Daily Fantasy NBA Basketball Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings - 2/2/16

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Point Guard

D'Angelo Russell FD - $6100 DK - $5700
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 30.74 DK - 33.51

We enter into this 4 game slate with a very few ways to go at point guard. Russell is the guy we will have most exposure to, as the match up is right and the PACE should be just high. Russell had a huge game last time out vs the Nuggets, and I would expect a similar performance tonight. John Wall is a good man to man defender, but struggles in transition and gives up a lot open 3 pointers. Russell is generally more of a tournament option, but i'm willing to use him in cash games on this slate, where there is an overall lack of floor at PG. Though Russell isn't completely safe, he is as good as it will get at PG.  John Wall is a tad bit overpriced tonight, and I planned on having no exposure. what leaves me with a lot of these 3 guys we will talk about. Russell is way under priced, and I will have exposure across the entire industry.

Dennis Schroder FD - $6700 DK - $6400
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 31.25 DK - 34.03

We ended up with an Atlanta Hawk at every position, so you will have to pick your spots. Schroder does have one of the worst match up son the team, but is still in a very good spot. Sure, Beverley is a wonderful defender, but it doesn't matter when the other PG has the ball an extra 20 times and take an extra 8 shots. That makes up for the quality defense, and I wouldn't worry about Schroder hurting you too badly. I look at him as an extremely safe option, and a way to go in cash games. He is obviously viable in tournaments as well, sitting in the mid $6k's on both sites. I look for Schroder to be about 30% owned, which is right where he should be. There is a merit in fading Schroder, but you better be stacking up some other Hawks. A few of these guys are going to have big games.

Austin Rivers FD - $5800 DK - $6400
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 26.5 DK - 28.25
Patrick Beverley FD - $5200 DK - $5000
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 26.76 DK - 28.88

These are the 2 guys I am highest on in the cheap PG range, and I will have a lot of both. Beverley is the safer option, as he will get minutes, and is needed for his defense against Dennis Schroder. The game will also stay close, and Beverley is just too cheap. As for Rivers, he faces off with a high pace offense that offers a ton of upside to guards. This game will be high scoring either way, and someone has to score the Clippers. Rivers looks to be gaining some chemistry with Griffin as well, which is HUGE. All in all, Beverley is ore suited for cash games, and Rivers has a bit more upside. With that being said, you can play Beverley in tournaments if you have exposure elsewhere to this game, which you definitely should have if you want to win.

 

Shooting Guard

James Harden FD - $12000 DK - $12400
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 58.43 DK - 63.1

With not too many good ways to pay up on this slate, you have to love James Harden. With so many question marks, it's very nice to have a guy that you know will get you 55, at least. Harden has played well against the Hawks in the past, and I am hoping Thabo ends up missing this one. He is one of the better perimeter defenders in the East, though he still won't be able to stop Harden. If Sefolosha is out, he will see the very weak defense of Tim Hardaway Jr. and the average Bazemore defense. Harden is going to eat tonight, and this game should stay very close. If there is 1 game I want to watch tonight, it is certainly this one. Harden can be played in all formats, and he should have another one of his typical huge game.

Brad Beal FD - $7200 DK - $7000
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 33.63 DK - 36

Bradley Beal now has 35 fantasy points in 4 of his last 6 games, and almost making it 5 with a 30 piece. He gets an ideal match up here against the Lakers, who we all know sports a pitiful  perimeter defense. Nick Young and Jordan Clarkson will see Beal for most of the game, and he is way too fast for both. Beal will have plenty of open shots, and I would certainly expect this to be one of the higher scoring games on this short slate. As you will see, we will be getting  a lot of exposure. Beal is a solid option across the board, and can be deployed in both cash games and tournaments.

Tim Hardaway Jr. FD - $4900 DK - $4200
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 28.29 DK - 30.37

Thabo missed another game last  night, and Hardaway Jr. once again drew the start. Let's hope Sefolosha takes one more game off, and Hardaway gets a chance to match up with James Harden. I think Hardaway has a lot of upside in the case he faces off with Harden, as he has good scoring instincts, and is just way too cheap. Hardaway has shown us his ability to get hot, sitting over 40 fantasy points twice this season. Harden will cover him to start the game, and he is the worst defender the Knicks have. That should funnel some offense his way, and he ha sno problem shooting extra if needed. Hardaway Jr. is a guy I will have everywhere if Sefolosha gets ruled out.

Small Forward

Trevor Ariza FD - $5300 DK - $5100
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 25.17 DK - 27.3

Trevor Ariza is going to be the most expensive SF we take a look at, which is crazy. Sitting in the low $5k's on both sites, Aria barely needs 23 to hit value. This match up is fine for Ariza, who derives most of his fantasy value from peripherals. They should be up for grabs  against the Hawks, who give up the 7th most rebounds and 3rd most assists to opposing SF's. Bazemore is a very average defender, and Ariza will have no problem picking up a few open shots in the corner. Ariza can be paired with Harden, and this whole game can be stacked in a lot of different ways. Ariza can be played in all formats, though he will be highly owned.

Kent Bazemore FD - $5000 DK - $5300
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 25.47 DK - 27.63

Bazemore is a pretty tough guy to peg, but this looks like a spot where you want to get some exposure. Bazemore plays better in high pace games, and this one between the Rockets and Hawks will certainly be. Bazemore will likely match  up with Ariza for most of the game, who is a slightly above average average defender at this point. Bazemore should do just fine against him, and the peripherals should flow in pretty easily. The Rockets play very fast, which results in a lot of rebounds and assists for them and the opposition. This is a game that will be stacked a lot, and rightfully so. If you can find a way to stack this game and still be contrariran, I would suggest finding a way. Bazemore is a rock solid option in cash games, but mistly due to the lack of options at SF.

Luol Deng FD - $4100 DK - $3700
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 18.07 DK - 19.37
Kelly Oubre FD - $3800 DK - $3400
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 16.63 DK - 18

If you are looking to pay way down at SF, you can go 2 different ways. Deng is the more safe, consistent option as he usually sits around 22 fantasy points and is a very middling performer. As for Oubre, I see him having a nice game given the opportunity. The Lakers are not good against forwards, and I could see Oubre sneaking in there and having a good game. His price is also way too cheap, needing just 18 to hit value. I would expect these 2 guys to cover each other at some point, and do a pretty good job. Neither of these guys will be cornerstones of the offense, but they get the ball, and they aren't scared to make something happen. You can play both of these guys in both cash games and tournaments, though they are recommended for tourneys.

Power Forward

Paul Millsap FD - $8500 DK - $7800
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 38.81 DK - 41.06

Paul Millsap should be 100% owned at PF tonight. I see no merit in fading him, as the other options are just absolutely pitiful. Markieff Morris is the only other guy I am somewhat confident in, and he is still nowhere near as solid as Millsap. Outside of 1 very disappointing game, Millsap has been solid as of late, and gets a great match up here. Ryan Anderson has no chance of covering Millsap, and he should get off to a hot start on offense. They could also throw some Sam Dekker or Montrezl Harrell, but i'm not sure they have anyone that matches up. Look forward to Millsap making them pay for that, as he has done in the past. I would recommend playing Millsap in every lineup, or at least that's what i'll be doing. Millsap has the highest floor and highest ceiling at the position, and should have one of the better games of his season.

Markieff Morris FD - $7500 DK - $6800
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 32.56 DK - 34.64

Here is the 2nd guy I mentioned, as being the only other decent PF outside of Paul Millsap. Morris gets a great match up here with the Lakers, who have been horrible against PF's for many seasons now. With Julius Randle questionable, Morris will see the majority of his  minutes against either Randle, or the combo of Larry Nance and Ivica Zubac. None of those guys hold a light to Morris, and he will show them come tonight. For a guy that got a lot of hate to start the  year, Markieff Morris sure is turning it around. If you take a look at his game logs, you will see just how consistent and productive he has been in the past few weeks . Nothing should change against this under sized interior, and Morris should have another solid game. With power forward being so ugly, these are 2 guys who will surely be on a lot of my rosters. Morris has a floor of 25, with a ceiling over 40.

Rest of PF - It gets pretty ugly after Morris and Millsap, and you might have to do some digging. Ryan Anderson and Dario Saric are both somewhat interesting, and offer up some nice upside at very low ownership. Draymond Green and LaMarcus Aldridge are also decent options, but not nearly as good as the 2 above.

 

 

Center

Dwight Howard FD - $7100 DK - $6900
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 37.19 DK - 39.23

Dwight Howard will return to Houston for the first time since leaving, and this should be a fun interaction to watch. Howard has dominated the Hawks both times they played in Atlanta, finishing over 40 fantasy points in both games.  He should be somewhere around there tonight, and the upside is VERY high. Howard has been a nw player this season, and this price around the industry is completely justified. Clint Capela and Montrezl Harrell will cover Howard, and neither of them hold a chance. Harrell is just way too small, and Capela is not nearly strong enough. He is also not ready to play big minutes, and should be tired quickly. Howard is a great way to go in both cash games and tournaments, and is by far the safest option at center.

Marcin Gortat FD - $6700 DK - $6000
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 26.92 DK - 28.3

Howard is my favorite center, but by no means a must play. At just a tad bit cheaper than Howard, we have Marcin Gortat. Gortat may not be flashy or have the upside, but the job get's done. The job should be  a little easier tonight, as the Lakers are on of the most porous interiors in the league. Timofey Mozgov and Ivica Zubac will guard him for most of the game. all should be able to light both of the up in the pick n roll. You can plug Gortat in for a floor of 25, with a projection in the 30's and a ceiling over 40. The price is fair, but is high enough to the point where it could keep some people off of Gortat. I won't be one of those guys, as I will be making sure I get exposure somewhere.

Ivica Zubac FD - $4700 DK - $3900
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 19.51 DK - 20.3

Zubac is one of these guys that has bursted on the scene, and been a phenomenal FP per minute guy. While Zubac will likely be unable to keep this performance up, it has been impressive. Marcin Gortat is a talented defender, but it really hasn't mattered. Zubac has dominated all type of centers, and Gortat is not the guy that scares me too much. With all of this being said, Zubac can only be played in tournaments. His minutes are still very uncertain, and we haven't heard confirmation yet on  the health of Julius Randle. If the Lakers do make sure Zubac sees a considerable amount of time on the floor, he will produce heavily. His offensive skills are nice, and his post game is strong.

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