Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: DraftKings Optimum Lineup Predictions for Feb. 11
A day after supporting players from losing clubs, Wednesday night's DraftKings lineup goes back to honoring the winners.
With a dozen games occupying the NBA schedule, not just anybody makes the Hump Day cut. Several advised options hail from star-studded Western Conference clubs, as they're all poised for high-scoring, fast-paced action.
Two marquee guards lead the brigade for a roster otherwise stacked with mid-level values and one clearance-sale steal.
| PG | Damian Lillard, POR | vs. LAL | $8,700 |
| SG | Klay Thompson, GS | @ MIN | $7,900 |
| SF | Trevor Ariza, HOU | @ LAC | $5,700 |
| PF | Jared Sullinger, BOS | vs. ATL | $6,700 |
| C | Marcin Gortat, WAS | @ TOR | $5,100 |
| G | Victor Oladipo, ORL | vs. NY | $6,700 |
| F | Mitch McGary, OKC | va. MEM | $3,800 |
| UTIL | Langston Galloway, NYK | @ ORL | $5,400 |
Studs
PG Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers ($8,700)
Per RotoGrinders' DraftKings data, the Los Angeles Lakers have surrendered the most fantasy points and regular points to opposing point guards. Damian Lillard helped spike those rates during two strong tilts at their expense last month.
| 1/11 | 37 | 34 | 13-23 | 4-8 | 7 | 3 |
| 1/5 | 39 | 39 | 12-21 | 4-8 | 5 | 6 |
If the Lakers aren't bad enough already, they'll have to chase down Lillard on the second of back-to-back games after getting scorched by Ty Lawson. Meanwhile, the refreshed Portland Trail Blazers enjoyed two off days to prepare for their abysmal adversary.
Although gamers can no longer point to Lillard's All-Star snub as motivation, they're still getting a superstar averaging 40.5 DraftKings points for contests. He'll need to exceed that lofty mark to prove worth the heavy investment. Considering the strong likelihood of dropping another 30 points on the Lakers, that's a strong bet.
SG Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors ($7,800)
Klay Thompson is a popular selection of mine, but it may seem peculiar turning to the Splash Brothers' shooting guard now. The recommendation fizzled last week, and he shot an ice-cold 9-of-36 during the last two games.
Even worse, those duds came against the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, two of the league's worst perimeter defenses. ESPN Stats & Info monitored his off night at Madison Square Garden.
Before abandoning Thompson, give him another chance against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who allow the most DraftKings points to opposing shooting guards. Due to his recent rough patch, Thompson's price tag fell all the way from $8,500 to $7,800.
All shooters have off days, but trust the full body of work from a stud with a 60.1 true-shooting percentage.
Mid-Level Values
SF Trevor Ariza, Houston Rockets ($5,700)
Despite scoring just nine points on Sunday night, Ariza finished with 34.75 points for his DraftKings users. Good things happen when a multidimensional talent gets 41 minutes to accrue stats.
Acquiring Corey Brewer led the Houston Rockets to tone down Ariza's heavy workload, but the veteran has logged 36.2 minutes over his last nine bouts. He has offered an average of 33.9 fantasy points through the past five slates.
Tabbed with a 213 opening line on Odds Shark, the Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers should produce a close, high-scoring affair. With the Clippers ranked third-last against small forwards on DraftKings, that's great news for Ariza.
C Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards ($5,100)
Ariza's former teammate admittedly feels like a boring selection. Marcin Gortat hasn't scored 15 or more points in each of the Washington Wizards' last 11 games. Yet he has averaged nine boards per contest this month while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor, making him an intriguing mid-tier center.
On Monday, he enjoyed his best outing in a while with 14 points and 14 boards against the Orlando Magic. While players shouldn't rely on a duplicate outing, he doesn't need to stray far from his 26.8-point DraftKings average to hit value against the Toronto Raptors.
Some cost-cutting moves are necessary to afford Lillard and Thompson. Gortat won't win the evening, but he'll do his part at a reasonable $5,100.
Bargain Bin
PF Mitch McGary, Oklahoma City Thunder ($3,800)
Quickly earning his keep for the Oklahoma City Thunder, rookie Mitch McGary has notched consecutive double-doubles while replacing the injured Steven Adams. In a very limited sample size, the neophyte has dominated down low, as displayed by Rotoworld's Michael Gallagher.
Allowing a 58.0 field-goal percentage from within 5 feet, the Memphis Grizzlies reside right in the middle of the league's interior defenders. Although not a plus matchup, the profit potential is too immense to forgo.
With Adams shelved three weeks with a broken hand, there's no reason to expect the Thunder to turn away from McGary now. "He's going to get opportunities," Brooks told Fox Sports' Andrew Gilman after Sunday's victory over the Clippers. "We like what we saw. He was ready."
Another double-double makes him a huge steal at $3,800, although several other gamers will attempt to ride to winnings.
Advanced stats courtesy of NBA.com unless otherwise noted.
