X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

NBA Daily Fantasy Common Misconceptions

But isn't he going to sit early in the fourth against the Phoenix Suns? 

This is a type of question I'm asked often. The problem with answering questions like that is that there is no right or wrong answer until we hear the final buzzer at the end of regulation. There lies the sticky situation Daily Fantasy constantly leaves us with to mop up ourselves. And it's a situation we face every night, picking our DraftKings and FanDuel lineups. That back and forth, this guy or that guy, a constant ping pong match in our overthinking DFS brains.

This occurs mainly because of other outside factors; trends, recent production, DvP, etc., instead of simply trusting our own intuition. Oh, I get it, believe me. Of course we seek help. I certainly do. Well, this should help silence some of the concerns we constantly express as Daily Fantasy aficionados.

Here's a look at some common misconceptions constantly tied to picking an NBA DFS lineup.

 

NBA Daily Fantasy Common Misconceptions

1) Avoid the Lopsided Matchup

Don't.

There's a reason it's considered lopsided. When an opponent's DvP (Defense vs. Position) is ranked 30th, 29th, 28th, 27th, it's for a reason. And that's because bad team defenses like the Kings, Lakers, Rockets, and Suns are as generous as Rockefeller was in the late 1800's, early 1900's--dishing out fantasy points at an extremely philanthropic rate.

I am undoubtedly a bigger fan of targeting a game between two fast-paced, high scoring teams like the Los Angeles Clippers versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the one-sided contests are simply magnetic to Daily Fantasy lineups. Although, here comes the concern. Will Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and other faces that belong on NBA's Mount Rushmore, play in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers?

I'm quick to say when do they not play? Of course superstars are rested late in the game during blowouts. The key word there, though, is superstar. So the real answer to the question above is:

It doesn't matter.

If they have a good game, they have a good game. Seems too simple? Well, I'd like to know how huge a difference that last five minutes of a game would make? I get the lingering fear of spending 9,000-10,000 on a guy  who will only play 25 minutes, but if LeBron drops 25, 10, and 5, and watches the remaining five minutes with a towel on his head, we'll be upset with his fantasy point performance? Let's not get too greedy here, and remember, that we too are in this long haul of a season, where our Daily Fantasy performance as owners will be judged on an overall basis and not an ephemeral one hit wonder claim to fame.

For example, in a recent 40 point blowout against the Suns, DeAndre Jordan posted 17 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks, good enough for 40.75 fantasy points in only 27 minutes of action. I don't know about you, but I'm good with that, especially if the rest of my team produces similarly.

Sometimes the obvious pick really is the obvious pick.

 

2) Avoid Stacking a Team with Too Many Players from the Same Game

Don't, again. Especially if the matchup is there.

When it comes to stacking, I'm always looking to stack heavily in a game between two good teams. In the contest between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder, I was almost inclined to break the bank on three players and then scavenge for penny sleepers afterwards. Taking LeBron, Kevin Love, and a combination of either Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook, wasn't out of the question, and would have been a solid Daily Fantasy play considering their stat lines.

LeBron: 25 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, three steals.

Love: 29 points, 11 rebounds, four assists.

Durant: 26 points, five rebounds, three assists, three blocks, four three-pointers made.

Westbrook: 20 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds, one steal.

Yes, you can compromise the integrity of the rest of your lineup, but the gamble is often worth it. That's over 40 fantasy points from each of them. Again, I'll take it.

But, won't they hijack fantasy points from each other? Didn't seem to be the case above. It's a team sport, which can only translate to success on your lineup the same way it would on the court. In a predicted close and competitive game, I'll surely spread my money all over the floor, likely on players a tad less expensive than the aforementioned. A stack I'm always a fan of is Nikola Vucevic or Marcin Gortat or Hassan Whiteside with players on their respective teams; an affordable center with a tremendous upside/ceiling.

 

3) Always Pick a Player When Another Fantasy Producer is Injured on the Same Team

Don't. Not always.

Again, I'm a big fan of sorting through injuries when picking lineups, seeing who can likely take advantage of the new opportunity to be the top guy. And it tends to be an effective way of drafting a team, specifically recently with injuries to Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. Goran Dragic and Luol Deng posted big fantasy numbers in their absence. Although, like I said, not always.

This one requires a bit of research, studying the trends and performances of a player without another player in the lineup, especially if the injury is long-term. Opposing defenses can now heavily hone in on one player instead of two.

When Eric Bledsoe went down late in December, Brandon Knight emerged as the obvious choice on a nightly basis, before getting injured himself. But that obvious choice wasn't necessarily panning out the way we hoped it would. Knight failed to breach the 20-point mark in his first three games without Bledsoe beside him in the backcourt. And although scoring 20 or more points in five of the ten games as the best player on the floor for the Suns, his play became sporadic, likely struggling to adjust, mainly considering the rest of his subpar supporting cast. He turned the ball over a bunch, making it clear that he played better with Bledsoe in the lineup; different than what happened with Chris Paul and Jordan as their games elevated without Blake Griffin.

Initially, it's always a great pick. I'm certainly attracted to it. But it's best to pay attention to that player's consistency amidst injuries as opposed to one or two performances. Sustainability, people, sustainability.

 

NBA & Fantasy Basketball Chat Room

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Rhys McKee14 mins ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Anthony Edwards15 mins ago

Uncertain For Friday Night
Chidi Njokuani20 mins ago

Drops Back Down To Welterweight At UFC Atlantic City
Kyle Nelson21 mins ago

An Underdog Again At UFC Atlantic City
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander24 mins ago

Doubtful For Friday Night
Bill Algeo25 mins ago

Eyes Sixth UFC Win
Joaquin Buckley28 mins ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Quentin Grimes28 mins ago

Ruled Out Friday
Vicente Luque31 mins ago

Gets Short-Notice Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
LeBron James38 mins ago

Questionable Against Indiana
Taj Gibson45 mins ago

Out Friday Against Wizards
Anthony Davis54 mins ago

Questionable Versus Indiana
Randal Grichuk1 hour ago

Begins Season On Injured List
Eduardo Rodriguez1 hour ago

Could Throw Off Mound In 5-7 Days
Max Kepler1 hour ago

Leaves On Opening Day With Injury
Nick Senzel2 hours ago

Suffers Broken Thumb
Jason Foley2 hours ago

Earns The Save For Tigers
Dejounte Murray2 hours ago

Available Versus Boston
Xavier Tillman2 hours ago

Sr. Cleared For Thursday Night
Al Horford2 hours ago

Won't Face The Hawks
Jrue Holiday2 hours ago

Available On Thursday
Tarik Skubal2 hours ago

Tosses Six Scoreless Innings On Opening Day
Corbin Burnes3 hours ago

Pitches A Gem On Opening Day
Royce Lewis3 hours ago

Exits With Quad Injury
Taijuan Walker4 hours ago

Opening On Injured List
Max Scherzer4 hours ago

Throws Bullpen Session
Blake Treinen4 hours ago

Brusdar Graterol, Blake Treinen "A Ways Away" From Returning
Clayton Kershaw5 hours ago

"Ahead Of Things" Timetable-Wise
Walker Buehler5 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Corey Seager5 hours ago

Active On Opening Day
Nick Senzel5 hours ago

Scratched On Opening Day
Oneil Cruz5 hours ago

Batting Sixth On Opening Day
Alex Caruso5 hours ago

Ayo Dosunmu Probable Friday
Darius Garland5 hours ago

Probable Against 76ers
Donovan Mitchell5 hours ago

Upgraded To Questionable
Victor Scott II6 hours ago

Batting Eighth In Opening Day Lineup
Alex Bregman6 hours ago

Batting Cleanup Against The New York Yankees
Maikel Garcia6 hours ago

Leading Off For Kansas City
Mike Ford7 hours ago

Signs Deal With Reds
Edouard Julien7 hours ago

Riding Pine On Opening Day
Duncan Robinson7 hours ago

Heat Rule Out Duncan Robinson Friday
Jimmy Butler7 hours ago

Probable Against Portland
Onyeka Okongwu8 hours ago

Remains Out Thursday
Dejounte Murray8 hours ago

Questionable With Back Soreness
Aaron Ekblad9 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov10 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto10 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin10 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard10 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins10 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist10 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear10 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Keita Bates-Diop10 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season
Dyson Daniels11 hours ago

Remains Out On Thursday But Nearing Return
LaMelo Ball11 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of 2023-24
Jose Alvarado11 hours ago

Questionable To Face Milwaukee
Mark Hubbard1 day ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson1 day ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Akshay Bhatia1 day ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen1 day ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers1 day ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers1 day ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers1 day ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers1 day ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
Jayden Daniels1 day ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
Tank Bigsby1 day ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Josh Reynolds1 day ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim1 day ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA1 day ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry1 day ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan1 day ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg1 day ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn1 day ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby1 day ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord1 day ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala1 day ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler1 day ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder1 day ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen2 days ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad2 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson2 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron3 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley4 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala4 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

2024 NFL Draft: Bold Predictions and Potential Surprises for Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! With the 2024 NFL Draft fast approaching, we're digging into what might transpire on draft night. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones previews the 2024 NFL Draft and makes some BOLD Predictions about possible surprises and potential landing spots for the first round of the draft. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller!... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Early Look At Wide Receivers In 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts

The upcoming NFL Draft is less than a month away. While everyone is excited for the NFL Draft, fantasy players are looking forward to the regular season. While we won’t have meaningful NFL football for months, it’s never too early to prepare for your fantasy football drafts. Last year, the fantasy football world saw multiple... Read More


Spencer Rattler, College Football Transfers

Underrated Rookie Draft Targets - Early 2024 Sleepers for Dynasty Fantasy Football

We are a month out from the NFL Draft, meaning if you are here, you are probably looking for draft content and reading up on prospects. You probably have all of the information you need on stud prospects like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s not what you’re here for.  Rookie draft season for... Read More


Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part II

The NFL's offseason, including trades and free agency, can strongly impact a player's fantasy football value. This effect can be positive or negative. For this series, we're focusing on fantasy football players who have seen their fantasy value increase. This can occur via a player's direct movement, such as a trade or signing with a... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 1: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2024)

It's finally here: the UFL season is set to kick off with two games on Saturday, March 30 and two games on Sunday, March 31. Saturday's games will be broadcast on Fox Sports while Sunday's matchups will be on ESPN. The most anticipated Week 1 matchup pits the 2023 USFL champion Birmingham Stallions against the... Read More


Jared Goff - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Will the Lions Extend Jared Goff's Contract This Offseason? 2024 NFL Outlook

Jared Goff's career in Los Angeles didn't take off like many expected after his appearance in Super Bowl LIII, and he was traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford. Goff's first season in the Motor City was terrible, but he has completely turned things around over the last two seasons. In 2022, he almost led... Read More


Kyle Pitts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part I

Free agency symbolizes the start of a new NFL season. It's the first opportunity for NFL clubs to start addressing their weaknesses and considerably impacts how the upcoming season plays out. Just as free agency can improve or worsen a team's outlook, a player's fantasy football value is also impacted. Free agency marks the real... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

Coach Knows Ball: Malik Nabers 2024 NFL Draft Film Breakdown of LSU WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Avoid These Running Backs in 2024: Fantasy Football Outlook

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The staff is already looking ahead to the 2024 season to help our readers get the jump on their competition. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones discusses five Running Backs that you should AVOID in 2024 fantasy football drafts. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio... Read More


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NCAA College Football, Prospects

Brock Bowers 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Georgia TE Be Selected?

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was arguably the top tight end in college football over the past few years. Bowers was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 56 receptions for 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slightly slipped in 2022 as defenses started to game plan for the star tight end. Bowers had... Read More


Xavier Worthy 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Texas WR Be Selected?

Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been one of the top pass-catchers in college football over the past few years. The explosive receiver was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 62 receptions for 981 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slipped in 2022. Worthy had 60 receptions for 760 receiving yards and nine touchdowns... Read More


Blake Corum - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, RB, NFL Draft Sleepers

Blake Corum 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update - When Will the Michigan RB Be Selected?

Former Michigan running back Blake Corum is one of the most popular prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class. The 23-year-old is fresh off a College Football National Championship victory and a 2023 campaign consisting of over 1,300 yards from scrimmage. However, given the devaluation of the running back position and Corum not being an... Read More


Brandon Aiyuk - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News

Will The 49ers Trade Brandon Aiyuk?

Brandon Aiyuk had a career year last season, finishing seventh in the league in receiving yards (1342), second in yards per catch (17.9), and catching seven touchdowns. For his efforts, he was named to the Second-team All-Pro. However, despite many expecting them to do so, the 49ers failed to win Super Bowl LVIII and now... Read More