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With Spurs-Pacers postponed Monday, we’re left with a six-game slate that tips off at 8pm ET. It’s still a solid number of games to work with from the tournament perspective, and there should be some strong game environments/star power to avail ourselves of.
Of the three games with posted totals on FanDuel Sportsbook as of Sunday night, all sport figures well north of 220 points, despite featuring the top 10 defenses of the Jazz, Suns and Lakers. The games that are yet to have a number assigned as of this writing – Bulls-Rockets, Grizzlies-Mavericks and Heat-Thunder – should have just as high if not even greater offensive expectations.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 2/22/21. 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
Luka Doncic, PG – vs. MEM ($11,200)
Doncic is the highest-salaried player on the slate with good reason, considering his average of 54.3 FD points and totals of between 59 and 76.6 FD points in his last three games alone. The All-Star guard should also be extremely rested after last having taken the court Feb. 14 due to a pair of weather-related postponements, and he’ll face a Grizzlies team surrendering 50.2 FD points per game to point guards over the last seven and ranked in the bottom 10 for the season with 59.3 percent efficiency allowed in the paint. Then, consider that as lofty as Doncic’s salary is, he’s still managed to provide over a 5x return (56 FD points) on it in 12 of 27 games.
John Wall, PG – vs. CHI ($8,500)
Wall’s fellow Big Three members Victor Oladipo (foot) and Christian Wood (ankle) are doubtful and out for Monday’s game, respectively, leaving the well-rested point guard in a strong position to offer a strong return on a salary that remains reasonable relative to upside. Like Doncic, Wall should have fresh legs after last having played Wednesday due to weather. Wall posted 50.1 and 44.1 FD points in his last two games prior to the pause in play, and he now sports a 35.2 percent usage rate and is averaging 1.2 FD points per minute without his teammates on the floor. The Bulls also come in yielding the third-highest offensive efficiency (30.0 percent to point guards and the 48.5 FD points per game to ones on the season.
Kendrick Nunn, PG – at OKC ($5,600)
Nunn exploded for 45.5 FD points against the Lakers on Saturday night in a starting role, his third tally of over 40 on the season, all transpiring since Jan. 20. He’s also come within a tenth of an FD point of having offered at least 5x his current salary in 10 of 22 games this season, and the young point guard checks in on quite the heater shooting-wise. Nunn has drained 54.7 percent of his attempts over the last three contests, including a jaw-dropping 60.9 percent from behind the arc. The 25-year-old has been highly aggressive in that sample with 7.7 three-point attempts per contest, and he now boasts a 38.2 percent success rate from distance for the season. Monday brings a matchup against a Thunder team that went into Sunday night’s action allowing the sixth-most FD points per game (49.7) to point guards over the last 15 contests, along with the third-highest offensive efficiency (60.7 percent) in the paint. Goran Dragic will remain out with his ankle injury Monday as well, which should lock Nunn into another starting assignment.
Also consider: Damian Lillard ($10,500); Bradley Beal ($9,800); Zach LaVine ($9,800); Russell Westbrook ($9,400); Donovan Mitchell ($8,300); Devin Booker ($7,700); LaMelo Ball ($7,600); Chris Paul ($7,500); Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($7,500); Jordan Clarkson ($5,800); Eric Gordon ($5,300)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
LeBron James, SF- vs. WAS ($10,400)
Dennis Schroder (COVID-19 protocols) and Anthony Davis (Achilles) will remain out of action Monday, which naturally should equate to another extremely busy night for LeBron. The perennial All-Star boasts a 34.4 percent usage rate and average of 1.39 FD points per minute with both his teammates off the floor, and he hasn’t scored less than 43.7 FD points in any of his last 10 games. James has compiled over 50 thrice and has eclipsed 60 on two other occasions within that sample alone, and he’s offered over 5x return (52 FD points) on his current salary on eight occasions overall. The Wizards are allowing the second-most points per game (119.1) and play at the league’s fastest pace (107.1 possessions per game), two other major factors that buttress James’ already airtight case.
Bam Adebayo, PF – at OKC ($8,900)
Adebayo has made 40 FD points his minimum standard lately, hitting or exceeding that mark in five straight games and 10 of the last 13 overall. The athletic big man is putting up double-digit shot attempts with regularity as well and boasts a 61.0 percent success rate from the field over the last four contests specifically. He draws an appealing matchup against the Thunder on Monday, considering OKC has been very vulnerable in the paint, where almost all of Adebayo’s scoring emanates from. Additionally, the Thunder is surrendering the third-highest offensive efficiency to frontcourt players (85.3 percent). Moreover, in a testament to his upside, Adebayo has delivered over 5x return (44.5 FD points) on his current salary on nine occasions, while coming within half an FD point or less of accomplishing the feat in three other instances.
Darius Bazley, PF – vs. MIA ($5,800)
Bazley may be less rostered than usual after back-to-back clunkers against the Bucks (14.0 FD points) and Cavaliers (16.9 FD points), but the Heat could be a team to coax him back to the form that saw him score 27.4 to 36.2 FD points in the three games prior to that stretch and over 27 FD points in 11 of 30 games overall. Miami is allowing the fourth-most points per game (24.2) to power forwards over the last 15 contests, along with the most made threes (3.6) and third-most steals (1.9) to the position in that span as well. A lack of efficiency can sometimes do Bazley in, but his work on the boards and as a facilitator can help make up for the occasional offensive shortcomings.
Also consider: Jimmy Butler ($9,200); Kristaps Porzingis ($7,800); Gordon Hayward ($7,100); Jae’Sean Tate ($6,600); Thaddeus Young ($6,600); Mikal Bridges ($5,500); Jae Crowder ($4,600)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Rudy Gobert – vs. CHA ($8,100)
Gobert is once again proving to be one of the safest DFS assets at center leaguewide, as he’ll come into Monday’s matchup having scored no fewer than 32.8 and as many as 54.5 FD points in his last nine games. In fact, the Stifle Tower’s lowest output of the season has been the 20 FD points he generated over 25 minutes against the Cavs back on Jan. 12, and he’s scored at least 30.3 FD points in 27 of 30 games. The big man has eclipsed 41 FD points in four of the last seven contests alone, and Monday, he’ll draw a matchup ripe for helping produce more of the same. The Hornets have been extremely generous to centers all season, surrendering 53.8 FD points per game to the position, along with the seventh-highest offensive efficiency (33.0 percent). What’s more, Charlotte is giving up the second-highest offensive efficiency (61.2 percent) in the paint and has surrendered the seventh-most points (53.3) in that part of the floor over the last three.
Enes Kanter—at PHO ($6,900)
Kanter has been excellent in Jusuf Nurkic’s (wrist) stead, averaging 12.9 points and 12.7 rebounds on his way to 33.6 FD points per contest during his 17-game starting tenure. The veteran has 10 double-doubles over that stretch as well, doing an outstanding job on the offensive glass in particular (career-high 4.2 offensive rebounds per contest). The Suns have been reasonably effective against centers in terms of limiting overall offensive efficiency, but they’re still giving up 50.2 FD points per game to the position for the season. Kanter is also a good bet to deliver a strong return on his seemingly immovable salary, as he’s gone over 4x on it in 15 of 29 games, including 10 of his recent starts.
Kelly Olynyk – at OKC ($4,400)
Speaking of stagnant salaries, Olynyk’s remains very stable and reasonable despite the fact he’s produced tallies of between 25.0 and 35.4 FD points in eight of his last 12 games. The floor-spacing big man is averaging a solid 10.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists over that span while logging 25.5 minutes per contest. Assuming he avoids foul trouble, he’ll be in a favorable position to overdeliver Monday, as the Thunder are tied for the fifth-highest offensive efficiency (27.4 percent) surrendered to Olynyk’s power forward position and are giving up the second-most FD points per game (50.2) to fours on the season.
Also consider: Jonas Valanciunas ($7,500); DeMarcus Cousins ($6,400); Montrezl Harrell ($6,200); Wendell Carter Jr. ($5,400)
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