RADIO
Happy Friday to all of you! We've got lots and lots of basketball tonight, which is an excellent way to kick off the weekend. Eleven games, to be exact, so contest selection will be an extra important piece of the puzzle tonight. Tip, as is customary for Friday's, is at 7PM Eastern, so have those lineups ready before lock.
Based on the fact we are still without pace projections and Vegas totals for three games, there is likely going to be injury and scratch news that will affect our lineup builds in one way or another. But since I don't have absolutes on who is out (in those three games) and who is in, I'll focus on what we do have - three games that have point projections OVER what I consider to the benchmark where my attraction really begins - 210 points. Those three games are Nets at Raptors (217), Spurs at Rockets (213.5), and Thunder at 76ers (212). It's the lowest of the three just by a few points, but the Thunder-76ers matchup looks the most ripe for game-stacking, as the spread is just two points and each roster has plenty of players with 50+ point upside.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily NBA lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/15/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on FanDuel.
FanDuel DFS Guards
Damian Lillard - PG, at ORL ($9,500)
The point guard position is very fruitful tonight, which is a welcome change because it's been an eye sore for most of the week. If you're spending up, Russell Westbrook and Kyle Lowry are also in contention. I think the upside for all three are in the same ballpark, and I prefer Lillard's price to Westbrook's, and Lillard's matchup over Lowry's. It is no secret - the Magic have been very kind to visiting point guards this season, allowing more fantasy points to the position than any other team in contention tonight, and they rank 29th in DvP in that respect. After crushing value in three straight, Lillard had a disapointing game his in his last run out there, and I'm expecting a bounce back tonight with his Usage rate falling in the 30-32 range.
Also Consider: Russell Westbrook - PG, at PHI ($10,900)
Value Play: Jamal Murray - PG, vs NOP ($5,700)
Gary Harris - SG, vs NOP ($6,400)
I've been waiting for this Gary Harris to emerge! The one I obsessed over landing while he was in high school (we didn't, thanks Tom Izzo) is finally using his freak athleticism for play-making and as a result, he's playing the best basketball he's ever played in the Association. What has been excellent from a fantasy perspective is not only the play-making, but freak endurance and strong defense that "allows" him to stay on the court for 35+ minutes nearly every night - sometimes playing more than 40! Harris has increased his fantasy point per minute production to 0.94 this month, and he gets a beautiful matchup against the porous Pelicans defense. The Pelicans currently rank 29th and 28th against shooting guards in DvP and defensive efficiency, respectively. Keep an eye on the status of Will Barton, who is currently listed as Questionable. If he's unable to go, hit the lock button and then figure out the rest of your lineup construction.
Also Consider: DeMar DeRozan - SG, vs BKN ($9,100)
Tournament Play Only: Donovan Mitchell - SG, at BOS ($7,400)
Punt Play: Alex Abrines - SG, at PHI ($3,900)
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Trevor Ariza - SF, vs SAS ($5,100)
Ariza has been pretty consistent and his price has remained steady in the low 5k range despite that consistency. He's failed to reach value a few times, but when he does, he misses small. Ariza gets a ton of minutes and he's lately been a little more involved in the offense with Chris Paul's return as a facilitator and distributor. Since small forward is essentially a wasteland tonight, I'm going to lean on Ariza in cash here and I think he does have a little tournament upside, due to the fact that Kawhi Leonard may defend James Harden, which could move the ball more Ariza's way for open looks. For the season, he's posted a Usage rate of just 12, but that prediction is up to 15 tonight and with the minutes he plays, he shouldn't have trouble paying off his value.
Also Consider: David Nwaba - SF, at MIL ($4,600)
Tournament Play - Paul George - SF, at PHI ($7,600)
Tobias Harris - PF, at IND ($6,700)
I see this as a pretty opportune spot for Harris and his teammates. He and the rest of the starters play huge minutes in tight games (and we should see one here) and the Pacers are a pace-up opponent for them who are just average defensively (17th overall in defensive efficiency). The power forward, in particular, is where the Pacers are the worst defensively, and I see this as a bounce back game for Harris. He's had a two game skid, but he's normally very consistent and the extra possessions with his 23 Usage rate bode well for fantasy production.
Also Consider: John Henson - PF, at MIL ($5,700)
Tournament Only: Ben Simmons - PF, vs OKC ($9,200)
FanDuel DFS Centers
DeMarcus Cousins - C, at DEN ($11,700)
With Nikola Jokic still sidelined and a tight game expected, I love Cousins tonight as a big producer of offense and boards. Thus far in 2017, he's averaging nearly 1.5 points per minute on the floor and if this game stays as close as expected, we get a full allotment of Cousins minutes (32-36) against a weak interior defense. I especially like the leverage here in tournaments, as the return of Anthony Davis depresses Cousins ownership, but doesn't curb his upside.
Also Consider: Jonas Valanciunas - C, vs BKN ($5,700)
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