The 2016-’17 NBA season is officially underway. The first few weeks of the season always offer up tough choices, as decisions are largely based off of a small sample size.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 11/12/16. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on DraftKings. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @BalesSJustin.

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DraftKings DFS Guards

 

James Harden – PG/SG, SA ($11,300)

Harden has looked elite at point guard this season. He has struggled with turnovers, but he has been scoring, rebounding, and assisting at an elite level, so it doesn’t much matter in terms of fantasy. He’s coming off his first triple double of the season, which was against the Spurs, and he gets a matchup against them again tonight. Harden is averaging 67.1 fantasy points per game over his last five starts, and he can be used in all leagues tonight.

Avery Bradley – SG, @IND ($7,000)

Avery Bradley’s price tag is finally around where it should be, although I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if it continues to increase. He’s averaging 19.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game this season. He has been a huge part of the Celtics offense, but his increase in peripheral stats is where he has scored a lot of his fantasy points. He gets a good matchup against the Pacers, who have been playing much faster this season. Bradley has consistently been hitting or exceeding value, and he can be used in all leagues tonight.

Marcus Smart – PG/SG, @IND ($5,200)

Smart recently returned from injury and he has been playing big minutes for the Celtics. Last night, he drew the start for Jaylen Brown, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he does again tonight. His price tag is still extremely low, and he has consistently been hit value this season. He’s another guard that can contribute in multiple categories, and it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to use both Smart and Bradley in the same lineup tonight. He’s a cheaper way to get a part of the Celtics offense, and he can be used in all leagues in a good matchup.

 

DraftKings DFS Forwards

 

Kawhi Leonard – SF, @HOU ($9,400)

It’s clear that the Spurs are now Kawhi Leonard’s team. He’s the focal point of the offense, but he’s still contributing in all five categories. He recently had a great game against the Rockets, and he gets another good matchup against them tonight. Houston’s pace should give Leonard a few extra opportunities for fantasy points tonight, which only helps his value. He also comes with elite steal potential because of Harden’s recklessness with the ball. Leonard has really been enjoying a great season, and he can be used in all leagues tonight.

Otto Porter – SF, @CHI, ($6,800)

Porter has quickly turned into an elite player for the Wizards. It seemingly came out of nowhere, but it isn’t a huge surprise, as he was a top-5 pick just a few drafts ago. He has flashed tremendous scoring ability with the potential to contribute in each of the five categories. John Wall is expected to miss the game tonight, which would put more offensive responsibility on Porter. He gets a decent matchup against the Bulls, who have struggled defensively at times this season, and Porter still isn’t very expensive. He can be used in all leagues while he’s on this hot streak.

Brandon Ingram – SF, @NO ($3,300)

The Lakers were expected to bring Ingram along slowly, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. He has played at least 25 minutes in each of his last four games, although he hasn’t been able to post elite numbers. He has the potential to score in each of the five categories, but he’s more of a pure scorer at this point in his career. He gets a great matchup against the fast paced Pelicans team that has really struggled this season. Ingram doesn’t need many fantasy points to hit value, and his ceiling is significantly higher than his price tag suggests. Still, he may be best suited for tournaments until he gets more adapted to the speed of the NBA.

 

DraftKings DFS Centers

 

Dwight Howard – C, PHI ($7,800)

Howard looked awful in his only matchup against the Sixers this season, but he has played extremely well against everyone else. He’s a double double threat on a nightly basis, and he has consistently scored 40+ fantasy points this season. Joel Embiid is the player that gave him the most fits in their first matchup, but he will not play tonight. Howard should be able to redeem himself in this game, and he can be used in all leagues.

Brook Lopez – C, @PHO ($6,100)

Lopez is playing limited minutes for the Nets this season, but he still has more than enough upside to hit value. He’s averaging over one fantasy points per minute this season, and he gets a good matchup against the Suns tonight. This game should be fast paced, which will give Lopez more opportunities for fantasy points. He does come with quite a bit of risk, but Lopez is a solid tournament option for his price tag.

 

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