NBA Fantasy Basketball Sleepers & Picks for 02/07 (Fanduel)

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I hold many unpopular opinions to accompany the mild ones, so I may, at times, make predictions or claims that seem far-fetched. Fantasy basketball is much more fun when you're taking risks, right? Reading about it is only fun when you see something new or extreme.  The game of basketball is about the blood, sweat, anger, grit, will-power and athleticism these men pour out. Numbers are a small part of it, and they’ll only get you so far. Let’s go deeper than that.

Notable Injuries

• Chris Paul (Possible return)
• Jodie Meeks (OUT)
• Nikola Pekovic (Questionable, most likely OUT)
• Jordan Farmar (Probable)

Fanduel Basketball DFS Lineup Picks and More - 02/07/14

Shaun Livingston - PG - Brooklyn Nets - ($5,100)

Livingston is getting better and better of late. Paul Pierce was recently quoted praising Livingston's "versatility" on the court. He's seen a boost in playing time in his past few games, and with that boost have come solid numbers. Shooting 50% or better from the field in four of his last five games, Livingston has now proven himself to be a solid asset in fantasy terms. In Brooklyn's most recent meeting against the Sixers, he racked up a career-high seven steals in addition to eight assists, six rebounds and only two turnovers. This guy is slowly moving his way into stud territory, and for this price, he should definitely take a spot in your lineup.

Steve Blake - SG - Los Angeles Lakers - ($6,100)

He's back, ladies and gents! After scoring a triple-double in Wednesday night's showing against the Cavs, Blake is an absolute steal at $6,100. The only areas of complaint are his FG% and turnovers, but we're hoping that those categories will improve in time. This was only his second game back, after all. Steve can pass, he can rebound and he can get to the line. If this guy is going to go 40 minutes strong and clear a triple-double in his second game after missing nearly two months, what's left in store?! The Lakers take on a turnover-prone backcourt that struggled to defend in the 76ers, so this opportunity is golden. This pick is too tasty to pass up!

Trevor Ariza - SF - Washington Wizards - ($6,900)

Ariza is one of those players that you love to hate, and hate to love. He'll hit a hot streak, fall off for a while, then get hot again-- that's the nature of his game. Good thing he's on a hot streak now, because the Wizards take on the Cavs, one of the worst defensive teams in the league, especially on the road. Trevor is going to stuff the entire stat sheet in this contest. He can drain the long ball, he can rebound, he can dish it and he can defend. He's actually a very, very underrated defender and the numbers in his steals column don't do him justice. I should also mention that this guys just CAN'T miss from the line, shooting 86% in the past couple of weeks. The price is still a little high in my opinion, but he holds the best value of any SF.

Greg Monroe - PF - Detroit Pistons - ($6,600)

Greg Monroe is one of the most consistent big men out there. He averages 29 minutes a game along with 11 shot attempts, so you know you're getting numbers out of him. The biggest attraction here is the matchup. The Pistons take on the Nets in this one, and boy do they have a struggling backcourt. One of the worst rebounding teams in the league, the Nets are going to experience a lot of problems trying to handle Monroe. If Blatche is out for this one, their troubles will become even worse. In their last meeting, Monroe picked up a pretty little double-double, scoring 22 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. The Pistons, at home, have this clear advantage in this one and Monroe will benefit directly. Go ahead and grab this guy if you can.

Spencer Hawes - C - Philadelphia 76ers - ($6,700)

Coming off of a nice-looking double-double, Hawes is the last of our value picks for today. The 76ers take on the Lakers, and that's a beautiful matchup for Hawes. His ability to move out around the arc is going to make it tough for Sacre and Kama, rather slow and cumbersome big men. Looks for Hawes to take the opportunity to draw them out and look for other guys to make the plays. In doing so, he'll rack up on assists and open up more scoring opportunities later in the game. If he can drain a few long balls, this could be one of his best games of the season.

FanDuel Strategy Tip

It's important to analyze the bang for your buck. With every dollar of your salary that you spend, ask yourself if it's worth it. My rule of thumb is ensure I'm getting 6.5 fantasy points for every $1,000 I spend. That is, if I select someone worth $6,000, I better expect them to score me 39 points or more. This is an important measure, because I aim for a total score of 390-- in doing so, I set myself up for success. If you end up scoring 390 in the average tournament league, you have a 95% chance of cashing out. Obviously, this is only a theory based on optimism, but it's an important concept. If you don't believe a player can achieve that ratio, then it's best to keep them out of your lineup. For this reason, I avoid players like Kevin Durant, who right now is priced at $12,100, because by my measure, I'd need him to score 78 points to be of enough value. The chance of that happening is somewhat remote.

Here's my FanDuel lineup for 02/07/14

• Shaun Livingston
• Steve Nash
• Bradley Beal
• Steve Blake
• Trevor Ariza
• Kyle Singler
• Greg Monroe
• Blake Griffin
• DeMarcus Cousins

If you liked today’s column, you can let me know @Roto_Royalty on Twitter! You can also shoot me an e-mail at [email protected]. Feel free to send in your questions, and I might feature them in one of my columns! Good luck out there and enjoy the game!