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All throughout the 2014-15 NBA campaign, RotoBaller will be analyzing the top NBA DFS lineup picks and providing our expert advice for the best sleepers at the guard, forward and center positions. Below are our favorite FanDuel DFS picks for April 1st, 2015.
Keep in mind, fantasy basketball is a fickle game when it comes to injured players, so be sure to check all lineups prior to tip-off. If you want to chat about your roster picks, check out the DFS chat room at the bottom of this post.
Editors Note: If you have not tried out FanDuel 1-day fantasy basketball leagues, RotoBaller offers the best bonuses around. Signup and make a deposit for a new FanDuel account, and receive a 100% bonus on your deposit up to $200.
Must Have In Your Lineup
Nick Young (LAL, G) - $3,900
Swaggy P is back! A surprise report on Tuesday from the Los Angeles Rolling Stone disclosed that Nick Young plans to play Wednesday night. Although Coach Byron Scott still disagrees, Young told the media that he will find his way on the court no matter what his coach says. Swaggy also said in regards to his fractured left knee that he it will give him, "more swag." I don't know about you, but that sounds like a guy who's about to drop 50 points to me. I expect the opposing New Orleans Pelicans to simply clear the lane out of sheer respect for the young guard. If you are leaving Young out of your Wednesday line up, shame on you.
(April fools!!)
All right now for some real analysis:
Worth The FanDuel Investment
Anthony Davis (NO, F) - $12,300
Did you see Nerlens Noel shred the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday? Just imagine what Anthony Davis could do. Well, now we get to find out. Barring a blowout or injury, Davis should get a full game to tear apart the Lakers front court (or lack of front court). There should be plenty of points scored in this one along with plenty of missed shots. Expect The Brow to continue his dominate play as long as the Lakers can keep it relatively close into the fourth quarter.
Brook Lopez (BKN, C) - $8,200
A wise man once said, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." That"s exactly how I feel about Brook Lopez lately. Although there are various solid center options on the slate for Wednesday, Lopez has been almost too good to pass up. Playing a combined 117 minutes in his past four games, he has reached 20 points and nine rebounds in every game. Lopez has been extremely consistent lately, and there's no reason to think that won't continue against the New York Knicks. Sure, there is a bit of worry about a blowout like in Davis' situation mentioned above. But against a subpar front court, Lopez is simply too good to pass up.
Kemba Walker (CHA, G) and Reggie Jackson (DET, G) - $8,400 and $8,600
I see these two point guards as two of the best values available among the countless options on Wednesday night. Although their prices are steadily rising due to their crazy good numbers, these two guards are still a reasonable cost for what they're doing right now. Walker is very successfully returning from an injury, and he has more than proven he's completely healthy, playing well over 30 minutes each game. Meanwhile, Reggie Jackson is proving that he deserved a starting role all along, racking up Russell Westbrook-like numbers the past couple of weeks. This one is all about personal preference. If you can fit them both into your lineup, more power to you. However, it's probably more reasonable to pick one and find value in the bargain bin with your second PG.
Safer DFS Bargains
These players are on the cheaper side, but you can expect some solid production from them with the potential for star-like numbers.
George Hill (IND, G) - $7,400
Despite putting up consistently solid numbers from the point guard position, George Hill is still below $8,000 and remains great value. He has become the fulcrum of the Indiana Pacers offense, and although the team is not winning games, Hill is lighting it up for FanDuel players. The guard has not fallen below 27 FDP in the last seven games, peaking at 50.9. For a guy who is touching the ball every time down the court, taking big shots, and making plays for his offense, a price of $7,400 is extremely appealing for Hill. He may not be flashy, but Hill is a very solid point guard play, especially against the Boston Celtics, on Wednesday.
Andrew Wiggins (MIN, F) - $6,700
Although consistency has not been Wiggins' forte this season, he has been playing a steady role in light of all the injuries in Minnesota. Falling below 25 FDP only once in the past seven games, Wiggins has become a reliable option at the forward position. An even more encouraging stat lies in the fact that his lowest minutes total in that span was 38. He has shown that he can fall apart at any time, but the recent numbers are enough for me to role with Wiggins against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
High-Risk, High-Reward FanDuel Options
These inexpensive picks are more trained for the tournament players. If you need to stand out from a crowd, these guys have the potential to hit 30 FDP. On the other hand, don't be surprised if they come up well short of that mark.
Joe Johnson (BKN, NY) - $5,600
This price is extremely low for a guy who can get you 30 FDP consistently. That's what Joe Johnson has been doing the past three games. The question of whether he can continue this production has yet to be seen, but the New York Knicks are not a difficult team to shoot against. As a player who gets well over 30 minutes most games, Johnson is barely a risky play. Although his age and selflessness will sometimes reflect poorly in his FDP totals, I'm willing to take a shot on Johnson Wednesday night.
Clint Capela (HOU, F) - $3,600
I usually donât reach for players this low in the salary pool, but I really liked the way Capela played on Monday. Unfortunately watching him succeed came at a time when I was hoping Josh Smith would play well. The Houston Rockets play the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. The Kings will be without Rudy Gay and possibly DeMarcus Cousins too. If the rookie forward gets more than 20 minutes, he could put up some very solid rebounding numbers and points to accompany them. However, the only way I would take a shot on Capela is if Terrence Jones remains sidelined Wednesday night.
Ryan Kelly (LAL, F) - 4,300
If you're not all that comfortable with Capela (which should describe pretty much everyone), maybe Kelly is the better low-priced option. Although he's a little more expensive, Kelly has received over 30 minutes in each of the Lakers last four games, capping that off with a 43-minute outing Monday. He has also hit 22 or more FDP in all but one of his last five games. Kelly's usage rate will be far higher than Capela's tonight, but he surely holds less risk than the Rockets' forward does. Keep in mind that Kelly is facing The Brow and his gang on Wednesday.
Avoid At All Costs
If it were up to me, these players would have a 0% usage.
Al Jefferson (CHA, C) - $7,400
Big Al has had some glorious FanDuel performances this season. With that being said, I probably wonât be rostering him anymore in 2015. The big man has had two recent procedures to drain fluid from his knee. He also has only played a combined 42 minutes the past two games. It may be nothing, but knee procedures and lower minutes totals are a no-no for me. Jefferson's price has fallen, but not enough for me to touch him with a 10-foot pole on Wednesday night.
Have a Twitter account? Want more lineup help for your FanDuel team? Follow me @BellRoto and mention me in a tweet. The first 5 mentions will receive my FanDuel lineup for Wednesday night. My lineup... for free! Find me on Twitter for more info.
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