Brad Richter here (aka Rotopilot), I will be writing an NBA DFS article each Friday here at GoingFor2 to provide some of my Top Plays and Value Options for each position on the Friday FanDuel slate. I am a numbers guy by nature so with the NBA season just underway there is not enough reliable data to crunch the numbers to identify which players are strong plays early in the season. So, much of my early season analysis and recommendations will be based on preseason observations, coaching philosophies, and the very limited regular season game action we have seen so far.
NBA DFS FanDuel lineup advice for October 28
Point Guards
Top Play
Stephen Curry (GS) $9,000
Curry and the Warriors were embarrassed on opening night by the Spurs but will get a chance to bounce back on Friday against the Pelicans in a game with the second highest Vegas total. While Kevin Durant and Draymond Green were the offensive stars in the opener, look for Curry to assert himself against the Pelicans as the true leader of the team.
Value Pick
Tim Frazier (NO) $5,300
Frazier saw 37 minutes in the Pelicans’ opener against the Nuggets on his way to a double-double with 15 points and 11 assists for a total of 40.5 FanDuel points. His salary remains low again for Friday night where he should play big minutes again as the Pelicans try to keep up with the Warriors.
Other Options: Russell Westbrook (OKC) $12,000; Ish Smith (DET) $6,200; JJ Barea (DAL) $5,100
Shooting Guards
Top Pick
James Harden (HOU) $ 11,300
Harden and the Rockets will be popular plays all season long with the up-tempo pace of new head coach Mike D’Antoni. Harden dominates the ball which will lead to him contributing to a high volume of the team’s offense every night. He will face the Mavericks on Friday who does not have a good rim protector to keep Harden out of the paint scoring and dishing out assists.
Value Pick
Love our content? Check out the GoingFor2 Live Podcast Network!
Wesley Matthews (DAL) $5,100
The other beneficiary of the Rockets up-tempo pace and lack of defense is their opponent each night. Friday, the Mavericks will get a pace and offensive efficiency boost with will be good for Matthews who always plays big minutes including 40 minutes on opening night in the Mavericks’ overtime loss.
Other Options: Devin Booker (PHX) $6,100; Rodney Hood (UTH) $5,700; Eric Gordon (HOU) $5,200
Small Forwards
Top Pick
LeBron James (CLE) $9,900
James travels to Toronto for an Eastern Conference Finals rematch against the Raptors where he averaged 26.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.7 assists during the six-game series. With the Cavaliers as a small road favorite early in the season, James should play big minutes in a tight contest where he will want to assert that the Cavaliers are still the team to beat in the East this season.
Value Pick
Harrison Barnes (DAL) $5,100
Barnes has many things working in his favor Friday night. With his change of scenery to Dallas this year, his salary is still low despite the expected increased usage he will have. He will also benefit from an up-tempo game with the highest Vegas total of the night against the Rockets.
Other Options: Aaron Gordon (ORL) $5,600; Trevor Ariza (HOU) $5,400; Justice Winslow (MIA) $4,900
Power Forwards
Top Pick
Anthony Davis (NO) $10,800
It will be difficult for Davis to follow up his huge 50-point, 16-rebound performance on opening night but with a fast paced game against the Warriors who gave up 26 points and 14 rebounds to LaMarcus Aldridge in their first game, he should still post big number again at a position without many high upside options.
Value Pick
Serge Ibaka (ORL) $5,500
Ibaka had some struggles in his first game with the Magic shooting just 6-for-17 from the field and will face a solid interior defense against the Pistons. However, he did play 36 minutes in the opener and his 17 shots were second on the team. With that combination of playing time and usage, he doesn’t need a big game to pay off his reasonable salary.
Other Options: Draymond Green (GSW) $8,400; Ryan Anderson (HOU) $6,300; Thaddeus Young (IND) $6,000
Centers
Top Pick
Andre Drummond (DET) $7,800
Drummond played just 24 minutes in the Pistons opener tallying 16 points and six rebounds. He should return to his usual 32 minutes average from last season and be in line for a big rebounding night against a Magic team that shot just 38% from the field in their opener.
Value Pick
Steven Adams (OKC) $4,800
With the departure of Serge Ibaka, Adams will be freed up to see an increase in minutes this season. He played 36 minutes in the Thunder opener posting a solid line with 16 points, five rebounds and three steals on his way to 27.5 FanDuel points. Another similar line tonight will allow him to easily hit over five times his value.
Other Options: Hassan Whiteside (MIA) $8,500; Myles Turner (IND) $6,900; Jonas Valanciunas (TOR) $6,000;
Be sure to follow me on Twitter @Rotopilot
[wysija_form id=”1″]ATTN Dynasty Commissioners: Do you want to do something cool for your league? How about a 1-hour live show dedicated to YOUR league? Team-by-team breakdowns, rankings, and more. For details and to book a show, visit: GoingFor2.com/plp.
