RADIO
Hello there, RotoBallers, and welcome to the WEEKEND! We have a solid seven-game slate on tap for Saturday night and I'm here to help you get those FanDuel lineups into the green. Whether you play cash games or GPPs, I've got some of my favorite players to target tonight at each position.
I just want to take a minute to reflect on the last year (not sure if you care or not). A year ago I started writing a few picks articles like this one for RotoBaller and within a few weeks the sports world shut down. Instead of sitting around and waiting for traditional sports to return, I helped create the first-ever Esports coverage here at RotoBaller and started breaking down LOL, CSGO, and COD slates.
Now I find myself as the lead analyst for our MLB, NFL, and NBA DFS coverage and I do a lot of our premium content for members, as well as run our premium slack - which I started to give members a place to talk with each other and writers about DFS, betting, and season-long sports. I suppose the moral of the story is "when life gives you lemons..." and it just goes to show you that hard work usually does pay off. I had been writing DFS articles for three years at various other sites before finally getting my chance to be given the reigns and really do my thing, and I'm incredibly thankful to the RotoBaller management for that opportunity.
Featured Promo: For this week only, take 50% off any full-season or yearly Premium Pass on the site! Just enter discount code THANKS when checking out. Thanks for being a reader, and Happy Holidays! Sign Up Now!Here are my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 2/27/21. You can also check out today's DraftKings lineup picks here. Keep an eye on Rotoballer’s injury news to make sure you have all the best information you need to build those winning lineups tonight and follow me at ThunderDanDFS on Twitter. Now let's get to the picks!
FanDuel DFS Guards
Dejounte Murray, PG - vs. NOP ($8,200)
Murray is one of the top plays of the entire slate in my opinion. I was on him in 100% of lineups a few days ago, and he paid off in a big way with another 50+ FanDuel point outing. The Spurs could get DeRozan back tonight, but Derrick White, Rudy Gay, and Keldon Johnson are all still out and LaMarcus Aldridge is questionable. Murray was already playing really well before the Spurs had to take a week off and then came back with that huge outing on Thursday.
I expect he will be asked to be the main guy on offense here tonight again. And this matchup could not be better. The Pelicans are yielding 56 FD points per game to the point guard position over the last 15 days, which is the worst in the NBA. They are also allowing a whopping 12 assists per game in that span and this trend is one I've been targeting now for the last week, and you should target tonight with confidence.
James Harden, SG - vs. DAL ($10,900)
This Dallas-Brooklyn game has the chance to be a real barn-burner tonight, as the total is already up to 238.5 in Vegas. Dallas, like New Orleans, has been playing much worse defense over the last few weeks compared to their season average and is also getting demolished by point guards (3rd-worst behind New Orleans and San Antonio). Remember - Harden is a POINT GUARD even if FanDuel lists him as a SG and we should treat him as such. He has taken over the primary ball-handling duties with Kyrie Irving shifting over to shooting guard.
Ignore the last result for Harden against Orlando, as that game was played at an incredibly slow pace and the Nets pulled away in the third quarter, preventing Harden from getting his final 6-7 minutes of playing time in the fourth. This game should be competitive to the end, and sign me up for 38-40 minutes of Harden tonight in an elite matchup in his current high usage role without Kevin Durant.
Anthony Edwards, SG - @WAS ($6,000)
So the other game we are going to want exposure to tonight is the Washington-Minnesota game that trails the Brooklyn game by only a few points with a 236 total. The T-Wolves have been playing without D'Angelo Russell for several weeks now, but will now have to be without another key player with Malik Beasley being suspended for 12 games - ouch.
I'll get to the other Minnesota guy we want here later, but Edwards is far too cheap for his expanded role without Russell or Beasley. His usage goes up to 33% with those two off the floor, an increase of nearly nine percent. He's well over a fantasy point-per-minute in those circumstances and should play 35 minutes tonight in an elite game environment.
Also consider: Michael Carter-Williams ($4,600), Patty Mills ($4,100), Theo Maledon ($4,300)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Zion Williamson, PF - @SAS ($8,800)
We are watching this young man blossom into a superstar this season and I have to admit it's been really fun. I think I have played him on every slate now for the last two weeks and you could argue he's still a few hundred bucks too cheap. Over his last eight games, Zion has posted 31 points, 6.5 boards, and 4.5 assists and is averaging 47.4 FD points.
He has had a 30% usage rate during that span and is scoring with such efficiency that he's been one of the most reliable fantasy assets in the game. The Spurs are going to be very short-handed tonight and were already a team that we liked to target in DFS. I don't see them slowing down Zion with the likes of Trey Lyles or Jakob Poeltl either.
Josh Richardson, SF - @BKN ($4,500)
We still need an update on Kristaps Porzingis's status for tonight (currently questionable) and if he were to miss we can target some of the cheaper Dallas pieces for value. J-Rich is on my radar even if Porzo is in, as his role and minutes are secure either way. He isn't a great offensive player, but he can rack up counting stats and defensive stats in bunches and this game environment should be conducive to that. He's not an exciting play but has a great shot at a 6x or better outing if he plays well and we need some value on this slate.
Nerlens Noel, PF - vs. IND ($5,300)
Noel has been starting at center for the Knicks since Mitchell Robinson went down with an injury. Being able to roster a center at PF is a bonus that I will take advantage of on FanDuel. Noel hasn't flashed much ceiling lately, but his floor has been very solid due to his rebounding and shot-blocking. He's not much of an offensive threat, but he knows his role and has managed to stick around in the NBA because he plays to his strengths.
The Pacers are allowing the fifth-most rebounds to the center position over the last 15 days and I think we see Noel get solid playing time tonight as the Knicks will have to match the size of the Indiana frontcourt in Turner and Sabonis. There are some cheaper guys at the position today, but Noel feels like the safest value at PF.
Also consider: Keita Bates-Diop ($4,100), Justin Holiday ($4,500), and Trey Lyles ($4,000)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Karl-Anthony Towns, C - vs. WAS ($9,700)
Happy KAT day! I'm prepared to go all-in on KAT tonight as this feels like the perfect combination of opportunity and matchup. KAT gets a 7.5% increase in usage with no Beasley or Russell and is a 1.53 FPPM player with them off the floor, too. When you combine that with this matchup, he should be able to dominate and post a huge number tonight.
The Wizards are allowing nearly 60 FD points per game to the center position over the last 15 days, the worst in the NBA. They are going to try to deploy guys like Robin Lopez or Mo Wagner to try to guard KAT, which should be fairly comical to watch. The increased pace for Minnesota brings them into consideration as one of the top teams to target tonight and Washington has been pretty poor defensively this season as well. Pair KAT with Anthony Edwards tonight and you may be able to lock in a huge chunk of Minnesota's production.
Also consider: Joel Embiid(10,300), DeAndre Jordan (5,400), Naz Reid (4,500)
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