18): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

by Jake Finnen 12/13/18 8:08 AM Follow Jake

Wednesday had a massive slate with came with some serious stat lines. The only team that is playing on the second night of a back-to-back is the Dallas Mavericks so feel free to look there for some value and upside from the reserves like J.J. Barea and Wesley Matthews. Matthews did play 27 minutes in yesterday's win, but there are two things about that specific fact that I like. 27 minutes is nowhere near enough minutes to make a veteran like Matthews "tired" for the game against the Suns, and he gets the chance to rebound after a poor shooting performance. He didn't take that many shots against Atlanta, and I expect him to find much more space against Phoenix, especially on the road.

The Magic-Bulls game might get overlooked, and there isn't all that much I like about this game. The only real good thing about this matchup is the frontcourt projections. Right now, I am heavily targeting Lauri Markkanen and Nikola Vucevic, mainly because I don't know who is going to be able to defend the other. This game is ultimately a toss-up, but I think it is going overlooked will allow you to expose to some easy matchups for value.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/13/18. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. You can also check out today's DraftKings lineup picks.

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Make sure you don't set your lineups too early and also be sure to check player statuses and availability prior to opening tip. Find me in the NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter if you have any question.

FanDuel DFS Guards

D.J. Augustin - PG, ORL vs. CHI (FD - $4,700)

Lately, the Magic have been struggling, but D.J. Augustin continues to get the start. This shouldn't change until much later in the season, but for tonight Augustin has a fairly easy matchup. Kris Dunn is working his way back into the rotation so his defense will be something to note, but he's not at that level just yet. Augustin is usually a consistent option for cheap and his minutes don't really change unless it's a blowout. He is still clearly leading the charge for point guard minutes in Orlando, and they should actually be able to keep this game close with the Bulls. In his past three games, you can tell why his price has gotten so low despite him having guaranteed minutes. It's still not enough to keep me from playing Augustin but if you are a skeptic, now you know.

Avery Bradley - SG, LAC vs SA (FD - $3,900)

It seems like every time Avery Bradley takes a shot, it either rims out or he hits every part of the hoop and misses. It's unfortunate because he just needs to hit shots to be productive. Until he starts to catch some sort of a shooter's groove, teams will continue to see him as a player you can let shoot. For the past year or two, he has been off more times than not and this isn't some, "this is it" piece advocating for Bradley. As much as I appreciate his attention to defense, he needs to find more momentum before I dub him as "back to form." I actually think that his defense is going to allow him to get easy buckets tonight, especially since the Spurs aren't necessarily two-way talented when it comes to their backcourt. So along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Clippers guards have decent upside.

FanDuel DFS Forwards

Dorian Finney-Smith - SF, DAL @ PHO (FD - $4,400)

This pick is hoping that a Maverick will not play this game, allowing the younger, less offensively-gifted players a chance to get serious usage. Dorian Finney-Smith is able to do a little bit of everything, but his inconsistency shooting is what holds him back. The Mavericks isolation scorers were able to out-play the Hawks yesterday, so look for Dallas to find other sources of production against the Suns. The Phoenix guards struggle to contain bigger guards and luckily for us, FanDuel has Finney-Smith listed as a small forward. Although Harrison Barnes and Luka Doncic should be able to get to their spots, I expect them to find more success from their teammates and that means Finney-Smith converting from three.

Montrezl Harrell - PF, LAC @ SA (FD - $6,700)

As much as I have been down on the Spurs defense, their frontcourt isn't necessarily horrible. I would actually take the chance on Montrezl Harrell over LaMarcus Aldridge from a defensive standpoint. I give credit to Aldridge to giving both defensive and rebounding effort, but I just don't think he has the speed to keep up with Harrell. I'm actually surprised to see Harrell's price this low, but seeing how the Spurs defense is still stingy on paper, expect people to gloss right over him. I will not and nothing can deter me from capitalizing on his price.

FanDuel DFS Centers

JaVale McGee - C, LAL @ HOU (FD - $5,800)

I am usually not a fan of continually picking JaVale McGee because he's not that consistent, but it's hard to fade him in important games. Any game versus a Western conference rival, especially one that is struggling and only have Clint Capela and Nene Hilario in the frontcourt, you have to play McGee. Even if he only plays 20 minutes, his production seems certain. Capela could limit him but has been downtrending and on multiple occasions, we have seen McGee prove there is no one that can stop him if he is playing well. I'm hoping to see McGee have the confidence to pull at least one three tonight.