Free Player Lab TrialBasketball Picks Daily Fantasy Expert Advice
Daily Fantasy NBA Basketball Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings - 4/21/16 Opening Round
Thursday brings us to the first games with higher seeds on the road. Home court advantage is something often speculated about, but I did some research to see if it really makes a difference, particularly in the first round of the playoffs. You can’t draw quite that specific of a conclusion, but there is definitely an advantage, and the best I can estimate is 5 points on the spread. That’s right in line with the spreads from the first two games of this years’ series compared to game 3. How helpful is that for DFS? I think you can expect that, at the margins, key players perform slightly better in Game 3 for the lower seeds. I can’t statistically validate this, but I suspect that higher seeds may play their top guys a little longer than usual if the games are closer. Keep those trends in mind when setting your lineups. Also, keep in mind that these projections assume Steph Curry will play his normal allotment of minutes. If he doesn’t go, the other GSW players will get significant bumps (especially Shaun Livingston and Draymond Green - no really).
Note that this article’s format changed when the playoffs started. Additionally, there won’t be a separate update article. Check back to this article throughout the day Thursday and review the discussion in the comments below for updated information.
Now’s your chance to get DFSR Pro with NBA Optimal Lineups, Projections, Player Cards and Google Chrome extension that auto-populates your lineups into FanDuel. Or try a free trial of our base package with projections for every player. While the seasons overlap, you'll get access to our tools for the NBA and NHL (and MLB when the time comes)! Get started for free by clicking the button below.
First time with NBA? Be sure to read our free NBA Ebook on building lineups, general strategy and more. We've got you completely covered.
We've also launched a Stats and Research Page, which includes a lot of the individual statistics that we use to make our projections. It's free! Enjoy.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks
Analysis
After a Game 1 beat-down by the Thunder, the Mavs came back and stole Game 2 at the buzzer in OKC. What changed? Dallas hit the boards and cut the rebounding deficit way down, and the Thunder (particularly KD) couldn’t make a shot. It will be interesting to see how much OKC’s shot was off due to defense or just variance. I’m looking for a bounce-back from the Durant-Westbrook combo, and the DFSR projections seem to agree. With the shift to DFW, that should make for a competitive game, and the majority of picks on the night come from this game.
Top Value Plays
Raymond Felton - FD 5300 DK 4700
Opponent - OKC
FD Proj. Pts - 28.11 DK Proj. Pts - 30.03
Felton had to play over 40 minutes with injuries to the Mavs’ other PGs. He responded by shooting well from the field and crashing the boards for an unlikely double-double. That’ll lead to a 10x from a guy not priced for that kind of run. His salary has gone up 20% on DK, not nearly enough to account for his likely opportunity. He is easily the Pts/$ play of the night at the position on both FD and DK. He will be in a ton of lineups, but it’ll be hard to fade him and win cash games if he produces.
Russell Westbrook - FD 10500 DK 10900
Opponent - DAL
FD Proj. Pts - 53.77 DK Proj. Pts - 55.73
What, you thought I’d wait very long to write up Russ? I have a hard time resisting picks with 5x projections in the $10k+ salary range. He didn’t shoot much better than Durant in Game 2 and still nearly put up a 5x by spending all night on the glass. He just gets his. He’s the second-best PG option on FD and if Curry doesn’t play the only PG option north of $5k in salary. I’m always of the opinion that Russ = Cash Lineup and that equation doesn’t change on Thursday.
Dirk Nowitzki - FD 6800 DK 6100
Opponent - OKC
FD Proj. Pts - 35.45 DK Proj. Pts - 37.5
You may be questioning this recommendation given that Dirk hasn’t produced much thus far in the series. Keep in mind that Game 1 was a blowout and his minutes got shaved, then he couldn’t buy a bucket in Game 2. There’s no reason to expect either on Thursday, and the DFSR projections reflect that. The top Pts/$ option at PF on both sites (and there’s no one near him on FD where he’s literally a must), you can take the raw production and value and still have plenty to spend elsewhere.
Kevin Durant - FD 10200 DK 10200
Opponent - DAL
FD Proj. Pts - 52.56 DK Proj. Pts - 55.59
If you’re looking for an “elsewhere” you just found one in Durant. Like Nowitzki, he saw his minutes shaved in Game 1 then couldn’t find the range in Game 2. Also like Nowitzki, expect a full complement of minutes and shots (and shots falling) in Game 3. He’s the top SF option on FD and among the best on DK. If you punt even a little, the OKC combo should be easy to swing. I’ll suggest just that for cash games.
Salah Mejri - FD 3600 DK 2700
Opponent - OKC
FD Proj. Pts - 20.75 DK Proj. Pts - 21.12
Speaking of Thursday punt options, the top choice would be one Salah Mejri, the pride of Tunisia. As displayed in the first two games of the series, he has a very low floor but incredible upside. He benefits from the playoff salary structure on DK and remains a full punt on FD, leading to projected multiples that are easily the best of the night, not just at Center but at all. I’d think he’d be a lock for tourney lineups (sounds strange, I know) everywhere, and you can make a strong case for cash lineups at his miniscule DK price point.
Devin Harris - FD 3600 DK 3300
Opponent - OKC
FD Proj. Pts - 16.86 DK Proj. Pts - 18.52
If you’re looking for another opportunity to save, Harris looks likely to easily earn his keep. The projected production assumes he gets the Mavs’ backup PG duties on top of his usual run as the backup 2. That would render his 20% price bump on DK a statistical artifact (see last night’s picks and Mark Twain). Barring unexpected developments on the injury front, Harris is a pure opportunity-based value consideration on both sites if you’re looking to spend elsewhere. Note that he’s listed at shooting guard on FD and point guard on DK.
Wesley Matthews - FD 4700 DK 4500
Opponent - OKC
FD Proj. Pts - 24.24 DK Proj. Pts - 27.68
I know, I know… how many times can you recommend Wes Matthews? At least once more, apparently. If he plays high-30s minutes and jacks up double-digit shots (both likely once again due to the Mavs’ guard depletion), it’s hard not to project him as a legitimate bargain. He has an atrocious FG% because he takes most of his shots from beyond the arc and hasn’t been terribly good at it. If he reverts to his 35% seasonal average, he’ll still easily hit value. The DFSR projections like him as the top attraction at SG on a Pts/$ basis. As ever for 3-and-D players (which is essentially what he has been this year), Matthews is particularly attractive on DK with the bonus for 3PM.
Enes Kanter - FD 4500 DK 5100
Opponent - DAL
FD Proj. Pts - 23.17 DK Proj. Pts - 23.82
This is a site-specific pick for a guy with a serious pricing disparity. Kanter comes at a steep discount on FD (relative to DK). In fact, his prices peaked weeks ago on DK and dropped substantially, providing even starker contrast for his FD salary. If you can’t stomach the Mejri risk factor, you don’t have to spend too much (in gross terms) to reach a tolerable floor while retaining some upside. To be clear, I cannot justify playing him on DK given the alternatives (so don’t).
Serge Ibaka - FD 5900 DK 5900
Opponent - DAL
FD Proj. Pts - 25.66 DK Proj. Pts - 27.32
Finally (mercifully?) we get to the last pick from this game, and it’s not a terribly good one at that. Ibaka being highlighted despite his meager projections is a function of the lack of quality options at PF. You have to play two on FD, and if you don’t want to pay up (D. Green) or punt (P. Patterson), this is really your second-best alternative. Just like Ibaka, I cannot find a legitimate argument for rostering him on DK.
Toronto Raptors at Indiana Pacers
Analysis
What to make of this series? Raptors-bashers got lots of momentum in Game 1, as the Pacers snatched home-court advantage out of the gate. Toronto came back to win Game 2, but I’m not convinced their bum rap isn’t still justified. Lowry and DeRozan once again stunk it up from the field, with the outcome much more a function of the Pacers going 20% from long range than anything the Raps did particularly well (other than keeping Valanciunas on the floor). Do you think Indiana is more likely to remain ice-cold from distance or hit half of their shots? I’m thinking something in between, making for a close game with the series shifting to Indianapolis. The problem is that there just aren’t very many DFS-worthy considerations in this game. Aside from three of the usual suspects and one flier, I’ll be passing on this game.
Top Value Plays
Patrick Patterson - FD 3900 DK 3400
Opponent - IND
FD Proj. Pts - 18.34 DK Proj. Pts - 20.21
I’m leading with the guy in the sub-$4k salary range, which should provide an indication of how much I like the other options in this game. Patterson looks to keep his high-20s run, and accordingly has a high floor with a decent ceiling. From a Pts/$ perspective, he is the 2nd-best option on FD by a stretch (after this and Nowtzki, the other options are really, really unattractive) and the only non-playoff-special DK punt (think Ray Guy, if you don’t mind extending the mixed sports metaphor even further). Unless Steph rides the pine again for the Dubs (leading to a slightly counter-intuitive bump for hybrid PF/C D. Green), I think Patterson is actually a legitimate cash game option.
Jonas Valanciunas - FD 6500 DK 6000
Opponent - IND
FD Proj. Pts - 31.87 DK Proj. Pts - 32.42
Don’t take listing his wingman first the wrong way – I like this pick. Jonas V. has been a force in the first two games when avoiding foul trouble. The problem is that his price has jumped 20% since he regularly saw 30-ish minutes a game. That keeps his ceiling down, and value suppressed. I think he’s a great option at the comparatively lower price on DK, which brings serious upside potential into play. The argument for him on FD is that you don’t like the first two choices (Mejri and Kanter), which isn’t unreasonable (pardon the double-negative). He passes the eyeball test, and if you like him to play 30+ minutes he’s a very, very nice center selection at a reasonable salary.
Kyle Lowry - FD 8300 DK 8000
Opponent - IND
FD Proj. Pts - 41.97 DK Proj. Pts - 44.42
Kyle Lowry is much more likely to bounce back from Game 2 than his backcourt mate, IMHO. He is just damned expensive, bringing a lower ceiling than I’d like at sub-elite prices. He has nice 5x multiples on both sites, and is an attractive PG alternative. The only reason I’m not super-high on this pick is that a) Felton is so mispriced; and, b) if you’re going to spend up at PG, I think you ought to just go ahead and spend all the way up to Westbrook. If you’re comfortable at this salary level, Lowry presents very good value.
Paul George - FD 8800 DK 9000
Opponent - TOR
FD Proj. Pts - 42.29 DK Proj. Pts - 44.89
PG-13 is a lot like Lowry to me – safe, without a ton of upside (kind of like the movie rating, no?). My primary concern here is minutes. He has to play a LOT of them to justify his price. If you like him to get close to 40 (the assumption built into the DFSR projection), he’s well worth the investment. If you’re leery of counting on that, much like Lowry at point guard, there’s a strong argument to be made for spending all the way up to Durant if you’re going to make that kind of investment at this position.
Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets
Analysis
This game should be entertaining. Who doesn’t like 240+ totals? Perhaps that’s a bit strong, but those who love offense will probably enjoy this game. Game 1 was a blowout from the tip, and the Rockets were never seriously competitive. They hung around in Game 2, with the lead steadily extending throughout the game, and the scoring was much more like expected, despite the absence of the league’s leading scorer. Which should we expect here? That leads to the primary consideration when analyzing this game, which is whether Steph Curry will take the court. If he does (and resembles anything like his regular-season self), another laugher is pretty much a lock. If he doesn’t, I still see a romp as a decent possibility, but with the series shifting back to Houston, we’d see more DFS options (especially for cash players). Personally, I’d sit Steph until the Rockets prove they can beat the Dubs without him, but I don’t get paid to make that call. Check back tomorrow for news. Please.
Top Value Plays
James Harden - FD 10200 DK 10600
Opponent - GSW
FD Proj. Pts - 49.37 DK Proj. Pts - 52.2
The Beard is always to be feared, regardless of opponent. I can never say not to run him. A 7x is always on the verge of erupting when he laces them up (which is something at this price). If I sound hesitant, it’s because I see limited upside. On FD he doesn’t get rewarded for the 3, and on DK he’s slightly more costly. Both considerations tend to limit his upside. I’m also wary of the GSW defense, which doesn’t get the publicity of the offense but is nearly as exceptional (particularly for a team with a dwarf at center half the time). Given the other opportunities to spend, I don’t see him in as many lineups as usual, but if you choose to put him in yours I wouldn’t fault you either.
Trevor Ariza - FD 5900 DK 5700
Opponent - GSW
FD Proj. Pts - 30.11 DK Proj. Pts - 33.51
Those enterprising enough to look up his game log may be skeptical, but hear me out. Ceilings and alternatives. Ok, I’m done. Seriously, if you look past the last few games when he has been ice cold from the floor, Trevor Ariza presents a realistic value play on Thursday. He has a low floor if he keeps shooting with one hand tied behind his (proverbial) back, but if he finds his stroke he could post an 8x. That’s a high multiple for a non-punt. Now, review the other SF options. Those who don’t wish to invest the better part of their bankroll at one position without punting didn’t take very long. Maybe I’m an optimist, but I like Ariza as a sneaky pick and may even run him in a cash game – definitely in a tournament or two.
Draymond Green - FD 9000 DK 9400
Opponent - HOU
FD Proj. Pts - 39.02 DK Proj. Pts - 41.47
If it is now Thursday at 7:00PM and Steph Curry is expected to play, never mind. Draymond Green’s price is prohibitive. If Curry sits, however, then you need to seriously take him into consideration. He has been mentioned multiple times, and not always kindly (apologies to the Little People out there), but is worth mentioning again given the prescribed circumstances. I too find it odd that a 6’7’’ center may be doing the majority of ball distribution for the league’s best team. Then again, something always seems a little odd about the Dubs, yet they’ve managed to win 89.3% of their games.
GRAB A FREE TRIAL OF OUR PROJECTION SYSTEM, AND CHECK OUT DFSR PRO!
GET OUR FREE EBOOK ON DAILY FANTASY NBA!
And Daily Fantasy NBA Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings every day!
image sources
- Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook: (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
133 Visitor Comments
Post a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Thanks for the write up:
Can’t justify Dirk, even at his discount price, with a bum knee and a string of sub-par performances. That means that Green is a MUST start for me, with or without Steph.
That leaves Ibaka or Patterson at the other PF. Patterson saves me $2k worth of space, so that’s where I’ll go.
Wrong, wrong, and wrong…….well, so much for my logic, struck out on 3 pitches.
Next time I’ll examine things a lot closer.
Thoughts on playing Livingston regardless of steph’s status. Pretty consistent min for him, and if steph plays and GS gers big lead, could see even more to rest steph’s ankle
Curry said last night if the game was last night he couldn’t go, so I doubt that changes much in less than 24 hours. I watched the game where he “hurt” his ankle. I’ve done worse getting out of the shower. They are just resting him because the rockets are bums
My gut says Curry will not play. Setting all 20 of my gpp’s without him. And given some of my lineups leave cash on the table, it should be an easy last second pivot in case.
Yes, I’m all in with Livingston, Klay, Dray
Fingers crossed
I don’t think we see Steph tonight. They clearly don’t need him to beat the Rockets. Remember the playoffs are 2 months long and the Warriors want a championship a lot more than they want a 30 point victory over the Rockets as opposed to a 15 point victory. They don’t need Steph to win tonight. Unless Steph comes out and says he is 100%, he doesn’t play. And based on his comments last night, i doubt that happens.
I’m all about harden tonight, I feel like he might take over because the rockets need to win this game, even though they probably will not, I can see harden getting 40+ Min and easily hitting 6-7x.
Everyone will be all in on Harden. I suspect a close to 80% ownership
lots of love for Harden tonight.. ive had 3 consecutive wins, most ive had since i started playing fantasy… DFRS you guys are great
Thunder lost one at home, I imagine they go all out to steal one back. Westbrook over Harden for me.
Is steph or is steph not that is the ?
livingstion
westbrook
derozen
mathews
durant
george
ibaka
villanueva
mahinmi
what u guys think my gpp
A lot of risk in that lineup
Do you think Charlie V gets more minutes than Dwight Powell in a blowout situation? I’m looking for a <$2,200 punt play (on DK) and had decided on Powell. If Charlie sees the floor he could be in play as well. Curious if anyone has thoughts between the two. Obviously neither are any good and both are super risky, but need to grab someone off the scrap heap who can top 10 fantasy points.
Is that a FD lineup, doesn’t work on DK
If thats a gpp. i like it. You need risk
It’s a Fanduel lineup so it’s risky to begin with
i hate mathews..dude is garbage -__-
ill never play mathews again. if hes the only option on a two game slate i’ll just skip the slate. hes the worst
I wish we could like comments on here 🙂 Matthews is my curse, dude never plays well when I play him, goes bananas when I don’t.
Ryan, is Matthews in or out of your lineups
Lol. Out. Very out.
Let’s us know when you don’t play him lol
is a gpp for fanduel not sure the status on dirk so thats why mathews someone has to score for dallas thanks for the input
hes had to score before with nobody playing and still does jack shit. id rather play roberson lol
i no playing mathews is like playing danny green but hey who else is going to go in that position?
i rather play devin harris lolol cheaper option
Derozan doesn’t have a big enough ceiling for gpp
Does he? I sure hope curry doesn’t play. Then it makes things a hell of a lot easier for us
I side with Ryan here. Don’t think Derozan has much upside for GPP. Plus PG is a great defender and will not let Derozan get rolling. Would much rather go Thompson in a similar price range. I don’t play on FD, but i’d imagine you could get a little leg up there since official news on Steph playing or not playing probably won’t come until after lock (unlike DK where you can make late adjustments). Therefore, if you bet correctly that Steph doesn’t play, you could get a relatively low(er) ownership on Thompson. Ditto for Draymond, Iggy, Livingston. Of course this could backfire if steph does end up playing….
I’m just glad we get the DAL/OKC game as the first one tonight with all their vague injury situations. Makes no sense considering TOR/IND are in the east time zone while DAL/OKC are central. But hey, working out in our favor tonight.
Does anyone like Joseph tonight, or is everyone on the livingston bandwagon?
I agree Reid. I’m playing hoops on FD . I hope they give us a bit of notice but it’s highly doubtful that curry plays
This feels like the first night where i would rather play FD than DK. I feel strongly enough that Curry doesn’t play (sorry for the jinx, guys) that i’d jump at the chance to wager on a Dray/Klay/Iggy/Livingston stack and enjoy the low(ish) ownership because of the Curry uncertainty. Assuming this low-ownership-theory holds up of course, maybe everyone else is thinking like me. Who knows.
Go back the last 2 nights and whoever you guys say will do bad they are always the pick of the night. ROLLING WITH MATTHEWS TONIGHT
This is very true. Seems like every time i come out in favor or against someone. They prove me wrong. But i like guys with the ball in their hands. Wes doesn’t create. He just hits open shots when they are given to him (and sometimes he doesn’t make them either). So i’m out. Now watch him go Kyle Korver and knock down 6 threes tonight.
Shhh
I actually like Jason Terry tonight. The last game he played 30 mins and the game before that 24. I can see Houston being in desperation mode and he’s one of the few Rockets players that’s not afraid if the big moment.
def said mathews would ” do bad” two nights ago too. hes been doing bad all season except for like..twice.
hey it’s the playoffs and anything is possible anyone can have a big game on any night when given the opportunity (mr plumlee) everyone hated plumlee look what he did Wes has had some big games before and although it’s highly unlikely never count anyone out no projection systems can measure heart and how bad someone wants to win….jus sayin
“and how bad someone wants to win….jus sayin”…or vice versa. See Harden c:
haha yup
Just quickly to last night, Plumlee is my dude. I’m on w him w no specific logic. I just luck up n pick him the right times & don’t when he has a sub par game. Don’t sleep on Mason P, boy can ball, Dion or no Dion. M Ellis, Derozan, Kemba n a few others I have the complete opposite effect, go off when I fade em, duds when I play em.
Anyway, tonight… Disclaimer: not a pro, just sharing some of my recent good luck w gut picks. Haha
Top Play of Night – HARDEN, chalk I kno, but it is what it is THE BEARD WILL BE FEARED TONIGHT!!!
Top Values Tonight – Livingston is no secret, so 2 Raptors DEMARRE CARRIOLL & CJ JOSEPH as both seemed to have grabbed the starting & backup spots (plural for CJ, 1 & 2 spots) giving him good playing time n value for his price. And BOGUT will prob hit 25, with potential to have a rare monster 35+ FPP night bc no Chef Curry on the court.
Top Mid Play – 2 guys – DWIGHT HOWARD shouid go off & w a tough call between Dirk,Ariza,Felton,& Beverley to pick 1 I’d agree w Doug in Trevor if that shot is falling. ARIZA balls on a different level in playoffs from his laker days on, he just loves the Big Time.
Finally…Must Pick of Night – JONAS VALANCIUNAS. Struggling Raptors will keep kicking it to him for power lay ups/dunks & he’ll have double digit boards.
Hope this helps someone, I just thought I’d share my thoughts with my BRAIN OPTIMIZER haha. Good luck DFSR fam! Let’s all get a lil paper tonight; & a few lucky ones big paper!!!
Barea will play
Here’s to hoping we have a very clear sense of the Mavs’ situation prior to lock. Right now I have Barea projected to start (though only 30 minutes) and D-Will sitting.
What is going on with optimized will not work
Kenneth, email me at doug@dailyfantasysportsrankings.com with the specific issue please
I played Plumlee last night when all of you wouldn’t touch him. If you pay money for projection systems and lineup optimized…. You are an idiot
Agreed #RT ^^^^^^
You guys still have Devin Harris at 25 minutes. You don’t think the JJ news bumps him down? Just curious, because i want to play him, but may need to go to Corey Joseph if he’s not going over 20 minutes.
With no D-Will I still see him getting around that run. It’s very tough to say. These playoffs have been a minutes disaster
Makes sense. Thanks for the response.
Yeah don’t play Devin. Felton still in play assuming Deron is out, but I’m rolling with Westbrook and Livingston (for now at least)
Thanks DJ
Fairly new to DFS. What does everyone think of Patterson
tonight?
Also thoughts on this lineup on FD?
C.Joseph
R.Westbrook
W.Mathews (not a big fan)
K. Thompson
A. Iguodala
K. Durant
P.Patterson
D. Green
J. Valanciunas
Any thoughts good or bad would be appreciated.
Anyone liking Cory Joseph tonight off the bench?
Mike, looks like a pretty solid line. Matthews is a turd, but he may bring it out tonight. I have him in one of my LU’s
Ugh…..how much is this going to affect Raymond Felton’s projection? He was damn near chalk for me
I’d still play Felton. He seems one of the safer guys in that price tier.
It was an easy call for Felton over Matthews. Now I’m not so sure
Best cash lineup while trying to trust the optimizer (last time I do this if I don’t cash again)
Westbrook
Felton
Harden
Matthews ( against any judgement, let alone my best)
George
Iggy
Ibaka
Patterson
Valanciunas
Thoughts? Tweaks? Opinions ? I welcome all
Basketball monster now saying David Lee will play. Guessing that brings down Mejri a bit, but maybe not. This DAL/OKC game is turning into a crap shoot. Add in the fact that i see OKC blowing them out of the water and i may need to run away from this one.
Tonight’s premier FantasyAces line-up. Not sure if you guys follow me on twitter on see me on FantasyAces. But using my spreadsheet that I’ve developed in conjunction with DFSR projections we’ve been CRUSHING!
G R.Westbrook 49.40 7,600.00
G J.Harden 49.57 7,400.00
G K.Lowry 37.92 5,800.00
F A.Iguodala 16.36 4,000.00
F S.Hill 12.18 3,600.00
F P.Patterson 16.61 3,600.00
C J.Valanciunas 28.94 4,950.00
Util W.Matthews 20.22 4,250.00
Util S.Livingston 16.40 3,700.00
good luck everyone tonight placed 48th last night in a gpp i hate these games tonight to much a blow out potential only close one is the indy raptor game…although i think if curry sits the rockets pull off an upset
Monta Ellis (personal) is in the starting lineup for Thursday’s Game 3 against the Raptors.
Ellis sat out Wednesday’s practice for personal reasons, but he was never in any danger of missing tonight’s game. He’s on the radar as a potential DFS target.
What do you all think of Ellis? Does anyone know if he’ll play?
Felton’s touches seem to be decreasing quickly
Yeah I think I’ll go with Livingston over Felton, mainly because I know Livingston is a lock for 25-30 FP while I don’t know how J.J. affects the other PGs. Also Felton had 11 boards that game to bump up his total, that can’t happen again. As of now I’m looking at Westbrook, Livingston, Klay, Monta, George, Iggy, Dray, PatPat, and the Big Valbowski. No real dangerous plays there (Livingston is solid and PatPat eats up tons of minutes at PF).
Doug, why is the optimizer so high on an injured, 68 yr old Nowitzki??? Just not seeing value.
Because he has traditionally scored very well vs Ibaka. Ibaka, while an elite post defender, does not like to go out on the perimeter to defend (typically where Dirk makes his money)
We have him projected for relatively healthy minutes and PF is very, very weak here
My only hard decision tonight has been Livingston or Corey Joseph. Joseph is secure for 25 minutes. Livingston is tough to predict pending Curry. Argh!
Doug, What is your view On Felton now?
I’d play him
FYI beware of Felton tonight. While D-Will is out and Barea starting at PG, this shifts 1/2 (or more) of Felton’s minutes to the 2 guard where he will have to deal with the long and athletic Andre Roberson who is 100x the defender Russ is. This also crushes Devin Harris’ value as most of his minutes will probably be at the 2 as Felton will shift to the 1 (based on Carlile’s prior rotations). Harris MIGHT see 5-10 minutes at PG tonight limiting his value.
Was Barea confirmed as the starter?
I think you are spot on. Though something tells me we see a similar situation to D-Will last game. Barea guts it out as long as he can and Harris ends up finishing the game anyway. But, yuck, the whole situation sucks. I want out.
Barea PG Felton SG Matthews SF Dirk PF Zaza C
Rotowire has jj starting
Ok, I took Barea’s minutes up a little bit more. Left Felton and Matthews relatively the same
On FD basically system is saying, playing who you trust more, Felton or Barea
We appear to be having intermittent issues with loading optimal lineups. If you are having an issue please email at doug@dailyfantasysportsrankings.com with specifics about site/ sport/ slate and what is exactly happening on the screen that appears as the issue.
Against my better judgement, I’m going with JJ and Livingston over any combination including Westbrook. I hope I’m not the only dumb fish in the water tonight for doing this.
You’re not. I think curry will sit out again tonight.
I just feel like there’s no need to rush him back, especially with the absurd length the NBA Playoffs are, even if they lose tonight it doesn’t really matter.
But not sure Livingston will go 7-9 again.
Thoughts?
Westbrook
Harden
Ariza
PPatt
Mejri
Klay
Iggy
Felton
Not sure about Mejri because David lee is back tonight.
ok I had to do it…………..no reading write-ups…………..no optimizers…….no helps outside of checking injury reports and projected starting lineups……going with the gut feeling…………..seriously running out of money……..so…….
Livingston
joseph
ellis
Thompson
George
Durant
green
Patterson
howard
i like it. i’m similar. so looks like we are going down together
let’s hope not reid…………I really could use a good win………….been getting pounded in playoffs……………I mean beat down like a red-headed stepchild
Rough night from my perspective. good luck everyone.
@jim.. my exact lineup and another one with JV in instead of howard. Good luck all
Let’s have a good night boys!
I only have 3 guys in Jim’s lineup. This is good right?
that hurts dj……………..real bad 🙁 however yes……it’s probably a good sign for you
Just spit my beer up when I read this
6 of my 9 players are in the first game that way I’ll know early how bad I got my ass kicked
Should I go with G. Hill or S. Livingston?
Will all the dirk haters please sit down.
Salah Mejri owes me a dollar!
anybody doin any good?
I have so much less rage when I pick a lineup strictly off the gut feeling……………….of course that can change quickly if any of my players stop working right?
anybody’s players being douche bags?
glad i took Patterson out of my utility spot and put Matthews in
hey jesse…..what’s up? how’d you like that ass whuppin with our same lineup last night? brutal huh?
Jim, sure was…..tonight is different….
did you stay clear of me tonight? my lineup is up on #62
I’ll fuel the Dirk dislike! He’s not really out pacing Ibaka or Miles Turner and Draymond is yet to play!! Lawyered!!!
Curry sitting out tonight for sure. Just got an ESPN update. Should help a lot of us out in our lineups.
Jim, i played DK tonight rather than fanduel…. we have 2 of the same… thompson and green….
you might be safe then
the line up im winning on doesnt have green….
westbrook
thompson
demarre carroll
turner
howard
waiters (3.4% owned)
barnes
and wesley matthew….
i just hope thompson, howard and barnes do well….
who’s turner?
myles turner … plays for indiana
oh yeah……forgot about him
I have 311 played no one in last game I better win I’m close to being out of money lol if I would have played kanter over jv I’d be real money
I’m at 189 but my whole team is in the rockets game except Matthews, westbrick, barea, and Patterson
If I had to guess, I’m gonna cash in double ups, but not tourney because tourney line is very high right now
I really thought ellis was gonna give a damn about winning tonight…………..boy was I wrong…….what a lazy ass!!!!!!!!!!
Hell Speights is gonna out point Dirk! Glad I stayed away
does anyone know why green is being a douche bag in the first half of tonights game?
Jim, he’ll come through in 2nd half. He’s wearing himself out of defense having to guard everyone on the court with their bigs in trouble. Hell, being down in the game will only help too. He will play huge 2nd half minutes and hopefully be in his normal spot rather than guarding different areas.
if someone doesn’t light a fire under green’s ass I’m gonna lose all my money again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks for the encouraging words cody…………………I’ll refrain from sticking an ice pick in my eye for now.
One of my optimizers did GREAT, finally… I’ll at least make my money back tonight
sitting at 204.3…………………………….8 quarters to go………………………..any hope??????????
Livingston
Thompson
green
howard
Again, PFs that out scored Dirk tonight (or at least were close)…
Ibaka
Turner
Montiejunas
Speights
Green probably gets there by the end of the night
Garbage pick to spend up on!! Hurt and is 68 yrs old
green aint gonna make it cody……………he is still getting his ass handed to him………………..embarrassing………….going for the ice pick
Probably easier to pick names out of a hat. The dudes taking down all the GPPS tonight started Motiejunas and Speights. Total guess work at this point.
The #1 optimizer was finally there tonight! First game all playoffs and I’ll take it!
265.9…………………………lost my ass again…………………ellis was a lazy ass………………………green was pure shit……………………….this is almost not fun anymore 🙁 couldn’t even win one measly H2H………………..money almost depleted……………………..only one eye left (ice pick took out other one)………………optimizers no good……………write ups no good………………..gut feeling no good………………Jim no good,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!etc.
Fanduel. 2$gpp. 17 entries. Cashed 13/17. Best lineup finished 60th. Iggy was my weak link difference between 80$ and 20k. But the fun is getting in the running. And that’s all thanks to the optimizer and some gut plug n plays
275 Won my double ups lost everything else but only $6 down for the night.
Jim:
Funniest post I’ve read on here in a long while ha ha… And I feel ur pain! 🙁