Good morning loyal and new readers to this Wednesday edition of NBA FanDuel daily fantasy. On deck, we've got a 10 game schedule, which all tips off at 7:05 EST. Before I get into my player selections and analysis, let's take a look at a few Vegas lines that are of interest and could help us shape our lineups, particularly if we choose to stack a team or two.
The games with the highest over/under (or projected point totals) are the following, in descending order: Pacers at Trailblazers (214.5), Wizards at Thunder (212.5) Knicks at Timberwolves (211.5) and the Hawks at Suns (209). Okay,so none of those are jaw-dropping totals, but there's a handful of above-average lines and the highest spread of any is just 7.5 (Pacers at Trailblazers). Unless I am targeting bench or second unit players on an underdog team in a matchup with a high over/under, I like to target games with a smaller spread. These are my daily fantasy NBA lineup picks for FanDuel on 11/30/16. Let's get to it, shall we?
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Dennis Schroder - PG, at PHX ($5,600)
Today I'm going to go mid-tier price range heavy in my backcourt as I think there are a handful of guys with great opportunities to exceed salary based expectations and good chances to put up "tournament winning" type numbers. For as successful as the Hawks have been this year, Schroder's numbers haven't exactly mirrored the team's output, but he is trending up in his last three games - exceeding his price implied value in each. In fact, he's outperformed in four of his last five but looking at his price fluctuation over a 10 game clip, he's $500 cheaper than he was in the middle of November. Tonight, he faces a fast paced team that has given up a lot of points to opposing point guards in a game with a high projected point total.
Goran Dragic - PG, at DEN ($6,800)
Like Schroder, Dragic hasn't exactly dazzled this season, but he's a bargain tonight and in a great spot to outperform salary based expectations. Dragic plays more than 30 minutes a game, which creates a nice floor, but he has higher upside tonight than usual thanks to the matchup. Denver is a team that really likes to run, which will lead to more possessions and opportunities for Dragic, and additionally, they've given up more points to opposing point guards than any other team taking the floor tonight.
CJ McCollum - SG, vs IND ($7,400)
To say that I am completely unimpressed by the options at shooting guard tonight would be putting it lightly. Despite playing a team that has been solid defensively against guards, I think McCollum is one the best and safest plays. Why? For starters, the game is projected to have a high point total and McCollum's usage rate of nearly 26 is near the top among available two-guards tonight. Additionally, he always gets his shots up. Over the past six games, he's managed to exceed 17 or more shot attempts in five of said games. On top of that, I think this price is a bit of a bargain, especially considering the fact that McCollum has been known to go off and put up 40+ FanDuel point performances.
Also Consider: Kyle Korver - SG, at PHX ($3,600)
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Andrew Wiggins - SF, vs NYK - $5,900
Are we witnessing the emergence of Andrew Wiggins in 2016? I'd like to think he's finally arrived and blossoming into the player his believers felt he would become. Tonight, he's price way too low, which puts him in extreme bargain status. He also has a very favorable matchup against the Knicks, as he's stronger and faster than any of their wings and the game projects to be a high scoring affair. From an opportunity standpoint, Wiggins is in place to shine tonight. His season usage rate of 27.8 is very high among small forwards and I think he could shatter his salary based expectations this evening.
Tobias Harris - PF, at BOS - $5,300
Harris is really playing well in the Pistons recent stretch of games, as he's outperformed salary based expectations in seven of his last 10 - by a solid margin of 3.6 points per night. He has a usage rate of nearly 21, which puts him in the top six among power forwards taking the floor tonight, and out of those six, I like his matchup better than any. Boston has been very kind to opposing big men this season and the fast pace in which the Celtics operate means more possessions for the Pistons, which could equal more shooting chances for Harris.
Also Consider: Kawhi Leonard - SF, at DAL ($8,400)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Marc Gasol - C, at TOR ($7,000)
Gasol has been a very valuable producer of fantasy (and real) points this season and I like the position he's in tonight. He steadily puts up 15-20 shot attempts per game, plays roughly 32 minutes, and grabs a handful of rebounds - all of which create a nice floor. Additionally, he can stroke it from anywhere on the court and has the third highest usage rate (25.7) of any center taking the floor tonight. The matchup is favorable, too, as no team in play tonight has given up more points to opposing centers than the Raptors have. I will say that I think there is some risk attached to this pick tonight with Mike Conley out, but it may end up meaning more offensive responsibility for Gasol. I think it's a risk worth taking.
Also Consider: Mason Plumlee - C, vs IND ($5,800)
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