Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: Best NBA DFS DraftKings Lineup for Feb. 10
It's easy to get drawn to the NBA's A-list teams and superstars, but Tuesday's daily values crawl underneath the surface.
Rather than targeting the marquee matchups for big-name draws, let's pinpoint the unassuming players set to strive in otherwise uneventful bouts. The Charlotte Hornets aren't competing for a title anytime soon, but a pair of starters are red hot heading into a favorable tilt.
Tuesday's DraftKings lineup largely consists of players from the two games beginning and ending the evening. While the best squads will compete in the other three draws, those two offer the most fantasy dividends.
| PG | Ty Lawson, DEN | @ LAL | $8,000 |
| SG | Gerald Henderson, CHA | vs. DET | $5,100 |
| SF | Josh Smith, HOU | @ PHO | $6,400 |
| PF | Kenneth Faried, DEN | @ LAL | $5,900 |
| C | Al Jefferson, CHA | vs. DET | $7,700 |
| G | Mike Conley, MEM | vs. BKN | $6,900 |
| F | Ed Davis, LAL | vs. DEN | $4,900 |
| UTIL | Jordan Clarkson, LAL | vs. DEN | $5,100 |
PG Ty Lawson, Denver Nuggets ($8,000)
Whether hitching your wagon to Ty Lawson, Derrick Rose, D.J. Augustin or Mike Conley, invest in a high-quality point guard gifted a great matchup. In fact, the suggested lineup above employs both Lawson against the Los Angeles Lakers and Conley opposing the Brooklyn Nets.
Following a four-game stretch in which he accrued a combined 29 points, Lawson broke out of his funk with three straight 20-point outings. Jameer Nelson's Achilles ailment also forced him to log increased minutes during those bouts.
| 2/9 | OKC | 38 | 22 | 8-12 | 5-7 | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| 2/6 | DET | 39 | 20 | 6-12 | 1-2 | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| 2/4 | BOS | 43 | 23 | 9-15 | 1-3 | 8 | 2 | 4 |
Even when he's not scoring with flair, the Denver Nuggets point guard averages 10.0 assists per game, and the Lakers rank No. 27 with 23.9 assists allowed per contest. That and their league-worst 9.0 three-pointers surrendered makes them the most fruitful opponent for opposing point guards in DraftKings scoring.
SG Gerald Henderson, Charlotte Hornets ($5,100)
Mostly on the strength of volume, Gerald Henderson has morphed into a viable fantasy asset in February. Despite an assuming 42.5 field-goal percentage, he's averaging 18.5 points per game this month by hoisting 13.5 shots a night.
That's nothing new for Henderson, who heaved 13.4 field goals during January. He has accumulated at least eight attempts in every game since Dec. 26, offsetting inefficiency with raw production.
With Kemba Walker sidelined, he'll continue to get a heavy workload in Charlotte's backcourt. Averaging 36.3 minutes per game this month, the 27-year-old will prove an immense bargain at $5,100 against the Detroit Pistons, who yield 100.1 points per game.
SF Josh Smith, Houston Rockets ($6,400)
Pickings are slim at small forward, where Rudy Gay is the top-priced option despite missing Sunday's game with a foot injury. Next up is Josh Smith, who remains an affordable $6,400 despite making his mark with the Houston Rockets.
Over his last five games, the former Detroit castoff has netted an impressive 35.7 DraftKings points per contest, offering a little of everything across the board.
Often mocked for testing his shooting range to ugly results, the 29-year-old has even caught a hot hand from behind the arc.
Nobody shoots close to as many threes as the Rockets, so he'll keep getting those chances, although two makes is a more reasonable outcome than four. The Phoenix Suns place fourth-last in DK points relinquished to small forwards, and their poor rebounding makes him a double-double candidate.
PF Ed Davis, Los Angeles Lakers ($4,900)
Tuesday's late-night finale between the Nuggets and Lakers proves a treasure chest for daily gamers. Per NBA.com, they both reside in the bottom third of defensive rating while operating at a top-10 pace. It won't be the prettiest display of pure basketball, but the stats should pile up.
That's good news for power forwards Kenneth Faried and Ed Davis. Both are worth deep looks, but Davis particularly delivers great value after averaging 31.4 DK points last week, coinciding with Jordan Hill's hip injury.
| 2/8 | CLE | 24 | 16 | 6-7 | 9 | 1 | 36.25 |
| 2/6 | ORL | 21 | 4 | 2-6 | 6 | 3 | 20.5 |
| 2/4 | MIL | 33 | 7 | 2-8 | 20 | 1 | 37.5 |
Denver fares worst in the league against power forwards, which will prompt others to instead secure Carlos Boozer. Since he costs more ($5,500) while playing fewer minutes during the past two games, go with the lesser-known 25-year-old instead.
Davis doesn't need another 20-rebound performance to hold his weight. Another 10 would put him on his way to a sneaky 30 fantasy points.
C Al Jefferson, Charlotte Hornets ($7,700)
Not interested in paying the $10,500 premium for DeMarcus Cousins? No worries. Al Jefferson will deliver studly production at a significantly lower buy-in rate.
A humdrum year for his standards, the big man is posting only 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds sums. Yet he has looked more like himself with 18.5 points and 11 boards during February, exclaimed by 30 points on Sunday night.
He's not exactly a steal at $7,700, but the matchup justifies the cost. The Pistons rank last in DK points surrendered to centers, allowing 19.5 points, 16.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks against them, per 82games.com.
Amassing at least 30 fantasy points over the last eight slates, the veteran also comes with a steady floor. Worst-case scenario, he falls slightly shy of hitting value while delivering enough usage to hold the fort together.
