In this article, I will be providing you with Daily NBA picks for FanDuel for 12/17/15. The picks will range from some of the elite players, to mid-priced options, and value plays.
We are back to the typical three game slate tonight, with some VERY juicy fantasy match ups. Although the match ups are pretty stacked, you will notice very quickly some of the positions are very top heavy. Make sure to consider who you might be forced to pick due to positional scarcity and go from there.
Good luck and feel free to hit me up on twitter @udontknowziplow with any DFS questions
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FanDuel DFS Point Guards
Cory Joseph (at CHA, $4,500)
With only three games tonight you'll need to find some bargains to fit an extra stud in your roster. Cory Joseph fits the bill, as he has been consistently getting almost 30 minutes a game, making him a relatively safe play for his price. I'm optimistic Toronto will continue to play dual guard lineups featuring Joseph and Lowry in the back court and DeRozan at the three spot. Also Kemba Walker is minus defender, which should be a big plus for Joseph's fantasy value tonight.
Matthew Dellavedova (at OKC, $4,200)
Matthew Dellavedova is another low priced point guard I think has great chance to exceed value tonight. Of course Kyle Lowry is super tempting, but there are some other stars I have my eye on, and think Dellavedova will get starters minutes at a bench players price. There is always the risk that Delly picks up a few early fouls on Westbrook, but he did manage to stay on the floor for 37 minutes guarding Damian Lillard almost exclusively the other night. Definitely a big risk, big reward pick, but if he can get you more than 25 points, you'll be on your way to big money.
FanDuel DFS Shooting Guards
James Harden (at LAL, $10,800)
This is definitely going to be a popular pick tonight, and rightfully so. Don't over think this one, it's James Harden against the Lakers. With a bunch of relatively safe cheap players available to roster tonight, Harden should not be the only star you can fit into your lineup.
Jeremy Lamb (at TOR, $4,400)
This pick is largely hinged on the status of Nicolas Batum heading into tonights contest. Batum left Wednesday's game against the Magic due to illness and is currently a game time decision for tonight. If he is indeed out for tonight, Lamb should be locked into all of your lineups. Not only has he shown he can score points, but he can also contribute in rebounds and assists if he's given sufficient playing time. Last night in 24 minutes, he tallied 34 FD points, which is about 8x value on his current price.
FanDuel DFS Small Forwards
Kevin Durant (at CLE, $10,200)
Yes I am trying to fit Kevin Durant and James Harden in my lineups tonight. As they say, big time players, make big time plays, in big time games. As far as regular season games go this game is one of the biggest. The Thunder have quietly won six games in a row, and this will definitely be a litmus test for where they stand among the NBA's elite. I don't necessarily think LeBron will be guarding KD all game, and to be honest, even if he was it wouldn't deter me from rostering him. I have him a little higher than Westbrook because of his slight discount and there are much better discount options for point guards.
Trevor Ariza (at LAL, $5,600)
This pick is more of a process of elimination, and think he'll be relatively low owned. With big names at the top of the SF list, Ariza should fly a little under the radar, which is what you should be looking for with such a small player pool like tonight. He's reached about 5x value the last three games since returning from a minor injury, and has a favorable matchup against the Lakers. Overall there's a lot to like with this pick, and again, no one else is very appealing for less money than Ariza.
FanDuel DFS Power Forwards
Julius Randle (vs HOU, $6,000)
As you can see I really like this Rockets vs. Lakers matchup. It features two terrible defenses and should be relatively fast paced. This will significantly benefit a lot of fringe players I wouldn't normally look at on a night with 5 or 6 games. Julius Randle is sitting under two big names in Ibaka and Love, and should result in a much lower ownership level than he should have with a matchup as favorable as this. Randle has been a bit inconsistent fantasy wise, but he has had games of 27 or more FD points in four of his last six games. Although he might not reach 5 or 6x value, he has a high floor, and has potential to reach 40 FD points any given night.
Marvin Williams (at TOR, $4,800)
To fit all those stars you're gonna need another bargain pick. This pick is again slightly hinged on Batum's health status, but Williams should reach value regardless. The Raptors have played very small lineups of late, which should keep Marvin Williams on the floor even more, racking up fantasy points. Williams can do a bit of everything, and is not very scoring dependent to produce fantasy points, which is what you should be looking for with cheap players who might see an increase in minutes. Basically, with the extra time (and potentially extra shots if Batum is out) any scoring will be a premium.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Dwight Howard (at LAL, $7,400)
Sooooo these are the nights where I get frustrated with FanDuel's position eligibility. I fully expect Dwight Howard to be over 60% owned tonight and would not be surprised to see even higher. With injuries, we're looking at Roy Hibbert, Enes Kanter, Steven Adams and Bismack Biyombo as our highest priced alternatives. Although I don't mind Adams as a value play in tournaments, I'm going to try and fit Howard in where I can. He might not hit five times value, but this is one of those situations where you just need to buy the points and not risk rostering a dud. On the bright side, Howard does have the revenge game thing going for him in L.A., and always has the potential to go off for over 40 FD points.
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