RADIO
I hope everyone closed out the weekend with some cash remaining to play with, because FanDuel is rolling out some monstrous payouts for this six-game, Monday night slate of basketball. I was a little thrown off being that today is "just" six games - which is a little light for a Monday - but the attractiveness of half these games and the increased payouts certainly give these tournaments big appeal.
Before I go into the player and position analysis, let's see what we can glean from this early morning Vegas lines and totals that have been posted. From a high total angle, we really only have two games that jump off the board - New Orleans at Houston (226.5) and Toronto at Los Angeles Clippers (214). Finding the right way to get exposure to these games will be crucial. particularly the New Orleans at Houston game, not just because of the higher total, but because of the blowout risk - the Rockets are currently 12 point favorites. From a game-stacking perspective, the Toronto at Los Angeles game projects to be one of, if not the, best of the evening. It checks a lot of boxes - fast pace, high total and a spread under six points. The rest of the games are not total avoids, but I'd limit my exposure to the lower projected games of the evening, such as Boston at Chicago and Miami at Memphis.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/11/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on FanDuel.
DFS Guards to Consider
Chris Paul - PG, vs NOP ($9,000)
I mentioned above that getting the right exposure from this game will be key as it's the clear favorite for highest scoring game. Considering all of the extra possessions and shot opportunities to go around, it should be a big night for Houston and New Orleans in DFS - especially if the Pelicans find a way to keep it close. Paul has been playing excellent basketball over the past few nights and hasn't shown any real signs of rust from the time he missed due to injury. It's pretty incredible how well he and James Harden have meshed in a short period of time. As for the matchup tonight, the Pelicans have allowed more points above salary based expectations than any team taking the floor tonight and I like Paul's chances of staying hot here. His current mark of 1.3 Fanduel points per minute is really strong, and with a minutes projection of 32-34 and a Usage rate of 20, Paul is a good cash game option this evening.
Also Consider: Kyle Lowry - PG, at LAC ($8,300)
C.J. McCollum - SG, at GSW ($6,800)
The Warriors can be a tough opponent defensively, but I see too much opportunity here (and a favorable price point) for me to pass on McCollum. Jusuf Nurkic has already been ruled out tonight, and when he is off the floor this season, CJ sees the biggest boost in Usage rate (about 4%). With the increased offensive responsibility and the high number of minutes he always sees (35+), I see no reason to believe McCollum can't cruise past his price implied point total. I think the high volume shooting puts him in play for cash, but can understand if you wanted to use something "safer" or safe cash with someone like Jrue Holiday. That said, if the Blazers can keep this game close I think McCollum will put up tournament altering numbers and I will definitely have some exposure in large-field tournaments tonight.
Also Consider: Tyreke Evans - SG, vs MIA ($7,700)
DFS Forwards to Consider
Kevin Durant - SF, vs POR ($11,700)
The price has increased a bit this week ($600 from his last game, to be exact), but I still think the opportunity is there for him to crush value here. In Curry's absence, Durant has been putting up monstrous totals, including 74 and 66 point outbursts in his last two - which featured Usage rates of 35% and 43%, respectively. There's no reason to believe the monstrous Usage rate trend wont continue tonight with Steph still sidelined, and the matchup against Portland is a strong one. Portland is already without Nurkic in the middle, and there isn't anyone on this roster that could legitimately slow down Durant, anyway.
Also Consider: David Nwaba - SF, vs BOS ($4,500)
Serge Ibaka - PF, at LAC ($5,500)
I didn't think Ibaka would creep back into cash game conversation, but here we are. Not only is Ibaka in consideration, but I think he may be the best front-court play below $6K on FanDuel tonight. Amazingly, Ibaka has beaten value in nine of ten and has absolutely crushed it in seven games straight. Not only is he hot, but he gets a date with a Clippers team that is without their best frontcourt player in Blake Griffin and also allows more point to opposing power forwards than any other team on this slate. Ibaka projects for 28 minutes this evening and a Usage rate just over 20, which should give him plenty of time and opportunity to put up 30+ fantasy points.
Also Consider: Ryan Anderson - PF, vs NOP ($4,000) - Tournaments
DFS Centers to Consider
Robin Lopez - C, vs BOS ($5,300)
Lopez has been an incredibly consistent player of late, beating his price implied value in six of his last eight games. In that same stretch, we've seen his price climb only $400 dollars despite his minutes creeping over 30 in most contests and a Usage rate between 20-22% in the majority of those games. I think he's in great position to produce above his value again tonight against a Boston team that is pretty strong defensively, but softest in the middle. He should be a reliable source of 25-30 points tonight for cash contests.
Also consider: Aron Baynes - C, at CHI ($3,500)
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