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!
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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!
Wednesday’s Main NBA preseason action kicks off at 7:30PM 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) If you have been reading me throughout the preseason, you will know I have been riding Russell almost every single night he plays and at this price point, on a night where salary actually matters, this becomes a must play for me. Russell is primed for a breakout season as the primary offensive threat on the Lakers and has stepped his game up so far in the 2016-2017 exhibition season. Russell is averaging 18.2 points per game, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals in over 29 minutes a contest. The price points on FanDuel are preparing us for the regular season and this is going to be a night where you need value so locking in a huge upside player that is guaranteed major minutes as the primary offensive threat for under $6k is a no brainer if you plan to spend up elsewhere.
George Hill ($5,300) With Steph Curry and Damian Lillard at the top of the PG tier, I would expect that paying up for one of them and pairing them with Russell will be a popular strategy. However if you are looking to be contrarian, you could opt to roll with two bargain options at PG which would allow you to lock in two studs at SG(more on that in a minute). Hill is not a flashy pick, but he has been a steady producer as the starting point guard for the Jazz this preseason and will likely be overlooked by the bigger names on this slate. In 3 of his 4 games, Hill has played more than 24 minutes, scored double digits while contributing across categories racking up 4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2 steals per game.
James Harden ($9,200) The highest priced player on the slate, the Rockets shooting guard is my top play in all formats tonight! Harden is a usage monster each and every night and although this is still the preseason, that has not slowed the production of the Bearded One! Harden is averaging 20.5 points per game, 10.8 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1 steal in over 29 minutes a contest. The man is flirting with a triple double average and unless we get word that he will be limited/rested, he is a lock and load play for me!
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($8,000) Shooting guard is the spot I am looking to load up on tonight for a few reasons. First, the position is essentially two superstars and then everyone else. Secondly, both of these player have earlier start times so we should see confirmation before roster lock that they are playing.
The Warriors for example play the late game against the Lakers at 10:00PM EST so it is likely we may not get a starting lineup until well after lock and if any of Curry, Klay, KD are sitting then your team is sunk! Therefore I am looking to lock in my early superstars and will only look to play the Warriors as part of a “late game” stack in GPP’s where you can still get exposure and hopefully lower ownership as gamers may fade it without confirmation!
Back to Giannis, as the new point-forward for the Bucks we are seeing his usage and production increase with each game and after playing over 33 minutes against Detroit, we may get another full night of minutes as the Bucks get a dress rehearsal in for the regular season. Giannis is a multi category contributor who not only has a relatively safe floor but one of the highest ceilings as his ability to put up monster stat lines can carry you to a GPP win.
Paul George ($7,400) Although Kevin Durant is the top priced option at SF, the late game risk may be worth a fade if you are building a lineup and want the relative safety of the early locks. Paul George is a reasonable pivot off Durant at a value price point relative to his elite upside. George has only played in two preseason games, but logged 32 minutes in his last contest while racking up 16 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists on 13 field goal attempts.
Andrew Wiggins ($5,400) If you are looking for value at SF, Wiggins is one of the best plays on the board as his guaranteed minutes and performance thus far this season gives you solid production at a tough to fill spot. Wiggins is averaging a team high 17.3 points per game and playing over 28 minutes a night for the Timberwolves and after getting the last game off, I would expect the T-Wolves to give their starters normal run as they gear up for the regular season.
Thaddeus Young ($6,000) The “mid-tier” at power forward is a great spot to pay down while still locking in top options on this slate and the Pacers PF is one of the best point per dollar plays at this position.
Young is one of my favorite DFS targets as his ability to deliver a double-double on any given night and his elite steals upside makes him a great play in all formats. So far this preseason, Thad is averaging 12.2 points per game, 6.6 boards, 2 assists and 1.2 steals per game which delivers the kind of all around statistical upside we look for in DFS!
Jabari Parker ($5,700) Just like D’Angelo Russell, I feel like every time Parker is on the slate I seem to be locking him in so far this preseason. The price point is perfect when you are looking to pay up elsewhere and we are still able to lock in a player averaging a team high 16.8 points per game, 6.2 rebounds and double digit shot attempts per game. If you are looking to pay up at PG or SG, the combination of Thad and Jabari gives you elite upside at easy to use prices and I will look to deploy this combination in the majority of my entries.
Andre Drummond ($7,000) Let’s make this simple – the man is averaging 15 points and 14 boards a game while playing 26.3 minutes a game. He has not had a single game this preseason where he has not double-doubled so I do not see a reason to get cute here. The price point is reasonable and he is the easy chalk center play!
If you want a pivot option, look to Rudy Gobert at only $5,000 who is averaging 14.8 points and 9.2 boards with two double-doubles on the young season. I like using Gobert as part of a “late night” stack with the Warriors/Blazers as his price point is reasonable and he makes a nice contrarian play off Drummond.
Next: Is James Harden the top Fantasy Basketball Pick?
Best of luck tonight – follow us on Twitter as we will look to share late breaking lineup news throughout the day and prior to lock to help you ensure you have the best lineups possible!