DraftKings & Fanduel NBA Fantasy Picks 10/31/14

Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks

October 31st, 2014

Point Guard - Derrick Rose

I'm sticking with Derrick Rose because I still think he's priced to low.  He had an okay performance in his first game, but it would have been a lot better if it wasn't a blow out.  I think against there's going to be a playoff atmosphere in tonight's game against the Cavs, which means a close game.  I think Rose and LeBron go at it tonight.

Point Guard - Brandon Knight
I really like the fact that Knight took the most shots for the Bucks and still dished out 13 assists.  I don't think he'll grab 8 rebounds again but he'll get the assists and I really like his scoring upside.

Consider Isaiah Thomas

Shooting Guard - Eric Bledsoe

This is a tough position tonight, as there aren't a lot of options.  I think Bledsoe is a safe pick tonight, in a good match up against the Spurs.  This should be a high scoring game and I expect Bledsoe to lead the suns in scoring.  Maybe he won't get thrown out of this game. 

Shooting Guard - Kobe Bryant

I think Kobe scores a lot of points again tonight, but he hasn't done much else.  Consider only using one SG tonight on DraftKings, but if this game does end up close, it will because Kobe has a lot of points, like 40.  I would only use him in tournament play because it's risky at his price.

Consider - Rodney Stuckey

Small Forward - CJ Miles

This is my favorite value pick of the night.  Miles outplayed his value in his first game and didn't shoot great, but shoot he did.  He was clearly told before the game he had to score for the Pacers because he was getting shots up like crazy.  I think he shoots a lot again tonight, and hopefully more shots fall tonight.

Small Forward - LeBron James

Very high priced tonight but there's not a lot of other options.  I also think he has a great game tonight now that his nerves are calmed a little bit.  In this matchup against Chicago, I think we could see a huge game against LeBron.  After the loss last night, he definitely is going to look to score more.

Value Play - Khris Middleton

Power Forward - Luis Scola

Scola played really well in the first game, despite getting into foul trouble.  I wouldn't start him with Hibbert, but going with one or the other could pay off if one of them gets into foul trouble again.

Power Forward - Zach Randolph
He's always a fantasy monster and against a depleted Pacer lineup, he should continue to dominate.  Memphis will definitely be feeding it to their big men all game long. 

Value Play - Nerlens Noel 

Center - Roy Hibbert
I mentioned how the Grizzlies will be playing through their big men tonight, which could be good for Roy.  He'll have a lot of block opportunities with the majority of shots coming from the paint.  He also has a much bigger role on offense with the absence of every well known Pacer.

Center - DeMarcus Cousins

As always, I like Cousins.  He had an awful shooting game and still put up 20 and 11.  I think he has a monster game tonight.  He is also the reason I'm avoiding Aldridge.  Cousins gets people in foul trouble and that is the number 1 cause of disappointing fantasy performances in the NBA.

Consider - Marc Gasol

Hit me up on twitter if you have any questions. @NBAfantasyroom

Fantasy Basketball Picks Oct 30

Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks

October 30th 2014

Point Guard - Elfrid Payton
A lot of people will be playing Westbrook and Paul tonight, so for tournaments I'm avoiding them.  I think those guys will put up good numbers, but Westbrook looked tired at the end of last nights game and it could mean a blow out.  Payton put up solid numbers and I expect that to continue, at least until Oladipo comes back.  

Point Guard - DJ Augustine
It seems like Van Gundy prefers Augustine to Brandon Jennings, and Augustine played well, earning more minutes.  He comes in cheap today, so get on him while you can.  Also I think this will be a close game.

Consider - Chris Paul

Shooting Guard - Gordon Hayward

I really like Hayward tonight.  He struggled shooting last night but still had a good fantasy game.  I think he shoots much better tonight and still fills the stat sheet. 

Shooting Guard - Monta Ellis
This is an okay pick for me.  I think he'll score but if Parsons has a better game, Monta might see less shots.  I'm only using one shooting guard on DraftKings and that's Hayward.

Value Play- Iman Shumpart
I know the Knicks got destroyed, but Shump was actually the only one being aggressive and I think he earned some minutes.  If the Knick can manage to keep this game a little bit close, Shumpart can put up an easy 20 FP.

Small Forward - Josh Smith
Pretty much the top scoring option for Detroit and also grabs rebounds.  I don't think you can go wrong here. 

Small Forward - Paul Pierce
He had a nice first game with the Wizards and I think that will be his average line until Bradley Beal comes back.  He is somewhat cheap tonight, and with a limited number of games tonight, he is worth a shot.

Small Forward - Tobias Harris
Had a great first game and is still very affordable.  I think he scores a lot again because the Magic need him to and I think he grabs more rebounds this time, since Vucevic won't get 22 again.

Value Play Kyle Singler
It didn't quite work out last night because he got in early foul trouble, but he's still cheap and can knock down 3's.

Also consider Otto Porter Jr

Power Forward - Thad Young 

His price is still deflated for his skill set, and he is seeing a lot of touches for the Twolves.  I think he scores 20+ points tonight.  

Power Forward - Serge Ibaka

Had somewhat of a quite game last night, but I think he does more tonight.  Someone needs to step up besides Westbrook with Durant out, and Ibaka is the favorite.  I think he gets more scoring opportunities tonight while still getting a few blocked shots.

Center - Nikola Vucevic
We're going to stick with him after his great first game.  He's the Magic's best player and he's playing like it.  Another Double-Double tonight.  He's also slightly cheaper than Drummond, and more central to the offense.

Consider - Andre Drummond

Daily Fantasy Basketball October 29th Picks

Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks

October 29th 2014

Today we have a full slate of games, which means luck is less of a factor.  We can also avoid blowouts like the Hou vs LAL, which limited the starters playing time to the first three quarters.  If you want to try and avoid these games, check the vegas over under lines.  You can check these just by googling them but if you are new to odds making, then click this Yahoo link.  They have the over/unders and also a brief explanation at the bottom.

With nine games tonight, there are going to be multiple ways to win so pay attention to the value plays and rookies tonight.  The Pacers are a team you should be paying attention tonight for value plays.  They have four key guys ruled out in George Hill, CJ Watson, David West and Paul George.  They would probably get blown out, however they're playing the Sixers.  More on that with my picks.

Point Guard - Derrick Rose

Just look at that DraftKings price! $7400! This is craziness, and yes, might be a blowout but the Knicks went 2-2 against the Bulls last year and 3 of those games were close.  Rose appears as healthy as ever, and has really turned it on in the preseason.  The Bulls need scoring, and Rose is the best option.  He'll also pick up some assists playing point, and some steals against the Knicks who can get sloppy.

Point Guard - John Wall

I think John Wall meets his price tag tonight and score 50+ fantasy points.  He's been more aggressive offensively during the preseason, and he will dominate the ball for the Wizards.  I also think it will be a close game with the Heat, so I predict a lot of minutes.

Consider - Tony Wroten (Value Play)

Shooting Guard - Eric Bledsoe

Be careful with this one, as the game might be another blow out.  That being said, the Lakers defense is awful, and hopefully they can keep it close enough for Bledsoe to get his.  

Shooting Guard - DeMar DeRozan

Safe play tonight at shooting guard.  I think he comes close to meeting his value tonight and I don't feel comfortable going cheap at this position.

Consider - Tim Hardaway Jr or Kevin Martin (Value Play)

Small Forward - Carmelo Anthony

I think Anthony gets close to 60 FP tonight.  He is going to take nearly all available shots and also grab a lot of rebounds.  Hopefully he can put up a double-double.  The Bulls also lack a defender for Anthony.  I really don't know who can guard him on the Bulls.  Noah, Dunleavy, or Gasol?  My bet is on Noah, but regardless he presents a matchup nightmare.

Small Forward - Chris Copeland (Fanduel)

Copeland is SF on Fanduel and PF on DraftKings, the opposite of Melo, so if need be you can swap those two.  Copeland gets the start tonight against the awful Sixers, but the Pacers will be awful too, so it makes for a good game.  Copeland's been draining threes in the preseason and with all the injuries to the Pacers, he should get minutes.  He is dirt cheap, which you need for the more pricey options.

Strongly consider Kyle Singler
He is extremely cheap - the minimum on DK.  He's in the starting lineup and gets a decent amount of touches.  He won't explode but he will exceed his price tag.

Power Forward - Luis Scola

Another Pacer benefiting from injuries.  David West is out and he is their primary rebounder.  I expect a double-double from Scola if he can get to 10 points.  

Power Forward - Jared Sullinger

Absolute rebounding machine.  He's also going to have to score some because the Celtics lack any real scoring options.  

Consider - Ed Davis or Nerlens Noel

Center - Mason Plumlee

I like Plumlee as a cheaper Center option tonight.  I think he scores around 18 and at least 12 rebounds. If he can get some blocks thrown in, he will exceed his value.

Center - DeMarcus Cousins

I think Cousins is the top fantasy player tonight, along with Carmelo.  Unless he gets into foul trouble, Cousins will have no problem throwing up huge numbers.  The Warriors shoot a bunch of 3's, which mean more rebounds, and without David Lee down low, they lack someone to challenge Cuz.  I do think there are a lot of good center options tonight, so going cheap is an option.

Consider - Jordan Hill or Roy Hibbert

I understand you won't be able to fit all these picks into your lineup but I have projected the fantasy points for the majority of guys tonight, so send me a tweet if you want to know a player's projected score. 

Daily Fantasy Basketball October 28th Picks

October 28th Picks

The NBA season kicks off the tonight with 3 games, so there are a limited amount of players to choose from.  I actually like this and usually make multiple lineups and play tournaments on short slates.  Since it's the first games we don't have much data, so I'm going to be looking at match ups and minutes expected.  You don't get fantasy points on the bench.  Since it is only 3 games today we have to spend on some big names, which means we will need to find some value plays.  Value plays are what wins tournaments, so focus on these guys.

Point Guard - Jeremy Lin

I'm going cheap with my point guards tonight because I think the cheap guys will put up similar numbers as the more expensive guys.  I like Lin because he's cheap on Fanduel, and I think he'll have to score some for this depleted Lakers team.  Tony Parker will probably score more fantasy points, so if you want to spend at PG go with him. 

Point Guard - Elfrid Payton

It really pains me to pick a rookie that hasn't played a regular season game yet, but he is cheap and he's going to get a lot minutes regardless of the score.  I hope he can score better than he has in the preseason, but he should rack up some assists and steals.

Consider - Tony Parker

Shooting Guard - James Harden

Most expensive player on DraftKings and 2nd most expensive on Fanduel, but well worth it.  With the short slate of games tonight you just can't afford not to pick Harden.  He's going to shoot a lot and even on a bad night he gets to the line more than anyone.

Shooting Guard - Kobe Bryant

More games down the road we might worry about how Kobe's body handles playing heavy minutes, but in the season opener I expect him to be ready to go.  The Lakers already have a bunch of injuries and Kobe might put up 30 shots tonight.  It also looks like Ronnie Price won't play tonight, so Kobe may see some PG action as well.  I see at least 6 assists if Price is out.

I think shooting guard is the place to spend tonight, as I just don't see great alternatives.  New Orleans has so much depth, that I'm hesitant to use Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon.  However consider Evans for a tournament play as he could mess around and get a triple double.

Small Forward - Wesley Johnson

This guy has great upside with Laker depth situation.  He and Kobe will be taking the bulk of the shots and he is cheap on most sites.  He's also good to get some defensive stats as well. 

Small Forward - Kostas Papanikolaou

This is my value play of the day so I can fit my expensive guys in.  He's seen heavy minutes in the preseason so far, and even though he hasn't shot great, he has grabbed rebounds and gotten a few assists.  He'll be out there with the second team, so he should get some scoring chances as well, and this game could be a blow, which will get him even more minutes.  Risky pick, but I think he gets some points. 

Power Forward - Jordan Hill (DraftKings)

I am pleasantly surprised to see Jordan Hill available at PF on DraftKings.  He is cheap and has huge rebounding potential.  He probably won't score too much against Dwight but the Lakers don't have any depth at the big man position, so he will see a lot of minutes.

Power Forward - Tim Duncan
The old man seems like he will continue to put up consistent stats when he's out there and with Splitter and Leonard out tonight, I expect at least 12 rebounds and a few extra minutes.

Power Forward - Anthony Davis

This is for Fanduel only for me, because I can't afford him on DraftKings.  Like Harden, he is pretty much guaranteed to do lots of good things, and if you can afford him you can't go wrong.

Strongly Consider - Terrance Jones and Boris Diaw

Center - Dwight Howard

There will an abundance of rebounds against the Lakers tonight, as I don't expect much of a paint presence from them.  I think Dwight has a huge game as long as it doesn't get out of hand too early.  Expect an easy double double from this guy.

Center - Jordan Hill (Fanduel)

On Fanduel, you're sacrificing Dwight for Anthony Davis.  Either way, Jordan Hill is cheap and I want him in my line up tonight.