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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 February 22nd, 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.
Top DFS Picks
Kyrie Irving (CLE, PG) - $8,600
After the hectic trade deadline and a myriad of injury reports emerging at the conclusion of this eventful All Star Break, there are fewer certain investments in fantasy. However, we still know that Irving is a stud, and we also still know that the New York Knicks cannot defend anything.
Irving’s teammate Lebron James will likely pile up his fair share of stats too on Sunday, but there should be enough possessions in the offense for the Cavaliers that production distribution should not be a problem at all. The Knicks are even more depleted than they were heading into the All Star Break, and the complete lack of continuity means Irving should thrive off turnovers and really pad his stats well with steals, assists and fast break points.
In fact, just on Friday, the Knicks gave up a whopping eight steals to Mario Chalmers alone, a number that Irving should salivate at. Heading into the break, Irving averaged 22.8 points, 7.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds in his last five games. Look for him to stay hot on Sunday.
Wilson Chandler (DEN, SF) - $5,900
Chandler already provided steady value prior to Arron Afflalo’s departure. However, with Afflalo gone, Chandler should benefit the most from the extra shots in this Denver lineup. Ty Lawson might be the best player on this team, but Lawson is not going to look to shoot threes.
With one less target to contribute in that category, look for Chandler to receive an uptick in scoring from this point forward. Heading into the All Star Break, Chandler averaged 18.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in his last three games.
What is most telling is that in these three games, Chandler averaged 16 shot attempts per game. This number should probably increase to around 20 attempts per game with Afflalo gone. Unless Chandler goes cold from the field, he has every opportunity to score in the twenties.
Tyler Zeller (BOS, C) - $4,800
A few months ago, the Boston frontcourt was so crowded that it was really impossible to recommend rostering any of the big men for use in a daily fantasy league. However, one by one they have either been traded or gone down to injury.
The big news at the end of the break was that Jared Sullinger would be out for a significant amount of time after suffering a stress reaction in his foot. This leaves the door open for Zeller to pick up the scoring load as well as his share of rebounds.
With Kelly Olynyk and Sullinger out on Friday, Zeller scored 22 points to go with six assists, four rebounds and a block. The rebounding numbers should only pick up as he gets more used to his role as the primary big man in Boston. The Celtics are also playing the Lakers on Sunday, and Zeller should have his way inside.
Sleeper
Reggie Jackson (DET, PG) - $4,400
Jackson finally got what he wanted. He got out of Oklahoma City and the backup role to one of the best point guards in the league. He can now lead his own team, as the Pistons traded D.J. Augustin to nab Jackson.
In his first game with the Pistons, look for Jackson to come out firing. He will look to prove that he does deserve to lead his own team and be a star in this league. Whether he will actually be effective or not is still to be seen. However, we know that he will be putting up a ton of shot attempts.
