RADIO
With the NFL season finally completed, the NBA now takes center stage in the sports world for the next several weeks. That begins in noteworthy fashion Monday night, as there are a solid eight games on the slate with plenty of stars in action.
The ledger includes several games that could generate especially fruitful DFS environments, including the Warriors-Spurs, Wizards-Bulls and Bucks-Nuggets clashes. In addition to some of the elite scorers that will take the floor in that trio of games, the likes of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Devin Booker are part of some of the other contests on the night.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 2/8/21. I’ll be providing multiple player suggestions for players at guard, forward and center on FanDuel, aiming to highlight one option apiece at the high, middle and lower end of the salary scale. You can also check out DraftKings lineup picks and injury news before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Stephen Curry, PG – at SA ($10,100)
Naturally, Luka Doncic ($11,400) is naturally also a consideration if you’re paying up at guard, but there could be some blowout risk in his game against the Timberwolves. Meanwhile, Curry could be locked into more of a wire-to-wire battle against the Spurs, which come in allowing the ninth-highest offensive efficiency (27.0 percent) to point guards, along with 47.9 percent shooting, including 39.1 percent from three-point range. Curry checks in fresh off a 69.9 FD-point effort against the Mavericks on Saturday night, already his fourth tally of over 60 this season. The perennial All-Star is also on a prolonged heater from the field, boasting a 53.5 percent success rate (50.0 percent from distance) over the last 10 games.
Zach LaVine, SG – vs. WAS ($8,800)
LaVine has contributed 44.8 and 51.4 FD points in his last two games, and despite his elevated salary Monday, it’s worth noting he’s already exceeded a 5x return on it in 10 of 22 games this season. The veteran sharpshooter boasts career highs in multiple categories, and he’s operating at career-best efficiency with 51.2 percent shooting (18.6 shot attempts per contest). The Wizards shape up as likely facilitators of one of LaVine’s top-end performances, considering they allow an NBA-high 121.2 points per contest and are playing at an NBA-high pace of 107.1 possessions per game. Washington is also giving up elevated 40.3 percent shooting from behind the arc on the road, furthering LaVine’s already strong case.
Derrick White, PG – vs. GS ($5,500)
White could certainly slide a bit under the radar on the eight-game slate, but the third-year guard has been playing well since returning from an extended absence due to a toe injury. White has scored between 26.9 and 27.9 FD points in his first three contests back, and a matchup against the fast-paced Warriors on Monday could produce just the game environment to keep him trending in the right direction. Golden State is ranked in the middle of the league with 48.4 percent offensive efficiency surrendered to backcourt players, and it’s also worth noting Golden State allows the most points (41.2) and rebounds (18.9) per game to opposing benches, with White possibly back on the second unit Monday if Lonnie Walker returns from illness.
Also consider: Luka Doncic ($11,400); Bradley Beal ($10,800); Kyle Lowry ($8,300); Jrue Holiday ($8,200); DeMar DeRozan ($8,100); Victor Oladipo ($7,900); LaMelo Ball ($7,800)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF- at DEN ($11,200)
Antetokounmpo posted “only” 41.7 FD points against the Cavaliers on Saturday, but that total came over 32 minutes in what turned out to be a blowout win. The caliber of competition goes up considerably for Milwaukee on Monday, and Giannis should therefore be in for a more robust workload that will give him a chance to pay off his hefty salary. The Greek Freak faces a Nuggets squad that’s ranked in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency allowed to PFs, and they’re also surrendering elevated 48.4 percent shooting, including 41.9 percent from distance, to fours. Despite his $11.2 salary, Antetokounmpo has managed to exceed a 5x return on it in half of his 22 games, a testament to the tremendous upside he brings to the table.
Pascal Siakam, PF – at MEM ($9,300)
Siakam has been frustrating to roster on occasion this season, but he’ll come into Monday’s favorable matchup with tallies of 56.5 and 67.2 FD points in two of his last four games alone. The Grizzlies arrive giving up the fourth-highest offensive efficiency (27.0 percent) to power forwards, along with bottom-10 figures in points (22.4), rebounds (10.2), steals (2.1) and blocks (1.3) per game surrendered to the position. Siakam also boasts a 25.4 percent usage rate and is averaging 1.12 FD points per minute with OG Anunoby (calf) off the floor this season, and the young wing will remain sidelined Monday.
Patrick Williams, SF – vs. WAS ($4,500)
Williams has scored 22.9 to 37.9 FD points in his last three games, a stretch during which the rookie is averaging 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds 1.0 assist and 1.0 steal while shooting 55.6 percent. While Williams undeniably still has some unpredictability in his fantasy profile, the momentum he brings into Monday’s favorable matchup makes him very appealing at his salary. As already noted in LaVine’s entry, the opposing Wizards have been among the most defensively generous teams in the league, and they’ll come into Monday surrendering 46.8 percent shooting to small forwards, including 41.2 percent from three-point range. Meanwhile, Williams has met or exceeded a 5x return on his current salary in nine of 19 games.
Also consider: LeBron James ($10,800); Kristaps Porzingis ($8,100); Draymond Green ($7,300); Malik Beasley ($6,900); Norman Powell ($6,500)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Nikola Jokic – vs. MIL ($11,600)
Jokic put together a career-best 50-point effort on 20-for-33 shooting Saturday, a game in which he also dished out 12 assists and racked up a whopping 88.6 FD points. That tally was incredibly the Joker’s fourth of at least 70, and his 11th of greater than 60. That kind of ceiling naturally justifies his $11.6K salary, and the positional matchup against the Bucks, while not necessarily favorable on paper, could ultimately be deemed irrelevant by Jokic’s talent and usage. The versatile big man is also boasting career-best figures in points (27.2), rebounds (11.5), assists (8.6) and steals (1.6), and he’s shooting 58.2 percent, including 55.6 percent from three-point range.
Andre Drummond- at PHO ($7,200)
Drummond has posted between 44.9 and 62.2 FD points in four of the last seven games, providing a glimpse at the ceiling he brings to the table at his suddenly reduced salary. The big man is encouragingly averaging 17.0 shot attempts over his last seven games, and he’s sporting a massive 34.0 percent usage rate and averaging 1.46 FD points per minute with Larry Nance (finger), who’s now set to miss several weeks, off the floor this season. The Suns also come in ranked just outside the bottom 10 in points in the paint allowed per game (47.1), an area of the floor where 82.0 percent of Drummond’s scoring has emanated from this season.
DeMarcus Cousins – at CHA ($6,000)
Cousins is set for several starts in place of Christian Wood (ankle), and he’s already averaging 14.6 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.6 steals across 29.8 minutes in five turns with the first unit this season. The versatile big man has delivered over 5x his current salary in seven games overall – including in those five starts --- scoring 44.3 FD points or more in three of those contests. With the Hornets ranking last in offensive efficiency allowed in the paint (63.2 percent) and allowing the seventh-highest figure (34.2 percent) in that category to centers, Cousins becomes a potential bargain play at his current salary. Additionally, it’s worth noting the Hornets are ranked in the bottom 10 in overall shooting percentage (56.1 percent) and three-point shooting percentage (38.6 percent) surrendered to centers, while Cousins has traditionally been a much more efficient offensive force than what he’s exhibited thus far this season.
Also consider: Deandre Ayton ($7,600); Al Horford ($6,500); Naz Reid ($6,100); Jakob Poeltl ($5,800); Cody Zeller ($5,800)
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