Last night was a bust, largely thanks to the Wizards not showing up in New Orleans and the Spurs inexplicably getting housed by 40 points in Minnesota.
Would-be blowouts in Milwaukee, Charlotte and OKC went the other way and really messed things up as well.
The Association calms down quite a bit tonight, as DFS gamers have just three games to work with. Stephen Curry is one huge name that won’t hit the hardwood, while Victor Oladipo is doubtful and Lonzo Ball is questionable.
There are a few other names to monitor and some situations to consider as you finalize your NBA DFS lineups. I’ll cover some of that as I hand out my favorite daily fantasy basketball picks for GPPs over at FanDuel:
PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Los Angeles Clippers ($5.2k)
SGA continues to start and see about 30 minutes per game. He has some guys that can eat up his run in any given game, but he’s playing well and gets his hands in a lot of different categories.
A matchup against the Kings bodes well for him and he’s cheap, plus PG is a weak position tonight. I’m paying down here if I can help it.
PG: Cory Joseph – Indiana Pacers ($4.3k)
Kyle Lowry is the top point guard on this slate and is actually a palatable $8k, while De’Aaron Fox is a fine option at $7.6k. Lonzo Ball ($6.7k) is iffy for tonight, but if he suits up he’s not the worst option.
I’m not paying over $6k for Darren Collison and none of these guys stand out as must-have options. That brings me to CoJo, who I usually loathe, but the guy is getting run and will be in an up tempo matchup with the Lakers.
You could do a lot worse with your free square on this slate.
SG: Klay Thompson – Golden State Warriors ($7)
Dipo is probably out again tonight, but if he’s active in a shootout with the Lakers he figures to be an elite option. I’m assuming he sits, though, which firmly puts Klay Klay as the top shooting guard on this slate.
Normally I’d pass on Thompson and just save money at a weak SG position, but he’s got a great role with Stephen Curry still out with an injury. Kawhi Leonard will almost certainly be draping Kevin Durant, which could give way to a huge night for Thompson.
The price is nice given his role and upside and I don’t know if anyone else at this position is a better play, dollar for dollar.
SG: Bogdan Bogdanovic – Sacramento Kings ($5.7k)
There are a lot of cheaper guys to consider here and it all starts with Josh Hart if Lonzo Ball is out. I also don’t mind Lou Williams or Buddy Hield, but for now I’ll roll out Bogdanovic, who has been ramping up his minutes and is a pretty good price.
SF: LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers ($11.4k)
The play here is recency bias and a loaded SF position. LeBron James can go off for 70+ fantasy points every time out, but in his last three games he’s been rather weak.
Kevin Durant is easily the chalky play and Kawhi Leonard is the value pivot. But King James can still be a stud and there’s a chance he could go overlooked, even on a tiny three-game slate.
I’m fine with him regardless, but if I can get James at low ownership, that’s pretty alluring.
SF: Brandon Ingram – Los Angeles Lakers ($6.3k)
It feels weird to roster two Lakers small forwards, but Ingram plays three positions and could end up handling the rock a ton in the event Lonzo Ball is out. I like his value regardless, as he plays a ton and should be active against Indy tonight.
Danilo Gallinari is another fine option at just $700 more and you can obviously considering stacking two of the three elite SF options. That’s certainly something I’d consider if Ball is out and I can confidently use Hart or KCP.
PF: Kyle Kuzma – Los Angeles Lakers ($6.1k)
Both of the Clippers PF options look like great plays tonight, but they’re really expensive.
Given what they normally get you, I’d argue their price should be about $1k less. You can also look at Domantas Sabonis, but he’s a little expensive given his limited minutes.
Draymond Green is out, too, so there is a good argument for just dropping down as low as you’re comfortable with at power forward tonight.
I just think, more than anything, your options are wide open here. I like Kuz’s price and he’s been feeling it as a scorer lately. Let’s hope that continues.
PF: Pascal Siakam – Toronto Raptors ($6.8k)
Siakam would be a must if Leonard was randomly rested tonight, but the Dubs go small a lot so I think he’s locked into 30-35 minutes no matter what tonight.
Siakam does a ton of different things, so he’s not so scoring dependent. I think you can consider punting PF, but going down the middle feels like a fine strategy as well. If you can comfortably fit a Clippers big, that is fine as well.
C: Myles Turner – Indiana Pacers ($7.2k)
Center is clearly trash tonight, as Turner leads the way in terms of price. The good news is he’s playing well and he’s seen his offensive role grow with Victor Oladipo on the sidelines. If Dipo is indeed out again, Turner looks like a solid play.
This is another spot where you can consider a lot of different options, even though it’s a rough position. Trill is a bit cheaper and could be in play and you never know if Jonas Valanciunas will erupt.
If Marcin Gortat (back spasms) is out for the second night in a row, though, I might just punt with Boban Marjanovic ($4.7k).
Summary
I’m piecing this lineup together early in the day, so keep that in mind as you hear news trickle in.
What happens with Dipo, Lonzo and Gortat could really open things up even more, but as things stand I’m interested in fading KD and I’m also hoping to stay relatively balanced.
This looks like a solid team, but I can understand the desire to fully punt center and shooting guard tonight. That is very much on the table if things break just right, but at the very worst this lineup should be a great starting point for your lineup building process.
Whatever you decide, I hope I helped in some way. Good luck in your NBA DFS contests tonight and enjoy the games!