February 26, 2018

Kevin Luchansky highlights the top FanDuel NBA DFS lineup picks for 2/26/18, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.

I'll be honest, I am starting to get the multi-sport cravings again. The beautiful thing about hoops is that, up through the Super Bowl, we always have another sport to play and having that really decreases the chances you get burnt out on one sport. February changes all that, and it's been a long, short month of basketball if you catch my drift. One way to forget about the looming baseball season is to take a look at this lovely slate we have to feast on tonight. Ten games on the board for Monday and tip/lock takes place at 7:30 - an extra half-hour to prepare. Don't forget to keep an eye on the news wire then as well - don't want to get tripped up by a late scratch before your night even starts.

There are some awesome games scheduled these evenings - from a watch-ability and fantasy perspective. But let's talk Vegas lines and insights before player analysis. I wasn't using hyperbole when I said this slate is glorious - nine of the 10 games feature over/unders of 210+, and four of those nine are 220+. I can't recall such a large slate where 80% of the games feature attractive totals and I sure as hell can't recall a time where four of those games are 220+ - an elite figure. Those four - Suns at Pelicans (231), Warriors at Knicks (230), Lakers at Hawks (223.5) and Magic at Thunder (220) all have some stack-ability, just be wary of blowout potential. I happen to think the blowout potential is pretty high in the cases of Warriors at Knicks and Thunder at Magic, but that doesn't mean the game is a complete avoid. Outside of those core four, I love the Bulls at Nets matchup in the mid-tier, as the spread there is just three points and the over is listed currently at 217.5.

Below you will find our daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 2/26/18. 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

Emmanuel Mudiay - PG, vs GSW ($4,500)

Mudiay has a chance to return serious plus-value in this game context. As a starter, he's a bit under-priced and while the Warriors can be strong defenders, the point guard position is where they're weakest and this game has a strong chance to be very high scoring. In short - the positives and potential upside outweigh the risk here. Ever since he's donned the Knicks uniform, he's been a solid fantasy contributor. He's managed to beat his salary implied total in seven of his last 10 games and has an impressive .99 FanDuel points per minute in that stretch. The Warriors have allowed 2.8 points above salary above expectations to opposing point guards this season, and I like Mudiay's chances to continue the trend.

Elfrid Payton - PG, at NOP ($7,500)

A chance of scenery has done wonders for Payton's consistency. The wiry point has managed to beat salary based expectations in seven of his last 10 games, and by an impressive margin of nearly five points per night on average. He disappointed slightly in his last two appearances (managed to hit value, but barely) and I'm hoping that can keep his ownership a bit lower than usual this evening despite the excellent game context. In this matchup, you have two of the five fastest teams in the NBA according to pace metrics, and with both defenses being so porous, the opportunity for baskets at the rim will be plentiful. It's not a surprise this game features the highest total of the evening at 231. As a stat-stuffer, Payton has the ability to throw up a triple-double nearly any night. This evening, he should see 30+ minutes and carry his normal Usage rate somewhere between 20-22%.

Kent Bazemore - SG, vs LAL ($5,900)

I think this is the type of game context that Bazemore can thrive in. We already know Vegas has pegged this as one of the highest scoring affairs of the evening, and if it's to get anywhere near that ceiling, the core of Bazemore, Dennis Schroder and John Collins probably had something to do with it. Kent has been a little disappointing in his last five games, but when he's missed value he's missed by a small margin. Tonight, he finds himself in a spot against one of the fastest teams in the league (extra possessions!) that struggles defensively (especially against shooting guards - 17th in DVP, 25th in defensive efficiency) and he figures to have a good chance to fill it up with his 25% Usage rate. With the up and down pace and extra possessions, I also like Bazemore's chances of racking up a steal or three here. The Lakers are the second worst team in the league when it comes to turnovers per 100 possessions, averaging 15.9 through Monday morning.

Other FanDuel DFS Guards to Consider: Trey Burke - PG, vs GSW ($4,900); Dennis Schroder - PG, vs LAL ($7,000); Jrue Holiday - SG, vs PHX ($8,500); Wesley Matthews - SG, vs IND ($5,000)

FanDuel DFS Forwards

Paul George - SF, vs ORL ($8,700)

George's shooting woes have created an incredible discount on his price tag. Just a little over a week ago, George was priced at 10k and was all the way up at $9,500 just four days ago. He shot 1-for-14 from the field his last time out, and I'm willing to bet he puts that game behind him tonight with a big bounce back. The Magic are horrendous defensively, and they really struggle with talented wings. They rank 24th in DVP against small forwards and 29th in defensive efficiency. Paul and his 34-38 minutes, 5-6 rebounds per game and 26% Usage rate projection could seriously wreak havoc tonight in Oklahoma City.

John Collins - PF, vs LAL ($5,800)

With the news that Ersan Ilyasova will sit out until a buyout-decision is reached, we should shift our attention to The Bishop John Collins for our mid-tier power forward needs. Collins has averaged over 26 minutes in his last three games (over 30 in the two most recent) with Ilyasova sidelined, and seeing as he's averaged over 1 FanDuel point per minute this season, this is a great spot to target him in before the price shoots up. He crushed value in all three of those games, and tonight's matchup is really, really attractive. The Lakers currently rank 29th and 28th, respectively, in DVP and defensive efficiency versus power forwards this season.

Other FanDuel DFS Forwards to Consider: David Nwaba - SF, at BKN ($5,000); Josh Jackson - SF, at NOP ($4,600); Derrick Favors - PF, vs HOU ($5,800); Carmelo Anthony - PF, vs ORL ($5,700)

FanDuel DFS Centers

Alex Len - C, at NOP ($5,200)

With the news that Tyson Chandler is Doubtful again with a lingering injury, I am all in on Alex Len as a value and upside play. There is excellent game context here as both these teams are high flying and terrible from a defensive efficiency standpoint. Len is a traditional five man, but he's athletic enough to run and he should see 25+ minutes. For the season, he's averaged 1.16 FanDuel points per minute. That's a very strong figure, and if he sees 30 minutes (a number he's surpassed of late) he can reach 8-10x return on the investment.

Other FanDuel DFS Centers to Consider: Anthony Davis - C, vs PHX ($12,500); Julius Randle - C, at ATL ($7,700)

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