The best part about playing daily fantasy basketball on Sunday is that most people are worried about their football lineups. Sometimes, there are some very winnable leagues as well as some excellent overlay opportunities.
Here are my picks for FanDuel plays for Sunday, November 15, 2015. These picks are intended for cash game and double-up games. As always, make sure to check the lineups before the game to make sure everyone is healthy and not considered a dreaded “DND.”
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FanDuel Point Guards
Russell Westbrook, OKC - $11,400
Watch him whip. Watch him nae nae. Watch him [be] Superman.
Rajon Rondo, SAC - $7,500
Rondo has dropped 55.9, 30.2, 50.7 and 56 FanDuel points in four straight games, respectively. He has also played at least 44 minutes in each of those games and is averaging 14 assists per outing. The injury to Darren Collison has really given Rondo a ton of opportunities. Collison is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against Toronto. If he is a no show again, find a way to roster Rondo.
FanDuel Shooting Guards
Alec Burks, UTA - $5,400
He’s got a great John Houseman name. Aleeeec Buuuurks. Seinfeld references aside, Burks is a strong play on Sunday if starter Rodney Hood is out. The former Colorado standout is on some kind of tear over his last three games, even with a sub-par performance in Friday night’s loss to Orlando. Some would say that had more to do with playing the back-end of a back-to-back. The reality is that he has played at least thirty minutes in four of his last six games and has really become somewhat of a spark off the bench for the Jazz. If Hood does not start, Burks will have to become the team’s primary perimeter scoring threat.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DET - $5,100
For DFS purposes, it’s normally a good idea to fade starters that will be playing in their second straight in as many days. And normally, I would never recommend a player, like Caldwell-Pope, that has struggled so much in the early parts of the season and who is playing in his second straight. But the Pistons get the Lakers. A team that is among the worst in defensive efficiency, but likes to play with pace. That combination is too hard to pass up. Plus, he is still playing in the mid- to high thirties in minutes, always a good recipe for success. I like KCP in tournaments for Sunday.
FanDuel Small Forwards
Evan Turner, BOS - $5,800
The swing position looks almost like a punt play for Sunday. Carmelo Anthony is insanely expensive, Rudy Gay is hurt, Andrew Wiggins looks like a solid play but is still showing flashes of recovering, and Gordon Hayward is too flukey. Turner may be the winner here by default. OKC and Boston are both top five teams in terms of pace, which should give every player plenty of in this game plenty of opportunity to put up some points. The downside for Turner is that he is coming off a game in which he went 2-for-11 from the floor. He added five boards and four dimes, helping his overall fantasy numbers, but five points simply won’t cut it. Let’s just chalk that previous outing up to the Atlanta defense and move on to the up tempo match-up with the Thunder.
Nemanja Bjelica, MIN - $4,700
Somehow, the Grizzlies are yielding the 10th worst defensive efficiency in the Association. Mostly that is due to them having played the Warriors twice, but still, the team has looked vulnerable, especially to perimeter shooters and scorers. Enter Bjelica. Professor Big Shots, which is quite possibly the greatest nickname in the NBA, has looked more and more comfortable as the season has gotten older. Playing time is a question, but the Serbian has averaged at least 30 minutes when coming off at least one day of rest. Considering the other options at small forward, Bjelica is a top value play.
DraftKings Power Forwards
Ryan Anderson, NOP - $6,000
I feel compelled to still play Anderson. He is coming off a poor outing against Toronto in which he finished with five points, six rebounds and two assists. That poor performance stabilized his price tag and will (probably) keep his ownership numbers down for Sunday. That can all change against the Knicks. After starting the season with some strong defensive numbers, New York is beginning to show their true colors at their end of the court. The Knicks are capable of giving up double-digit rebounds to Anderson with plenty of open shots. Look for Anderson to bounce back.
Kristaps Porzingis, NYK - $5,500
Why not pick up Anderson’s most-likely counterpart? At $500 less, Porzingis is an excellent play in all formats. As bad as the Knicks’ defense has been over the past few games, the Pelicans continue to write the book on how to give up easy baskets. New Orleans is giving up a pedestrian 29.9 field goal attempters per game from inside five feet, but opponents are making those shots at a 62.5% clip. That’s good enough for second worst. Looks like New York’s first round draft pick from Latvia will continue to make the highlight reels with some easy put backs.
FanDuel Centers
DeMarcus Cousins, SAC - $10,500
The only Velociraptor that will be on the court on Sunday in Sacramento is the giant wearing a Kings jersey, hunting and feasting upon that sub-par frontcourt. Boogie’s price is the only downside.
Andre Drummond, DET - $9,700
Is this guy serious? Drummond actually gonna average a 20/20 this season? Every day I look at the Detroit box score and see Drummond’s rebound numbers, I think a giant joke is being made on me by the NBA app. I even put it in my diary. I write, “the NBA mobile app made a funny joke today.” Baxter and I laugh about it later in the night. Does anyone in their right mind actually think the Lakers are going to slow him down?
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