Free NBA DFS FanDuel Lineup Advice and Analysis 10/28/15

The NBA officially kicked off yesterday, but this is the slate of games all the DFS players were looking forward too. A whopping 14 game slate is in store for us tonight. I’m not going to bore you with a long intro, so I’ll just get into my format. If you’ve read any of my NFL DFS articles here on Rotowriters, it’s very similar. I’m going to go position by position and give you four players from each. There are four categories for each position. Here are the categories:

Game Winner -My Game Winner will be my top play for the position. I’ll be using a combination of the matchup, recent performances, history against the current opponent and my gut to make my choices for the top play.

Dunk -A Dunk is a second or third tier player with the highest upside and is someone who should give you the highest return on investment (ROI)

Half-Court Shot- Otherwise known as a “punt play”. This player will be at, or near, minimum salary, but is someone I believe has a chance to greatly outperform their salary.

Pass – A player deemed a Pass is someone whom I will be, well, passing on. This is a top-tier player that I’ll be avoiding for various reasons. The matchup, price, recent performances, or just a gut feel, are a few things I’ll take in an account.

So let’s get started…

NBA DFS Fanduel Lineup Advice and Analysis for 10/28/15

Point Guard

Game Winner Damian Lillard, Blazers $9000

With LaMarcus Aldridge leaving to sign with the Spurs, the Blazers are unquestionably Lillard’s team this year. I don’t expect the Blazers to be a very good team, but I expect Lillard to be a huge fantasy option. He was never afraid to shoot, and playing from behind on a bad team isn’t going to change that. His opponent, the Pelicans, want to push the pace, so expect there to be plenty of shots for Lillard, not to mention the Pels have no one to matchup with Lillard defensively.

Dunk Ricky Rubio, Timberwolves $7400

When healthy Rubio is one of the best fanduel options at point guard. He is healthy and he has more offensive weapons than he has ever had and he gets a matchup with the defensive deficient LA Lakers. Rubio has the highest floor of all the point guards in the top two tiers due to the fact that he doesn’t need to score to be fantasy gold. He is capable of triple doubles every night.

Half-Court Shot Jeremy Lin, Hornets $4800

Being that it’s opening night, it’s really hard to find a minimum salary guy because there aren’t any injuries yet and no one is resting their starters. Lin is the closest thing to a minimum salary guy with a chance to outperform his salary. With the shoulder injury to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Lin will be the starting shooting guard for the Hornets. After a pretty successful preseason, Lin should easily reach his value of 25 fanduel points. (Value is calculated as 5 points for every $1,000)

Pass Russell Westbrook, Thunder $10800

Okay, before I get killed for passing on the walking triple double, hear me out. At $10,800 to reach value he has to get 55 points, which is entirely possible, but with Kevin Durrant back in the fold, I don’t know if we can expect that from Westbrook this year. The risk is too high for me. I expect Westbrook’s price to come down, and will have to before I put him in my lineup.

Shooting Guard

Game Winner James Harden, Rockets $10,800

I wasn’t willing to pay up for Westbrook, but I am willing to pay up for The Beard. Harden can get you 55 fanduel points and not break a sweat, and a good matchup with the Nuggets should help him get there.

Dunk Dwyane Wade, Heat $7000

Wade’s health is always a concern, but when he is healthy he can still be a force to be reckoned with. By all accounts, he has looked good and he gets a good matchup with the Hornets that will be without Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Getting the start in place of MKG is Jeremy Lin, who is not known for his defense, Wade should have his way with him.

Half-Court Shot Danny Green, Spurs $4200

Green’s upside in this offense is sky-high, but he has struggled with consistency in his young career. He is definitely a risky pick, but if you catch him on a hot night he will shatter his paltry 20 fanduel point value.

Small Forward

Game Winner Kawhi Leonard, Spurs $7800

Picking a top play from the small forward spot was difficult as the top five guys, in terms of salary, all have question marks. Will LeBron James be limited at all in a back to back game with him dealing with back issues? What will Kevin Durrant and Carmelo Anthony look like after missing most of the season last year? Will Paul George ever be Paul George again? And Rudy Gay is questionable because his wife just gave birth to their child. With all that, I’m taking Leonard as the sure thing.

Dunk Khris Middleton, Bucks $6100

A lot will be expected of Middleton this year, and I think he’ll be up to the challenge. He gets a great matchup in the Bucks home opener against the New York Knicks. At $6100 he is a steal, needing only 30 fanduel points to reach value.

Half-Court Shot Omri Casspi, Kings $3900

This pick is only viable if Rudy Gay does not play. Casspi was great down the stretch last year when Gay missed games. It’s a tough matchup with the Clippers, but if he gets big minutes filling in for Gay then he should easily reach value.

Pass All of the Top Five Small Forwards $8100-$11000

Pretty much the guys I’ve already mentioned that have question marks. I want to see it first.

Power Forward

Game Winner LaMarcus Aldridge, Spurs $8700

Normally I would avoid a guy in his first game with a new team, but something tells me Greg Popovich will get Aldridge integrated early on and he will take advantage of it. I think he’ll be lower owned than some of the other top options since people don’t know what to expect from him yet, and that’s the reason I want him in my lineup.

Dunk Nerlens Noel, 76ers $7500

Noel is a stat sheet stuffer. He is one of those rare players that can consistently rebound, block shots, and get steals as a big man. His scoring is just icing on the cake. He’ll be a great early season candidate for defensive player of the year. That’s right, you heard it here first.

Half-Court Shot Julius Randle, Lakers $4500

On a Lakers team without depth in the front court, Randle will get all the minutes he can handle. He showed well in preseason and should be able to reach value fairly easily.

Pass Pau Gasol, Bulls $7900

After seeing the new look Bulls last night, I’m a little worried about using Gasol. He no longer seems to be the focal point on an offense that wants to push the ball more than it has in the past. With just two points and two rebounds last night, I’m not putting him on my lineup at his price.

Center

Game Winner Greg Monroe, Bucks $8000

Monroe hasn’t played much in the preseason, but I expect the Bucks to unleash the beast in their home opener. The New York Knicks will get to see first hand what they let slip through their fingers in the offseason. Do you think the schedule makers had that in mind?

Dunk Marcin Gortat, Wizards $6500

Gortat ended the preseason on a high note with back to back double-doubles, and he’ll carry that into the season opener against the Orlando Magic. He’ll be counted on to rebound, play strong defense, and chip in some scoring. Expect Gortat to get a double-double tonight, anything less will be a disappointment.

Half-Court Shot Robin Lopez, Knicks $4500

This one is a bit of a stretch, but there just isn’t a lot of decent cheap options at center. Lopez is one of the few that I feel confident will at least be given decent playing time and could contribute enough hustle stats to reach value.

Pass Nikola Vucecic, Magic $7900

The Wizards were one of the better interior defensive teams last year, and I don’t see that changing. Vucevic might have a decent game, but I’d rather Greg Monroe for basically the same price.

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