Fuego Steve’s NBA GPP Cheat Sheet 11/28/17
Fuego Steve's NBA GPP Cheat Sheet My NBA articles will mostly focus on Fanduel lineup construction since besides center, you need to play two at each position. The players recommended are usually still good plays on DraftKings unless the pricing is drastically different. Also, many players on DraftKings have dual position eligibility or may be listed at a different position. I will try to mention if there is a specific good play on DK based on price or position eligibility. The players listed are in no particular order, as I am giving choices to help build your lineups at all price points sometimes. Point Guard Mike James and Jerian Grant – Favorite value options. Goran Dragic – One of the higher ceilings at position tonight. Ricky Rubio – The Nuggets give up a lot of fantasy points to the PG spot. Shooting Guard Khris Middleton is a game time decision, monitor situation, ok play if he is a go Bradley Beal – Favorite at position. Andrew Wiggins – Five of his last six games 34-39 Fanduel points. Gary Harris – It’s Harris over Barton for me tonight. Small Forward Wilson Chandler is out, not sure if bumps up anyone too much. Giannis Antetokounmpo – I still need to check to make sure I spell his name correctly. Hence one of his nicknames “The Alphabet”. That is why I just call him the Freak, it is so much easier. Like him slightly more than Lebron tonight. Jimmy Butler – Starting to hit the 20 actual points more consistently. If he does that, his fantasy points should be over 40 and should start seeing some ceiling games. Denzel Valentine, Otto Porter and T.J. Warren are in play as well. Power Forward Bobby Portis – Favorite value play at the position. Taj Gibson – Has been playing well and should hit 5-6X. Lauri Markkanen – Other Bulls forward I like if you want to pay up for him. Derrick Favors, Zach Randolph and Markieff Morris are in play as well. Center Marcin Gortat – Favorite value at position. Nikola Jokic – Favorite high-priced, though Karl-Anthony Towns is close. Kevin Love – Mid-priced option. Will update later if anything changes. Also listen to the NBA Today podcast for more detailed information on who I and JaguarLou like most tonight.
Scouting The NBA – 11/28/17
Plays of the Day Value: Tyus Jones compiled 17 points, 13 assists and an impressive 11 steals over his last two appearances with Jeff Teague (Achilles) out and he’d become a virtual must play if starting for Minnesota. Fade: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade certainly need to rest their aging bodies and they would like to have that luxury on the second half of a B2B set. With Miami coming to town, they may be motivated to play bigger minutes, but that’s not guaranteed. Point Guards Eric Bledsoe – (6,600 DK/7,000 FD) Bledsoe has been able to meet or exceed value in three straight games while seemingly growing much more comfortable on his new team. He stands to keep that streak going tonight against a Kings team that ranks 26th in defensive rating and 26th in opponents 2PT FG shooting (.521%). With no tangible rim protector, the Kings have been burned in the paint and EB is shooting an efficient 24-of-52 (46%) from the floor while pouring in 62 points in his last three appearances. Tyus Jones – (4,300 DK/5,200 FD) It’s a toss up between Jones and Mike James of Phoenix since both PGs could serve as great values depending on who is out tonight. Jeff Teague (Achilles) seems much more likely to miss a third straight game however, then Devin Booker (knee), who said he’s hopeful to suit up for Phoenix. With Teague out, Jones compiled 17 points, 13 assists and an impressive 11 steals over his last two appearances and he’d become a virtual must play if starting for Minnesota. Potential Value Mike James – (4,600 DK/4,400 FD) James is still worth a look regardless of Booker’s status in a plus matchup against the young Bulls, especially at that dirt cheap price tag on FanDuel. Longshot Tim Frazier – (4,100 DK/4,900 FD) Frazier doesn’t have tremendous upside, but he does have a decent floor while John Wall (knee) remains sidelined. Shooting Guards Bradley Beal – (7,900 DK/8,300 FD) With John Wall (knee) out over the next couple of weeks, Beal can become a staple for lineups in any format. He sees the biggest increase (6.3%) in usage rate to dwarf his teammates with a 37.2 percent usage rate when Wall is off the court this season. Beal launched 24 FG attempts in a close loss to Portland and draws a much better matchup tonight against a Wolves team that’s ranked 28th in defensive rating and dead last in opponents FG shooting (.487%) this year. Kelly Oubre Jr. – (4,300 DK/4,300 FD) Oubre Jr. could be a sneaky beneficiary of Wall’s absence and perhaps a better plug and play than Tim Frazier given his superior upside. The athletic young lefty sees a 5.1 percent rise in usage rate and averages 0.47 points per minute with Wall off the floor this season and he’s been productive lately with 40 points and 14 boards over his last three appearances. Minnesota’s been a fantasy-friendly matchup for wing players this year and Oubre remains quite cheap. Potential Value Tyler Johnson – (4,200 DK/5,500 FD) Johnson has flashed an ability to exceed value at times and he faces a horrific Cavs defense tonight. Longshot Khris Middleton – (6,600 DK/6,800 FD) Middleton mixes in big scoring games once in a while and he could serve as a great pivot off Bledsoe in GPP formats against a weak Kings defense. Small Forwards Otto Porter – (6,400 DK/7,300 FD) Porter went for 24 points and 10 boards against an athletic Portland team on Saturday and he seems like another candidate to benefit with Wall out. He averages 1.06 FPs per minute with a 4.7 percent usage rate when Wall is off the floor this season and leads the team in usage rate (26.7%) when both Wall and Beal sit. He could provide sneaky upside if the Wolves use Jimmy Butler to try and contain Beal tonight, as Minnesota gives up the ninth-most PPG (21.65) to opposing SFs partially because Andrew Wiggins is a far worse defender than Butler. Denzel Valentine – (5,600 DK/6,200 FD) Valentine played a team-high 40 minutes while providing excellent play on both ends of the floor on his way to 14 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists on Sunday. Averaging 11.6 PPG since moving into the SLU, Valentine appears much more comfortable in his second NBA campaign and he’s dictating things offensively with an 18.3 percent assist rate. Up next is a Suns team that just paced the Cavs for the designation of worst defensive rating and Phoenix also gives up the most RPG (47.4) while playing at the third-fastest pace in the NBA this season. Potential Value Joe Ingles – (4,800 DK/5,800 FD) Ingles has a solid floor in what should be a fast-paced matchup with the Nuggets. Longshot T.J. Warren– (7,300 DK/7,400 FD) Keep an eye on Warren as a potential GPP option should Devin Booker sit for Phoenix. Power Forwards Lauri Markkanen – (6,700 DK/6,900 FD) He’s had a couple of quiet games recently, but Markkanen has much more upside than other PFs in this price range such as Derrick Favors. The Bulls young stud is averaging 17 points and 9.8 rebounds per 36 minutes with a hefty 21.4 percent usage rate and he faces the worst rated defense in the NBA tonight. To make matters worse for the Suns, all of their big men are far too slow to close out on Markkanen and cut off his drive, which is how he’s been able to post an offensive rating of 102 and average 14.4 PPG as a rookie. Kenneth Faried – (3,900 DK/4,600 FD) Faried moved into the Nuggets SLU on Friday with Paul Millsap (wrist) out indefinitely, and even though he was a DNP-CD the game before, he’s likely to see closer to 30 minutes in a matchup against the sizable Jazz frontcourt. The Manimal is still grabbing 10 boards per 36 minutes
JaguarLou’s Cash Game Cheat Sheet – 11/27/17
Jaguar Lou’s Cheat Sheet – 11/27/17 Point Guard Elite PG Play: Kyrie Irving & Damian Lillard Mid-Range PG Play: Elfrid Payton, Lonzo Ball & Darren Collison GPP Value/Punt PG play: Shaun Livingston Shooting Guard Elite SG Play: Victor Oladipo & James Harden Mid-Range SG Play: Klay Thompson GPP Value/Punt SG Play: KCP Small Forward Elite SF Play: Lebron James Mid-Range SF Play: Robert Covington GPP Value/Punt SF play: Omri Casspi Power Foward Elite PF Play: Ben Simmons Mid-Range PF Play: Zach Randolph, Draymond Green & Jayson Tatum GPP Value/Punt PF Play: Dario Saric Center Elite C Play: Nikola Vucevic Mid-Range C Play: Clint Capella GPP Value/Punt C Play: Kyle O’Quinn
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Scouting The NBA by Nate Weitzer – 11/27/17
Plays of the Day Value: Kyle O’Quinn could serve as a great value if Kristaps Porzingis (back) and/or Enes Kanter (back) remains sidelined for the Knicks tonigh.. The bruising center tallied a season-high 20 points with 15 rebounds with both The Zinger and Kanter out on Saturday and needed just 26 minutes of run to provided 10x value on his salary. Fade: Steph Curry might sit out tonight’s tilt, although he might play while Kevin Durant (ankle) sits. If both players are active, Curry makes for a good fade in what should be an easy win for the Warriors, while he draws a relatively tough matchup against lively young defender De’Aaron Fox. Point Guards Lonzo Ball – (7,100 DK/7,200 FD) Lonzo really struggled in his NBA debut against the Clippers last month while facing a highly motivated and elite defender in Patrick Beverley. Yet he’s improved drastically since that showing to the point that he’s averaging 9 PPG, 10.5 RPG and 8 APG over his last four appearances. Beverley (knee) is done for the season and the Clippers defense is reeling without him, coughing up 104 PPG while dropping 11 of their last 14 contests. Ball has a solid floor because of his ability to pile up peripheral stats and his upside is tangible in this rematch. T.J. McConnell – (4,700 DK/5,400 FD) Ben Simmons (elbow) could return tonight after a two-game absence and take away from T.J. McConnell’s upside, but the pass-first PG is still worth a look as a source of salary relief. Cleveland ranks dead last in defensive rating and gives up the third-most APG (25.4) in the NBA this season. The Cavs allow the seventh-most FPPG (48.64) and second-most APG (10.32) to opposing PGs this season, while McConnell is coming off a career-high 13-assist game against Orlando. He’s averaging 26.4 DK PPG while shooting 53 percent from the floor over eight home games this year and should see plenty of run even if Simmons returns as a way to match up with the small-ball Cavs. Potential Value De’Aaron Fox – (4,600 DK/4,800 FD) A high-risk value at the Warriors, but Fox has been known to step up his game against the toughest competition. Longshot Chris Paul – (7,900 DK/9,100 FD) Paul should eat young Spencer Dinwiddie for breakfast and pile up dimes in a fast-paced meeting with Brooklyn. Shooting Guards Klay Thompson – (7,000 DK/7,000 FD) With Steph Curry (hand), Kevin Durant (ankle) and Draymond Green (foot) all listed as questionable tonight, it’s quite possible that one or two of them sit in a very winnable home game against the lowly Kings. Thompson sees a 3.3 percent rise in usage rate when either Durant or Curry is off the floor and a 5.4 percent rise when both are off the floor. He’s 13-for-26 from deep over his last four appearances and faces a Kings team that ranks 29th in opponents 3PT shooting (.392%) this year, while Sacramento happened to be the victim of Klay’s record-breaking 37-point quarter two seasons ago. Lance Stephenson – (4,100 DK/4,600 FD) If Victor Oladipo (knee) returns after missing Saturday’s tilt against the Celtics, Stephenson will likely come off the bench, but he was productive with a combined 21 points, 17 rebounds and 6 assists over two appearances a reserve before burning the Celtics elite defense for 16 points on 5-of-9 FG shooting. Orlando’s giving up the third-most PPG (110.5) and a whopping 117 PPG during a current 8-game losing streak, so you’re going to want to grab a piece of the Pacers offense whether it’s with a value in Stephenson or a stud Oladipo if active. Potential Value Austin Rivers – (4,900 DK/5,500 FD) Rivers is playing big minutes for his father and coach and that often translates into a solid floor, especially against an inexperienced Lakers team. Longshot Dwyane Wade – (5,400 DK/5,400 FD) Wade has been up and down over the past couple of weeks, but could flash his surprising upside in a high-scoring bout at the Sixers tonight. Small Forwards LeBron James – (11,400 DK/12,000 FD) LeBron definitely pays attention to what’s happening around the league and often comes up with his biggest efforts against up-and-coming teams such as the Sixers. He’ll look to take Ben Simmons (if active) to school tonight and follow up his monstrous triple double against the Hornets with a big line against a Philadelphia team that gives up an above average 41.38 FPPG to opposing SFs this season. LBJ is rocking a career-high 42.6 percent assist rate and true shooting percentage (.661%) to carry Cleveland through some early-season struggles. Wes Johnson – (4,400 DK/5,200 FD) Pair LeBron with a cheap forward in Johnson, who should be continue to see heavy minutes with Beverley done for the year and Danilo Gallinari (hip) still out. Johnson produced disappointing numbers in his last outing but it’s encouraging to see him play 40 minutes in a close game against the young Kings. He’ll be needed to matchup with an athletic young Lakers squad tonight that plays at the third-fastest pace in the NBA and gives up plenty of production as a result of that style. Potential Value Harrison Barnes – (5,500 DK/6,600 FD) Barnes has been extremely consistent as the primary scorer and rebounder for Dallas and he draws a good matchup against the Kawhi Leonard-less Spurs. Longshot Trevor Ariza – (5,200 DK/5,400 FD) Ariza is a key cog in the Rockets three-point shooting machine of an offense and faces a weak defensive team in the Nets tonight. Power Forwards Kristaps Porzingis – (8,300 DK/9,300 FD) Porzingis missed Saturday’s game at Houston to rest an ailing back in what might’ve simply been a maintenance day with the Knicks checking in as heavy underdogs against a high-powered Rockets team. If he returns tonight against the Blazers, he’ll serve as a relative value with much more upside at home, where he’s averaging 29 PPG on 49.4
JaguarLou’s Cheat Sheet – 11/24/17
JaguarLou’s NBA Cash Pick’s Cheat Sheet – 11/24/17 Point Guard Cash elite – Kemba Walker & Stephen Curry (Chalk – Personally fading) Cash mid-range – Elfrid Payton Risky Cash/GPP value play – Mario Chalmers, Ulis/James & Kris Dunn (Curry Hedge) Shooting Guard Cash elite – Klay Thompson Cash mid-range – Jrue Holiday Risky Cash/GPP value play – Tim Hardaway Small Forward Cash elite – Lebron James Cash mid-range – Paul George Risky Cash/GPP value play – Omri Casspi & Denzel Valentine Power Forward Cash elite – Kristaps Porzingis Cash mid-range – Carmelo Anthony Risky Cash/GPP value play – Taj Gibson Center Cash elite – DeMarcus Cousins Cash mid-range – Dwight Howard Risky Cash/GPP value play – Kyle O’Quinn/Hernangomez & Jonas Valanclunas+
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Scouting the NBA 11/24/17
Plays of the Day Value: Jeremy Lamb has a chance to play starters’ minutes once again if Nic Batum (elbow) can’t suit up tonight. You can’t beat his matchup against a Cavs team that still ranks dead last in defensive rating and coughs up the third-most PPG (110.7) in the NBA this year. Cleveland gives up the second-most 3PTM (12.4) per game this season and Lamb is shooting a career-best (by far) 40.9 percent from deep this year. Fade: Kevin Durant and the Warriors are justifiably double-digit points at home against a young Bulls team that just lost by double figures to a shorthanded Utah team and really stands no chance against the champs. All of Golden State’s starters could get some rest in the fourth quarter, while bench players on both sides are worth a look in GPP formats. Point Guards Russell Westbrook – (10,600 DK/10,600 FD) Roll with Westbrook again after he exceeded value in his second consecutive outing, especially at his relatively modest price tag on DK. The reigning MVP might’ve received some whispers within the organization to take on a larger scoring load, as he’s averaging 23.5 PPG over six appearances to break the Thunder out of a 4-game losing streak. He was dynamic against the Warriors on Wednesday and faces another contender in the Pistons, a team that’s weak defensively at PG with Reggie Jackson and the diminutive Ish Smith sharing reps. Rajon Rondo – (4,900 DK/5,500 FD) His playing time continues to increase, which is allowing Rondo to serve as a solid cash play in the mid-tier range. He’s always been a productive per-minute player so it’s not surprising that he’s averaging 10.8 points along with 10.4 assists per 36 minutes while playing alongside Anthony Davis and Boogie Cousins this season. He has a chance to flash his upside against a Suns team that gives up the most FPPG (52.86) and the seventh-most APG (9.16) to opposing PGs along with the most total RPG (47.3) while playing at the second-fastest pace in the NBA. Potential Value Tyler Johnson – (4,000 DK/4,400 FD) Johnson comes with some risk but is a bigtime source of salary relief right now. Longshot Kemba Walker – (8,200 DK/8,200 FD) Walker will look to keep his Hornets in the game tonight against a shoddy Cavs defense. Shooting Guards Tim Hardaway Jr. – (6,600 DK/6,600 FD) Playing Hardaway Jr. isn’t necessarily chasing points after his career-high output on Wednesday, because he’s been consistently great for the Knicks over the past couple of weeks. Tonight he’ll have some extra motivation to face his former teammates in Atlanta and he’ll have plenty of opportunities to stay hot since the Hawks allow a league-high 32.6 three-point attempts per game this season. It’s no coincidence that Atlanta coughs up the most FPPG (44.98) to opposing SGs as a result of that inability to close out on shooters. Jeremy Lamb – (5,100 DK/6,600 FD) With Nic Batum (elbow) questionable, Lamb has a chance to play starters’ minutes once again and his role is probably secure even if Batum manages to suit up tonight. You can’t beat his matchup against a Cavs team that still ranks dead last in defensive rating and coughs up the third-most PPG (110.7) in the NBA this year. Cleveland gives up the second-most 3PTM (12.4) per game this season and Lamb is shooting a career-best (by far) 40.9 percent from deep this year. Potential Value Tyreke Evans – (6,900 DK/7,300 FD) Evans isn’t particularly cheap, but is a very solid cash game play given his role with Mike Conley (Achilles) out. Longshot Dion Waiters – (5,600 DK/5,500 FD) Waiters got his swagger back in a win over the Celtics and could keep rolling against a fast-paced Wolves team. Small Forwards LeBron James – (11,200 DK/11,900 FD) LeBron’s simply dominated Charlotte since Michael Jordan took over that franchise. He went for 31 points and 8 assists in a win over the Hornets earlier this season, consistent with his averages of 31.8 PPG and 9.5 APG over four meetings with Charlotte last year. The Hornets got Nic Batum (elbow) back briefly before their best wing defender re-aggravated that injury, so they’re vulnerable at that position and were already giving up the fourth-most RPG (9.25) and fifth-most APG (3.56) to opposing SFs this season. T.J. Warren – (6,600 DK/7,600 FD) DraftKings simply refuses to change Warren’s price tag despite his sustained production and he’s an easy choice to deploy on that DFS site in any format with a solid floor-ceiling combination. He’s primed for more success tonight against a Pelicans team that gives up the third-most FPPG (45.02) to opposing SFs on the year. New Orleans allows the fourth-most PPG (109.2) overall while playing at the seventh-fastest pace in the NBA and Warren averages 19.8 PPG on 50.5 percent shooting at home this season. Potential Value Omri Casspi – (3,600 DK/3,300 FD) The Warriors should absolutely roll the Bulls at home tonight and that puts their bench players in play as potential garbage time stars. Longshot Jayson Tatum – (5,700 DK/5,800 FD) Tatum and Jaylen Brown continue to carry the young Celtics and the former is far cheaper on both main DFS sites ahead of another plus matchup against the Magic. Power Forwards Kristaps Porzingis – (8,900 DK/9,300 FD) The Unicorn is reasonably priced on the road despite drawing a juicy matchup against a Hawks team that ranks 27th in defensive rating and 23rd in total rebounding this year. Atlanta also coughs up the sixth-most FPPG (50.88) to opposing PFs this season and Porzingis will likely match up against rookie John Collins or Ersan Ilyasova (knee), who still isn’t fully healthy. Give him a chance to flash that crazy upside in a potentially DFS friendly game. John Collins – (4,800 DK/5,700 FD) Fresh off his fifth consecutive game scoring double-digit points, Collins is bound to
JaguarLou’s NBA Cash Pick’s Cheat Sheet – 11/22/17
JaguarLou’s NBA Cash Pick’s Cheat Sheet – 11/22/17 Point Guard Cash elite – Russell Westbrook & Stephen Curry Cash mid-range – Spencer Dinwiddie/Dennis Schroder Risky Cash/GPP value play – Mario Chalmers Shooting Guard Cash elite – DeMar DeRozan Cash mid-range – C.J McCollum Risky Cash/GPP value play – Tyreke Evans Small Forward Cash elite – Lebron James Cash mid-range – Robert Covington Risky Cash/GPP value play – Taurean Prince Power Forward Cash elite – Blake Griffin & Draymond Green Cash mid-range – Carmelo Anthony Risky Cash/GPP value play – Noah Vonleh Center Cash elite – Joel Embiid Cash mid-range – Marc Gasol & Kevin Love Risky Cash/GPP value play – Brook Lopez
NBA Today 11/22/17
