January 17, 2016

Sam Nedimyer highlights the top NBA DFS lineup picks for 1/17/16, as well as a couple of sleepers to keep in mind while building your roster on FanDuel.

Let’s be perfectly clear here: this is a basketball piece. Basketball is the name of the game when reading this, specifically daily fantasy plays on FanDuel. But I would be remiss if I did not mention this - Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go!!

I realize two things just happened when you read this. 1) You immediately said, ‘This guy is a Steelers fan?! I’m out.’ 2) You immediately thought, ‘C’mon dude. No Antonio Brown. No DeAngelo Williams. No Maurkice Pouncey. Ben Roethlisberger can’t throw it 10 yards. They don’t stand a chance, brah.’ But I bleed black and yellow my friends.

Okay, back to business. In this article, I will be providing you with my NBA DFS picks for FanDuel on 1/17/16. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players, to mid-priced options, and value plays. Without wasting any more time, let's get down to it!

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FanDuel DFS Point Guards

Russell Westbrook (vs MIA, $10,400)

Beware the blowout factor.

Tony Parker (vs DAL, $6,100)

If you caught some of that San Antonio-Cleveland game on Thursday night on TNT, you probably saw Gregg Popovich flag down Parker just to give the old point guard a ‘way to go.’ And with good cause. Parker has apparently outdone Ponce de Leon and found the fountain of youth. Since sitting two games out, he has dropped at least 33 FanDuel points in three of his last four, averaging 31.08 FDP during that span. Dallas has allowed the 10th most FDP to opposing point guards on the season, so the matchup is a little juicer after first glance.

Beno Udrih (at OKC, $3,800)

If he is available at this price and is going to be playing a team with a top five pace, then Udrih is going to be hard to pass up.

FanDuel DFS Shooting Guards

James Harden (at LAL, $9,500)

Almost too easy against the lowly Lakers..

Monta Ellis (at DEN, $6,200)

It seems like George Hill is looking increasingly more like a no go for Sunday, and there are even more grumblings that Paul George may see less minutes or not play at all as well. I would be surprised if PG13 does not go, but Hill appears to be a lock to not be with the team against the Nuggets. Either way, Ellis’ stock jumps way up. The dude has been playing solid minutes recently, as he is averaging in the high 30s over the last ten. There’s no evidence to suggest he won’t play in the high 30s again on Sunday and essentially, he will be playing point guard. But priced as a mid-tier shooting guard. Yeah. This is a no-brainer as well.

FanDuel DFS Small Forwards

Kawhi Leonard (vs DAL, $7,800)

Seriously?! That’s his price tag?! How is that even possible after his studly performance against King James and the Cavs? Oh well. Let’s cash in.

C.J. Miles (at DEN, $4,400)

Time to get back on Miles, especially if PG13 ends up not suiting up. Miles has seen decreased production over the last couple games mainly because his shot has refused to drop. Opponents are shooting 46% from the field against the Nuggets, which is seventh-best (or worst, from a Nuggets standpoint) in The Association. With a small slate, there is not as much room for error so Miles may make the most sense in GPPs and tourneys.

FanDuel DFS Power Forwards

Julius Randle (vs HOU, $5,500)

There aren’t a whole lot of plays that jump out at the power forward position. Chris Bosh seems stable but really has a low ceiling, LaMarcus Aldridge’s minutes are confusing, and Dirk Nowitzki, though consistent, draws the vaunted Spurs defense. There is an opening against the Houston frontcourt. For starters, the Rockets are giving up the most points (46.3 FDP) to the power forward position this season.

It also appears that Dwight Howard is questionable to start due to an oblique strain, which means that Randle would get more exposure to big men even further down the Houston bench. If you believe in the minutes, and he is getting anywhere from 25-30 of them per game right now, then Randle should be a great value play.

Darrell Arthur (vs IND, $4,300)

The Denver frontcourt is all sorts of a mess right now and Arthur is the guy that is cleaning up. With Nikola Jokic’s demotion to the bench, Arthur has taken the center position by storm and there is seemingly no end in sight. He has averaged 18 points, 9.5 boards and one assist over his last two. Those type of numbers scream 7x return on his FanDuel price. And that’s only in 56 total minutes. Think what he could do with 35 minutes of playing time under his belt on Sunday.

FanDuel DFS Centers

Hassan Whiteside (at OKC, $7,800)

It is important to note that should Dwight Howard go, he is absolutely the number one play on the board because he is playing the Lakers. That being said, I do not expect Howard to suit up- because let’s face it, he’s still Dwight Howard- so Whiteside will be the autoplay here.

You get the feeling this is the type of game where he triple-doubles again with blocks. The guard situation is a mess for the Heat and they’ll need someone else to score, so Whiteside could even add some offense to his repertoire. But the big upside today is the blocks against a team in Oklahoma City that loves to drive to the rim.

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