RADIO
We’re down to just a three-game slate Thursday, which makes it a particularly interesting night for lineup-building in DFS. Since we’re working with a much more condensed player pool, pulling the trigger on the right high-salaried players and being just as prudent with value selections are key to success.
The good news from a DFS perspective is that all three games on the ledger should be very competitive, and both the Raptors-Bucks and Nets-Lakers battles are loaded with star power, even when factoring in injuries. The Heat-Kings matchup may have a bit less prestige, but given the defensive issues of both squads, it should be a very appealing game environment as well.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 2/18/21. 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 – at LAL ($11,000)
Kyrie Irving (back) will return to action for the Nets on Thursday, but Kevin Durant (hamstring) is already confirmed out. That keeps Harden firmly in play, especially on such a small slate, considering he still boasts a 28.7 percent usage rate and averages 1.42 FD points per minute with Irving but sans Durant. Additionally, Harden is essentially the official primary ball handler for Brooklyn and has scored 59.6 to 63.9 FD points in his last three games, with at least Irving available in each of the first two contests. The Lakers have also been more generous to PGs recently, giving up 46.7 FD points per game to ones over the last 15 contests. Meanwhile, Harden, despite his extremely lofty salary, has delivered over 5x return on it in 10 of 24 games this season between his time with the Rockets and Nets.
Fred Vanvleet, SG – at MIL ($8,000)
Kyle Lowry is questionable for Thursday’s game due to the ankle injury he suffered Tuesday against Milwaukee, making VanVleet especially appealing at his current salary. The two-guard racked up 50.3 FD points across 39 minutes in that contest, with Lowry logging 22 minutes of floor time before exiting. VanVleet sports a 27.5 percent usage rate and averages 1.19 FD points per minute with Lowry off the floor this season, and he’s scored at least 50 FD points in each of his first two meetings vs. the Bucks. Milwaukee also comes in allowing the sixth-most made threes per game (3.9) to shooting guards over the last 15 games, while VanVleet is draining a solid 37.7 percent of his career-high 8.7 three-point attempts per contest.
Dennis Schroder, PG – vs. BKN ($5,700)
Schroder bounced back from an atypically poor two-game stretch to put up 39.7 FD points against the Timberwolves on Tuesday, a game in which he shot a blistering 9-for-15 from the floor. That marked Schroder’s fourth game with more than 35 FD points in the last six, and his seventh in the last nine overall with at least 26. Foul trouble played a part in the two aforementioned clunkers he recently turned in, but as long as he avoids the whistle Thursday, he should be poised for a solid performance. The Nets will bring a significant bump in pace to the Lakers, and they also check in allowing just under 52 FD points per game to PGs over the last seven, as well as the sixth-highest offensive efficiency rating (28.7 percent) to point guards for the season. Schroder also sports a solid 23.5 percent usage rate without Anthony Davis (Achilles) on the floor, furthering his case.
Also consider: Kyrie Irving ($9,600); De'Aaron Fox ($8,300); Buddy Hield ($6,500); Tyler Herro ($6,100); Tyrese Haliburton ($5,500); Pat Connaughton ($4,200)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF - vs. TOR ($11,300)
Antetokounmpo has been on an even more otherworldly level than usual over the four games, scoring 65 to 74 FD points in that stretch while double-doubling in three games and turning in a triple-double in the fourth. The most recent contest came against the same Raptors squad the Greek Freak will face again Thursday and featured the aforementioned tally of 74 FD points. A key to Antetokounmpo’s uptick in usage has been the absence of Jrue Holiday (COVID-19 protocol), which is expected to linger into Thursday. Toronto is also allowing the fourth-highest offensive efficiency to power forwards (27. 9 percent) for the season, enhancing what is already a virtually airtight case.
Jimmy Butler, SF – at SAC ($9,200)
Going into Wednesday night's game against the Warriors, Butler was averaging 44.3 FD points per game on the season after scoring 51 to 62 FD points in three of the previous four contests. The veteran wing has eclipsed 50 FD points in five of nine games since returning from his lengthy COVID-19 absence, and he’s scored over 40 in eight of those contests overall. The defensively vulnerable Kings make for an excellent target Thursday, as Sacramento checks in allowing the highest offensive efficiency overall, ranked in the bottom half of the league in every major individual defensive category, and giving up the second-most FD points per game(47.1) to small forwards over the last 15 contests.
Bobby Portis, PF – vs. TOR ($5,500)
Portis offers some appealing fantasy-point-per-dollar upside, as he’s delivered over a 5x return on his current salary in 11 of 28 games and has come within less than half an FD point of doing so on two other occasions. Most recently, the versatile big man has scored 22.5 to 36.2 FD points in the last four, a stretch during which he’s shooting 62.2 percent, including 54.5 percent from three-point range. Portis put up 28.2 FD points in 24 minutes against these same Raptors on Tuesday, and Toronto comes in ranked in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency surrendered to both frontcourt (81.0 percent) and second-unit (43.3 percent) players. What’s more, the Raps are also allowing the eighth-highest three-point shooting percentage (38.5) on the road overall, which opens up another path for quick fantasy production for the floor-spacing Portis.
Also consider: LeBron James ($10,500); Bam Adebayo ($8,800); Pascal Siakam ($8,500); Khris Middleton ($7,300); Chris Boucher ($7,200): Norman Powell ($5,800); Kyle Kuzma ($5,800)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Montrezl Harrell – vs. BKN ($6,200)
The center player pool is very shallow on the three-game slate, and Richaun Holmes’ knee injury, which will keep him out again Thursday, further dilutes the market. However, Harrell offers some solid upside in this matchup and at his salary, considering the trouble the Nets have consistently had limiting center production and Harrell’s own ability to put up strong numbers in relatively modest allotments of playing time. The high-motor big most recently compiled 31.7 FD points in just 18 minutes versus the Timberwolves on Tuesday night, his third time over 30 in the last five games. Anthony Davis’ ongoing absence Thursday could also lead to a bit more offensive responsibility for Harrell, who’ll face a Brooklyn squad giving up the fourth-most FD points per game (58.2) to centers in the last 15, as well as the third-highest offensive efficiency (35.8 percent) to the position on the campaign.
Marc Gasol - vs. BKN ($5,200)
Gasol is in play for precisely the same reasons as Harrell, and considering Brooklyn averages the fourth-most possessions per game (105.7), it’s certainly conceivable that both big men have productive nights relative to salary. Gasol was solid in the first game Davis missed on Tuesday, putting up 24.5 FD points against the Timberwolves. The veteran only has eclipsed 20 FD points in nine of 29 games this season, but five of those occasions have come within the last 20 contests. Gasol should have more involvement on the offensive end with Davis out again Thursday, as he’s averaging an FD point per minute without his teammate on the floor.
Kelly Olynyk – at SAC ($4,500)
Those looking to pay down even further than Gasol at center in tournaments and still grab some ceiling can turn to Olynyk, who’d scored 21.4 to 27.0 FD points in eight straight prior to putting up just 4.9 over 14 minutes against the Clippers on Tuesday. Olynyk’s two quick fouls against Los Angeles seemed to have played a part in his lowest allotment of playing time of the season, and accordingly, he was back to a normal workload Wednesday against the Warriors. The Kings make for a good target s well, as they’re surrendering the sixth-highest offensive efficiency (26.9 percent) to power forwards, along with Western Conference-high 40.8 percent shooting to fours.
Also consider: Hassan Whiteside ($6,000)
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