Daily Fantasy Basketball 2014: Best NBA FanDuel, DraftKings Lineup for Nov. 19
We're three weeks into the NBA season, which means many people are already fed up with their fantasy basketball teams.
It's not time to give up on the season-long game quite yet, but if you're like me and looking to forget about drafting Andre Drummond and Elfrid Payton, a distraction would be nice.
Daily fantasy is just that.
With 11 games on the slate, Wednesday is the perfect opportunity to fill out some lineups. Here's a look at who I'm trotting out there for FanDuel and DraftKings.
FanDuel ($60,000 Budget)
| PG | Rajon Rondo, BOS | at PHI | $8,900 |
| PG | Reggie Jackson, OKC | at DEN | $8,000 |
| SG | James Harden, HOU | vs. LAL | $10,100 |
| SG | Tim Hardaway Jr., NYK | at MIN | $3,700 |
| SF | K.J. McDaniels, PHI | vs. BOS | $4,200 |
| SF | Solomon Hill, IND | vs. CHA | $5,400 |
| PF | Donatas Motiejunas, HOU | vs. LAL | $5,100 |
| PF | Jared Sullinger, BOS | at PHI | $6,800 |
| C | DeAndre Jordan, LAC | at ORL | $7,500 |
| Total | $59,700 |
Point Guards: Rajon Rondo, Reggie Jackson
If there's a game to stack, it's the Boston Celtics at the Philadelphia 76ers. Both teams rank among the top four in possessions per 48 minutes. The Sixers are 17th in defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions), and the C's are 27th.
Translation: Both teams love to run, and neither team loves to stop other teams from scoring points.
The beauty of Rajon Rondo in daily fantasy is you don't have to fret when he shoots 2-for-10 from the free-throw line. Just sit back and watch him approach a triple-double (he's nearly averaging one for the season) with a bunch of steals in this ideal matchup.
As for Reggie Jackson, he's averaging over 40.0 minutes per game and has a really healthy usage percentage of 26.1. As long as Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant remain out, Jackson is the Thunder's No. 1 option and an obvious stud in fantasy circles.
Shooting Guards: James Harden, Tim Hardaway Jr.
If you're going to drop over $10,000 on one player, you better make sure it's a safe option.
James Harden is just that. Playing nearly 40.0 minutes per game, Harden is averaging 23.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.7 steals. Now, coming off his worst performance of the season, he gets to seek redemption against the Lakers, the worst defensive team in the NBA.
Harden will be worth the price Wednesday.
Tim Hardaway Jr. is pretty much the opposite strategy. It's a roll of the dice that he gets hot off the bench, but he played 29 minutes Tuesday, and at $3,700, it won't take much for him to have value.
Small Forwards: K.J. McDaniels, Solomon Hill
K.J. McDaniels is another value pick. He still doesn't have a huge role, but the athletic rookie is money in the defensive stats, and this will be an up-tempo game. He's a risk worth taking at $4,200.
Solomon Hill, meanwhile, continues to quietly put up big numbers. In his last seven games, he is averaging 38.4 minutes, 15.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 steals. And it sounds as though Frank Vogel has no intention of limiting his playing time, via the team's official Twitter feed:
"Vogel: "Solomon Hill continues to show that he’s a legitimate 2-way player… Elite defensively and growing every game on the offensive end."
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) November 16, 2014"
Until he cools off, Hill is a steal in daily fantasy circles.
Power Forwards: Donatas Motiejunas, Jared Sullinger
Donatas Motiejunas hasn't really taken advantage of Terrence Jones' injury, but he is starting, and he has received at least 30 minutes in four of the last five games. With Jordan Hill likely busy with Dwight Howard, the big Lithuanian will match up with Carlos Boozer. That means plenty of points and rebounds and a few blocks.
As for Jared Sullinger, his strong three-point shooting from the preseason hasn't translated to the regular season, which has been a disappointment. However, he has been a consistent double-double threat and is quietly averaging 3.2 assists per contest.
$6,800 is a little more than I wanted to pay for him, but, again, the expected high-scoring nature of the game (Odds Shark gives it an over/under of 210, the highest of the day) serves as the deciding factor.
Center: DeAndre Jordan
The man is sweltering right now. In his last five games, he's averaging 36.7 minutes, 10.2 points, 15.0 rebounds (!), 1.8 steals (!) and 3.6 blocks (!).
A matchup against Nikola Vucevic isn't a great one, but Jordan is playing too well right now to ignore for a reasonable price.
DraftKings ($50,000 Budget)
| PG | Reggie Jackson, OKC | at DEN | $8,400 |
| SG | Iman Shumpert, NYK | at MIN | $3,900 |
| SF | Jeff Green, BOS | at PHI | $6,900 |
| PF | Channing Frye, ORL | vs. LAC | $5,100 |
| C | Gorgui Dieng, MIN | vs. NYK | $5,000 |
| G | James Harden, HOU | vs. LAL | $10,300 |
| F | Tobias Harris, ORL | vs. LAC | $7,300 |
| UTIL | Zaza Pachulia, MIL | at BKN | $3,000 |
| Total | $49,900 |
Point Guard: Reggie Jackson
See above. Barrels and barrels of minutes. Go-to option on offense. Fantasy goodness.
Shooting Guard: Iman Shumpert
It's probably safe to say Iman Shumpert is healthy. A hip injury kept him out for much of two games, but he returned Tuesday and piled up 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Newsday's Al Iannazzone put Shump's value to the team simply:
Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver also did a good job of summing up his game:
Shumpert is scoring, rebounding and distributing. Against a Timberwolves team near the bottom of the league in defensive rating, he's a no-brainer at $3,900.
Small Forward: Jeff Green
Disclaimer: I own a Jeff Green Sonics shirsey.
But that in no way affects my decision to include him here. It's more the great matchup, the solid price and the fact that he's averaging 19.9 points to go with tremendous defensive stats (1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks).
Power Forward: Channing Frye
I love the usage here. In his last six games, Channing Frye is receiving a whopping 36.3 minutes per contest. He has gone over 40 twice in that span.
At $5,100, this is a high-floor, low-ceiling pick.
Center: Gorgui Dieng
Remember how dominant Gorgui Dieng was when he received extended playing time last year? Well, he'll get an opportunity to repeat that success with Nikola Pekovic out for at least three games.
On a per-36-minute basis, Dieng is averaging 14.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks this year. It's not a stretch to think he'll get close to those numbers while starting.
Guard: James Harden
You could also fit Chris Paul or John Wall at this spot. Both were strongly considered, but, in the end, it's too difficult to pass up Harden in a bounce-back game against the defenseless Lakers.
Forward: Tobias Harris
On ESPN's fantasy player rater, Tobias Harris is ranked 12th on the season and No. 2 overall during the last week.
Yes, that also takes into account shooting percentages, which don't matter all that much in daily fantasy, but it's a testament to just how well the talented 22-year-old (sidenote: how is Tobias Harris only 22 years old?) is producing across the board.
I love his value, even at $7,300.
Utility: Zaza Pachulia
There's no other way to end than with Zaza Pachulia.
This depends on the health of Larry Sanders, so check on that before tip-off Wednesday. Pachulia got the start Tuesday with Sanders sidelined and put up 14 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals in 34 minutes.
For $3,000, I'll take half of that and be satisfied.
