Daily Fantasy Basketball 2014: Best NBA FanDuel, Draft Kings Lineup for Nov. 21
Daily fantasy basketball is a crapshoot that I've found infuriating, cumbersome and at the same time all-consuming.
As someone who writes about sports for a living—and specifically the NBA—I should be good at this. Those happy suckers you see in commercials who became multimillionaires playing on FanDuel or Draft Kings? That should, in theory, be me. Or someone like me.
Spoiler alert: It is not me. Like most of you fine folks, most nights pressing the "save lineup" button comes with a sense of satisfaction. I know tonight's the night! Buy papa a brand new Range Rover! And by halftime of the 7 p.m. tips I'm already at the bargaining stage, hoping to finish near the edge of the money.
It's a stressful couple hours that will likely wipe years off our lives. But..it's fun in the moment! And with a full slate of NBA games on the docket, why not share my FanDuel and Draft Kings selections for you to see, assess and eventually mock when they all fall through?
| PG | Damian Lillard | CHI@POR | $8,700 |
| PG | Isaiah Thomas | PHO@PHI | $5,800 |
| SG | Tyreke Evans | NO@DEN | $7,600 |
| SG | Nick Young | LAL@DAL | $5,300 |
| SF | Jeremy Lamb | BKN@OKC | $5,500 |
| SF | Shabazz Muhammad | SA@MIN | $3,900 |
| PF | Anthony Davis | NO@DEN | $11,800 |
| PF | Taj Gibson | CHI@POR | $5,900 |
| C | Gorgui Dieng | SA@MIN | $5,500 |
| Total | $60,000 |
Point Guard
After getting off to a slowish start, Damian Lillard is being undervalued in daily leagues. The Blazers guard has had at least 24 points, seven assists and four rebounds in his last four games, adding two steals in three of those contests.
From a daily perspective, his recent resume is on par with Stephen Curry's with $1,300 less in costs. Point guards are so productive that they're the one area above all you need top-tier performers. Curry is the ideal every-day start, but not when someone of near-equal value becomes available at a lesser salary.
Lillard is joined by Isaiah Thomas, about whom more anon. Let's just say playing the Philadelphia 76ers isn't such a terrible thing.
Shooting Guard
There isn't much value to be had here. Kevin Martin ($6,600) has two straight 30-point games but does next to nothing in other categories and can't be relied upon for ridiculous scoring bursts every time out. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Evan Fournier ($5,500) come with injury issues.
That leaves a relatively straightforward lineup here. Tyreke Evans has been abysmal shooting the ball, but he's filling up the stat sheet everywhere else. The New Orleans Pelicans have him playing the pseudo point guard role he prefers, and he could put up a LeBron Lite 20-7-7 stat line if his scoring improves. New Orleans will be well-rested and head into the Pepsi Center to play a Denver team that's just not very good.
Nick Young is another player you'll hear more blathering about later—get used to this—but the same message applies. He's scored 33 points in two games since returning from an injured hand and has shown no ill-effects shooting so far. Also, swag.
Small Forward
Before you ask: Nope, not drunk. Hear me out.
In four home games, Jeremy Lamb is averaging 15.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while making half his shots. In four road games, Lamb is averaging 9.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while making barely more than a quarter of his shots. This is very likely small sample size theatre—Lamb's home/road splits were negligible last season—but why not ride the hot trend until it burns you?
Shabazz Muhammad earned his first NBA start Wednesday against the New York Knicks and has scored 35 points in his last two games. Plus, he's cheaper than dirt. Even if Muhammad ends up with around 20 FanDuel points, you can more than make up for that by adding superstar-level pieces elsewhere
Power Forward
Elsewhere as in power forward. Where Anthony Davis resides. Davis is a world-beating menace whose statistical prowess lacks proper context. Dude is just awesome at everything. His PER right now is 36.16. We can debate the merits of PER all we want, but that's nearly eight points higher than anyone in basketball and would smash Wilt Chamberlain's all-time record (31.82)
A regression is bound to be coming, simply because Davis isn't about to have the greatest statistical season in modern NBA history at age 21. But he's a monster. Find a way to finagle him on your roster and let everything else sort its way out.
Taj Gibson is a no-brainer of equal proportions assuming Pau Gasol continues to sit out. Tom Thibodeau has little time to worry about trivial matters like "minute counts" and "back-to-backs." Gibson will play heavy minutes and be a double-double waiting to happen.
Center
Gorgui Dieng may be auditioning for the starting job over the next week. Nikola Pekovic's wrist injury is scheduled to keep him out for at least the next week, putting the former Louisville star back in the forefront. As a rookie, Dieng averaged 12.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in 18 games (15 starts) where he received extended playing time with Pekovic out.
His first start against the Knicks Wednesday produced an across-the-board goldmine of eight points, seven rebounds, five steals, four assists and a block. The Spurs might be a little bit more of a challenge, but their front line is hurting with Tiago Splitter still on the shelf. Dieng is a good value play until the daily salary systems start catching up.
| PG | Isaiah Thomas | PHO@PHI | $5,600 |
| SG | Klay Thompson | UTA@GS | $7,200 |
| SF | Jeff Green | BOS@MEM | $6,600 |
| PF | Anthony Davis | NO@DEN | $11,300 |
| C | Gorgui Dieng | SA@MIN | $6,500 |
| G | Nick Young | LAL@DAL | $3,600 |
| F | Shabazz Muhammad | SA@MIN | $4,100 |
| UTIL | Gerald Green | PHO@PHI | $5,000 |
| Total | $49,900 |
PG: Isaiah Thomas (Phoenix Suns)
Thomas is a high-variance player when it comes to daily leagues. Coming off the bench is a significant red flag for any starter, especially one with two talented point guards ahead of him in the hierarchy. Neither Eric Bledsoe nor Goran Dragic have been at the top of their games this season, but you're hoping for a bang-for-the-minute performance every time Thomas steps on the floor.
The past two games have bit everyone in the behind parts. He has 10 total points on 2-of-17 shooting in Suns wins over the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics, offering little in the rebounding or assists categories while he was at it. What we're banking on is a regression to the mean. Given that the Sixers are regression in the 15-man human form, Thomas should be in line for a turnaround.
SG: Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors)
Thompson has been so good this season that there is a narrative running amok saying the Warriors were smart to pass on dealing the 2-guard for Kevin Love. That is ludicrous, but for our purposes it doesn't matter. It's merely instructive of how productive he's been. Thompson is averaging 23.6 points, 3.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game, giving him a solid 37.1-point average in Draft Kings scoring.
The Warriors play a Utah team that ranks near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency. Quin Snyder's preferred slowish pace will make for an interesting contrast with Golden State, which averages the most possessions per game thus far. Odds are, the team with the better players and higher efficiency numbers will win out.
Thompson should be a solid non-Kobe choice.
SF: Jeff Green (Boston Celtics)
Another stylistic contrast—the Celtics rank third in pace and the Memphis Grizzlies in the bottom 10—shouldn't matter to Green, who has been given free reign. His 19.0 points per game eclipse the career-high he set last season, with Green being one of the many beneficiaries of Rajon Rondo's return to full health.
Memphis is good enough defensively that he probably won't be a breakout player, but you never know with Green. His entire career has been defined by stepping up right at the moment people begin giving up. At the very least, his numbers indicate he'll be a solid mid-tier option at $6,600.
PF: Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans)
You know why. Don't even question it. Pick A.D. and stunt on them haters.
C: Gorgui Dieng (Minnesota Timberwolves)
(See: That stuff I wrote about Gorgui Dieng a few paragraphs up.)
G: Nick Young (Los Angeles Lakers)
Quote 1: "It’s all about my swag. That’s a part of my repertoire. I’m talking about how I just walk off. I leave a presence when I walk off. I’m like Michael Jackson, Prince, all them other guys.”
Quote 2: "It's like my swag just rubbed off on everybody. It was unbelievable."
Those are things Nick Young has told reporters since his return to the lineup. The Lakers, the abominable, listless Lakers, have also won both of those games. Coincidence? Of course not (probably). Keep calm and swag on by adding the (super-duper cheap) Swaggy P to your talent collection.
F: Shabazz Muhammad (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Like Dieng, Muhammad is the beneficiary of a depleted Timberwolves roster opening up playing time. Flip Saunders essentially started three wing players Wednesday night, with Muhammad acting as the nominal power forward. The arrangement didn't go as poorly as it sounds on paper.
Muhammad had 17 points and eight rebounds, and the second-year forward has been a solid scorer all season in limited minutes. Assuming he'll receive extended playing time again Friday, Muhammad should have the green light to keep chucking.
Util: Gerald Green (Phoenix Suns)
SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIXERS!
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