February 12, 2018

Kevin Luchansky highlights the top FanDuel NBA DFS lineup picks for 2/12/18, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.

Good morning, my daily fantasy basketball friends. Hopefully you enjoyed the Sunday split-slate as there was some nice action there - particularly from Victor Oladipo and his 7 (!!) steals. That's in the past though now, and we've got a pretty attractive six gamer on the docket for this evening to prepare for. The only potential red flags I am seeing thus far are the rest situations. Be wary of tired legs and keep an eye on injury reports, as it wouldn't surprise me if a few of these coaches give some veterans the night off.

What are the Vegas lines hinting of as of Monday morning?  We've got four games with projections that are above the benchmark of what I consider a game worthy of stacking - 215 points. The Suns at Warriors (230), Pelicans at Pistons (219), Clippers at Nets (218.5) and Magic at Bulls (215) are good places to grab a core of players from. It's currently the lowest of the four by just a few points, but the Magic and Bulls look quite attractive for value and point-per-dollar upside.

Below you will find our daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 2/12/18. 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 read more DFS lineup picks for DraftKings and other sports too.

FanDuel DFS Guards

Ish Smith - PG, vs NOP ($6,000)

Any time you see a quick point guard like Ish being matched up against the lowly defense of Rajon Rondo in a pace-up game, you have to salivate a little. For the season, the Pelicans have allowed more than five points per night (on average) over salary based expectations to opposing point guards. That is by far the best on the slate, with the Magic defense coming in second in that category. Smith really struggled in his most recent performance, but it looks like quite the anomaly compared to his last 10 - a stretch in which he's beaten his salary implied totals seven times. We know he can pay off at this price, and the matchup suits him well. On top of that, he's a better bargain than we were seeing last week, as his price is $500 less than it was a week ago today. Ish has been a 0.92 FP/Min guy this season, and he should have little trouble paying off this price tag with 30+ minutes tonight in what is projected to be the highest scoring game of the night, currently.

Also Consider: Spencer Dinwiddie - PG, vs LAC ($7,500)

Justin Holiday - SG, vs ORL ($5,500)

Holiday's minutes and Usage rate haven't really been dented by the emergence of Zach LaVine as the alpha male on this offense, and as such, I think he's in a great spot today to provide value and perhaps a little more. Holiday has provided cash value in seven of his last 10 - including an impressive run of four straight. Curiously, his price has remained in the same ballpark, and he has one of the best matchups today in terms of pace, projected points, and soft defenses to cut through. His FP/Min numbers aren't going to blow anyone away at 0.75, but that's still quite respectable and seeing as he gets 32-36 minutes, I feel good about plugging him in here.

Also Consider: Klay Thompson - SG, vs PHX ($6,700)

FanDuel DFS Forwards

Michael Beasley - SF, at PHI ($6,500)

The Knicks' scoring has to come from somewhere, right? Right?! Point projections for the Knicks today aren't too pretty (98.5 points) but if there is anyone that I am confident in "getting his", it is definitely Beasley. He may not be the most efficient of scorers, but he's almost matchup proof in that he finds ways to get to the rim and is never shy about finding his shot. My models project him for 30-34 minutes tonight with an appealing Usage rate percentage of 26%. Seeing that this is a pace up game and that the 76ers are weak at defending the wing, this is a pretty damn good matchup for Beasley. Thus far in the 2017-18 season, Beasley has a pretty

Kevin Durant - SF, vs PHX ($10,900)

There was never a doubt in my mind that this game would feature a lot of offense, but I don't like locking in on any players before I have a better idea of the start/sit situations and point total/Vegas projections. Now that we have those in front of us, its appropriate to salivate over these players. Suns' guard Devin Booker and Warriors forward Draymond Green will miss the game. The first of which is a bummer for this game and fantasy upside, but the ladder evens the playing surface a slight bit (I expect the Warriors to win comfortably, but the absence of Green definitely helps the Suns). It also opens up the floor a little bit for the Warriors, and I'm expecting Durant to be a big beneficiary of said absence. Looking at On/Off numbers this season, we can see that, with Green sidelined, Durant sees a Usage rate increase of 2.4% and averages 3.7 extra FanDuel points per game. You're going to need exposure to this game, and Durant is a great centerpiece of that exposure.

Also Consider: Allen Crabbe - SF, vs LAC ($5,000)

Blake Griffin - PF, at BKN ($9,200)

Blake is one of five players whom I believe could be the highest scoring fantasy player of the night, and his price happens to be more appealing than the other four. The matchup, too, is a strong one as Brooklyn has been atrocious at defending the power forward position. On FanDuel this season they've allowed, on average, more than five points above salary based expectations. Seeing as Griffin has been the ultimate playmaker for this Detroit offense, he should be in for a big night, so long as this game stays close. His efficiency marks this season have been really strong, posting a 20.1 PER and 1.2 FP/Min, which help create a high floor.

Also Consider: Lauri Markkanen - PF, vs ORL ($6,600)

FanDuel DFS Centers

Rudy Gobert - C, vs SAS ($7,700)

Finding the games with pace-up situations is all the rage, and the data backs up these moves s worthy ones to make. One area where these numbers skew are with big men, who sometimes benefit from the game being played in the half-court, rather than up and down wind sprints. Gobert isn't an archaic, plodding/slow big man, but a few injuries have made him a little less nimble. This matchup against Pau Gasol and whomever else Spurs' coach Gregg Poppovich throws in the middle is certainly one that Gobert can exploit. Lately, the big Frenchman has been playing above salary based expecations, beating it in seven of his last 10 games. In the Jazz last five games, Gobert has not once pulled down less than 10 boards and has 1-3 blocks in each. I like the floor and upside in this context.

Also Consider: Enes Kanter - C, at PHI ($7,000) - *boost if Joel Embiid sits*

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