FanDuel NBA: Picks and Pivots
Welcome to the NBA edition of Picks and Pivots, a fantasy basketball column focused on helping you find the best FanDuel NBA lineup! The purpose of this 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!
Follow us on Twitter @FantasyCPR and on Facebook!
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.
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!
Saturday’s Main NBA preseason 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!
D’Angelo Russell ($5,900) Fade the man at your own risk! Russell has been unleashed in this Laker offense and is becoming a nightly DFS monster! Russell is averaging 30 minutes per game in the preseason and is putting up over 20 points per game on a team high 15.2 shot attempts per contest. It is clear that Russell will be the focal point of this team’s offensive attack and after putting up 50 FanDuel points in his last game, I expect he will be highly owned but rightfully so!
Ish Smith ($5,500) After two lackluster outings as the starting point guard in place of the injured Reggie Jackson, Smith rebounded in his last game putting up 40 FanDuel points and paired with D’Angelo Russell was the winning backcourt combo across many GPP winning lineups. You could argue this would be a spot to fade that combo, but I am happy to lock in two bargain priced PG’s with elite upside. Smith put up 18 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists over 30 minutes and this is a spot to see if Smith can keep his momentum going into the regular season.
James Harden ($9,200) Harden has been utilized heavily in the preseason, averaging 30 minutes per game and continues to put up elite numbers, averaging 22 points over the last three contests. Harden had a relatively pedestrian game in his last outing but prior to that had back to back 20+ point 10+ assist game, which outlines the milt category upside that Harden provides. There is enough value on this slate that locking in Harden is an easy plug and play and makes for one of the top plays of the night! Keep in mind Patrick Beverley has already been ruled out Saturday which means Harden will run the offense as the primary ball handler – lock him in!
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($8,000) Let me break down shooting guard for you on Saturday night – you have the Beard and the Greek Freak and then, a lot of question marks. Giannis has not had that “wow” game yet this preseason but is logging a consistent 25 minutes per game and as the new point-forward we can expect him to drive the Bucks offense. As I noted earlier, we have enough value on this slate to easily spend up for the relative safety of the two top SG’s and if we can get confirmation they will play 25+ minutes they become easy must play!
Carmelo Anthony ($7,300) With Kevin Durant on the tail end of a back to back and Jimmy Butler already ruled out, Melo stands at the top of a weak small forward crop Saturday night which makes locking him in as a core play a smart idea. Anthony is averaging over 22 minutes per game and has double-digit shot attempts in every game he has played. Melo may not have the upside we typically look for with our superstars but his price point is very reasonable and it Melo can produce as he has over 25 minutes this preseason, he makes for a great building block at a tough to fill position.
***UPDATE: Otto Porter has been ruled out tonight with makes Kelly Oubre ($4,000) a fantastic value and an ideal pviot off McDermott at the same price point or a salary saver if you want to pay up at PG!
Doug McDermott ($4,000) With Jimmy Butler already ruled out, Dougie Buckets will get the start on Saturday and makes for one of the best value plays on the board. The Bulls are playing on the second night of a back to back and are expected to be without Rajon Rondo, Dwayne Wade and Butler which puts McDermott in an elite spot to drive the offense. The Bulls are a great spot for value and Dougie Buckets helps us save salary at an uninspiring SF position.
Jabari Parker ($5,700) Parker continues to excel this preseason after a strong second half to end last years NBA campaign, putting up a team high 15 points per game in 25 minutes a night. With Khris Middleton on the shelf, Parker is taking on more of the offensive load for the Bucks and has expanded his game to the three-point line to put more pressure on opposing defenses.
Kristaps Porzingis ($5,700) Porzingis has put up 16.3 points per game in over 26 minutes a contest and with Derrick Rose out of action due to his ongoing legal issues, Porzingis is taking on more of the offensive load for the Knicks. Porzingis played a whopping 32 minutes his last game out while racking up 15 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Porzingis’ ability to be a multi category contributor with major minutes locked in makes him a great DFS play at a reasonable price point.
DeMarcus Cousins ($8,700) After being held out on Thursday, we can expect Boogie to be well rested against an under manned Washington front line. In only 20 minutes of action in his last game, Cousins was able to put up 20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals and 1 blocked shot. If Cousins is guaranteed 25+ minutes tonight, he makes for the top play at center with Hassan Whiteside on the tail end of a back to back!
Next: Is James Harden the top Fantasy Basketball Pick?
Best of luck tonight – keep an eye on the lineup news and our twitter feed as we will look to share lineup news as it breaks. As always, reach out via twitter or Facebook with questions and enjoy your Saturday night of DFS action!