NBA FanDuel DFS Targets: Friday November 16th

Welcome to this edition of NBA FanDuel DFS Targets from FantasyCPR.com. Here you will find players to target for tonight’s action, geared for cash games and tournament plays on FanDuel.

Welcome to the Friday edition of NBA FanDuel DFS Targets for NBA DFS. First, I will go over players to target at each position for tonight’s eight-game main slate, with a normal lock time of 7:00 PM ET.

I will give two targets at each of the guard and forward positions, and one center. Following the picks, will be the ever popular “sample lineup” we like to do here at FantasyCPR.  Some plays will be geared toward cash games, and some for GPP.

Some of course will also technically qualify as both. As we break each play down, I will be sure to specify which type of contests I am targeting that player in.

With NBA DFS, I can’t stress enough how important it is to not just plug-and-play these sample lineups. There is so much info that will drop over the course of the day for NBA, and you never truly know what to expect.

If you want to be a consistent winner for NBA, lock starts at 7PM ET on most week nights. Plan on being ready to tinker those lineups last second, accounting for all of that fabulous NBA news that nobody was expecting five minutes before, or even AFTER lock. It happens all of the time, so if you set your lineup now and forget it, it’s probably not going to work out for you in the long run.

NBA FanDuel DFS: What To Expect Tonight:

Happy Friday to all the friends and loyal readers of FanSided Fantasy Sports, and FantasyCPR. After an unsatisfying, limited option 3-gamer last night, it nice to return to a much bigger eight-game slate. Despite having eight games, we aren’t seeing any of the huge game totals that we have been seeing quite a bit of lately. In fact, we only have half of the games over 220, with the highest being the match-up in New Orleans between the Pelicans and the Knicks, which sits at 227.

On the other hand, we still have plenty of fantasy goodness to go around, as we should have a couple of close games. First game of note, is at TD Garden Center, where the Celtics will host the 12-3 Toronto Raptors. Kyrie Irving has been playing well as of late, while the play of his opponent Kyle Lowry has kind of finally settled down a bit. They seem to have flipped roles a bit, and Irving looks like another great target once again tonight.

Another potentially close game with an abundance of fantasy targets will be in Minnesota, where the new look Timberwolves will host the 10-4 Trail Blazers. New Wolves Dario Saric and Robert Covington made their debuts on Wednesday night, and RoCo started, and ended up playing 41 minutes. With head coach Tom Tibodeaux’s habits of running players into the ground, it looks like Covington is in line to play a ton of minutes.

There are a few more good spots to target, but let’s briefly touch instead on the two games I will likely stay away from. The first is in Memphis, where the Grizzlies will face the sizzling Sacramento Kings. While I like targeting Kings as of late, I tend to not target teams against the Grizzlies defense. If this was a shorter slate I would consider a King or two, but with other options, I will pass.

One last mostly fade for me, is in Milwaukee at Fiserv Forum, where the Bucks will host the Bulls as 14-point favorites. Of course the Greek Freak Giannis Antetokounmpo is in play regardless of opponent, and even if this game blows out like it should, the Greek Alphabet could still post a solid stat line, even if the starters sit out the fourth quarter. However, some backups like Ersan Ilyasova may be in line for some extra minutes, so there could be some value hiding in this game as well.

With a general idea of what’s in store tonight, let’s move along to the targets. Always remember to keep an eye on that injury report, and be prepared as news drops.

NBA FanDuel: Point Guard Targets:

Damian Lillard – Portland Trail Blazers – $9,400 – (GPP)

Point Guard is pretty loaded tonight in the mid-tier and there is some solid value below $5K as well, but if I am spending up at all for GPP’s, Lillard is my guy. John Wall is in a pretty good spot himself at home against the Nets, but for the discount and match-up with the Timberwolves, give me Lillard.

It has been kind of an up-and-down season for Lillard, as the assists are not really there for a point guard, but he has really picked up that end of his game over the last two games. Before going four straight games with five assists or less in each, in the last two games, Lillard has been dropping dimes. He had 12 assists to go with 19 points against the tough Celtics defense, then followed that with a 31 point, 11 assist effort against the Lakers Wednesday night. I don’t think I am paying up here personally tonight, but Dame once again could be a solid GPP play.

Jeff Teague – Minnesota Timberwolves – $6,900 – (Cash)

It has been two games now since Teague returned from injury, and he has been solid in his return thus far. Derrick Rose had been playing well in his absence, but it seems Teague will jump right back into his normal role. Now that the Wolves have traded Jimmy Butler, there is plenty of opportunity for good players to step into his role, and Teague should benefit most.

Teague has played an average of 35 minutes per game in his two games back, and is averaging right around 43 FDP in those contests. He has double-doubled in each game in points and assists, and grabbed four steals as well. This price feels a hair too low at under $7K, so I am locking in Teague in cash games.

***Value Plays: Tyler Johnson $4,700 – Ryan Arcidiacono $4,400***

NBA FanDuel: Shooting Guard Targets:

C.J. McCollum – Portland Trail Blazers – $6,700 – (GPP)

When I look up at the five studs priced over $8K on this slate at the shooting guard position, nothing is really looking worth paying up for. Victor Oladipo is always in play of course, but at $9,900, he absolutely needs to have a monster game. Instead this looks like a position to pay down for, as there are just better studs in better spots at other positions.

McCollum isn’t going to wow you with a balanced stat line, but he will shoot the ball plenty. He only averages just over 30 FDP game, but the ceiling is pretty high, as he recently put up 63.8 FDP against the Bucks, however, he has not cracked 40 FDP in any other game this season. This play carries a ton of risk, but could be that ownership pivot that makes all of the difference.

Garrett Temple – Memphis Grizzlies – $4,600 – (Cash)

I normally don’t write-up the value plays, but this is one I am really digging today. I already know I am spending down at shooting guard, and what better place to start than with some sweet revenge? Temple played three seasons for the Sacramento Kings, and now his old team will be coming to Memphis to face his new squad.

It isn’t just narrative street that has me on this one however. Temple is playing huge minutes, well into the mid-30’s in the last three games, and that looks like it should easily happen again here tonight. My guess is both of these teams will be going small, and playing some three-guard sets, as they should match-up well in that sense.

***Value Plays: Ryan McGruder $4,600 – Allonzo Trier $4,500***

NBA FanDuel: Small Forward Targets:

Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks – $11,500 – (GPP)

Tonight the Bucks will host the Bulls, and by all accounts, this should be a blowout. Despite the risk of Bucks starters sitting out the fourth quarter in a blowout, I can get behind Giannis here. First off, the price is fair. He is $1300 less than Anthony Davis who most will spend up for, and that should give him some ownership leverage for tournament play. Second, ABC has gone for over 50 FDP in six of his last seven games, and I see no reason that changes here. I will say I do think AD is the top dog on the slate, but I will have a lineup with both him and Giannis tonight.

Robert Covington – Minnesota Timberwolves – $6,500 – (Cash)

Welcome to Minnesota RoCo! Now go out and play 41 minutes in your first game. Wow that didn’t take very long. I talked about it in the intro, but it really seems like the Wolves are just going to put Covington in the Butler role, and that could mean huge things for him. He has been quoted as saying he already loves this move to this team after just one game, and I think he is going to be in play for DFS purposes from here on out until he gets a big salary hike.

It has been a quiet year so far for Covington, so this trade could be just what he needed to find his game again. He was clearly overshadowed in Philly by Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and while he isn’t a superstar, Covington has some solid game, can shoot the three, and is one of the better defenders in the league. As a Wolves fan, I am excited to see where this goes. And as a DFSer, I am excited he is reasonably cheap at $6,500.

***Value Plays: E’Twaun Moore $5,300 – Kelly Oubre Jr. $4,200***

NBA FanDuel: Power Forward Targets:

Anthony Davis – New Orleans Pelicans – $12,800 – (Cash/GPP)

It has been a monster four game stretch for Davis, so fading him tonight against the Knicks just feels like DFS suicide. I for one, will be all-in once again on the Brow. In those last four games I speak of, AD is averaging 63.33 FDP per game, and nobody in the league is anywhere close to that.

The Pelicans host the Knicks, and although there is the blowout risk, I don’t see anyone on the Knicks roster that can slow down Davis. I am expecting another huge 55+ FDP game here tonight, and I am locked in on all formats.

Taj Gibson – Minnesota Timberwolves – $5,100 – (Cash)

This position as a whole today other than Davis at the top is pretty ugly, and because of it, my gut is telling me just to find some solid value. This play fits well with the stacking of the Wolves, but other than that purpose, I do not have a ton of confidence in it. It will be interesting to see where Dario Saric fits into this puzzle in Minnesota, but for now it looks like Gibson will at least remain in the starting lineup. This will be a battle inside with the Blazers tough interior defense, and Gibson can bang with the best of them.

***Value Plays: Kevin Knox $4,900 – Ersan Ilyasova $4,000***

NBA FanDuel: Center Targets:

Dwight Howard – Washington Wizards – $7,000 – (Cash)

I am going to start this by saying I love Towns and Embiid at the top tonight but, we have a centers versus the Nets situation to speak on. D12 isn’t the same explosive rebounding force he once was at the age of 32, but he is seemingly in good health at the moment, and I just can’t ever remember seeing his price this low. Normally, I don’t even give Howard a look to be honest, but against the Nets, who may be missing Jarrett Allen again, you have to consider it.

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Howard is averaging just 26.3 FDP per game in seven games this season, a far cry from someone you want to roster at this price. However, if he plays 30 minutes tonight, I expect a huge game on the glass. This game will likely be close as well, as the Nets never really tend to get blown out. If you are creating a balanced lineup today for cash games, Howard could fit for you.

***Value Plays: Brook Lopez $5,600 – Ian Mahinmi $3,700***

NBA FanDuel DFS: Sample Cash Lineup 11/16/18:

The line-up below is meant to be illustrative only to further back-up the logic laid out in previous slides. It is not an optimal line-up. It is in fact, just a “Sample Lineup.”

PG – Jeff Teague – $6,900
PG – Tyler Johnson – $4,700
SG – Garrett Temple – $4,600
SG – Rodney McGruder – $4,600
SF – Robert Covington – $6,500
SF – E’Twuan Moore – $5,300
PF – Anthony Davis – $12,800
PF – Ersan Ilyasova – $4,000
C – Karl-Anthony Towns – $10,600

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