RADIO
Euan Leith highlights the top FanDuel NBA DFS lineup picks for 2/25/20, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
Hello RotoBallers! I hope you are all having a terrific Tuesday and are ready to win some money on tonight's seven-game main slate on FanDuel. We've only got one team playing the second game of a back-to-back, Milwaukee, and all the other teams are relatively healthy for this part of the season, but some fantasy stars are missing. Damian Lillard is still out with a groin issue, and Kemba Walker is out for Tuesday's contest against the Trail Blazers after sitting out Sunday's game against the Lakers.
Fortunately, there is plenty of star power around the league to make up for it. We have Giannis Antetokounmpo facing off against Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors in the slate's second-highest over/under, and both teams rank inside the top-three for implied totals. Then on the other side of the country, we get to witness the first showdown between Zion Williamson, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis. It has the highest over/under for the night at 238.5, and the biggest implied total for the night at 123.3 belonging to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 2/25/20. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. You can also check out today's DraftKings lineup picks. Find me in the NBA Chat Room or @EuanOrYouOut on Twitter, and remember to check our injury updates before the games start at 7 pm Eastern tonight.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
C.J. McCollum - SG, POR vs. BOS ($8,500)
We start today's recommendations with a rather obvious play. Damian Lillard is out, and that leaves CJ McCollum as an easy slot to fill in at guard tonight. The 2013 first-round pick has had two great games after the All-Star break without his backcourt running mate and should be the primary offensive option against Boston on Tuesday. McCollum has averaged 34 points, 11 rebounds, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.5 made threes in the two games since the season resumed and has given his owners 58 fantasy points per game. He is the second most expensive shooting guard on the slate but is $400 less than Zach LaVine, and it seems like those prices should switch, but I won't complain, I'll take advantage. Sometimes the best play is the obvious play, and McCollum is a prime example of that on Tuesday night.
Malik Monk - SG, CHA @ IND ($5,100)
Over the last two weeks, Charlotte Hornets guard Malik Monk has averaged 20.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, one steal, and 2.5 made threes per game over 29.5 minutes. For daily fantasy purposes, he hasn't logged a single sub-20 point game since Jan. 30 and is averaging 27.4 fantasy points per game over that stretch. The $5,100 you have to spend to get him is minimal compared to some of the other mediocre options on the slate, and it is worth the risk in a tournament to have someone that could hit the way Monk can. He sandwiched the All-Star break with a 40.3 point performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and they came out of the break guns blazing with a 33.7 performance against the Chicago Bulls. The game between the Hornets and Pacers owns the lowest over/under for the night, but his 22.2 percent usage rate for the season has climbed to sit between 28 and 31 percent over the last three games. That makes the third-year pro a sneaky zag while all the other competitors are zigging on Tuesday night.
Avery Bradley - SG, LAL vs. NO ($3,700)
We are going deep into the guard pool tonight. It's not every day that you have LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum, and Anthony Davis on the same slate, so some of you may need to get creative if you are going to fit two of those studs into your lineups. Enter Avery Bradley. It may sound crazy, but hear me out. Before Sunday's clunker against the Celtics, Bradley was averaging 14.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 3.1 made threes throughout the past seven games. He's giving you 19.1 fantasy points per game over that stretch, and, if he can get to the 20 point mark, he will be a high return on investment in a night full of high-priced studs. New Orleans-L.A. has the highest over/under on the slate tonight and the Lakers are favored by eight points. If it turns into a blowout, Bradley could benefit from some mop-up duty in the final minutes.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Jayson Tatum - PF, BOS @ POR ($8,800)
Since the calendar flipped to February, daily fantasy players have fallen head over heels in love with Jayson Tatum. That's because he hasn't scored below 40 fantasy points in any of the nine games he has played. He's averaged 49.1 fantasy points per game over the last five games, and just had two of his seven highest-scoring games of the season against the Timberwolves and the Lakers. He has been punishing the box score every night, and while the $8,800 price tag is up there, it still seems like a value to me, especially against Portland's 27th ranked defense. It's always tempting to plug in Anthony Davis at the power forward position and worry about filling the rest of your lineup, but the $1,800 in savings could give you some much-needed roster flexibility for the rest of the seven-game slate.
Andrew Wiggins - SF, GSW vs. SAC ($7,800)
Newly-acquired Andrew Wiggins has been impressive in his limited time in a Golden State Warriors jersey. Although his scoring took a slight dip, he has been more efficient in the shooting department. He's averaging 19.8 points on 49.3 percent shooting, and is making the same amount of threes per game as he did in Minnesota (2.2), but is hitting them at a 47.8 percent clip compared to a lowly 33.1 percent up north. Facing off against the Sacramento Kings will give him another boost, too, as they give up 27.5 points per 48 minutes to the small forward position. Wiggins has posted at least 32 fantasy points in four of his five games as a Warrior, and against the King's soft defense, he should have his eyes set on making it five out of six.
Brandon Ingram - SF, NO @ LAL ($7,500)
Ingram's value took an obvious hit when Zion Williamson stepped on the court for the Pelicans, but considering we have the opportunity to start a player for $7,500 tonight who was valued at $9,000 just over a month ago seems too good to pass up. Couple that with New Orleans having the fourth-highest implied total and it is a recipe for fantasy success. Ingram was hobbled going into the All-Star break and missed the last three games, but has returned to post 25.8 and 32.3 points in two games since games resumed. The Lakers are right in the middle of the pack in terms of defense versus small forwards, but a lot of attention will be heading Zion Williamson's way and the secondary option for the Pelicans should be Ingram. They are right in the thick of things for a final playoff spot, and prospective owners should not worry about a minutes limit for Ingram in his third game back from injury. He played 33 minutes on Sunday at Golden State and seemed fully healthy after the break.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Hassan Whiteside - C, POR vs. BOS ($9,600)
Portland Trail Blazers center Hassan Whiteside has seen a slight bump in his usage rate in the two games without Damian Lillard in the lineup, and it is further solidifying his floor heading into Tuesday night's game against the Boston Celtics. In his first year with Portland, Whiteside is averaging 15.8 points, 14.8 rebounds, and a league-leading 3.1 blocks per game and reminding fantasy basketball players why the Heat signed him to that max deal just a few seasons ago. He costs $1,000 less than Nikola Jokic on tonight's slate but is outscoring him 43.6 fantasy points per game to 43.4 over the previous two weeks. With those two being the only elite options at the center position on the board, take the cheaper one and spend that $1,000 elsewhere to round out your roster and give yourself the best chance of cashing in on tonight's slate.
