With a busy 11-game slate in the NBA on Monday, we have a bevy of options to choose from in DFS.
Read MoreNBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Recommendations for October 25 2019
We have a busy night of NBA action Friday with nine games on the schedule. That means plenty of star power will be available in DFS as well as some cheaper options that could provide value.
Read MoreDaily Fantasy Basketball NBA Sleepers Lineup Picks for 3/01/18
*Cory Hanley*
Daily Fantasy Basketball NBA Sleepers Lineup Picks for 3/01/18
Tonight is a perfect night to create a mid-tiered salary lineup that our friend Mike Ferrara Jr. is so fond of in our Facebook Group. He even gives you pointers on how to use our tools to create a solid lineup. If you need any help in fantasy or just want to come join in on the fun we highly recommend requesting a join. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and find the value players that are low-owned on FanDuel and DraftKings like DeMarre Carroll and Nemanja Bjelica.
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Point Guards
Jeff Teague, vs. Trail Blazers (FD: $7,700, DK: $7,200)
Projected Points: FD: 28.49, DK: 28.93
Over his last five starts Teague has been en feugo. Putting up 21.6 points per game, 6.4 assists, getting the heavy minutes (35), all of this while averaging 40 fantasy points per game. At this price point, with this floor (~32.5), I just don’t see why you wouldn’t have him locked in your DraftKings cash lineup.
De’Aaron Fox, vs. Nets (FD: $5800, DK: $5600)
Projected Points: FD: 28.42, DK: 28.81
If you can’t afford Lillard as the stud of the night then look no further than Fox. Fox is on the uptick every since getting over his tragic pink-eyed incident last Sunday. He’ll get the minutes that you’ll want to see, around 30, which should be where his floor will remain intact versus the sad Brooklyn Nets.
Stud of Night:
Damian Lillard – The expensive pick of the night but I believe that he will be worth it, as he has been on a roll lately.
Shootings Guards
C.J. McCollum, vs. Timberwolves (FD: $7200, DK: $6900)
Projected Points: FD: 33.9, DK: 35.05
Could be one of the chalkiest plays of the night, however, some people might stay away as he had a rough night last night after only scoring 11 points. But, history generally shows that after a rough game he bounces back just fine, especially against Minnesota who give up 35 fantasy points to shooting guard starters. McCollum devoured the Wolves last time out, hitting the perfect lineup and in both DraftKings and FanDuel.
D’Angelo Russell, vs. Kings (FD: $7500, DK: $7300)
Projected Points: FD: 36.72, DK: 38.35
Russell really came through in the last quarter of Tuesday nights game versus the Cavs. Scoring 45 fantasy points, while hitting 9-of-18 shots and three 3-pointers for a total of 25 points, five rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes of play. His numbers have certainly looked solid, and so has the knee he had surgery on since joining the Nets.
Small Forward
DeMarre Carroll, vs. Kings (FD: $5900, DK: $5900)
Projected Points: FD: 29.07, DK: 29.48
I like Carroll tonight to EAT against the Sacramento defense, as Rich Block from Rich’s Building Blocks videos would say in our Lineuplab Facebook Group. His salary is inexpensive and he should undoubtedly hit around the 5x value range. His fantasy points per game have increased over his last five starts showing that this is his perfect time for a perfect lineup.
Nemanja Bjelica, vs. Trail Blazers (FD: $5800, DK: $5300)
Projected Points: FD: 26.29, DK: 26.56
With Jimmy Butler now out for several weeks, it’s the ideal time to lock him into your lineups. Another underpriced player who is playing around the high 30’s in minutes per game. Monday night versus Sacramento Bjelica was in both of the perfect lineups after garnering 36 FanDuel points and 34 DraftKings points. At this price, he is a steal with a solid floor for cash games.
Studs of the Night (if you can afford them, go for it):
Brandon Ingram, vs. Heat (FD: $7400, DK: $6900)
Projected Points: FD: 31.38, DK: 31.66
LeBron James, vs. 76ers (FD: $12200, DK: $11900)
Projected Points: FD: 55.31, DK: 56.42
Power Forward
Dario Saric, vs. Cavaliers (FD: $7100, DK: $6500)
Projected Points: FD: 29.19, DK: 30.49
Saric has been one of the most consistent players for the 76ers, scoring double digits in 40 straight games. What worries me, slightly, is that Philadelphia has just acquired Ersan Ilyasova and is available to play in Thursday nights game, however, being brand new to the squad it is hard to imagine him taking away a lot of playing time from the most consistent guy on the team.
Zach Randolph, vs. Nets (FD: $6100, DK: $6300)
Projected Points: FD: 27.32, DK: 28.11
Randolph tonight is yet another guy poised to go off if Skal Labissiere (ankle) sits (as of right now he is probable). Randolph has been playing well as the Kings continue to have problems with the Center/Forward position. He scored 36.5 DK and 35.1 FanDuel points and does rather well against teams that play at a higher pace (the Nets play at the sixth pace in the league, while the Kings are close the bottom, locking in the 3rd slowest pace in the league.)
Punt Play:
Ed Davis, vs. Timberwolves (FD: $4000, DK: $4200)
Projected Points: FD: 13.4, DK: 13.25
Center
Hassan Whiteside, vs. Lakers (FD: $7,700, DK: $8,000)
Projected Points: FD: 39.9, DK: 40.17
Over the course of the past ten games, Whiteside has managed to average a double-double putting up 13.7 points per game while grabbing 12.3 rebounds per game. He’s also nearly averaging two blocks per game during the same timeframe and you know how valuable those blocks can be in fantasy basketball. On Tuesday night he crushed the 76ers, putting up 46 DraftKings and 49 FanDuel points.
Julius Randle, vs. Heat (FD: $7,700, DK: $7,500)
Projected Points: FD: 33.8, DK: 34.4
What’s not to love about Julius Randle as of late? Even his coach commended him, saying that he been playing with energy, impact and consistency. His minutes over the last three games have averaged up to 32.5 per game, while his fantasy points have been value-worthy (44.3 DraftKings / 41 FanDuel). Randle has a solid floor of the high 30’s/low 40’s lately, look for him to beat projections tonight.
NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/26/17
NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/26/17
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Point Guard
Jrue Holiday
FD $7,300 DK $6,200
Anthony Davis is currently listed as questionable, but it doesn’t look good. For the sake of this article, we’ll assume he’s out. With just 5 games on the board, we have to take huge advantage of this situation. Holiday should be 2nd behind Cousins in terms of who benefits most here. Holiday moves over to PG with the Rondo injury and has been consistent. He’ll now see an extra 5-10 shots and have his minutes locked in over 35 as long as it stays close. The price is still fair on both sites and he’ll be hard to stay away from in cash games. The match-up with George Hill and De’Aaron Fox is average. Holiday is an elite cash game play and a very solid GPP play on a slate that doesn’t do much at PG.
Malcolm Delaney
FD $4,800 DK $4,400
The only easy choice for me at PG is Malcolm Delaney. With Dennis Schroder already ruled out, he is locked into 32+ minutes. With just 5 games on the slate, we don’t have any value this good. At least not yet (written the night before). If no value opens up as the day progresses, Delaney will be highly owned. There are a lot of studs, who we’ll get to, that force you to pay down elsewhere. That elsewhere could very well be PG. The matchup with Chicago is a lot better than Miami, but not great. They play at an average pace and have a solid paint defender in Robin Lopez. Still, this is a pure opportunity play. Delaney is in the $4k’s on both sites and a lock to hit value if he sees the minutes. The upside for 35 FP and a must in tournaments is quite possible.
Shooting Guard
C.J. McCollum
FD $7,700 DK $7,300
This game between the Blazers and Clippers currently holds the highest O/U on the night at 212. On the Blazers side, it’s McCollum and Lillard who do most of the coring. With Pat Beverley on Lillard, let’s move to McCollum. C.J. will see a combo of Austin Rivers and Lou Williams, who are both pretty bad at defense in general. He will easily get his shot against either of those guys and it should lead to them finding someone else, but I’m not sure who. Beverley will be plenty busy with Lillard, so they might just have to take the McCollum blows. He is fairly priced on both sites and makes for an excellent play in both formats. This is a game I want a lot of exposure to with a 212/-2, so McCollum does that at a cheaper price than Lillard or Blake Griffin, while still having similar upside. The Clippers will struggle to guard SG’s this season and McCollum will look to take advantage tonight.
Buddy Hield
FD $5,100 DK $5,000
Hield saw just 16 minutes of work last game but put up 30 fantasy points. It makes no sense. As for the 16 minutes, 3 starts saw it. I guess it was punishment. They should be right back out there for this one and see the typical 30-35 minutes a starter sees. He finally hit his groove last game and could be in for a nice stretch. if you remember correctly, Hield was about $6500 for a while last year and getting plenty of interest and putting up 30 fantasy points on a regular basis. He will definitely get back to that this year once he can get it going. This match-up with the Pelicans is very nice. E’Twaun Moore is a pitiful defender and I have no idea why he has a starting gig in the NBA. He’s much worse than even Troy Daniels, who’s at least elite at shooting the 3. Anyways, Hield will see a cupcake match-up that should remain very close throughout. He’s a lock for 20 fantasy points with the upside for 45.
Small Forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo
FD $12,400 DK $12,000
Giannis is in too good of a spot to ignore. While there are some stars that we’ve yet to touch on, Gianni’s is right with them at the top of the list. He sees the same Celtics team he saw on opening night and dominated for 37 points and 13 rebounds. They struggled to cover him that night and will struggle just as much here. Expect Jaylen Brown to get most of the minutes on Giannis, but he won’t have much success. He has held 60 fantasy points in each of his first 4 starts while also maintaining a + (+/-) in every game. You can expect Antetokounmpo to have another 60 FP night. It just comes down to the price. He is going to make you sacrifice a lot and it could bite you in the ass. Or not. With the other guys we’ll touch on, they aren’t AS expensive, so they don’t force you into such a corner. With that being said, if you have the space for Giannis, play him without hesitation.
Dante Cunningham
FD $3,500 DK $3,300
This is 100% contingent on Anthony Davis being ruled out. Cunningham will see close to 35 minutes at the 3 and 4 if Davis is out, and while he won’t be a focus of the offense, he gets involved more than enough. When AD is on the court, he’ll just sit in the corner. With AD off, he will try to get down low and make things happen. Sitting at the minimum price, there’s really no discussion to be had. With the studs on this slate, you need value and there isn’t much of it. If Davis is ruled out, go ahead and play Cunningham for the guaranteed value in all formats.
Power Forward
Blake Griffin
FD $9,800 DK $9,500
Here’s one of my two favorite superstars. As you can see, he’s nearly $2k cheaper than Antetokoumpo, letting you pay up at another position or two. This game, as mentioned, holds the highest over/under on the slate at 212. The Blazers are also just favored by 2, so Vegas expects it to stay close throughout. The Blazers have Aminu and Caleb Swanigan at PF, which is kind of sad. Aminu is fine against smaller PF’s, but holds no chance against a literal monster in Blake Griffin. This is his offense to run and he does what he sees fit. Against a Blazers team that should double him every time, my guess will be a spread out, stat-stuffing night. If the Blazers try to let Aminu take care of Griffin alone, well, no bueno. Griffin is easily my favorite PF on the board and there’s no discussion to be had as long as AD remains out. It’s an absolutely brutal position, so I’m guessing the ownership will be relatively high.
Zach Randolph
FD $4,500 DK $4,900
Zach Randolph has definitely fallen quite a bit from the guy he was in Memphis a couple years ago. I actually don’t think his skill is much different. I just don’t think his style of play is very effective in today’s NBA. It’s tough to center your offense around a back-to-the-basket PF who grinds out 15 seconds of shot clock every time. You throw Z-Bo back in the 90’s and we discuss him as one of the greatest forwards of all time. As for tonight, he looks at a solid match-up against the presumed short-handed Pelicans frontcourt. Cousins will be focused on Nukic, which will leave Cunningham and Diallo on Randolph. Diallo should have more success, but Cunnigham will get more minutes. Randolph was one of the other starts to see under 20 minutes for punishment, so expect that to go back up tonight and make him a viable option in all formats.
Center
DeMarcus Cousins
FD $11,800 DK $11,500
My favorite play of the night is DeMarcus Cousins. Remember, this is all with the contingency of Anthony Davis sitting out. If he plays, the slate is a mess and I’ll be moving a lot of my Cousins over to Griffin and Antetokounmpo. If AD misses like we think, this is Cousins’ game. He’s facing off with his old Kings that he absolutely hates. HATES. He dominated them last year and I don’t take Cousins as the guy to let things go. Hey, maybe I’m wrong, lol. Expect Cousins to go out there and try to score a million points. He will likely have a good amount of turnovers without AD on the floor, but he’ll more than outweigh them with points, rebounds, and assists. The Kings will likely toss WCS at Cousins for the most part. He can rebound with Cousins, but is way too skinny to deal with him in the post. Play Boogie.
Jusuf Nurkic
FD $7,500 DK $6,200
On the other side, we have Jusuf Nurkic. Cousins is a solid defender, but I don’t think that will be the focus tonight. Nurkic has struggled to start the season, but if you watched last game, you get it. He is a guy they involve like crazy on offense. He was cruising last time out until he had 2 phantom fouls in 2 minutes. it put him on the bench for the rest of the half and turned what would have been a good game into absolute garbage. He should be back out there tonight for another chance at a big night. Again, Lillard doe shave Pat Bev on him, which could funnel some offense away. Nurkic is willing to shoot and wants to show what he does for an offense. He has the upside to be just like Nikola Jokic production-wise but has to maintain some level of consistency to get there. As for tonight, he’s a clear 2nd to the Boogieman. Good luck!!!
NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/24/17
NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/24/17
Point Guard
D’Angelo Russell
FD $7,800 DK $7,800
We expected D’Angelo to play like he has, but the absence of Jeremy Lin has only helped. He now has the ball in his hands for every minute he’s on the court and is already showing his per minute effectiveness. The Nets and Magic will face off for the 2nd time in a week, after these 2 teams combined for 247 points on the 20th. Russell ended up with 34 fantasy points in just 25 minutes of work. He should be back up to the 35-ish minute total here and see a similar FP per min, putting him well over 40. The Magic are without Elfrid Payton, who’s a pretty good defender. Especially compared to D.J. Augustin and Evan Fournier, who will take turns on Russell. Point guard may be pretty deep, but Russell is both safe and has upside in a match-up featuring a 229 over/under. You’ll need exposure to this game and Russell is the safest way to do it on the Nets.
Jrue Holiday
FD $6,900 DK $6,500
With Rajon Rondo out for the first few weeks, Jrue Holiday will step back into his PG role for the time being. He’s been a point guard his entire career, so it’s not much of a change. The switch to SG might take a few weeks, but there’s nothing to worry about with him at the 1. He’s been consistent to start the season, but hasn’t exploded yet. Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins are getting all the shots, and rightfully so. Holiday does have an excellent match-up with Damian Lillard, however, so he should try to get it going on offense a bit. This affair between the Blazers and Pelicans should be close, high-scoring and full of fantasy goodness. Don’t shy away from the guards or big men.
Shooting Guard
C.J. McCollum
FD $7,800 DK $7,100
We’ll stay in Portland and take a look at the backcourt mate of Damian Lillard. McCollum missed the first game of the year, but returned with no hiccup. He’s been over 26 real-life points in each of the first 2 contests and has contributed plenty of peripherals. This match-up with the Pelicans is prime and I’m not sure who plans on covering him. E’Twaun Moore is starting at SG, but he’s just nowhere near good enough to cover McCollum. The Pelicans allowed the 4th most FP’s to guards in 2016 and have similar guys manning the spots. McCollum is going to shoot at least 15-20 times and if he’s hot, value is no problem. His price is fair across the industry and with SG being pretty weak, he should be popular. He’s a fair play in both cash games and tournaments.
Tim Hardaway Jr.
FD $4,700 DK $5,000
Looking at the box scores, you probably don’t have interest in Tim Hardaway Jr. If you’re looking at what you should be, you probably love him. He shot 16 times last game and dropped just 4 buckets. He shot closer to 50% in 2016 and is a very good shooter in general. His numbers will certainly go up and I don’t think the general public will be on him. The Boston Celtics play fast and don’t love defense. They don’t guard the paint and are extremely susceptible to SG’s (If Marcus Smart is out). Hardaway is way too cheap on both sites and if he has a typical game, it will be around 25 fantasy points. If he gets hot, it can get to 40. He hit 40 fantasy points 3 times in the last month of 2016. Don’t be short-sighted and ignore him because of a couple rough shooting nights.
Small Forward
Jimmy Butler
FD $8,300 DK $7,000
On DraftKings, go ahead and plug Jimmy Butler into your cash games. I know he hasn’t been amazing, but that is going to 1000% change. He is getting used to playing with these guys and will be putting up 50 burgers in no time. Thibs is giving him the 38 minutes a game we expected and I’m willing to put my head on the line that production is coming soon. The Pacers are the 3rd fastest team in the last 2 years and it’s why a slow team like the Wolves is in a 217 over/under. Butler has had 3 tough match-ups so far and now sees a Pacers team who has no true SF. Lance Stephenson and Bojan Bogdanovich will see the 48 minutes there and neither can guard Jimmy. Wiggins also has a pretty tough match-up with Oladipo, so the ball should get funneled towards Butler on the perimeter. He’s the safest option in SF for his price and he’ll be locked into my cash games.
Evan Fournier
FD $7,000 DK $6,1oo
Fournier has exceeded expectations so far, which has led to his price going up just a little bit. On FanDuel, you don’t have to get exposure outside of tournaments. He can still smash value, but there are some better values. On DK, however, $6,100 is perfect. Fournier has been phenomenal to start the season and without Elfrid Payton on the court, he is doing whatever he wants. He now sees the same Nets team that he put 44 fantasy points up on less than a week ago. He also saw just 25 minutes last game, so he’s fully rested and ready to go once again. With a 229 over/under and some injuries to take advantage of, this is a game I want a lot of cash game exposure to. Fournier gives you a 30 point floor with a 50 point ceiling, as long as Payton remains out.
Power Forward
Anthony Davis
FD $12,200 DK $10,900
Alright, this is getting fun. Watching Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins play next to each other is fun. There is no other team I can put my eye on when they are playing. Tonight, the Pelicans take on the Blazers and their non-existent interior. I guess the only guy you can give some credence to is Jusuf Nurkic, who at least has some size. He’ll be on DeMarcus Cousins, so that leaves Aminu and Swanigan to cover Anthony Davis. Nope. No shot. Good luck. This, in my opinion, turns into a shootout between Lillard/McCollum and Cousins/Davis. If you’re looking for a game to stack, this is as good of a candidate as any. Because they all are so expensive, Cousins is the 1 of the 4 I would fade. There are plenty of other options at center. Anthony Davis is my favorite superstar of the night and I’m not sure how close it is. The Blazers allowed over 60 FP per game to Davis in 2016 and he looks like he’s turned the leaf that will hand him the MVP trophy this season. As for tonight, I’ll do whatever I can to get the Brow in 100% of my lineups.
Kristaps Porzingis
FD $9,300 DK $8,500
Talking about turning over a leaf, here’s Kristaps Porzingis. I don’t know if Porzingis is much better or if it’s because Melo is gone, but Porzingis is playing phenomenal. He has 46 and 47 fantasy points in each of the first 2 games and sees his best match-up yet against the Celtics. The Celtics are tossing Jaylen Tatum at PF, who has quite the disadvantage against Kristaps. They also have Horford at C, who’s a pitiful rebounder and worse defender. His price is yet to get too high and I want to take advantage against one of the best match-ups possible. Power Forward is pretty deep, so let’s take a look at another guy a bit cheaper.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
FD $6,200 DK $5,200
It was either Trevor Booker or Rondae Hollis-Jefferson here. With Aaron Gordon looking like he will return, I expect the Nets to match his athleticism with that of Hollis-Jefferson. RHJ has been damn good to start the year when given opportunity and he’s actually taking initiative on a Nets team that needs some. I’ve said it enough, but this game is sitting at a 229 total, so we’ll be all over it. RHJ is a concrete solid value play that will let you pay up for guys like Davis while still holding some upside. He’s a lot better priced on DraftKings, so I may just find a way to pay up completely on FanDuel if no value emerges. All in all, power forward is a spot where you may need to hit the nuts in tournaments.
Center
Nikola Vucevic
FD $9,800 DK $8,300
We’ve looked this game up and down, so let’s top it off with the whipped cream, cherry, and fudge. Vucevic has been disgusting this year and it looks like this is finally a team he’s locked down as his. He gets a touch on almost every possession and sees the best match-up possible. The Nets don’t really have a center, but they throw Timofey Mozgov and Jarrett Allen there for the bulk of the game. If you were able to watch Vucevic face these guys a couple of days ago, you’ve already plugged him into your lineup. It was utter domination on every possession and the game had a total 15 fewer than tonight. There are a lot of solid high-priced options tonight, so it’ll be tough to choose who you want to lead your squad. However, if you go with Vuc, there’s a good shot you’ll be in the mix. He, like a few other guys, see a much friendlier tag on DraftKings. He’ll be tough to fade there.
Jusuf Nurkic
FD $7,900 DK $6,800
Both of the centers in this game are in play, but Nurkic is cheaper and we already looked at Vuc on top. Nurkic finally got things going last game with 41 fantasy points in 31 minutes. That’s what we expect. He should see closer to 40 minutes tonight to match the Pelicans size and he should put up at least 30 with a 70 ceiling. Ya, I know that sounds crazy, but he did it twice last year and didn’t look like he was having a fluke game either. Cousins is not a good defender and the Pelicans ranked 8th worst against centers in 2016. Lillard and McCollum should take most of the responsibility here, but they have no chance of winning unless Nurkic has a big game. He’s very fairly priced on both sites and you can play him in all formats. There are 2 big games we like to target tonight and as long as they stay close, things should turn out. Good luck!!!
NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/23/17
NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/23/17
Point Guard
John Wall
FD $10,300 DK $10,100
John Wall is a quality play in 90% of the games he plays. Because the ball is in his hands so much, he is very safe, regardless of matchup. However, when he runs into a team like the Nuggets, who play at a top 6 pace, things can get interesting. Vegas currently has this game with a 223 over/under and 3 spread. That’s ideal. Jamal Murray and Emmanuel Mudiay will split time at PG and try to figure out how to slow Wall. They shouldn’t have much success, as long as the game stays close and Wall gets the minutes. They won’t be able to switch either, because Bradley Beal has no problem dipping 40 with a small PG on him. I don’t see a way around 50 fantasy points and the upside in tournaments is close to 80. Wall is one of the top NBA orchestrators and you will very rarely see him against a fast-paced, Western Conference team. This should be a game you pay a lot of attention to, and John Wall is by far the best player in it. Don’t get cute with some of the expected PG value.
George Hill
FD $5,600 DK $5,100
This affair between the Kings and Nuggets isn’t expected to be as high scoring as the Wizards game, but a 211 total isn’t far off. It’s a difference of 5 points for each team. Here we have George Hill at just way too cheap. He was rested in the 2nd half of a B2B 2 nights ago, so should be fully rested and ready to go another 35. He’ll match up with Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker, who are both quality defenders, but have given up the 24th most fantasy points to guards. How? Pace. The Suns play super fast and no matter how good of a 1-on-1 defender you are, you can’t stop a fast break or transition bucket very often when you’re shooting with 15-20 seconds left on the shot clock and forcing the big men to labor back into the play. George Hill is a very good PG and one that should certainly be more expensive. The match-up is absolutely perfect and I see no reason to go elsewhere in this price range.
Shooting Guard
Dion Waiters
FD $6,400 DK $5,600
It’s fair to say that Dion Waiters is a matured player. It’s not fair to say, however, that he’s completely different. He still chucks the ball as much as you possibly can and we saw It just 2 nights ago with 16 shots against the Pacers. He finished the night with 32 FP on 50% shooting. Waiters can and will get hot, and when he does, there will be some 40 FP performances. Hassan Whiteside is expected to miss his 2nd straight game as well, so there are some shots to be taken that aren’t usually there. Waiters always comes with a great amount of risk, but I’m not sure he can get any safer than tonight. Waiters will be one of the guys I’m way overboard on, but it’s Dion Waiters and I know all too well what can happen.
Jeremy Lamb
FD $5,500 DK $5,700
After a worrisome 28 minutes out of Lamb in the opener, he backed it up with 38 in his last contest. That’s what we expected out of a guy who routinely filled in with those types of minutes in 2016. With Batum and Kidd-Gilchrist still out, they’ll need Alan to step up on the wing once again. This Bucks team is pretty bad on defense and as long as Lamb doesn’t somehow end up on Giannis, he will blister value. This is a guy who was at 1.3 FP/ min last season, so don’t let 2 games of mediocrity worry you. He’s primarily a scorer, but averaged close to 5 boards a game over the last 3 months of 2016. Shooting guard is ugly and Lamb gives you an option with some real safety and upside. It’s tough to find both under his price.
Small Forward
Harrison Barnes
FD $6,100 DK $5,600
Getting back to a bit of safety, we’ll set our sights on Harrison Barnes. Barnes and the Mavs will face the Warriors, who come in after a loss as look to prove themselves. If the Warriors want any chance of keeping the contest close, they’ll need Harrison Barnes to have a career night. Either way, the ball will run through him on most possessions. Even if the Warriors do blowout the Mavs, I think you can expect 32 minutes and 30 fantasy points out of Barnes. The Warriors play at a top 5 pace compared to the Mavs’ bottom 5, so they’ll be playing way quicker than usual. With that, comes more possessions and more opportunities to gather fantasy points. Barnes is going to get you 1 FP/minute as long as he’s on the court. He’s cheap enough on both sites where I’m comfortable in even cash games. If the Warriors obliterate the Mavs, he should still keep you afloat. That can’t be said for most of the SF in this price range. Let’s touch on a guy who’s a bit more risky with some upside.
T.J. Warren
FD $5,600 DK $5,300
T.J. Warren had a typical game against the Lakers. He then garnered almost 40% ownership against a Clippers team that stepped on the Suns throat. He’s a guy who needs the game to stay close, as he will just sit in the corner if not. When getting involved, Warren looks like an all-star. He can shoot, penetrate, and has the brains to break a defense down and hit an open shooter. He’s also a big reason that the Suns play so fast. Behind LeBron and Durant, Warren moved the most of any SF in 2016, showing his urge to space the floor and create. The Kings don’t really have a real solid SF, so Warren will have an advantage over whatever small or big they throw at him. This game is very nice from a fantasy perspective and it’ll be very intriguing to see how things turn out. Warren, in particular, is an excellent option in all formats where his price is still low.
Chandler Parsons is definitely an insane flier, but I like the idea of it. He’s dirt cheap, making 24 million dollars this year, and should start to see closer to 20 minutes per game. He’s facing his former team and should want to shoot when in there. He’s a VERY good player, so if he sees those minutes, he’ll bash value. I don’t know if I’ll pull the trigger, but it’s interesting.
Power Forward
James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk
FD $5,900 – $5,200 DK $6,300 – $5,800
Power Forward is one of my favorite positions of the night and these 2 guys have to do with it. With Hassan Whiteside presumably out 1 more game (keep an eye out), Johnson and Olynyk will see big minutes. The Heat played small last game and were allowed to, which won’t happen against the Hawks. They don’t have great big guys, but they are 7 foot and if you have James Johnson on them, it won’t end well. Olynyk should get close to 30 minutes at the C and another 10 or 20 at PF. Johnson will see most of his at PF with a few point forward minutes when Dragic/Waiters is out. He’s a do it all player who has no problem getting on the floor for a loose ball. He always makes sure he gets involved 1 way or another, which is comforting from a DFS perspective. There is nothing worse than rostering a guy who loves sitting in the corner. It’s a big reason why I’ll have a tough time playing Kyle Anderson. He’s a strong value, but the guy stinks. He’s not very good at basketball, compared to his compadres. Johnson and Olynyk should both demolish value if given the expected minutes. Don’t get cute here.
LaMarcus Aldridge
FD $8,800 DK $8,500
If paying up at PF, I think most will go Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s undoubtedly a great play that could go for 75 FP on any night. However, with his recent boost in production has come with a price rise. Now, Giannis will need to get you at least 60. That’s tough and not going to happen. He will still have his usual 45 FP games where he spreads it around and struggles from the field. I’m willing to bet it happens against the pace-down Hornets on the road. Don’t let me take you off of Giannis, because I’ll have exposure in tournaments, but he’s simply not safe at this crazy price tag. If he had 5 fewer shots fall in last game, the entire narrative would have been different here. Instead, I look towards LaMarcus Aldridge. The Spurs have been running the offense through LMA with Kawhi Leonard on the pine with an injury. It’s resulted in 46 and 52 fantasy points. When LMA is touching the ball like this, he’s as an elite of a big man as you’ll find. If you’re an NBA fan, you know this. He can put up 40 real-life points and the 10 rebounds is a lock against the Raptors weak interior. He’s going to cost you a pretty penny, but not nearly as much as Giannis and you can still get 40 FP rather easily.
Center
Joel Embiid
FD $8,500 DK $8,200
It looks like the 76ers are getting a bit more liberal with Embiid and his minutes and instead just allowing him to sit out when sore. I like the idea a lot more than throwing a superstar on the court for 16 minutes and then leaving the team to dry when the playmaker suddenly disappears for 70% of the game. It’s tough to get in a groove that way. Instead, he’s getting close to 30 minutes when he plays and backing it up with production, as everyone expected. He faces a Pistons team that has no shot at staying with him. I don’t know if Van Gundy will try to stick with Drummond, but he shouldn’t. Joel Embiid is just going to take him to the perimeter and demolish/break both of his ankles. Drummond can pave his way in the paint, but there’s no shot he contests a single jumper. If Embiid is feeling it, he will have a huge game. The Pistons have ranked in the bottom 1/3 against Centers for 4 years now and unless Drummond dramatically improved in the offseason, I see no changes.
Nerlens Noel
FD $5,000 DK $5,200
Being clear, this is a GPP only play. DO NOT play Nerlens Noel in a cash game unless just about every single Maverick is injured. He could see 8 minutes tonight and I wouldn’t be all that surprised. However, if the Mavs want to match-up with the Warriors, Noel is a way they can do it. He’s a big man that can run the floor and won’t get tired from the Warriors tireless attack. He’s a fantastic fantasy player as well, averaging well over 1.4 FP per minute when on the floor. It’s not too tough to figure out with him. Except it is. When the minutes are there, so is the production. We have just to get in the mind of a coach who doesn’t have much of an idea of what’s going on. On the off chance that Noel sees the floor for an extended period of time, he could win you a tournament. He has legitimate 50 fantasy point upside every time he sees 30 minutes.