X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Finding Daily Fantasy Basketball Value Picks and NBA DFS Lineup Sleepers

By Keith Allison [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

We often hear that baseball is a game of numbers. Well, all sports are. Basketball, like the others, is filled with statistics that are the building blocks used when forming trends. This is all very, very relevant to Daily Fantasy.

Any given player can break out on any given night, however, in attempting to string together consistency, trends are the most important thing to look at in doing so.

DvP, Defense vs. Position, is a vital statistic to observe constantly for Daily Fantasy, while affecting so many other categories that could reflect on an individual performance. It isn't exactly the easiest thing to keep track of, but luckily our guys at RotoBaller have put together an invaluable tool that calculates DvP daily, along with other extremely useful statistics that serve as an incredible aid when selecting DraftKings and FanDuel DFS lineups. Let's take a look at the tool's function, and what each category on the list entails.

 

Using DvP (Defense vs. Position) for DFS

As listed above, Defense vs. Position calculates how effective and ineffective teams defend each position. This category sorts through each player on the card for that day and ranks them using their opponent. This comes in handy particularly when picking sleepers, those who aren't necessarily a solid pick on a nightly basis. For example, Anderson Verajao and Timofey Mozgov are rarely reliable DFS options, but when facing the Los Angeles Lakers, the team ranked 30th (dead last) in guarding centers, their value increases quite a bit.

This feature also lets you narrow down a team's performance over the last 15 days, while giving you a look at their rankings from the prior season. Since injuries occur and teams often slump and streak, being able to observe a team's recent struggles allows you to hone in on an even more predictable outcome.

Average points allowed by a team vs. a specific position is also calculated here.

DvP

 

Using 'Projection/Value' for DFS

Who doesn't want an estimation of how many fantasy points a specific player could post? It's always comforting when experts are predicting which players they think will break out more than others. The projection category is RotoBaller's way of letting viewers and Daily Fantasy participants in on our top picks of the night.

Projection is paired with Value, calculated using a player's projection and comparing it to their price. This feature gives you a loud bang for your buck, considering it's another inside look at who we think is and isn't worth their price, while predicting which of the lower priced guys will reach or exceed projection.

Projection:Value

 

'Usage Rate' for DFS Lineups

Usage Rate has been dubbed by RotoBaller as "DFS crack sauce." And for good reason, as it is the most important factor in placing in DFS tournaments. This column measures the percentage of a team's possession a player "uses" while on the floor. To put it in simpler terms, Usage Rate measures how involved a player is in their teams offense when on the court. Ceilings, Floors, and Upsides can all be predicted using a player's Usage Rate.

Injuries also play a big role in calculating Usage Rate. Does James Harden's rate increase with Dwight Howard on or off the court? How will the injury to Jimmy Butler affect how much Pau Gasol is now used? Has Chris Paul become the heaviest source of production in the absence of Blake Griffin? These are all questions that can be answered by observing the Usage Rate of each player. DeMarcus Cousins and Harden have two of the highest Usage Rate's, 33.06 and 32.2.

Usage

 

More Statistics for DFS Lineups

Trend

This simply measures whether a player is hot or cold. (An arrow pointed either up or down is the indication)

Fantasy Points Per Game

This, along with the next couple, is self-explanatory, but what should also be stressed is the time it would take in doing the math yourself. Most of the time we're not necessarily searching for the best, but for consistency. This category helps you do so.

Minutes Per Game

Everybody wants to select guys that see plenty of the floor each night. Minutes per Game can be pinned against Fantasy Points per Game to observe whether a player is worth drafting. A player that plays over 30 minutes a night doesn't always result in big fantasy points. Marcus Morris sees over 35 minutes a night and averages only 24.97 fantasy points. Lebron James plays around the same amount of time as Morris but averages 46.22 FPPG.

Fantasy Points Per Minute

This is another stat that helps in figuring out if a player who sees a bulk of minutes is worth starting. Each of the aforementioned categories can also be narrowed down further: Home/Away, DraftKings/FanDuel, Season/Last 15 Days/Last Season, and of course Position C, PF, SF, SG, G.

Granted, some of these stats can be found on DraftKings and FanDuel, but being able to access them all together is rare. Each stat builds and reflects on the next, aiding DFS participants in putting together the best possible lineup while scrutinizing every possible angle to success, examining so much more than just how often a player can put the ball in the hoop.

Overall

 

Try RotoBaller's Daily Fantasy Basketball Premium Tools

Our NBA Premium Subscription goes above and beyond standard DFS tools.

  • DFS Cheat Sheet with Lineup Picks: Get access to 10 deeply researched picks per cheat sheet, complete with a slew of advanced stats that are key to unlocking NBA player value and DFS success. Cheat Sheets are released three days a week for full NBA slates: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
  • DFS Value Picks Tool: This cutting edge tool will help you find, sort and filter the best value and sleeper picks for each day of NBA DFS action. With premium stats like "Usage Rate", "Trend" and "Value", you will have a serious leg up on the competition.
  • Daily NBA Projections: Meticulously researched daily NBA DFS points projections for FanDuel and DraftKings scoring.


If you're already purchased your NBA DFS Premium Subscription, you can access it here.

 

Premium Tool Screenshots - Check It Out

Daily Projections, Trends & Value Picks



NBA DFS Lineup Picks & Cheat Sheet

Click here to see a full size version of the cheat sheet

 

Fantasy Basketball & NBA DFS Chat Room - Live Advice

 

[iflychat_embed id="c-11" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="320px"]

 

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Grayson Allen8 mins ago

Listed As Probable For Tuesday
Kevin Durant12 mins ago

Ready To Return To Action Tuesday
Bradley Beal13 mins ago

Ruled Out For Tuesday
OG Anunoby23 mins ago

Uncertain For Tuesday
Jamal Murray26 mins ago

Active On Monday
Aaron Gordon31 mins ago

Will Play Against Portland
Michael Porter Jr.36 mins ago

Remains Out Monday
Kris Murray43 mins ago

Skips Monday's Action
Josh Hart45 mins ago

Probable For Tuesday
Robert Williams III47 mins ago

Out On Monday
Jakob Poeltl51 mins ago

Out On Tuesday
Jerami Grant53 mins ago

Unavailable Monday
Joel Embiid58 mins ago

Questionable For Tuesday
Anthony Davis1 hour ago

Expected To Miss Multiple Weeks
Dante Exum1 hour ago

Available Monday Night
Stephen Curry1 hour ago

Cleared To Play On Monday
Max Christie1 hour ago

Cleared To Play Against Kings
P.J. Washington1 hour ago

To Miss Monday's Game
Brook Lopez1 hour ago

Cleared To Face The Warriors
Damian Lillard2 hours ago

Good To Go Against Warriors
Moussa Diabate2 hours ago

Starting On Monday
Tiger Woods4 hours ago

Withdraws From Genesis Invitational
Spencer Strider6 hours ago

Could Return In Late April
MMA7 hours ago

Weili Zhang Wins Decision In Co-Main Event Of UFC 312
Tatiana Suarez7 hours ago

Takes Decision Loss
Justin Tafa7 hours ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC 312
Xavier Worthy7 hours ago

Scores Twice In Super Bowl Debut
Tallison Teixeira7 hours ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 312
Patrick Mahomes8 hours ago

Loses His Second Super Bowl
Francisco Prado8 hours ago

Drops Decision At UFC 312
Dallas Cowboys9 hours ago

Cowboys To Consider Trading Micah Parsons?
Derrick Henry9 hours ago

Ravens, Derrick Henry Expected To Begin Extension Talks Early This Offseason
Enrique Hernández13 hours ago

Kike Hernandez Returning To Los Angeles
Jalen Hurts21 hours ago

Displays Dominance In Super Bowl Victory
Saquon Barkley21 hours ago

Contained By Chiefs In Super Bowl Win
Philadelphia Eagles1 day ago

Brandon Graham Active For Super Bowl
Chase Dollander1 day ago

Could Skip Triple-A
Joe Musgrove1 day ago

Could Resume Throwing Midseason
Tanner Scott1 day ago

To See Most Of The Save Opportunities
Jake Matthews1 day ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC 312
Rodolfo Bellato1 day ago

Battles Back To Get A Draw At UFC 312
Jimmy Crute1 day ago

Fights To A Draw In Return At UFC 312
Sean Strickland1 day ago

Suffers Lopsided Decision Loss At UFC 312
Dricus Du Plessis1 day ago

Retains Middleweight Belt At UFC 312
Deebo Samuel Sr.1 day ago

49ers Grant Deebo Samuel Sr. Permission To Seek A Trade
Drew Doughty1 day ago

Joins Team Canada For 4 Nations Face-Off
Aaron Rodgers1 day ago

Jets Unlikely To Move Forward With Aaron Rodgers
Rasmus Ristolainen1 day ago

To Sit Out 4 Nations Face-Off
Jakub Dobes1 day ago

Starts On Sunday
Matias Maccelli1 day ago

Heads Back To Press Box Sunday
Connor Ingram1 day ago

Takes On Capitals Sunday
Logan Thompson1 day ago

Faces Utah On Sunday
Mathew Barzal1 day ago

To Miss Roughly Six Weeks
Alex Bregman2 days ago

Houston Increases Initial Offer To Alex Bregman
Lukas Dostal2 days ago

Stops 43 Shots In Victory
Thomas Harley2 days ago

Tallies Goal, Assist On Saturday
Matt Boldy2 days ago

Tallies Three Points On Saturday
Samuel Ersson2 days ago

Stands Tall Against Pittsburgh
Matthew Tkachuk2 days ago

Tallies Three Points In Victory
Thatcher Demko2 days ago

Exits Early On Saturday
Travis Kelce2 days ago

Undecided On Future
Giancarlo Stanton2 days ago

Will Not Play Every Day
Eury Pérez2 days ago

Eury Perez Throwing Bullpens, Remains On Track For Midseason Return
Igor Shesterkin2 days ago

Out For 1-2 Weeks With An Upper-Body Injury
Pyotr Kochetkov2 days ago

Takes On Utah Saturday
Sam Montembeault2 days ago

Starts On Saturday
Tyler Tucker2 days ago

Misses Third Straight Game Saturday
Mikey Anderson2 days ago

Remains Sidelined Saturday
Dylan Cozens2 days ago

Expected To Play Saturday
Zachary L'Heureux2 days ago

Considered Day-To-Day
Kevin Fiala3 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak On Friday
Tyreek Hill3 days ago

Says He Plans To Return To Dolphins
MMA3 days ago

Weili Zhang Set For Third Title Defense
Tatiana Suarez3 days ago

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Tallison Teixeira3 days ago

Makes His UFC Debut At UFC 312
Justin Tafa3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC 312
Francisco Prado3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Najee Harris3 days ago

Strong Chance Steelers Re-Sign Najee Harris?
Rickie Fowler3 days ago

Withdraws From Waste Management Phoenix Open
Kyle Tucker4 days ago

Cubs Not Expected To Extend Kyle Tucker During The Season
Minnesota Vikings4 days ago

Kevin O'Connell Named Coach Of The Year
Los Angeles Rams4 days ago

Jared Verse Named Defensive Rookie Of The Year
Denver Broncos4 days ago

Patrick Surtain II Named Defensive Player Of The Year
Josh Allen4 days ago

Named MVP
Joe Burrow4 days ago

Named Comeback Player Of The Year
Saquon Barkley4 days ago

Wins Offensive Player Of The Year
Jayden Daniels4 days ago

Named Offensive Rookie Of The Year
Jake Matthews4 days ago

Opens Up UFC 312 Main Card
Rodolfo Bellato4 days ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC 312
Jimmy Crute4 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC 312
Sean Strickland4 days ago

Looks To Reclaim Middleweight Title At UFC 312
Dricus Du Plessis4 days ago

Puts Middleweight Title On The Line At UFC 312
Adam Thielen4 days ago

Plans To Play In 2025
Tommy Pham4 days ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Pittsburgh
Pete Alonso5 days ago

Returning To Mets On Two-Year Deal
Alex Bregman5 days ago

Cubs Offer Four-Year Deal To Alex Bregman
Sandy Alcantara5 days ago

Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day
Brandon Woodruff5 days ago

Not Expected To Be Ready For Start Of Spring Training
Christian Yelich5 days ago

Not Expected To Be 100% For Start Of Spring Training
Eric Cole5 days ago

Faces Challenges At WM Phoenix Open
Gary Woodland5 days ago

A Strong Value Play At WM Phoenix Open
Lee Hodges5 days ago

Looks To Build On Strong Start At WM Phoenix Open
Ben Griffin5 days ago

Still Searching For Consistency At Scottsdale
Rashee Rice5 days ago

Doing Well In His Injury Recovery
Denny McCarthy5 days ago

A Volatile Option At WM Phoenix Open
Lucas Glover5 days ago

Looks To Build On Strong Pebble Beach Finish
Andrew Novak5 days ago

In Good Form Ahead Of WM Phoenix Open
Keith Mitchell5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At WM Phoenix Open
Sam Stevens5 days ago

Looking To Stay Hot At WM Phoenix Open
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

Worth Considering At WM Phoenix Open
J.J. Spaun5 days ago

In Great Form Ahead Of WM Phoenix Open
Davis Thompson5 days ago

Is Riding The Struggle Bus To Scottsdale
PGA5 days ago

J.T. Poston Looks To Overcome Putting Woes At WM Phoenix Open
Akshay Bhatia5 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent At WM Phoenix Open
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Solid Option At WM Phoenix Open
Corey Conners5 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Option At WM Phoenix Open
Matthieu Pavon5 days ago

Should Be Avoided At All Costs At TPC Scottsdale
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Will Be Hard To Trust At WM Phoenix Open Debut
PGA5 days ago

Sungjae Im Searching For Consistency At WM Phoenix Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Kyren Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty League Sells - Overrated Fantasy Football Players To Trade Away

Being tied to bad teams, having anomalously high production that isn't sustainable long-term, and dealing with serious injuries are at least a few reasons why players can become overrated in Dynasty fantasy football leagues. When evaluating your players, it's important to take a wide-angle lens to understand what's going on. Hanging on to an overrated […]


Mark Andrews - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Tight Ends Touchdowns Fallers for Fantasy Football - Regression Candidates

Fantasy points per game is one of the best predictive stats for fantasy managers. However, a player's point-per-game average can sometimes be significantly impacted by how many touchdowns they did or did not score. For 80% of a position's player pool, the players score more or less what we'd expect or in line with their […]


Tetairoa McMillan - College Football DFS Lineup Picks, NCAA CFB, NFL Draft Prospect

Early-Round Busts In 2025 Rookie Dynasty Fantasy Football Drafts

It's incredibly unpopular to say that rookies, who many Dynasty fantasy football managers are excited about, will bust and not be worth their picks. The problem is that it happens every year. Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is a prime example of this. While he had plenty of chances to develop into a […]


Isaac Guerendo - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Backup Running Backs To Buy In Dynasty Fantasy Football Leagues

You can never have enough running backs in fantasy football, just like you can never have enough lobster tails at your favorite seafood establishment. While the NFL has transformed into a pass-first league, and the fantasy values of quarterbacks and wide receivers have increased over the past decade, running backs still rule the fantasy roost. […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

A Tale of Two Seasons - Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Edition (Part I)

The NFL season is long and can result in players performing differently throughout the year. Sometimes, a player starts hot but fades down the stretch. Other times, they start cold but catch fire late in the year. Identifying these can not only be interesting but can also help fantasy managers understand who to buy or […]


Patrick Mahomes - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS

Super Bowl Fantasy Football Projections: (Half-PPR) - Patrick Mahomes, A.J. Brown, Isiah Pacheco, Travis Kelce, Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, more

Super Bowl LIX is just around the corner, and we know many of you are still competing in postseason fantasy football setups or DFS contests, so we're here to help. Use our Super Bowl fantasy football projections to assist your efforts and see how key players are expected to perform. Ahead of the final game of […]


Xavier Worthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL DFS Stacks for Super Bowl LIX: Correlations for Philadelphia and Kansas City

Super Bowl LIX brings us a rematch of the Eagles and Chiefs, who battled it out in the big game just two years ago, with the Chiefs coming out on top in a high-scoring close game. Vegas likes this game to be close (Chiefs -1.5) and high-scoring (48.5 total). Both teams had fantastic regular seasons […]


Dallas Goedert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Wide Receiver and Tight End Matchups to Target for Super Bowl LIX - Dallas Goedert, Xavier Worthy, A.J. Brown, more

Welcome to the Super Bowl LIX edition of our WR Matchups to Target column. We aim to finish the 2024-2025 NFL year on a high after a successful regular season that saw us hit the 3x DraftKings salary benchmark on 34% of our picks. We’ll be spotlighting the top six pass catchers by DFS salary […]


Travis Kelce - Fantasy Football Tight Ends You Must Have in 2024

Free Super Bowl LIX Betting Picks and Expert Predictions

Championship Sunday was kind to us two weeks ago. We cashed tickets on the Chiefs and Eagles and won .5 units in the process. Super Bowl LIX is this weekend, and the NFL season is almost officially over. I’ve enjoyed writing this weekly column for RotoBaller and am thankful for the opportunity. Hopefully, you’ve learned […]


A.J. Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

Comparing The Chiefs and Eagles At Every Position: Sizing Up Super Bowl LIX (2025)

With the dust settled on an 18-week regular season and three rounds of the NFL playoffs, just two teams remain standing. The AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs are set to square off against the NFC-winning Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. The Super Bowl returns to New Orleans this year and is set to be […]


Jalen Hurts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Prop Bet Picks for Super Bowl LIX - DraftKings Super Bowl Specials

Super Sunday is finally here! Super Bowl LIX will match the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La., with the Chiefs currently favored by 1.5 points. That being said, we are not here to discuss spreads and totals. Oh no, we are here to discuss the props that […]


Xavier Worthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

WR/CB Matchups to Upgrade and Downgrade - Super Bowl Fantasy Football Picks (2024-25)

Welcome back to our WR/CB Matchups for the Super Bowl of the 2024-2025 fantasy football season. Congrats to all of you who won a championship or reached the title game! For those unfamiliar, this weekly series looks at fantasy football matchups for wide receivers versus the cornerbacks who are projected to cover them. The data […]


Saquon Barkley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Super Bowl LIX Matchups We Love - Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks Including Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, Travis Kelce, Dallas Goedert, more

The end is near in the NFL. Super Bowl week has finally arrived. NFL fans can rejoice as we near the end of a long season. It is bittersweet to hit this point in the season, but the fireworks that should come with the Super Bowl are too great to ignore. This season's big game […]