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We made it to the weekend, you guys. The reward for surviving the work week is this fairly attractive eight game slate of hoops and tons of cash and tournament options to chose from on DraftKings and FanDuel.
The games I'm more interested in targeting also happen to be two of the few that have Vegas lines as of Thursday night (over/under in parenthesis) - the Magic at Suns (215) and the Nets at Blazers (223). The Suns are third in possessions per game this season and the Magic are seventh overall - that's a recipe for fantasy heaven. Both of these games feature point total projections that would be attractive on any night, but I think they stand out even more so as the majority of the lines out right now are 207.5 and below. Games in that 207 range aren't "avoids", mind you, but they don't make me salivate the way the Nets at Blazers line of 223 does.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 11/10/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on DraftKings. Let's get down to it, shall we?
DFS Guards to Consider
Damian Lillard - PG, BKN vs POR (DK - $9,400, FD - $10,000)
Oh boy, there are a lot of point guards to consider playing tonight, but I really like Dame a bit above the talented top tier Friday night. Lillard is rested but coming off a disappointing night in which he failed to hit value, (for the first time in six games) namely due to his ultra poor shooting night (4-16) and relatively mediocre assist total. I am hoping that keeps his ownership a little lower, but not that optimistic as I think others will recognize this great spot. Still, this is a game he can thrive in and I will be rostering him heavily in tournaments and cash games. This will be a fast paced game and the extra possessions will ultimately benefit Lillard the most among the Blazers unit as he possesses a 29 Usage rate and his minutes will be in the 35-38 range. For the season, he is showcasing a very impressive 1.38 fantasy points per possession.
As he's not much more, holds a high ceiling but also has a somewhat difficult matchup, Russell Westbrook is a good pivot at point guard in tournaments. As for guys I would consider in cash and tournaments - who also happen to provide savings from the aforementioned - look the backcourt matchup of Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker. They both have Usage rates at or pushing 30 nearly every night. For tournaments I like Elfrid Payton and you can look for cash savings/punts in the Phoenix back court with Mike James or Tyler Ulis.
Also Consider: Kyrie Irving - PG, CHA vs BOS (DK - $8,400, FD - $9,000)
D'Angelo Russell - SG, BKM @ POR (DK - $7,600, FD - $7,300)
While this is a bit of a pace down game for Russell (Nets lead the NBA in pace, Portland is 18th), I still see this as the game most likely to go over 230 points and there is no doubt Russell is the focal point of this offense - in other words, he'll get his. So far with the Nets in 2017, he's displaying a ridiculous 34.3 Usage rate and a very impressive 1.26 fantasy points per minute on the floor. You're going to need to get exposure to this game, and D'Angelo is the best way to go about that on the Brooklyn side. Going up against the soft defense of Damian Lillard is always a welcome path to success.
Justin Holiday - SG/SF, CHI @ IND (DK - $5,800, FD - $6,000)
There are a handful of shooting guards that are worthy of your consideration in the 7-8k price range, which puts Holiday in an interesting spot. He's a bit overpriced for most, but his Usage rate has remained steady around 22% for the season and his minutes seem very solidified in the 32-36 minute range. With that in mind, I think he's a good pivot at shooting guard as he offers cash savings, a likely depressed ownership percentage, and a high ceiling for fantasy output. I don't see Chicago at Indiana spot as a very popular game stack, but one way I would suggest attacking is to pair Holiday with Jerian Grant in tournaments, as they have a very high positive fantasy point correlation.
Also Consider: Victor Oladipo - PG/SG, CHI vs IND (DK - $7,500, FD - $7,600)
DFS Forwards to Consider
T.J. Warren - SF/PF, ORL vs PHX (DK - $6,300, FD - $6,800)
Warren's strong play has forced the hands of FanDuel and DraftKing's pricing analysts, even still, I think his recent play, high Usage rate and opportune matchup put him in great position to exceed his price implied value tonight. I've already talked about how great this game is for both Orlando and Phoenix and how we'll want to get exposure - ideally from a few different angles. Warren is one of those angles that represents a high points floor but can chase those totals in the 40's or 50's that you'll need to take down a GPP. His Usage rate is over 30 in the past three games! Not only is the game ideal for pace of play, but Orlando has been abysmal in defensive efficiency.
Also Consider: Evan Turner - SG/SF, BKN vs POR (DK - $4,200, FD - $4,500)
Marcus Morris - SF/PF, CHA vs BOS (DK - $4,200, FD - $5,200)
There are plenty of spots at the guard positions worth paying up for, and I think this slate allows for a lot of that with the value we can find in the front court. Morris is an excellent value play today. Now that he is healthy, his minutes seem to be trending upward and I think he at least sees the floor for 22-24 minutes - which is plenty of time for him to hit and surpass value with his 22% Usage rate and the rate at which he snags rebounds. Boston will definitely need him on the floor tonight with all the big bodies Charlotte rolls with.
Also Consider: Blake Griffin - PF/C, LAC @ OKC (DK - $8,600, FD - $8,400)
DFS Centers to Consider
Rudy Gobert - C, MIA vs UTA (DK - $8,000, FD - $8,600)
Like the case at point guard, with a pretty large number of studs in good-to-great matchups tonight, it's going to be tough playing all the guys you'd ideally like to play - especially on FanDuel where we can't roster more than one center. In cash game formats, I particularly like a handful of players in the 6-7.5 K range, like Dwight Howard, Steven Adams and Robin Lopez, but in tournaments I'm chasing a higher ceiling with Rudy Gobert. In three previous contests against the Heat and their formidable center, Hassan Whiteside, Gobert has crushed value twice and in two of three contests he saw 36 minutes on the court. The Jazz are going to need him all need to not only rim protect but deal with a strong Heat front court, so I'm expecting Gobert to see ample opportunities for blocks, rebounds and put-backs.
Also Consider: Dwight Howard - C, CHA @ BOS (DK - $6,800, FD - $7,700)
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