RADIO
Small slates with small sample sized don't really allow us to dive into every matchup from a solid analytical angle, but with teams playing their first games, we can expect to see some outliers right off the bat. Young players are going to come out shooting, so whether they convert or not will make or break each lineup, but taking the chance on some low-owned, young players can be the perfect pivot.
As the season progresses we will get a better idea of what the rotations are, but even then, tonight is an ideal night for DFS with plenty of superstars playing throughout the slate, and even the Hawks will be playing at an advantage since the Pistons played and won their first game of the season versus the Pacers last night.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 10/24/19. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. You can also check out today's DraftKings lineup picks. If you have any questions, find me in the Rotoballer NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Landry Shamet - PG, @GSW ($4,000)
There are few constants in DFS basketball, but playing point guards against the Warriors will always be a type of golden path as long as Steph Curry is playing. Landry Shamet's box score against the Lakers wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either. He doesn't have a scoring role on in the rotation, but that doesn't mean he's not setting up and getting set up for quality shots frequently. With the scoring the Clippers already have, Shamet doesn't really need to do anything with the ball BUT facilitate. That being said, he can shoot and he should see extra usage tonight, even with his minutes staying around 26-30 minutes.
Tony Snell - SG, vs. ATL ($3,500)
Playing Tony Snell is an easy way to lose money. Anyone whose played Snell in DFS knows the toxicity of his game. There are times he absolutely crushes any type of projected score a completely knowledgable analyst gave him, but at the same time, he can go on the court, play for 30 minutes and literally not even grab a rebound. He's a walking DFS meme and even though I have little to no trust, its the third day of the season and I'm feeling optimistic. Snell versus the Hawks has "what the hell? I needed to roster Snell tonight?" written all over it.
James Harden - PG, vs. MIL ($11,400)
I mean...are we doing this? If we are playing DFS and there is a chance James Harden has a historic night, you can't take the safe route. It's still the first game of the season between these two teams, but it's not like Harden forgot to play basketball this summer. I doubt Giannis Antetokounmpo dd either, but when it comes to DFS, I prefer to stick to shooters. It's going to be interesting watching Harden and Russell Westbrook work together, but I can't really see them pulling from each others stats. If the Rockets offense wants to function properly, both Westbrook and Harden will have to play to their strengths. That means they will be working in a fairly dynamic two-man game. Sure, it's funny to make a joke about them not being able to share the ball, but in all reality, two great players and friends playing together gives them an overall boost. I don't think chemistry will be a problem once they get going. We all know where the ball is going every night so it shouldn't be hard to work them into specific DFS lineups.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Luke Kennard - PF, vs. ATL ($4,800)
Luke Kennard ended the game versus the Pacers a step beneath blazing hot. He hit two game-altering three's in the fourth quarter, one to take the lead, one to put the nail in the coffin. Not only were the shots significant in their timing, but they were deep three's and shot with only the confidence that a few shooters in this league have. Kennard showed signs of this type of style in previous seasons, but he didn't shoot with the confidence he has now. That speaks volumes and with it being the second game in two days, I expect him to keep his momentum.
Glenn Robinson III - SF, vs. LAC ($3,500)
Comparing this pick to who has already performed against the Clippers might be a little misleading. It's clear that to beat the Clippers defense, you need to shoot perfectly from the outside. Danny Green shot just under perfect and he nearly carried the team to a win. Troy Daniels, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Quinn Cook, and LeBron James did not shoot well and it cost the Lakers a fairly important regular season game. With the size and intensity they have, you might be able to muscle them in the paint, but any shot you take is getting contested from multiple sources. This is why the athletic 3-&-D Glenn Robinson III is the perfect fit. He will be taking shots from the outside to maximize his upside, but everyone who knows Robinson's game knows he wants to get to the rim. Assuming he will be able to do that, I like his upside for such a cheap price.
John Collins - PF, @ DET ($8,300)
In all honesty, I don't like John Collins' price. The only thing holding me to this pick is the fact that I don't think any Pistons outside of Andre Drummond got a rebound last night. Drummond played the role of "iron man" and he delivered, so even with a capped upside playing against Drummond, Collins is likely the only person to compete in that specific department. This is a tough pick but the Piston are lacking that rebounding outside of Drummond and that's where Collins is going to do most of his work.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Ivica Zubac - C, @ GSW ($4,000)
You could with either Ivica Zubac or Montrezl Harrell here, but since Zubac has the price and size advantage over Golden State, I'm banking on Zubac posting a medial double-double. Medial double-double might seem like a contradiction from someone like Zubac, but we've seen what he's done previously to teams with decent frontcourts and the Warriors are not that. They might have the individual talent to hang with the best, but when push comes to shove, that's exactly what is going to happen. Teams are going to push and shove the Warriors and there will be little they can do about it.
