The 2016-’17 NBA season is officially underway. The first few weeks of the season always offer up tough choices, as decisions are largely based off of a small sample size.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 11/10/16. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on DraftKings. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @hayudi18.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Dwyane Wade – SG, CHI ($6,500)
After 13 seasons as the face of the Miami Heat, on Thursday night, Wade will return to Miami for the first time since joining the Bulls. Setting aside all Thunder-Warriors games, Thursday night’s tilt between the Heat and Bulls is the “revenge game” of the year.
However, not to get lost in the mix is how well Wade is playing despite taking on a smaller role. The 34-year-old shot 1-for-9 against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, but is otherwise managing 23.2 points per game on 50% shooting. Nine of his 10 three-pointers made this season have come in two games, so if he can find a rhythm from deep, it will be a long night for the team with which Wade won three championships.
Klay Thompson – SG, GS ($6,200)
After a lackluster start to the season — he shot 11-for-53 from deep over his first seven games — Thompson erupted in the first quarter of Wednesday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, scoring 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting (4-for-5 from deep). However, he managed just one basket the rest of the way, finishing 8-for-13 with 20 points. That breakout performance is coming sooner rather than later for Thompson, who, last year, buried more threes in a single season than anybody in history not named Stephen Curry.
Guards have absolutely torched the Nuggets all season— Denver has allowed 37 points to Damian Lillard, 23 to C.J. McCollum, 33 to DeMar DeRozan, 29 to Kyle Lowry, 25 to Andrew Wiggins, 30 to Isaiah Thomas and 20 to Vince Carter. Both Curry and Thompson are strong plays Thursday night. However, Thompson is significantly cheaper, and while Curry often sits out for the entire fourth quarter in a blowout, Thompson will likely remain on the floor.
E'Twaun Moore – SG, NO ($4,100)
Moore has stepped into a larger role for the New Orleans Pelicans with Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans on the shelf to start the season. Through eight games, he sits second on the team in minutes per game (30.3), points per game (12.3) and assists per game (3.3). The 27-year-old has scored in double-figures in five of those games, and owns a 47.6% shooting percentage.
So far this season, the Milwaukee Bucks have allowed 26 points to Bojan Bogdanovic, 21 to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 19 to C.J. Miles and 19 to Garrett Temple. Plus, last time these two teams met on November 1st, Moore dropped 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting. Moore is one of the cheaper starting guards in Thursday’s slate, and could be in for a strong performance.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Draymond Green – PF/C, GS ($7,800)
Last week, it was mentioned that Green was finding ways to produce despite not putting the ball in the hoop. Since then, he has scored 16 points twice in three games, shooting over 50% in both contests, while maintaining his fill-up-the-stat-sheet mentality. On the year, he is averaging 9.4 points, 10.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.7 blocks and 2.4 steals. Green is a triple-double threat every night, and the Denver Nuggets are just defensively-challenged enough to let that happen— Anthony Davis and Avery Bradley have both flirted with a triple-double against the Nuggets this season. Kevin Durant is obviously an enticing play, as well, but Green is a better “bang for your buck.”
Jabari Parker – SF/PF, MIL ($5,900)
Parker showed major improvements in his first full season a year ago, and has continued to elevate his game in 2016. Since the calendar turned to November, the 21-year-old is averaging 31.5 minutes, 20.8 points and 5.8 rebounds with a 52.5% shooting percentage. This includes a matchup with the Pelicans, Milwaukee’s opponent for Thursday night, in which he dropped 21 points on 7-for-14 shooting in just 29 minutes. Even though he grabbed just two rebounds that night, opposing players have had success rebounding the ball against Anthony Davis and company— New Orleans ranks 30th in rebound percentage.
Luol Deng – SF/PF, LAL ($4,000)
Deng has not shot well for most of the season. He owns a 34.4% shooting percentage and is averaging just 6.8 points per game, but has found other ways to contribute. The 31-year-old veteran has posted 6.4 rebounds per game, collecting two double-doubles in his first eight games of the season. He managed more than 30 fantasy points in each of those contests, offering exceptional value at his price— which hasn’t exceeded $4,800 and is the lowest it has been all season. You’re not going to find this kind of fantasy upside anywhere else within this price range. Deng is a solid play against a Kings team that has been susceptible to big performances by forwards.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Nikola Jokic – PF/C, DEN ($5,500)
Jokic is $500 cheaper than Jusuf Nurkic, but is more than capable of outperforming him on a given night. The 22-year-old big man is seeing north of 23 minutes per game, and while he has scored in double-figures just three times in seven contests, he has proven over the last year that he is capable of dominating a game— he finished with at least 15 points and 10 rebounds 12 times last season. He is averaging 10.7 points and 6.7 rebounds to date, with one double-double in the form of a 23-point, 17-rebound, four-steal showing against the Portland Trailblazers on October 29th.
The Golden State Warriors rank just 24th in rebounding this season, and have allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards (third fewest to centers). This includes some big performances by LaMarcus Aldridge (26/14), Anthony Davis (45/17 and 33/13) and Julius Randle (20/14).
Timofey Mozgov – C, LAL ($3,200)
Mozgov is averaging 8.0 points (58.5% shooting) and 5.6 rebounds through seven games played this year. He already has two games with at least 12 points and eight rebounds, after having just two such performances all of last season. He will see at least 20 minutes almost every night given the lack of defensive ability in the Lakers’ frontcourt. Additionally, Los Angeles could again be without forward Larry Nance, who remains in concussion protocol, against the Kings on Thursday night. Sacramento has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this year. If you are looking to go cheap at the center position and free up salary for other spots, Mozgov could be your guy.
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