Welcome to the FanDuel NBA edition of Picks and Pivots, a fantasy basketball column focused on helping you find the best FanDuel NBA lineup!
The purpose of this FanDuel NBA column is to first identify key building blocks that can be used for any roster construction and then identify pivot points to help differentiate your lineup in hopes of a big payday!
Typically, many fantasy basketball players will shy away from diving into preseason action but as we inch closer and closer to the regular season tip-off this is a great way to start to get your exposure to the NBA!
Playing Preseason DFS is an entirely different animal as the minutes and roster constructions can fluctuate wildly and its important to keep up on late breaking news before lineups lock. However, one common misconception is that we need to avoid starters and focus on the unknown bench players to take down a pay day.
Just for some context – here is the winning roster from Wednesday Night’s $3 featured GPP:
- Eric Bledsoe
- Ricky Rubio
- Evan Fournier
- Devin Booker
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Andrew Wiggins
- Jabari Parker
- Gorgui Dieng
- Karl-Anthony Towns
If you look over the winning results for the last few days, you will see that the rosters are predominately made up of NBA stars and high end NBA starters that are playing 20-30 minutes a game.
It is critical to keep an eye on lineups as the day goes on as players are consistently getting days off which opens up value not only from the player pool but leaves a good amount of “dead rosters” in large tournaments as they fail to adjust to late breaking news!
Thursday’s Main NBA Pre-Season action kicks off at 7:00PM EST with seven games on the main slate and no shortage of superstars to choose from. Without further ado – let’s get into our top picks for the day!
FanDuel NBA Picks and Pivots – Top PG
D’Angelo Russell ($5,900) If you have been playing preseason DFS, than you will likely have some money in your bank account courtesy of the Lakers young star! Russell has flashed the immense upside that made him one of the top picks in the NBA Draft and so far this preseason is showing he is ready to step into a more prominent role in a Kobe Bryant-less Laker offense.
Russell is averaging just under 30 minutes per game and is putting up 17.5 ppg on a whopping 15.5 field goal attempts per contest.
Russell is averaging just under 30 minutes per game and is putting up 17.5 ppg on a whopping 15.5 field goal attempts per contest. Russell clearly has the green light to drive this offense and with price points creeping closer to regular season levels for many, this is a tremendous value spot for Russell on Thursday!
Damian Lillard ($9,000) The Portland superstar has been putting on a show thus far this preseason, getting steady minutes and producing solid FanDuel outputs. Lillard is averaging 25 minutes per game and is averaging over 21 points per game and continues to be one of the most reliable point producers for preseason DFS.
There is always a chance (like every other starter in the NBA) he could get the night off as we head toward the regular season but he makes for one of the best point per minute producers on the slate!
FanDuel NBA Picks and Pivots – Top SG
Victor Oladipo ($6,900) Oladipo has stepped in as Russell Westbrook‘s second in command and has looked the part so far this preseason as an elite multi category contributor. Oladipo is playing over 29 minutes per game, averaging 17.7 ppg and leading the team in shot attempts with 14 per contest.
Oladipo on Tuesday put up 26.4 FanDuel points while racking up stats across the board and at this price point
Oladipo on Tuesday put up 26.4 FanDuel points while racking up stats across the board and at this price point, considering his role in the offense, makes for an easy plug and play at SG on Thursday.
Jordan McRae ($4,000) With the news that LeBron James will sit out again on Wednesday, after the Cavs rested their entire starting roster, this may be another great opportunity to target a preseason DFS darling in the Cavs back court. McRae has been averaging over 31 minutes per game and putting up 17 points per game while leading the team in field goal attempts.
McRae has a disappointing night Monday with all the Cavaliers starters on the bench which may lead to a bit of recency bias and allow us to target him for a bounce back game. Keep an eye on the lineup news but if McRae continues to get this extended run, he makes for one of the best value plays on the board!
FanDuel NBA Picks and PIvots – Top SF
Evan Turner ($6,300) and Moe Harkless ($5,500): The small forward position continues to be one of the toughest to fill on a nightly basis and FanDuel makes us pick two of them each evening!
With LeBron James ruled out and Rudy Gay limited to under 20 minutes so far this preseason, the two wings competing for the SF spot in Portland may make the best “stacking” option here.
From a roster construction perspective, it will be important to look for value as lineup news comes out
Turner and Harkless are battling neck and neck, essentially alternating who has the better game but the rationale in rostering both is that we know we are getting players locked into 20+ minutes that are multi category contributors which maximizes out DFS point exposure.
From a roster construction perspective, it will be important to look for value as lineup news comes out but there is value in building your roster around two players that will get FanDuel point totals in the mid-20’s and build you a safe floor as you shoot for upside in other spots!
FanDuel NBA Picks and Pivots – Top PF & C
Blake Griffin ($7,700) Griffin has been very productive so far this season, putting up a team high 14.3 points per game while contributing just under 6 rebounds in over 21 minutes per game. As I noted in the opening, I am looking for sure fire stars to fill my lineup and am willing to lock them in assuming they are getting 20-25 minutes per game.
Build a great “cash game” floor and you can mix and match high upside plays for your tournament entries. Griffin is one of the safest plays on the board that also has the upside to far exceed this mid-range price point.
Build a great “cash game” floor and you can mix and match high upside plays for your tournament entries.
Enes Kanter ($4,800) This price point is entirely too low for Kanter and with PF tough to fill tonight, this is one of the best value plays on the board! Kanter is averaging 21 points and 10 boards per game in almost 28 minutes per contest.
At this price point, Kanter is one of the easiest selections to make one of the first night we actually need salary relief on FanDuel!
DeMarcus Cousins ($8,700) Once we get to the regular season, paying over $10k for Cousins will be common place and Boogie reminded us last game out against NBA talent that he only needs minimal time on the court to make a big time impact.
In 21 minutes, Cousins put up 20 points, six rebounds and four steals and with an exploitable match up against the Lakers, locking Cousins in as your starting center should be one of the first moves you make when building your rosters!
Next: Is James Harden the top Fantasy Basketball Pick?
Best of luck on Thursday – be sure to keep an eye on the news as it breaks over the course of the day and reach out to us on Twitter or Facebook with lineup questions as the day goes on!