FanDuel daily picks: Fantasy basketball lineup – February 23, 2018

High Salary PG

Damian Lillard, POR at UTA ($9,100): Lillard was over value in the three games prior to the All-Star break. That includes 45.1 fantasy points against the Jazz. Utah is the hottest team in the league right now, Lillard is rarely denied. He may not get it done against the Jazz, but you can bank on him putting together a strong performance as he tries to carry his team to victory. He’s averaging 53.1 fantasy points in two games against the Jazz this season and another 50-plus fantasy point game is not out of the question. *****

Elfrid Payton, PHO vs LAC ($7,500): The Clippers are 22nd against the position and on a back-to-back. The Suns are likely to give a lot of playing time to Payton, Devin Booker, and Josh Jackson as they try to see what they have in the backcourt as they move forward. Payton will take some playmaking responsibilities off the hands of Booker. The Suns don’t play defense, but they have strong offensive fantasy players. Payton will be over 35 fantasy points once again on Friday, putting up solid numbers in all categories. ****

Dennis Smith Jr., DAL at LAL ($7,000): Smith Jr. had 34 fantasy points against the Lakers on Feb. 10. Lonzo Ball should be back for the Lakers, but if he’s a step slow due to the missed time and knee injury, Smith Jr. will make his life miserable on offense. Smith Jr. should have an extra chip on his shoulder after getting robbed in the slam dunk contest, which also took place in Los Angeles. He’s the type of guy who takes that stuff personally and that’s probably bad news for the Lakers on Friday. ****