Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: DraftKings NBA Optimal Lineup for November 9
Even avid NBA fans can use daily fantasy basketball to spice up a seven-game Monday slate bereft of marquee matchups.
Several top squads are on display, but not against fellow contenders. As the Atlanta Hawks deal with the up-and-coming (but not there yet) Minnesota Timberwolves, the Chicago Bulls get the winless Philadelphia 76ers. The San Antonio Spurs receive a seemingly easy win with the Sacramento Kings, and the disappointing Memphis Grizzlies will bring a minus-10.9 average scoring margin into their bout with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Surprisingly, the Golden State Warriors and Detroit Pistons represent Monday night's premier matchup. As of Sunday night, Detroit boasts the NBA's third-best defensive rating, limiting the opposition to 92.9 points per 100 possessions. The most intriguing contest on paper, however, features two elite defenses, which should leave DraftKings contestants to reconsider building around the red-hot Stephen Curry or Andre Drummond.
Let's dive into a potential lineup not employing either of those popular stars.
| PG | Damian Lillard, POR | @ DEN | $8,500 |
| SG | Jimmy Butler, CHI | @ PHI | $7,900 |
| SF | Paul George, IND | vs. ORL | $8,600 |
| PF | LaMarcus Aldridge, SA | @ SAC | $6,900 |
| C | Jahlil Okafor, PHI | vs. CHI | $6,300 |
| G | J.J. Redick, LAC | vs. MEM | $4,500 |
| F | Nemanja Bjelica, MIN | @ ATL | $4,300 |
| UTIL | Austin Rivers, LAC | vs. MEM | $3,000 |
PG Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers ($8,500)
On sheer volume alone, Damian Lillard will work his way into the top echelon of fantasy contributors. The Portland Trail Blazers point guard is averaging 27.1 points per game with 20.4 field-goal attempts. As of Sunday night, his 32.3 usage percentage ranked fifth among all players averaging more than 10 minutes per game.
| 1 | DeMarcus Cousins | 35.3 |
| 2 | James Harden | 34.6 |
| 3 | Russell Westbrook | 33.2 |
| 4 | LeBron James | 32.6 |
| 5 | Damian Lillard | 32.3 |
Operating without a supporting cast, Lillard is also jacking up three-pointers at will. Only Stephen Curry has converted more deep bombs per game than the Portland point guard's 3.9, and the Denver Nuggets have surrendered the third-most threes (9.5) per game.
Expect another huge evening from Lillard, who squares off against Emmanuel Mudiay. The rookie point guard owns a 105.1 defensive rating while coughing up a staggering 32 turnovers through six games. Along with pouring points on the neophyte, the Blazers star should pick his pocket a couple of times.
He can't match Curry's other-worldly tear, but Lillard provides better bang for gamers' buck at $8,500, $2,000 below the reigning MVP.
Honorable mentions: Rajon Rondo, Sacramento Kings ($6,500); Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls ($5,800); Isaiah Canaan, Philadelphia 76ers ($4,300)
SGs J.J. Redick ($4,500) and Austin Rivers ($3,000), Los Angeles Clippers
To make room for Jimmy Butler, the evening's priciest shooting guard, let's fill the lineup with two cheap Clippers 2-guards. According to the Orange County Register's Dan Woike, Chris Paul is expected to miss his second consecutive game due to a groin injury:
On Saturday night, head coach Doc Rivers started his son, Austin, in Paul's place, alongside J.J. Redick. The replacement starter scored a relatively inefficient 10 points with little else in the box score, but he still attempted a dozen field goals through 31 minutes. His dad still makes the calls, so such volume makes him a fine punt at the $3,000 minimum.
Redick, on the other hand, capitalized on added exposure. In a season-high 35 minutes and 15 field goals attempted, the former Duke star scored 19 points with three assists. He didn't convert any buckets from behind the arc, but the Grizzlies have allowed 10.4 three-pointers per contest on an NBA-worst 42.0 opposing percentage.
As noted by Sporting News' Adi Joseph, the Clippers have ample motivation to keep Redick on the court:
A usually proud Grizzlies defense holds an uninspiring 106.0 defensive rating. It'll decrease that clip, but constant opportunities will make both opposing guards worth low-level investments.
Honorable mentions: C.J. McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers ($6,500); Kent Bazemore, Atlanta Hawks ($4,900); Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs ($4,200)
SF Paul George, Indiana Pacers ($8,600)
It's a good night to splurge at small forward. Between Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, gamers have two elite options on the menu. A scorching stretch with three straight double-doubles, however, gives the Indiana Pacers small forward the upper hand at $8,600.
Over his last three games, the returning star is averaging 31.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Throwing any thoughts of a lightened workload out the window, he logged 39 minutes on Sunday, through which he registered 32 points, 11 boards and six dimes against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After missing nearly all of last season with a severe leg injury, trusting him on the latter end of a back-to-back tilt is risky. Yet the 25-year-old handled the challenge well last week, producing 50 points in the second of consecutive games on Wednesday.
Like Lillard, George is his team's unquestioned star and No. 1 option. He has attempted over 20 shots in each of Indiana's last two games, which will cause his DraftKings price to keep climbing.
Honorable mentions: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs ($8,100); Al-Farouq Aminu, Portland Trail Blazers ($6,100); Paul Pierce, Los Angeles Clippers ($3,500)
PF LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs ($6,900)
Don't assemble a DraftKings squad without some Spurs exposure. The Kings have allowed 111.3 points per game with a 106.6 defensive rating, and the Spurs are quite good at basketball.
LaMarcus Aldridge isn't a likely chalk choice, as he's averaging an underwhelming 31.2 DraftKings points per game with his new team. As expected, his playing time and usage have limited his scoring reach. Through six games, he has registered the fewest minutes, field-goal attempts and points per game since his rookie campaign.
| MIN | 30.4 | 35.4 |
| FGA | 13.3 | 16.3 |
| PTS | 15.0 | 19.3 |
| FG % | 43.8 | 48.4 |
His career-low 43.8 field-goal percentage, however, is unexpected. He's still acclimating to his new surroundings, but the Kings present the perfect opportunity for a breakout performance. According to RotoGrinders, they have yielded the second-most DraftKings points per game to power forwards behind the Houston Rockets.
Because of Aldridge's struggles, he costs $6,900 after opening the season at $8,100. Buy low on a star itching for a 20-10 outing.
Honorable mentions: Pau Gasol, Chicago Bulls ($7,300); Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs ($6,000); Jordan Hill, Indiana Pacers ($4,600)
C Jahlil Okafor, Philadelphia 76ers ($6,300)
The 76ers' entire rebuilding process revolves around bottoming out to land one or two superstar building blocks. After years of setbacks, they hope to have finally found an offensive cornerstone in Jahlil Okafor.
They're certainly giving the 19-year-old big man every opportunity to prove himself in the pros. Despite his minus-20.2 net rating, he leads the team with 19.7 points per game and a 27.5 usage percentage. Even with an underwhelming 5.5 boards per contest, the rookie has generated 30.0 DraftKings points per game.
By the site's calculations, the Chicago Bulls rank last in DraftKings points allowed to opposing centers. Benching Joakim Noah had left them vulnerable down low. They have especially struggled on the glass, relinquishing an NBA-worst 50.4 rebounds per bout.
The 6'11", 275-pound Okafor is still searching for his first career double-double, and Chicago presents his best opportunity of the young season.
Honorable mentions: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks ($7,100); Meyers Leonard, Portland Trail Blazers ($3,900)
All advanced stats courtesy of NBA.com unless otherwise noted. Pricing info obtained from DraftKings.com.
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