RADIO
We have a modest six-game slate, a fairly typical size for a Thursday night. The less-than-ideal aspect of the ledger for DFS purposes is that it tilts more toward non-competitive matchups that could lead to some star players seeing less than a full allotment of minutes. A couple of the best defensive teams in the league -- the Knicks and the Clippers -- are also in action, which reduces overall scoring expectations.
Nevertheless, as customary, there are appealing options for every position at various salary points, including players from what could be the two best games of the night -- Mavericks-76ers and Wizards-Nuggets.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 2/25/21. 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
James Harden, SG – vs. ORL ($11,200)
Harden has been unsurprisingly thriving without Kevin Durant (hamstring) on the floor, averaging 31.2 points (on 52.0 percent shooting, including 48.9 percent from three-point range), 11.4 assists, 9.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals while scoring 53.5 to 63.9 FD points during his teammate’s current five-game absence. Notably, Durant’s absence will officially extend to six games Thursday. The opposing Magic are also part of the reason for his appeal, as Orlando comes in allowing the highest offensive efficiency rating (56.0) to backcourt players, along with the second-most FD points per game (45.1) to shooting guards on the campaign.
Jamal Murray, PG – vs. WAS ($8,300)
Murray is priced reasonably for a player who’s scored 41.2 to 65.2 FD points in his last five contests, including 59.8 back on Feb. 17 against the same Wizards team he’ll see Thursday. Even after a sub-par 7-for-18 effort from the floor against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday, Murray is still shooting an impressive 58.7 percent during that span, including 54.5 percent from behind the arc. Washington is also still playing at the fastest pace in the NBA (107.5 possessions per game) while allowing the most points (27.0) sixth-most FD points (49.5) and fifth-highest offensive efficiency (29.0 percent) to point guards.
Derrick Rose, PG – vs. SAC ($5,700)
Rose’s production has had some volatility to it in his first few games back in New York. He recently posted tallies of 13.2 and 10.2 FD points in a pair of games where he went a combined 2-for-18 from the floor, but he followed them up with 37.8 FD points against the Warriors on Tuesday. Rose has also put up between 20.1 and 36.6 FD points in his four other contests since returning to the Big Apple, and Thursday, he could be primed for one of his better performances at a very reasonable salary. The Kings have been one of the most defensively deficient teams in the league all season and come in allowing the sixth-highest offensive efficiency (44.2 percent) to second-unit players, along with the fourth highest (53.9 percent) to backcourts. Rose has seen at least 20 minutes off the bench more often than not thus far, and a similar allotment of playing time against Sacramento should lead to a nice return on investment.
Also consider: Luka Doncic ($11,000); Bradley Beal ($9,800); Ben Simmons ($9,400); Russell Westbrook ($9,200); Kyrie Irving ($8,800); Paul George ($8,600); Terrence Ross ($6,200); Jalen Brunson ($5,200); Bruce Brown ($5,000); Alec Burks ($4,000)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF - vs. NO ($11,400)
Antetokounmpo racked up 66.7 FD points versus these same Pelicans back on Jan. 29, and he’s been on a noteworthy tear of late, even by his lofty standards. The Greek Freak comes into Thursday’s matchup having scored 62.6 FD points or more in seven of the last eight games, an incandescently hot stretch during which he’s averaged 32.6 points (55.7 percent shooting), 13.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.5 blocks across 35.6 minutes. In all, he’s delivered over 5x a return (57.0 FD points) in an incredible 17 of 31 games, with 14 of those contests featuring tallies over 60.
Julius Randle, PF – vs. SAC ($8,900)
Randle is another Knick who’ll be in position to benefit from the Kings’ defensive ineptitude, exponentially more so than Rose. The talented forward is averaging career-best figures in multiple categories, perhaps most impressively in three-point shooting (41.4 percent on 4.5 attempts per game). Randle has scored between 43.8 and 59.3 FD points in three of the last five contests, and he’s exceeded 45 FD points in exactly half of his 32 games. Sacramento has allowed the highest offensive efficiency (86.9 percent) to frontcourt players as well, along with 47.9 FD points per game over the last seven to power forwards specifically.
Josh Richardson, SF – at PHI ($4,700)
Richardson enters Thursday on a nice shooting streak, as he’s drained 50.8 percent of his attempts, including 40.6 percent of those from three-point range, over his last seven contests on his way to an average of 23.0 FD points during that span. Richardson has double-digit scoring efforts in six of those games, and the sample includes a pair of tallies over 30 FD points. Consequently, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest he’s capable of offering in excess of a 5x return on his currently salary, a feat he’s already accomplished on seven occasions, with three of those instances coming in February. Richardson’s old 76ers squad is a good target for him as well, as Philly is ranked in the latter half of the league in offensive efficiency allowed to small forwards (23.2 percent) and has allowed 42.9 FD points per game to threes on the season.
Also consider: Kawhi Leonard ($9,700); Zion Williamson ($8,500); Tobias Harris ($8,000); Brandon Ingram ($8,000); Khris Middleton ($7,600); Evan Fournier ($7,000); Rui Hachimura ($6,000); Michael Porter Jr. ($5,700); RJ Barrett ($5,500)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Nikola Vucevic – at BKN ($9,900)
Nikola Jokic ($10,800) is naturally also a very appealing option if you’re paying up at center, and accordingly, you’ll find him in the “Also Consider” section below. However, Vucevic arguably gives you nearly as much ceiling at $900 cheaper and comes into this highly favorable matchup against the fast-paced Nets having scored 63.8 to 70.2 FD points in three of his last six games while eclipsing 50 FD points in 10 of 32 games overall. That sample includes six tallies of 62 or more, including one of 67.5 against this same Nets team back on Jan. 16. Brooklyn checks in bleeding production to centers as well, allowing the second-highest offensive efficiency (35.5 percent) to the position, along with the third-most points (25.1), fourth-most assists (4.2), fourth-most made threes (1.3), fifth-most steals (1.7) and third-most FD points (57.2) per game to fives.
Richaun Holmes — at NY ($6,400)
Holmes went off for 37.7 FD points Tuesday against the vulnerable Nets frontcourt defense that was just discussed in Vucevic’s entry, his 12th tally of at least 30 in 27 games this season. Three of those instances have come within the last seven games alone, a stretch in which Holmes has four double-doubles and is shooting 64.7 percent. The Knicks present as an appealing matchup Thursday, as guarding centers has been one of their few defensive weaknesses. With Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson currently manning the five, New York is surrendering the fifth-highest offensive efficiency (34.1 percent) to centers, along with the second-most rebounds (16.9), sixth-most blocks (2.7) and sixth-most FD points (56.2) per game to the position over the last 15.
Ivica Zubac – at MEM ($5,300)
Zubac makes for an intriguing tournament option for those who choose to pay down at center, as he enters Thursday having compiled 20.8 to 35.1 FD points in four of the last five contests. Minutes and foul trouble are sometimes confounding factors when it comes to rostering Zubac, which makes him much more of a GPP play. However, the upside is certainly there for him to overdeliver on his current salary, especially if he can mostly avoid Jonas Valanciunas and instead draw matchups against the likes of Xavier Tillman Sr. and Gorgui Dieng, whom he owns four- and two-inch height advantages over, respectively. Moreover, Memphis comes in allowing the third-highest offensive efficiency to second-unit players (45.3 percent) and the ninth highest (58.3 percent) in the paint, where Zubac almost exclusively spends his time.
Also consider: Nikola Jokic ($10,800); Joel Embiid ($10,400); Steven Adams ($5,400)
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