FanDuel NBA Picks and DraftKings NBA Picks - Tuesday, 11/19/19

It's a four-game Tuesday slate starting at 8PM EST with some national TV games on the docket. We've also got some teams coming on back-to-backs, players struggling in some spots and injury news that will shift things around for sure.

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Point Guard

Damian Lillard FD - $9800 DK - $9200
Opponent - NO
Proj Pts FD - 51.9 DK - 53.76
The Blazers, like some other teams here, are on the back-to-back. But that hasn’t been an issue for Lillard this season who’s played 39, 40 and 37 minutes this season on the second half of b2b’s. Portland needs every minute of their superstar this season if they are going to want to stay competitive in the Western Conference. He’s struggled of late and it may be partly because of fatigue. He’s 4-22 from three in the last three games, two of them losses, and was actually held to single digit scoring against the Raptors. The price hasn’t moved much on the poor performance, but this is such a great spot against a defensively-challenged and fast-paced New Orleans team. On a short slate, I’m rolling with Lillard’s historical performance as the benchmark rather than the short term sample.

Other Thoughts

He didn’t start last game, but Ky Bowman (FD $3800 DK $4700) still came off the bench late and put up 19 points and four assists in 28 minutes. The Warriors continue to just play their guards a lot as they run out the tank here. Bowman is still a punt option on FanDuel.

If Ricky Rubio sits again with the back spasms Jevon Carter (FD 3500 DK 3000) would be an interesting, though lower upside, punt play. He started for Rubio on Monday and played 24 minutes. It’s hard to imagine him pressing 30, but he’s also coming at the minimums.

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Shooting Guard

Jrue Holiday FD - $9000 DK - $8800
Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 52.26 DK - 52.62
The Pelicans have done nothing but get injured this season. What started with some promise has only been frustration leading to a 4-9 record.They’ve been (at times) without Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Derrick Favors, Lonzo Ball, and they are also down role players like Josh Hart and Frank Jackson. It’s been a mess. But Holiday is still there chugging along, playing high 30’s minutes and contributing across the stat line. This is, of course, getting a little expensive for a guy who’s built some of his fantasy impact on defensive stats which aren’t always consistent. But he’s also playing a Blazers’ team that’s been torched by opposing guards this season and are coming on a back-to-back.

Buddy Hield FD - $7900 DK - $7500
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 37.79 DK - 39.95
With De’Aaron Fox out of the lineup, the Kings have called on Hield to play a lot of minutes. He’s run 37, 38 and 38 over the last three with an average of 25 points and six rebounds per game in that stretch. He caught fire last game against the Celtics, going 7-12 from three and 14-24 from the field. He was the catalyst in the win over Boston and Sacramento could use this kind of usage from Hield going forward. It isn’t a great matchup against a slower Phoenix team, but on a short slate Hield does offer some upside if the shot is really falling.

Other Thoughts

Nickeil Alexander-Walker (FD $4500 DK $4900) makes for a definite shooting guard play if the Pels are still without Lonzo, Ingram and Frank Jackson. Frankly, even if the latter played I still think NAW is in play because New Orleans is so bit by the injury bug right now.

Small Forward

LeBron James FD - $12000 DK - $11100
Opponent - OKC
Proj Pts FD - 57.51 DK - 60.61
Lebron James is 34 years old. Everyone from his draft class is washed out of the league or retired. And yet, here in his 17th season (plus three more full seasons of playoff games) he has his team in first place in the West with the league’s best point differential and is averaging 25 points, 7.6 rebounds and a career-best 11.2 assists per game. The dude is just a freak. The good kind. Few other players have the kind of fantasy floor he’s displaying right now because of his ability to contribute across the line and the Lakers turning the full set of reins over to him in the offense. Expensive for sure, but the highest projected play on the slate and for good reason.

Alec Burks FD - $5600 DK - $5000
Opponent - MEM
Proj Pts FD - 29.39 DK - 29.79
With De’Angelo Russell hurt, Burks grabbed the start on Sunday for the Warriors. He struggled from the field, going 2-13 from the field and just struggling in general. But the Warriors are a mess and he’ll still likely see around 30+ minutes assuming he sticks in the starting lineup. That last piece is far from set in stone of course with Steve Kerr shifting things around as Golden State heads for a clear tanking season. But I don’t mind Burks on a short slate considering the shot volume is still mostly there for the journeyman guard.

Other Thoughts

E'Twaun Moore (FD $4300 DK $4600) and Kenrich Williams (FD $5200 DK $5700) are very much in play if the Pelicans are once again playing shorthanded.

Power Forward

Eric Paschall FD - $5900 DK - $5900
Opponent - MEM
Proj Pts FD - 28.38 DK - 29.14
Paschal got the start at power forward for the Warriors over the last two games with Draymond Green nominally moving to the point guard position. Against the Pelicans, it worked. He dropped 30 points and added seven rebounds in the loss. He’ll get another cherry matchup against a Memphis team ranked 24th in defensive efficiency and 7th in pace. He’s put up 14 or more shots in each of the last three games and that should continue with D-Lo out of the lineup. Paschall isn’t great from behind the arc, but will put up the three a little less than four times per game and knocks them down at about 30%. Mostly, I’m looking in the middle tier for solid production and opponent here and Paschall checks both boxes.

Dario Saric FD - $5300 DK - $5500
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 26.29 DK - 27.43
Saric has seen a few more minutes of late, playing 29 or more in each of the last three games. It’s come with (or because of) solid shooting (9-17 from three) and he’s averaged around eight boards a game in that stretch. He should be able to stay on the floor here as well against a mostly undersized Kings’ team that runs Holmes at the center and doesn’t have much in the way of bigs off the bench after Dedmon. Like Paschall, his middle tier price isn’t going to kill you and allows ways to spend up at other positions.

Other Thoughts

Nicolo Melli (FD $4400 DK $4400) is for sure in play if the Pels are without everyone again.

Between spending up for Lebron or Anthony Davis (FD $11200 DK $9800) I’ll take the former on FanDuel but DraftKings has made a mistake with AD’s price. I know the last couple of games were mostly underwhelming including lost minutes in the blowout over the Hawks. But coming under $10K is a joke and he’ll see huge chalk ownership there.

Center

Jaxson Hayes FD - $4800 DK - $4900
Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 28.7 DK - 26.68
The the wing and guard situation in New Orleans has plenty of question marks going into Tuesday, the bigs are another story. Derrick Favors has already been ruled out and Jahlil Okafor is doubtful. That should mean around 30 minutes for the rookie again and last game he put up 10 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in that run. He’s not going to get a lot of shots in this offense, it’s just not how the Pelicans do things with their bigs, but the rebounds should be there and there are opportunities around the basket. Coming cheap on both sites, he’s in play on this short slate.

Hassan Whiteside FD - $8200 DK - $6300
Opponent - NO
Proj Pts FD - 40.94 DK - 41.46
If you want to spend up some more, Whiteside could put up huge numbers against a Pelicans team running at an ultra-fast pace and the 25th ranked defensive efficiency. They haven’t exactly given it up to opposing centers, but that could also be some early season noise around the data. After putting up five straight double-doubles, Whiteside’s production has fluctuated some in the short term though two of those games he lost minutes late game because of blowout/ foul trouble. This game doesn’t hold that kind of precarious balance considering New Orleans just isn’t a very good team. I love the DraftKings price especially.

Other Thoughts

Jonas Valanciunas (FD $7800 DK $6800) can always tempt you with the production, though the minutes are very tough to trust.

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