Geoff Lambert discusses Saturday night’s NBA lineup advice on FanDuel.
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Main slate only
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Point Guard
Stephen Curry (GS): $10,000 vs MIL
Curry has been playing better since his “rest day” about a week ago. He has two straight games with 40-plus FanDuel points, and while he isn’t putting up monster numbers like James Harden and Russell Westbrook, he is capable of it on any given night. The Bucks are a tough matchup on paper, but if Curry gets going he is matchup proof.
Jamal Murray (DEN): $4,400 vs HOU
Murray has played well enough over the last month to keep Emmanuel Mudiay out of the guard rotation altogether. The Rockets are middle of the pack in points allowed to point guards, but playing for the second unit should help Murray avoid great defender, Patrick Beverley.
Shooting Guard
Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL): $10,600 @ GS
This is a “pace up” game for the Bucks, meaning they will likely get more possessions than their season average, and more possessions mean more fantasy points. The man they call the Alphabet has been struggling lately (results of last night notwithstanding) but in a game like this he should be able to put up monster numbers. Using DvP (defense vs position) for Antetokounmpo is impossible because he plays nearly every position during the course of a game, but for what it’s worth the Warriors are middle of the pack in shooting guard DvP.
Denzel Valentine (CHI): $3,700 vs UTA
Yes, Utah is a tough matchup, and normally I would avoid all Chicago Bulls in this matchup, but on a six-game slate, it’s tough to fade it completely, especially with the value that has opened up in the wake of the Dwyane Wade injury. Valentine doesn’t need to do much to return value, and his price tag allows us to roster three legit studs.
Small Forward
Khris Middleton (MIL): $6,600 @ GS
Middleton had cooled off a bit over his last few games (before last night), but he is capable of putting up good numbers at any time. As I said with Antetokounmpo, this is a “pace up” game for the Bucks who normally play at a pace of 97 while the Warriors play at a pace of 103. He will likely draw the defense of Matt Barnes, and while Barnes is a decent defender, he isn’t a great defender, so Middleton should have a good game.
Trevor Ariza (HOU): $5,200 @ DEN
I don’t use Ariza very often. I think his upside is very limited, but in this lineup, he fits well with what I wanted to do. With three studs in this lineup, I needed cheaper guys with high floors, and that describes Ariza to a tee. He won’t be the reason you lose your contests tonight, but he won’t be the reason you win them either. The Nuggets are middle of the pack in DvP on the year, but they give up the sixth-most “real-life” points to small forwards, which, if his shot is falling, is something Ariza can provide in bunches.
Power Forward
Nikola Jokic (DEN): $10,700 vs HOU
With Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari already ruled out for today, Jokic’s already high usage rate will go up even more. He has two triple-doubles in March already, and with tonight’s high-tempo matchup against the Rockets, he could easily get his third. Jokic plays both the four and the five, and the Rockets are bottom six or worse in points allowed to those positions.
Juancho Hernangomez (DEN): $4,000 vs HOU
As I mentioned above, Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari have been ruled out for Saturday leaving Hernangomez in line to start. He should see anywhere from 25-to-30 minutes, and in this pace up game with the Rockets he could easily have as many FanDuel points as minutes. If you are looking for a higher upside guy over Hernangomez, I was originally going to go with Nikola Mirotic, but his floor is much lower.
Center
Zaza Pachulia (GS): $4,400 vs MIL
Pachulia has averaged 1.25 Fanduel points per minute over his last four contests. To put that number into perspective, if he were to log 35 minutes per game like most starters do in this league, he’d be averaging over 44 FanDuel points per game. Unfortunately, he only logs 20-to-25 minutes per game, but at $4,400 he is a viable DFS play, especially against a Bucks team giving up 48.23 FanDuel points per game to the center position on the year.