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Today's top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/14/17. Jake Finnen's expert NBA DFS advice, lineup sleepers and player recommendations.
Goodie. Five games tonight which means only the best of the best will shine. Grab your CostCo card cause were shopping bulk from the strongest value plays out there. We're not talking about that basement level guy who get's you hits value with 20FPTS. I'm talking about that $4,000 player going off for 35 FPTS and anchoring you in that sweet neon green.
Steph Curry and Tim Hardaway are still out and Draymond Green is doubtful. As far as major injuries go, those are the only places with players needed to fill that void. Courtney Lee will continue to have a ton of upside but as we know, it's still Courtney Lee and you never know if you are getting two points, or twenty-two. It's a toss up but he'll absolutely get the opportunities to produce.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/14/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on FanDuel.
DFS Guards to Consider
Ish Smith - PG, @ ATL ($3,900)
CALL HIM ISHMAEL. Ish Smith is one of the better backup point guards in the league and has been consistent as anyone given a backup role could be. He continues to shine nightly and be the perfect bench option for Reggie Jackson. He will score and he will generate offense. Against the Hawks, who have been struggling, Smith has the chance to see extra minutes in a blowout game. The best part about it is, even if it's not a blowout, Smith will get minutes as one of the most reliable ball-handlers on the team. A sturdy floor and capable ceiling makes House Smith, unsurpassable.
Josh Hart - SG @ CLE ($3,500)
This is simply a pick for the extremely bold. Hart has shown little signs of production given minutes and his only hope of being relevant is hitting all his shots. He is stuck behind a few guards and does most of his work on defense. There is a chance Josh Hart has a breakout game due to the amount of threes that will be throw up, but normally I would just leave this one alone.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - SG, @ CLE ($5,900)
Either the Lakers are always playing when I write my articles or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has actually become a decent fantasy option. His floor basically a guaranteed 20 points with the upside he is actually hitting his shots. A defensive mindset means hustle stats and an improved jumpshot means more threes. As a moderately priced option, it's easy to roster KCP as lower to mid-tier value play against the Cavaliers. Pace will play an important role and the shot will be flying from everywhere.
Also Consider: Garrett Temple - SG, @ MIN ($3,500)
DFS Forwards to Consider
Harrison Barnes - SF, @ GSW ($6,600)
REVEENNNGGEEE GAMMEE. The Mavericks have been booty lately but Barnes continues to shine as the foundation of the offense. The Mavericks tend to slow games down which work exactly against the Warriors tendencies which make this an enticing matchup. With Barnes at such a low price and the Warriors high-scoring games, this is a recipe for disaster. Did I mention this is still a revenge-game in a sense. Barnes may have left, but I can't imagine he prefers his situation over playing for Golden State. Just saying.
Joe Harris - SF, vs. NYK ($3,500)
Granted Joe Harris, isn't a small forward but whatever, we'll just skip that. Luckily, Harris is all boom-or-bust and the Knicks defense is bad. They rank in the higher end against most small forwards but again, Harris is not a small forward. As a clear two-guard dependent on threes for production, when he heats up is great news for owners. The only downside to playing the Knicks is the potential of drawing Courtney Lee who might halt his production. Even against Lee, Harris has a size advantage and realitically the Knicks should not waste one of their best on-ball defenders against Harris. Chances are the Knicks let Harris drop 30 on them from the perimeter before they let someone like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson or Caris LeVert run through the Knicks defense and beat them from the inside.
Dwight Powell - PF, at GSW ($3,900)
This could go two ways. Either you run with Dirk Nowitzki against the Warriors, which is a totally viable play. Or you run Dwight Powell, a stretch who has the ability to hit jumpers and has been trending up. As much as Dirk's deserving of the roster spot, you have to go with Powell here. Powell might get stuck with his hands full on defense but the way he can run the floor opens up easy opportunities for him. The Warriors defense is good, but they still lack that true rim protector that can keep players like Powell from capitalizing on easy chances. If Zaza Pachulia decides to play, that might actually work out better for Powell since he will be able to use his athleticism to keep Pachulia from having a major impact.
DFS Centers to Consider
JaVale McGee - C, vs. DAL ($3,500)
This is a very risky pick only because Jordan Bell actually deserves the minutes. Bell has shown a ton of upside but JaVale McGee is nothing but upside. McGee just produces. It's what he does. He will get rebounds and finish alley-oops, and get blocks, but there is a limit. The Warriors should beat the snot out of the Mavericks based on...well, everything. But basketball is funny and sometimes things fall certain ways and teams like the Mavericks win and JaVale McGee puts up a 10-10-2 statline.
*Enter Angels in the Outfield's P.J., "it could happen" gif*
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