Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: NBA DFS DraftKings Best Player Picks for Nov. 8
Yesterday, three of my All-Star-caliber players had off nights, and it hurt. According to DraftKings, Tim Duncan, Al Horford and Stephen Curry combined for 48 percent of my salary yet produced just 36 percent of my total fantasy points. It's OK. No grudge will be held nor will any angry tweets be sent. They're only human.
And that's the best part about daily fantasy sports. Today, we get to jump right back on the horse, and it's a whole new horse. I'm excited, and I hope you are too. Here's what I'm going with for this small five-game slate:
| Position | Player | Price | Opponent |
| PG | Jerian Grant | $3,600 | vs. LAL |
| SG | Eric Bledsoe | $7,800 | @ OKC |
| SF | Carmelo Anthony | $8,400 | vs. LAL |
| PF | Julius Randle | $6,700 | @ NY |
| C | Alex Len | $3,100 | @OKC |
| G | Brandon Knight | $7,300 | @ OKC |
| F | Derrick Williams | $3,100 | vs. LAL |
| Utility | Kevin Durant | $9,600 | vs. PHX |
Jerian Grant ($3,600) vs. Lakers
Though he doesn't start for the Knicks, Grant is splitting time pretty evenly with starting point guard Jose Calderon. Both have some value against the Lakers, who are the league's second-worst defensive team and fifth-fastest-paced team, according to Basketball-Reference.com. If Grant plays his usual allotment of about 23 minutes, his value should greatly exceed his price.
Grant, a rookie, is averaging 5.3 drives per game so far this season, according to NBA.com. He's shooting just 16.7 percent from beyond the arc. If he can start hitting threes the way he did in college, his drive game will become more effective.
Julius Randle ($6,700) vs. Carmelo Anthony ($8,400)
You've probably noticed that I'm pretty heavy on the Knicks-Lakers matchup today. Four of my eight players are involved in that game. The reason? I think there will be very little defense played. I'm not sure it'll be a high-scoring affair, because neither team is loaded with firepower, but both sides should exceed their respective season averages.
Julius Randle reminds me of Carmelo Anthony. They're big bodied, deceptively strong forwards who can handle the ball even when driving to the hoop. I want to see these two matched up against one another this afternoon.
Randle had a tough time against the Kings in the second game of the season, but in his three games since then, he's averaged over 32 minutes and 38 fantasy points. Per DraftKings, the Knicks allow the most fantasy points in the league against opposing power forwards.
Melo's scoring is way down this season. It's his lowest average since his second year in the league, according to Basketball-Reference.com. However—and I cannot stress this enough—he's playing the Lakers. Opponents average 113 points per game against this version of the Lake Show. If there was ever a game for Anthony to boost his scoring average, this is the game.
Fireworks in Oklahoma City
Health and new head coach Billy Donovan's creativity have helped Oklahoma City get back near the top of the league in offensive efficiency. The Thunder currently rank second behind the Warriors with 109.7 points per 100 possessions. However, their defense has been terrible.
Oklahoma City is 22nd in defensive rating. Since Serge Ibaka emerged as a star, they've rarely dropped out of the top half of the league. With that much length and athleticism, they should be able to recover onto open shooters as well as anybody in the league. But so far, they haven't.
Phoenix is a below-average offensive team, but they can get close to matching the athleticism of the Thunder. Look for them to pass around the defense and get open looks. I'd be surprised if this wasn't the highest-scoring game of the day.
Enter the DraftKings $35K Sharpshooter contest this weekend. Use the promo code BLEACHER REPORT when you sign up.
