RADIO
We've got an eight-game slate for Friday. Seven teams (DEN, LAC, MEM, ORL, PHI, SAC, and TOR) are playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
There is one game at 7:00 pm (CLE @ WAS), three games at 8:00 pm (DEN @ DET, ORL @ PHI, and UTA @ OKC), three games at 9:00 pm (TOR @ DAL, LAC @ HOU, and SAC @ MEM), and the late-night hammer at 9:30 pm is NO @ GS.
Here are my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 5/14/21. You can also check out today's DraftKings lineup picks. Keep an eye on Rotoballer’s injury news to stay up to date before lineups are locked.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Russell Westbrook, PG - vs. CLE ($12,600)
I don't care what the price is. I don't care what the matchup is. I'm playing Westbrook and figuring out the rest. He is on the heater of heaters. This is more impressive than that one-hour roll at the craps table I saw in Vegas many years ago. This may be more impressive than the stretches that James Harden had in Houston. Over the last seven games, he's AVERAGED 40.9 minutes, 21.9 field goal attempts, 13.9 rebounds, 16.9 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.6 blocks. Oh, I forgot the 27.6 points. Bradley Beal is also out, as if we needed any more reasons. He's scored 71.5, 75.2, 78.9, 54.9, 80.3, 72.1, and 67.5 FD points.
Jalen Harris, PG - at DAL ($4,300)
Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, and OG Anunoby are all out for this one. Harris has played 29, 25, and 27 minutes, contributing 18.2, 20.6, and 31.2 FD points. He actually started for Gary Trent Jr. in the most recent game. On the season, Harris is averaging 0.91 FD points per minute and should get plenty of run in this one.
Collin Sexton, SG - at WAS ($7,800)
Darius Garland could return in this one, so some usage could flow his way. Regardless, the usage rate is still high for Sexton with Garland off the court. It spikes to 38 without him, so there's tons of ceiling if Garland misses. Sexton has gone for at least 35 FD points in six of the last seven games with four of those 40-burgers. Now he gets a matchup against the Wizards who are 1st in pace and boost the FPPM to point guards by 11.22% above league average.
Armoni Brooks, SG - vs. LAC ($5,500)
I'm not crazy about the price but there wasn't another player I liked priced under him. Over the last five games, Brooks has played 36, 24, 33, 34, and 30 minutes, contributing 34.7, 24.1, 27.9, 40.6, and 24.9 FD points. The Rockets have listed Avery Bradley, Sterling Brown, Eric Gordon, Danuel House, David Nwaba, Kevin Porter Jr, DJ Wilson, and Christian Wood as out. Whew. Brooks is going to play a ton of minutes and garner a high usage rate.
Also consider: Delon Wright ($8,300), Killian Hayes ($5,200), Terence Davis ($6,800), Eric Bledsoe ($5,600)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Kyle Anderson, SF - vs. SAC ($6,000)
The top of the small forward pool is littered with game-time decisions and outs, so Anderson it is. He averages 1.08 FD points per minute and 29 minutes per game. The Kings are 10th in pace and dead-last in defensive efficiency so there should be plenty of opportunities to produce those fantasy goodies.
Anthony Lamb, SF - vs. LAC ($3,900)
Lamb is going to get a ton of minutes due to all the players that are out. He's played at least 30 minutes in five games this season. In those contests, he's contributed 26.8, 25.8, 32, 7, and 20.7 FD points.
Kenyon Martin Jr., PF - vs. LAC ($7,500)
Over the last five games, Martin has played 37, 38, 39, 39, and 44 minutes. He's contributed 42, 39.8, 48, 42.9, and 48 FD points. The usage rate has exceeded 20 only two times so he's contributing in all the periphery categories. That provides a solid floor and he accesses ceiling when he scores points. The three-point prowess has really jumped out as he's drained 3, 3, 4, and 6 in the last four games.
Juan Toscano-Anderson, PF - vs. NO ($5,400)
JTA has feasted with Eric Paschall out of the lineup. The usage rate has been super low but he's provided a little something in every category. The minutes have been the big thing as he's averaged 31 minutes per game. Over the last seven games, he's put up 43.2, 28, 20.2, 27.8, 36.3, 31.9, and 24 FD points. Now, Paschall could return for this one, but JTA should get the bulk of the minutes and remain a viable source of fantasy goodies.
Also consider: Kent Bazemore ($4,900), Naji Marshall ($4,900), Kevin Love ($6,500), Jaxson Hayes ($5,700)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Jonas Valanciunas, C - vs. SAC ($8,400)
Valanciunas is a double-double machine and now faces a Kings team that is 10th in pace and dead-last in defensive efficiency. They also boost the FPPM to centers by 6.8% above league average. Over the last four games, JV has produced 45.1, 51.2, 57.7, and 45.2 FD points. I'll take the $2,200 savings from Nikola Jokic and hope that he has just an average game while JV comes close to matching him.
Damian Jones, C - at MEM ($4,200)
Richaun Holmes left Thursday's game with a knee injury. He's listed as questionable for Friday's contest but I'm going to assume that he's out for this one. Hassan Whiteside will likely start the game at center but I think Jones gets the bulk of the minutes. On the season, he's averaging 0.83 FD points per minute. He's played 23, 21, and 21 minutes in the last three games, contributing 30.5, 20.9, and 32.2 FD points, but those were games with Holmes playing.
Also consider: Nikola Jokic ($10,600), Kelly Olynyk ($8,300), Willy Hernangomez ($5,800)
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