoring, that doesn’t mean he can’t provide value at this price in tournament play.
SMALL FORWARDS
Paul George, OKC at GS
FanDuel = $9,000
DraftKings = $8,000
The star trio of George, Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony didn’t work for the Thunder last year. With Anthony now a member of the Rockets, George and Westbrook will have to shoulder even more of the scoring load. George was already extremely productive last year by averaging 21.9 points per game, but his 25.7% usage rate was his lowest mark since the 2012-13 season. He’s going to get all the shots he can handle if Westbrook is sidelined, but he’s a great option even if Westbrook manages to take the floor.
Robert Covington, PHI at BOS
FanDuel = $6,500
DraftKings = $4,700
Covington sometimes gets lost behind Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, but his ability to shoot three’s and play defense are critical for the Sixers. His offensive ceiling is capped playing with those two stars, but he did average 12.6 points and 2.5 three-pointers per game last season. The Sixers are going to be somewhat thin at small forward with Wilson Chandler out due to a hamstring injury, which opens up the door for Covington to provide added value.
POWER FORWARDS
Dario Saric, PHI at BOS
FanDuel = $6,400
DraftKings = $5,500
Saric made significant improvements offensively last season. After shooting 41.1% from the field and 31.1% from behind the arc during his rookie season, he shot 45.3% from the field and 39.3% on three-pointers last year. His ability to create spacing is key, especially with Simmons’ limited range. He averaged 30 minutes a night and should have a similar role this season, leaving him one of the better options at possibly the thinnest position of the night.
Jerami Grant, OKC at GS
FanDuel = $4,700
DraftKings = $4,300
The loss of Anthony has created a hole at power forward for the Thunder that will be filled by the combination of Grant and Patrick Patterson. Neither played heavy minutes consistently last year, but Grant possessed the better per-36 minutes averages of 14.9 points, seven rebounds, and 1.7 blocks. He may be better suited in this game to play against the lengthy, athletic wings for the Warriors and won’t cost much more than the minimum on both sites, so he might be worth taking a flier on.
CENTERS
Joel Embiid, PHI at BOS
FanDuel = $10,400
DraftKings = $8,800
Embiid only played in 63 games during the regular season last year, but he was a monster when he was on the court. His 33.5% usage rate was not only the highest on the team, but it was the third-highest in the league behind only James Harden and Westbrook. He wasn’t just about scoring, though, averaging 11 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 blocks per contest. The Celtics are a tough defensive team, but Embiid averaged 23 points, 14 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game against them in the playoffs last year.
Steven Adams, OKC at GS
FanDuel = $6,900
DraftKings = $5,800
The Thunder had very little size outside of Adams last year, leading to him averaging a career-high 33 minutes per contest. He cashed in his opportunity, averaging 13.9 points, nine rebounds, 1.2 steals and one block. His 55.9% free-throw percentage left a lot to be desired if you played in a season-long league, but that’s of no concern in DFS. This could be a matchup to exploit against the Warriors with Green potentially limited and few quality options behind him at center, although you will need to monitor Adams’ status since he is listed as questionable with a stiff lower back. If he doesn’t play, pivot to Nerlens Noel.
NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks 1/20/18
NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks 1/20/18
BRING in 2018 with code “NEWYEAR40” at checkout for 40% off Seasonal Package
POINT GUARDS:
Stephen Curry ($9,500 FD/$10,300 DK) –
Steph is a much more appealing play on FanDuel as he sits below the 10k range. He may be worth paying up for Saturday night as he takes on the Houston Rockets, who rank 22nd in defending point guards and the same team Curry scored 47 FanDuel points against a couple weeks ago. Curry has scored 40+ FanDuel points in 11 straight games, showing serious consistency value wise. The projected total of this game is a massive 234, implying a high scoring contest as well as fast paced with both teams ranking top 10 in the league in pace of play.
Eric Bledsoe ($7,000 FD/$7,600) –
Bledsoe is one of the best point guard plays of the night, and will most likely be a very popular option. The Bucks will be without primary scorer Giannis as he has been ruled out. This lays a much heavier workload for Bledsoe against the Sixers who rank 21st in defending point guards. He’s very affordable and is projected 42.9 FanDuel points, giving him a healthy value of 6.13x.
SHOOTING GUARDS:
Khris Middleton ($7,400 FD/$7,900 DK) –
Alongside Bledsoe, Middleton will also be picking up much more offensive responsibility Saturday night with the Greak Freak sidelined. At a very affordable price it’s safe to say he will be high owned as well. He has a mediocre matchup with the Sixers. Luckily, they play at the fastest pace in the NBA so expect to tempo of the game to be pushed a little faster. This could benefit Middleton greatly.
Wayne Ellington ($4,400 FD/$4,900 DK) –
Ellington is dirt cheap and in a great matchup Saturday with the Charlotte Hornets, who defend shooting guards the worst in the league. He has been seeing great minutes, logging 30 or more in 9 of his last 10 games. He has also provided 20+ FanDuel points in three straight, showing a bit of consistency recently for such a low price tag. If Tyler Johnson remains out Ellington should see a slight increase in workload and opportunity. He seems worth the small risk.
SMALL FORWARDS:
Josh Richardson ($6,000 FD/ $6,000 DK) –
Richardson has been a great offensive presence for the Heat lately, especially with Tyler Johnson out, who may be sitting out Saturday night as well. Richardson has averaged 33.6 FanDuel points in the two matchups Tyler Johnson recently missed. His price tag hasn’t changed much, which is a good thing. The Hornets may make things a bit more hectic as they run at the 10th rank pace in the league while the Heat rank a mere 28th.
PJ Tucker ($4,100 FD/$3,700 DK) –
With Gerald Green and Trevor Ariza suspended last game, that left Tucker as a primary SF. Although he did not perform as expected, collecting 17.8 FDP, he was able to log 33 minutes. He should see this playing time once again Saturday night as Green and Ariza serve their final game of their suspensions. Tucker’s matchup with the Warriors is above average, so if he can get the appropriate minutes he will have plenty of opportunity to exceed value. He’s a bit risky, but also very cheap.
POWER FORWARDS:
Dario Saric ($5,500 FD/$6,200 DK) –
If you need a safe and cheap play, Saric is your guy. He has scored 20+ FanDuel points in eight straight contests, with three of those reaching the 40 point mark or more. He has been a great weapon for this developing Sixers offense. He matches up fair with the Milwaukee Bucks, who will be without Giannis. Saric is currently projected at 27 FanDuel points which would give him a value of nearly 5x. His consistency lately allows him to be a safer bet for your lineup as he also brings some upside.
Montrezl Harrell ($6,200 FD/$4,800 DK) –
Harrell is another cheap option with upside in this slate. His price is much more appealing on DraftKings as his price on FanDuel may be a bit intimidating. Harrell has been very beneficial off the bench for this Clippers squad, especially with DeAndre Jordan sidelined. In the last three games without Jordan, Harrell has averaged 31.8 FanDuel PPG along with 27.6 minutes per game. Jordan has already been officially ruled out Saturday night, giving Harrell the chance to keep this type of play up.
CENTERS:
Joel Embiid ($10,500 FD/$10,400 DK) –
The “process” might have to be trusted in this slate. Embiid is matched up great with the Bucks tonight as he has been on a tear lately. Embiid has three straight games with a double-double and is averaging nearly 2 blocks per game over his last five contests, helping his fantasy scores increase. He’s coming off a monstrous 26-16-6 performance against the Celtics, accumulating to 59.2 FanDuel points. He’s now rested for tonight’s game and appears to be a player to pay up for in this slate.
Hassan Whiteside ($8,700 FD/$7,600 DK) –
Whiteside’s numbers his past two games are impossible to ignore, as the center posted back to back 20 point double-double games. He also combined both games for a total of 10 blocks, making him average 5 each game. In this span, he averaged 55.7 FanDuel points. He has a bit of a tough matchup against the Hornets but at his price and recent production, it’s a little difficult to fade him just for his matchup. Although he is due for major regression, that due date might just not be yet.
NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks 12/31/17
NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks 12/31/17
Sunday night presents the last NBA DFS slate of 2017 so let’s end the year right.
Use Code “CYBER30” at checkout for 30% off Seasonal Package
POINT GUARDS:
Russell Westbrook ($11,900 FD/$11,600 DK) –
With Sunday being a small five game main slate, Russell Westbrook almost seems to be a necessity with very little “superstars” available and Harden coming off a poor performance. Westbrook is currently riding a very impressive 7 game streak in which he has provided 55+ FanDuel points. He will be opposing the Mavs Sunday, who rank mediocre in defending the position. Needless to say, defensive rankings don’t really matter when dealing with the animal Westbrook has been. In his last meeting with the Mavs he nearly dropped a triple double, falling one assist short. That game was in Dallas and now will be in Oklahoma City, with the cheer of thousands backing his dominance.
Jordan Clarkson ($7,200 FD/$6,500 DK) –
With Lonzo Ball sidelined with a shoulder injury for the last three games, Jordan Clarkson has been effectively filling the starting PG void that was left. In these three games Clarkson has averaged 37.5 FanDuel PPG. He has an interesting match-up Sunday against the Houston Rockets, who rank in the bottom third tier of the league in defending point guards. The Lakers and Rockets both rank top 10 in pace of play, making it seem a beneficial spot for Clarkson. One major concern is that the current line sits at Houston -15, raising concern for a blowout. With a small slate, Clarkson may be the play you need regardless of game score.
SHOOTING GUARDS:
Tyreke Evans ($8,600 FD/$7,900 DK) –
Speaking of hot streaks, it’s hard to ignore what Tyreke Evans has been doing lately. He has scored 20 or more points in 7 of his last 8 games, accumulating to an average of 42.6 FanDuel PPG in those games. For this type of production, he seems to be too cheap, especially in this match-up with the struggling Sacramento Kings. Although this game is the second of a back-to-back venture for Evans, it shouldn’t be too big of an issue as he only went for 30 minutes in the first game.
Josh Hart ($3,900 FD/$4,900 DK) –
Due to legal issues, Lakers SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope cannot leave the state of California for the meanwhile, which draws Josh Hart a start whenever the Lakers are on the road. He has also been benefiting off the injury to teammate Lonzo Ball. Luckily for Hart, Lakers take a road trip with Lonzo Ball ruled out. Hart is dirt cheap, especially on FanDuel and to afford a player like Westbrook or Harden in this small slate he may be your perfect cheap play and provide you great value.
SMALL FORWARDS:
Brandon Ingram ($7,000 FD/$6,400 DK) –
The small forward options on this slate seem very thin, with no players who are active costing more than $7,600 on FanDuel. Ingram seems to be a great play to meet ends on the SF portion of your lineup. Ingram has played fairly well in his two previous meetings with the Rockets, with an average of 35.8 FanDuel points. The Rockets rank 25th in the league in defending small forwards as they allow 43.80 fantasy points per 48 minutes to SF’s. With the game having a pretty high total at 226.5 it appears Ingram will be a main source of the Lakers offense.
Trevor Ariza ($5,200 FD/$5,600 DK) –
Ariza is a very cheap and consistent option in this slate. He has scored at least 20 or more FanDuel points in 11 of his last 12 games, averaging a healthy amount of minutes per game in that span. The last time Ariza met with the Lakers he managed to put up 48.7 FanDuel points in a double-double effort that included 4 steals. He most likely won’t produce that tonight, however, he is great cheap option you can count on to get you a mediocre amount of points or even more. Trevor Ariza is currently projected to score 28.5 FanDuel points tonight.
POWER FORWARDS:
Kyle Kuzma ($6,500 FD/$7,100 DK) –
Although not very impressive his last two games, Kyle Kuzma has great upside Sunday night. Kuzma is opposing the same team he slaughtered just about 2 weeks ago, posting 38 points and 7 rebounds. The Rockets rank poorly defending forwards this season. (Ranked 25th) For a relatively cheap price tag Kuzma seems worth the risk considering his peaks and potential he’s shown throughout this season. He’s averaging 37 minutes per game over his last 5, which most likely will uphold so expect Kuzma’s workload Sunday night to be a little heavy.
Blake Griffin ($8,500 FD/$7,600 DK) –
Griffin recently played his first game back from injury and looked as if he didn’t miss any time, posting a stat line of 24-6-6 against the Lakers in 32 minutes. Griffin could be a risky play as he isn’t guaranteed to see 30+ minutes again tonight but he has a great match-up against the Hornets who rank 22nd in defending the position. Griffin’s teammate Austin Rivers is questionable for this game and if ruled out, Griffin could see his first small boost in usage since returning. I don’t project Griffin’s ownership tomorrow to be high at all considering he is coming off an injury, which could make him very valuable in this small five game main slate.
CENTERS:
Joel Embiid ($10,500 FD/$9,900 DK) –
One of the only three players costing more than $10,000 on FanDuel is Joel Embiid in this small slate, and he seems beyond worth paying up for. The big man for the 76ers has an amazing match-up with the defensively struggling Phoenix Suns. He is also well rested as he sat last night’s game to preserve his health. For 9 straight games, Joel Embiid has scored 20 or more points when logging 30 minutes or more. With teammate Ben Simmons struggling, Joel may have an increased workload solely trying to pick up the slack, although his other teammates do a fine job at doing so also. Embiid may be the play to pay up for.
Dwight Howard ($8,400 FD/$7,400 DK) –
The Center position is one of the most stacked tonight, sporting a few solid options to play. Dwight Howard seems very appealing with his current price tag. He has been electric of late, averaging 48.4 FanDuel PPG over his last three. He exploded for 29 points and 13 rebounds in his last game accumulating to 57.1 FPTS. If there is one thing we know about modern day Dwight Howard it’s that he is inconsistent and nothing good lasts forever with him, always making him somewhat of a risk. It seems tonight will not be the night he slows down.
NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 12/7/17
*Mike Barner*
NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 12/7/17
Use Code “CYBER30” at checkout for 30% off Seasonal Package
POINT GUARDS
Russell Westbrook, OKC at BKN
FanDuel = $11,500
DraftKings = $12,000
Westbrook is close to averaging a triple-double again as he enters Thursday averaging 22.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 9.9 assists per game. He’s been even better over the Thunder’s three-game winning streak, averaging 23.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 12.6 assists. His 33.3% usage rate is sixth-best in the NBA, so he could be in for a huge performance Thursday considering the Nets play at the third-fastest pace (104.9) in the league. With so little talent on the Thunder bench, Westbrook is going to continue to dominate in DFS.
Tomas Satoransky, WAS at PHO
FanDuel = $4,700
DraftKings = $4,100
Satoransky got off to a hot start with John Wall (knee) sidelined but has struggled to average only 7.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists over his last two games. The good news is that he is still playing more minutes than the fill-in starter Tim Frazier, so the opportunities are there. The Suns are a terrible defensive team and they play at the second-fastest pace (105.3) in the league, leaving their opponents with great upside. Even with his difficulties of late, this could be a bounce-back performance for Satoransky Thursday.
SHOOTING GUARDS
James Harden, HOU at UTA
FanDuel = $11,500
DraftKings = $11,000
There was some fear that Harden would see a decrease in production with the return of Chris Paul, but nothing seems to be able to slow him down. In seven games since Paul’s return, Harden is averaging 32.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.9 steals and 4.9 three-pointers per game. Paul has clearly taken a back seat offensively, so expect Harden to continue to stuff the stat sheet. He rocked the Jazz for 56 points earlier this season, so pay up for Harden again Thursday.
Troy Daniels, PHO vs. WAS
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $4,100
The Suns are going to be without Devin Booker (groin) for two-to-three weeks, leaving a huge offensive void on their team. Not only was he their best scorer, but he took a ton of shots as he’s averaged 18.8 shot attempts per game. It’s going to take a collective effort to replace him and Daniels may be one of those players who gets a boost. He doesn’t get much playing time, but he is averaging 12.8 points and 3.6 three-pointers in the five games where he has played at least 20 minutes this year. Considering he won’t cost you much, he might be worth the risk in tournament play.
SMALL FORWARDS
T.J. Warren, PHO vs. WAS
FanDuel = $8,100
DraftKings = $6,500
Speaking of guys trying to make up for Booker’s absence, Warren will likely now be counted on to lead the team in scoring. He’s already averaging 18.4 points per game with a 24.8% usage rate, both second-best on the team behind Booker. Warren has scored at least 25 points in a game six times this season, showing he can have excellent upside. With so little talent around him, Warren should get plenty of opportunities to be a valuable part of your entry Thursday.
Brandon Ingram, LAL at PHI
FanDuel = $6,800
DraftKings = $6,400
Ingram is shaping up to be an offensive force for the Lakers this season and is averaging 19.1 points over his last nine games. He’s averaging five more shot attempts per game this season, so expect this to be a trend that continues throughout the rest of the year. This is an excellent matchup Thursday as both the Lakers and the Sixers are in the top-four in the NBA in terms of pace of play. It suited Ingram well when these teams faced off earlier this season as he finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Get him back in your lineup for this game.
POWER FORWARDS
Ben Simmons, PHI vs. LAL
FanDuel = $10,500
DraftKings = $9,900
The Wizards raised some eyebrows last week when they went to Hack-a-Ben, putting Simmons on the free-throw a whopping 29 times. Simmons really struggled, making only 15 attempts and showing what looked to be a major weakness in his game. He’s rebounded from that nicely, making 6-of-8 free-throws over three games since. He hasn’t been tested much, but it’s something to keep an eye one. His ability to provide excellent all-around counting stats makes him a great DFS option on most nights, but tonight is especially promising considering the pace at which both of these teams play. Of note, Simmons is only available at power forward on FanDuel. He is available at point guard and small forward on DraftKings.
Markieff Morris, WAS at PHO
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $4,700
Morris has struggled for most of this season but showed he still has upside when he scored 23 points to go along with seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks Friday against the Detroit Pistons. Using the revenge game angle can be tricky, but Morris’ tenure as a member of the Suns did not end well. He has played against them three times since, averaging 10.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in those games. With a limited slate and so few viable cheap options at power forward, you may want to consider Morris.
CENTERS
Joel Embiid, PHI vs. LAL
FanDuel = $10,800
DraftKings = $10,100
Thursday brings Embiid’s second game against the Lakers this season. He provided a memorable performance in their first meeting, scoring 46 points to go along with 15 rebounds, seven assists, and seven blocks. The Lakers struggle to defend the center position and really don’t have anyone capable of slowing down Embiid. It’s going to cost you a lot, but Embiid should be worth the price Thursday.
Jarrett Allen, BKN vs. OKC
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $3,400
The Thunder certainly lack depth, but the one thing they do have is an outstanding center in Steven Adams. Center might be the weakest position on the Nets roster, but someone is going to have to battle with Adams. Allen is starting to show promise off the Nets bench, averaging 9.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks over his last three games. That’s certainly nothing to write home about, but he may see an uptick in production if he gets a few extra minutes Thursday. If you want to take a risk on a very cheap center, Allen is someone to think about.
NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/9/17
*Mike Barner*
NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 11/9/17
Use Code “LLNBA17” at checkout for 10% off Seasonal PackagePOINT GUARDS
Kyle Lowry, TOR vs. NO
FanDuel = $7,500
DraftKings = $7,000
Lowry is off to a poor start this season, averaging 12.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.9 three-pointers per game. He’s been ice cold from the field, shooting only 39.5% after shooting 46.4% last season. He’s showing signs of coming out of his slump, posting double-doubles in three of his last six games. One of the games where he didn’t was one where he was ejected in the second quarter. He has the ability to provide great overall stat lines when he’s on and the Raptors are going to need their guards to step up in this game while their frontcourt struggles with Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. This could be a breakout game for Lowry.
Lonzo Ball, LAL at WAS
FanDuel = $6,500
Draft Kings = $6,000
If you play season-long fantasy basketball, Ball has hurt your squad as he’s shooting only 29.5% from the field and 53.8% on free-throws. However, you don’t have to worry about that in DFS. His counting stats have still been solid as he is averaging 8.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. He had a quality stat line against the Wizards earlier this season when he scored six points to go along with eight rebounds, 10 assists, one steal and one block. If his shot is falling, he could provide tremendous value Thursday. Even if it’s not, he is still worth playing at this price based on his overall production.
SHOOTING GUARDS
James Harden, HOU vs. CLE
FanDuel = $11,200
DraftKings = $10,700
Harden has seen his numbers regress some this season even with Chris Paul out with an injury, but he’s still averaging a superb 29.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 9.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 4.2 three-pointers per game. He has improved his percentages though as he is shooting 46.4% from the field and 40.4% from behind the arc. Thursday brings a great matchup against a Cavaliers team that has really struggled defensively. You are going to have to pay up to get him, but he should be well worth the price.
Jordan Clarkson, LAL at WAS
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $4,400
When the Lakers drafted Lonzo Ball, it meant Clarkson would see a reduced role. His playing time has been limited to 21 minutes per game, eight fewer minutes per game than last season. However, his production has actually increased as he is averaging 15.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.2 three-pointers per game. He’s played even better lately as he is averaging 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals over his last three games. Look for him to provide excellent value at this price Thursday.
SMALL FORWARDS
LeBron James, CLE at HOU
FanDuel = $11,800
DraftKings = $10,800
With Kyrie Irving in Boston and Isaiah Thomas still injured, James has been required to carry more of the load offensively this season. Of course, he has not disappointed, averaging 28.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.2 blocks and 1.5 three-pointers per game. The Cavaliers really struggle on defense, which is not good considering they are taking on the high scoring Rockets. James is going to need to provide plenty of scoring in this game, so get ready for some big numbers.
Brandon Ingram, LAL at WAS
FanDuel =$6,200
DraftKings = $5,900
Ingram struggled throughout his rookie season, but there were signs towards the end of the year that indicated he would improve in his second campaign. He has done just that, averaging 15.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He shot only 40.2% from the field last year but has rebounded to shoot 47.1% this season. Although he hasn’t expanded his range to behind the three-point line yet, his improved play gives him value at this price against the Wizards.
POWER FORWARDS
Anthony Davis, NO at TOR
FanDuel = $11,900
DraftKings = $11,000
Davis is healthy and is off to the best start of his career as he is currently averaging career highs in points (28.4), rebounds (12.8), assists (2.6) and three-pointers (1.2) per game. Add that to his normal stellar defensive stats and you get an elite DFS contributor. He has been relatively healthy and seems to have gelled well with Cousins as they have teamed to be the best power forward/center combo in the league. While you’ll have to pay up for his services, he usually doesn’t disappoint when healthy.
Julius Randle, LAL at WAS
FanDuel = $4,500
DraftKings = $4,800
Randle has been relegated to the bench this season and is only averaging 19 minutes per game, the lowest since his rookie season. Although he has seen a decrease in playing time, he’s still averaging a respectable 11.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game. He hasn’t seen an increase in playing time with Larry Nance Jr. out with an injury, but he has averaged 12.6 points and 8.7 rebounds in three games with Nance sidelined. If you need to save money at power forward, Randle is a viable option even with his limited role.
CENTERS
Joel Embiid, PHI at SAC
FanDuel = $9,600
DraftKings = $8,000
Embiid hasn’t played since Friday as he sat out the Sixers’ last game Tuesday against the Utah Jazz. When he takes the floor, Embiid has provided elite stats as he’s averaging 20.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks in only 28 minutes per game. Really the only issue you can have with Embiid is that he’s averaging a whopping 4.4 turnovers per game. You’ll want to get him in your lineup Thursday against the Kings because while they have depth up front, they really struggle to defend opposing centers.
Mason Plumlee, DEN vs. OKC
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $3,700
Plumlee has the unenviable position of being stuck behind one of the best centers in the league in Nikola Jokic. As a result, he’s averaging a career-low 16 minutes per game. Despite the limited minutes, he’s been able to average 6.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. If you are looking to load up your entry with elite talent, Plumlee is a cheap play you may want to consider to make that possible. If the game happens to get out of hand, he may even get a chance to play a few extra minutes. Considering the Thunder’s lack of depth up front, Plumlee has value in tournament play.