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The Pistons and Spurs got COVIDed tonight, but we still have a strong six-game slate on FanDuel tonight. Only the Nets are playing on the tail end of a back-to-back set, so we shouldn't have to worry too much about resting players. That said, you never know. This is the NBA we're talking about. The Raptors-Bucks and Blazers-Thunder look like the games that will play faster than the rest. Those are the two to look at if game stacking, depending on Brooklyn value if any of them sit.
The injury bugs have left some pretty big welts on this slate. Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, SGA, C.J. McCollum, Jrue Holiday, D'Angelo Russell, and Marcus Smart are already confirmed out. We have to keep an eye on the status of OG, Daniel Theis, and DeAndre Jordan as well. The stars spackled with value is going to be a popular build tonight, so building in the middle tier could offer some nice leverage in larger field GPP tournaments.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 2/16/21. I’ll be providing multiple player suggestions for players at guard, forward, and center on FanDuel, aiming to highlight one option apiece at the high, middle, and lower end of the salary scale. You can also check out DraftKings lineup picks and injury news before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
James Harden, SG – at Phoenix ($11,000)
The price on Harden is creeping back up to where it was when he was the one-man gang on the Rockets for most or part of the last three years. The situation is much different in Brooklyn, but Harden has adapted with the help of Kyrie Irving. The coach may not tell Harden what to do, but Irving and KD did. Now that the big three have an understanding of who does what, we know that Harden has a good floor, especially on FanDuel. Gone are his days of scoring 50 actual points, but the Beard going for 20 assists is not out of the question. He'll score more while KD is out, but Harden has done very well as facilitator thus far. Expect another nice game from James here.
Fred Vanvleet, SG – at Milwaukee ($7,500)
In the first meeting, a game in which VanVleet was an absymal 3-17 from the floor, he still notched 50 FanDuel points. Kyle Lowry had just 28.7 FanDuel points. The Raptors wings and the defense of guys like VanVleet are what kept the Raptors in the game. Tampa-ronto is running a bit differently than they were in that January 27 meeting, but if OG isn't able to play, I think we could see Fred push the 50 envelope again. The shots are going to be there against the Milwaukee perimeter. They have been awful against guards all season.
Hamidou Diallo, PG – vs. Portland ($6,000)
My only complaint with Diallo is the lack of a consistent jump shot, but he has been doing a lot of everything while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been sidelined. Diallo doesn't put up huge assist numbers anyway, but he has proven to be an outstanding rebounder. That's where most of his output comes from. That gives him a solid floor even when his shot isn't falling. It also provides a very good ceiling for the price. Portland's perimeter defense leaves something to be desired even with a healthy C.J. on the court. They are much worse without him.
Also consider: Damian Lillard ($9,500), Chris Paul ($7,800), Gary Trent ($5,800)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF – vs. Tampa-ronto ($11,200)
Someone woke the sleeping giant. The 53.96 FanDuel point average that Giannis is sporting this year seems like very pedestrian fantasy numbers for him. It is, really. However, Giannis has more than 60 FanDuel points in eight of the last 11 games. That streak started against the Raptors on January 27 with 60.1 FanDuel points. Two of the three games that he has been under than target since that first game against the Raptors have come in blowouts. We have every reason to believe that this game stays relatively close. That spells big numbers for Giannis.
Brandon Ingram, SF – at Memphis ($8,200)
The Pelicans absolutely destroyed the Memphis front in the first meeting. Some of that had to do with the absence of Jonas Valanciunas and Brandon Clarke, but not all. Both Clarke and Jonas are back for Memphis, which is the reason I like Ingram over Zion Williamson. Those two will hamper Zion a little. Ingram put up 57.9 FanDuel points on the Grizzlies in the first meeting, which is over ten points more than Zion's output in that game. This offense still runs through Ingram first. He's poised for another nice game here.
Kyle Kuzma, PF – at Minnesota ($5,800)
This game has blowout written all over it. The good news is that we could see Kuzma on the court even when this is out of hand. Anthony Davis is already out and the Lakers are going to rest LeBron without making up an injury. There's a great chance that the only court the King sees in the fourth quarter is from the bench. That should give Kuzma some run with the second team to close this one out. This wont be a ceiling game for Kuzma, but he's attacking one of the softer spots of a very soft defense. There is good potential here.
Also consider: Jaylen Brown ($8,400), Kenrich Williams ($5,200), Jae Crowder ($4,800)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Nikola Jokic – at Boston ($10,600)
Nights like this it's important to hit your center pick right on FanDuel. There are a lot of good options despite only having 12 teams in action. Jokic gives you the best of all worlds. He's a constant triple-double threat no matter who is on the court with him. Joker is nearly an impossible fade in cash games. You can get away with it in GPP's if your replacement center also has a nice game and you get superb production from the player the savings allowed you to move up to. You have to hit both to get a leg up on the field.
Deandre Ayton – vs. Brooklyn ($7,000)
We just saw Hassan Whiteside - a man who has only played more than 25 minutes in a game once all season - destroy the Nets up front last night. Sure, Ayton is a walking foul and I need a whole bottle of Maalox every time I use him, but the upside is too high to ignore here. The Nets can score with anyone, but they can also give up points with the worst of them too. This is a great spot for all of the Suns, but Ayton stands out. DeAndre Jordan was eaten alive last night.
Montrezl Harrell – at Minnesota ($5,900)
Harrell is a tough sell for me on FanDuel because he clogs up the center spot. With all of the other good options above him, we need a ceiling game to even consider this. The good news is that Minnesota provides bad enough defense and enough size that the Lakers wont want to play small. A ceiling game is a real possibility. Marc Gasol doesn't do much besides take up space anymore. Harrell is a huge risk, but there is a chance at a big reward.
Also consider: Jonas Valanciunas ($7,800), Enes Kanter ($6,600), Aron Baynes ($4,000)
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