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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 Sunday March 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.
Worth the FanDuel Investment
Elfrid Payton (Orl, PG)
Bill Simmons predicted that Elfrid Payton would be the Rookie of the Year this year, but we can generally agree that Payton has come up short of his high expectations. However, that doesn’t mean that he can’t make the leap into an above-average caliber point guard by next year, and Payton is certainly showing signs of his potential towards the end of this season. He has two consecutive triple doubles right now, and will look for a third against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. His numbers have been incredible as of late, as the scrappy point guard looks to put up stats across the board.
In his last ten games, Peyton has averaged 14.4 points, 2.1 steals, 8.8 assists, and 6.1 rebounds. His production has been especially impressive because the Orlando Magic has faced many talented point guards these past ten games. Look for Payton to continue piling on the stats, as he has the potential to grab another huge stat line.
Honorable Mention: Alexey Shved (NYK, PG)
Nerlens Noel (Phi, PF)
Nerlens Noel is another rookie who deserves more attention. His scoring earlier in the year left a lot to be desired. However, like Payton, Noel has also started to put everything together lately, and looks to be primed to explode as a fantasy star next season. Noel’s blocks and steals totals are off the charts, and whenever he grabs a few points to pad his scoring, he can manage to post a monster fantasy line. This is especially the case against weaker teams such as the New York Knicks.
Noel scored 23 points, 5 steals, 3 blocks, and 14 rebounds on Friday against the Knicks. He should look to repeat his effort on Sunday, when the 76ers will match up against the Lakers. In his last eight games, Noel is averaging 14.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.1 steals, and 1.6 blocks. His numbers should only inflate on Sunday, as the Lakers will struggle to matchup any offensive or defensive threat against Noel.
Honorable Mention: Rudy Gay (Sac, SF)
Hassan Whiteside (Mia, C)
It’s been a while since I’ve written about Whiteside. He is still putting up impressive numbers, but Whiteside’s investment value has certainly caught up with his production level. However, matchups are extremely important and Whiteside should be a prime candidate to put up great numbers at the center position on Sunday. The Miami Heat will be playing against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that has been completely wrecked by injuries.
The Thunder have been a bad defensive team since Enes Kanter has joined the ranks, as he is essentially a pure offensive player for the squad. The Thunder will be missing key defensive pieces in Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison. The Miami Heat will also be look to continue their playoff push and Whiteside will need to step up to defend against Russell Westbrook in the paint. If you’re looking to invest in the center postition, Whiteside has provided consistent scoring, rebounding and blocks. In his last four games, Whiteside has averaged 12.8 points, 3.0 blocks, and 10.8 rebounds.
Honorable Mention: Gorgui Dieng (Min, C)
DFS Sleeper Picks
Alexis Ajinca (Nor, C)
When I was talking about Hassan Whiteside, I made sure to mention that Whiteside should be your option at center if you’re looking to heavily invest at the position. However, Sunday has a huge slate of games and I plan on investing in star players in the other positions.
I will personally be looking at Alexis Ajinca as a bargain center on Sunday. Anthony Davis is currently out with a rolled ankle, and the New Orleans Pelicans have relied on Ajinca to step in and play big minutes whenever Davis has gone down. In his last two games, Ajinca has averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 blocks. Ajinca will look to continue his ample production on Sunday against the Clippers, as Davis’s absence will mean more offensive and rebounding opportunities for the cheap center.
Honorable Mentions: J.J. Reddick (LAC, SG), Kenneth Faried (Den, PF)
NBA & DFS Chat Room
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