NBA Podcast w JaguarLou and FuegoSteve – 11/6/17
Fuego Steve’s NBA Cheat Sheet – 11/4/17
NBA GPP Cheat Sheet Prices listed are Fanduel unless otherwise noted. 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. These are my favorite plays at each position and maybe a value play or two. The players listed are in no particular order, as I am giving choices to help build your lineups. Point Guard Steph Curry – $9600 – favorite overall J.J. Barea $4000 or Dennis Smith Jr. $5600 – can mix and match lineups Reggie Jackson – $5600 De’Aaron Fox – $5600 Point guard is deep tonight, most are in play if you have the money Shooting Guard Klay Thompson – $6900 – favorite overall Will Barton – $5200 – like him versus the Warriors Buddy Hield – $4000 – favorite value Avery Bradley – $5500 Small Forward Harrison Barnes – $6100 Wilson Chandler – $4500 Stanley Johnson – $4500 – favorite value For now, I am fading Kevin Durant, but won’t fault you for playing him Power Forward Anthony Davis – $11800 – will use if not playing Demarcus Cousins, though playing both could be the path to victory Paul Millsap – $7200 Zach Randolph – $4500 – favorite value Tobias Harris – $6700 – you know I am a sucker for him Center DeMarcus Cousins – $12000 – favorite overall, should smash the Bulls Robin Lopez – $6100 – if want to pay down at position Andre Drummond – $9400 – decent savings off of Boogie, similar floor
NBA Podcast w Fuego Steve and JaguarLou – 11/4/17
Fuego Steve’s NBA Cheat Sheet – 11/3/17
NBA GPP Cheat Sheet Prices listed are Fanduel unless otherwise noted. 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. These are my favorite plays at each position and maybe a value play or two. The players listed are in no particular order, as I am giving choices to help build your lineups. Point Guard Darren Collison – $6000 Westbrook – $10600 – favorite overall Mike James – $5000 – favorite value Goran Dragic – $6800 Kyle Lowry – $6800 – price dropped again Kyrie Irving – $8400 Shooting Guard Victor Oladipo – $7200 Will Barton – $5200 Jordan Clarkson – $3900 – favorite value D’Angelo Russell – $7500 Devin Booker – $7600 – price still reasonable Tim Hardaway Jr. – $6000 – price creeping up, but so has his play Small Forward Brandon Ingram – $5900 LeBron James – $10600 Wilson Chandler – $4500 – favorite value Taurean Prince – $5900 DeMarre Carroll – $5600 Bojan Bogdanovic – $4500 Power Forward Ben Simmons – $9400 Domantas Sabonis – $5600 – moved to PF on fanduel Ryan Anderson – $4800 – favorite value Paul Millsap – $7200 LaMarcus Aldridge – $8100 – good price still with no Leonard Center Nikola Vucevic – $7500 Rudy Gobert – $8400 DeMarcus Cousins – $12000 – trying to pay up for him though position is deep Brook Lopez – $5200 Clint Capela – $7700 Al Horford – $6800 JaguarLou and I will be in NBA chat from 6-7 to help with lineup questions or DM us on twitter
NBA Live at 5 – 11/3/17
Jaguar Lou’s Cash Plays – 11/2/17
Point Guard PG Damian Lillard – 9,800 FD & 9,300 DK Damian Lillard has the most favorable matchup against a Los Angeles team that allows the third most points in the league to opposing point guards, allowing an average of 54.3 FD points per game. Although talented, Lonzo Ball should be no match for Damian Lillard (obviously). The Portland Trail Blazers are favored by 6.5 points with a 210 over-under. Considering tonight’s small slate, I recommend staying away from GPP tournaments as the “Professionals” have massive advantages on smaller slates simply because they’re max entering. Max entering a small slate allows for too much exposure to any game scenario. I’d do some single entry, or even 5-man winner take all on a night like tonight. Just make sure you lock in Damian Lillard against the 27th ranked Lakers defense vs. opposing point guards. Other Cash PG Option(s): Lonzo Ball & Dejounte Murray (GPP) Shooting Guard SG Klay Thompson – 6,800 FD & 6,700 DK Klay Thompson is simply a lower priced shooting guard that helps make lineup construction easier on a two-game slate that doesn’t allow for many options. Klay has averaged 33.1 FD points per games over Golden State’s first 8 games. At a reasonable price of 6,800 on Fan Duel and 6,700 on Draft Kings, Klay becomes hard to fade in cash lineups. He might not have the highest ceiling right now, but he is on the court for roughly 30 minutes/game on one of the highest scoring teams in league. Also, McCollum has a tough matchup against KCP, a very talented defender. I am recommending that people stay away from C.J McCollum, consequently expressing my confidence in Damian Lillard. Other Cash SG Option(s): Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (GPP) Small Forward SF Kevin Durant – 9,900 FD & 9,700 DK Small slates are the worst, mainly because there are so few option’s and one play/non-play can ruin your whole night. With that said, Kevin Durant becomes a must play if you have the salary to afford him. I’m trying not to pay up for him and find value plays that I am confident in, but things aren’t looking good. I don’t have to be a “Expert Analyst” to tell you Kevin Durant will get his tonight against a Spurs team that is plagued with injuries, it’s just not going to be easy to fit him in your lineup with salary and all. I’m including GPP options in the “Other Plays” part of my article today due to this small slate. If I just wrote up 5 cash plays you would be left with minimal salary. Beside Durant, Brandon Ingram is currently the only viable play that I can say I am slightly confident in at the position. Like I said things are rough at SF tonight, you might have to lock in Durant and then start from there. It sucks but sometimes the slate dictates how you approach a lineup and it’s looking like paying up for a safe KD is the first move you must make. No choice here. Other Cash SF Option(s): Brandon Ingram (GPP) Power Forward PF LaMarcus Aldridge – 8,100 FD & 8,300 DK LaMarcus Aldridge has been the most reliable player on a Spurs team that is attempting to function without Kawai Leonard. It’s as simple as this, without Kawai the Spurs have limited offensive options. The only two Spurs that I am considering in cash games tonight are LaMarcus and Pau Gasol, both showing favorable matchups. The Golden State Warriors are favored by 7.5 points with a 217 over-under. If this game stays close, it will be on the back(s) of LaMarcus Aldridge and possibly Pau Gasol who I think is a sneaky/interest GPP play and a fade off Aldridge, who is expected to be high owned. Other Cash PF Option(s): Larry Nance (GPP) & Noah Vonleh/Ed Davis (Punt) Center C Jusuf Nurkic – 7,400 FD & 5,900 DK With Al Farouq Aminu confirmed out of the game, the clear benefactor becomes Jusuf Nurkic in tonight’s game against Brook Lopez – a horrible defender. Considering Aminu’s absence, Nurkic should expect more rebounds, extended minutes and increased usage on the offensive side of the court. Jusuf Nurkic had his first big game in a while last night against the Utah Jazz, which is not the easiest matchup. Nurkic has a great matchup tonight and I look for him to build on his last game and get back to the numbers he was putting up last season. Without Aminu and the favorable matchup against Brook Lopez, this play becomes a lock in cash game lineups. Other Cash Center Option(s): Pau Gasol
NBA Cheat Sheet – 11/2/17 – No Podcast Today for 2 game slate
NBA GPP Cheat Sheet Prices listed are Fanduel unless otherwise noted. 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. These are my favorite plays at each position and maybe a value play or two. The players listed are in no particular order, as I am giving choices to help build your lineups. No Podcast today for only two game slate Point Guard Damian Lillard – $9800 – prefer over Curry if have to pick one Dejounte Murray – $4600 – favorite value Steph Curry – $9500 – prefer Lillard, but if you want to squeeze them both in Lonzo Ball – probably fading and going Murray and one of the high priced PGs Shooting Guard C.J. McCollum – $80000 – favorite overall Klay Thompson – $6800 – $1200 discount from McCollum Jordan Clarkson – $3900 – value Can get behind KCP or Danny Green if you want to go there Small Forward Kevin Durant – $9800 – like him with Leonard still out. Try and get him in Brandon Ingram – $5900 – good price for 30-40 point upside Evan Turner or Maurice Harkless are in play Andre Iguodala – $4000 – punt play Power Forward LaMarcus Aldridge – $8100 Draymond Green – $7800 – trying to figure a way to get him and Aldridge in Larry Nance Jr. – $5800 – probably will pair him with one of the above Caleb Swanigan – $3000 – punt play Center Jusif Nurkic – $7200 – highest ceiling on slate, though tough to get him in Pau Gasol – $6100 – He is currently the center I am playing Brook Lopez – $5300 – $800 cheaper than Gasol if you need the savings Probably not punting center today JaguarLou and I will be in NBA chat from 7-8 to help with lineup questions or DM us on twitter
Scouting the NBA – 11/1/17
Plays of the Day Value: Kyle Kuzma is one of several impressive young Lakers that comes at a relative discount tonight. This team is playing great defense all of a sudden and managed to beat the Pistons by 20 on Tuesday, so perhaps they give the Blazers (-7) a game in Portland this evening. Fade: LaMarcus Aldridge is slowing down as opposing defenses key in on him and he faces a premier individual defender tonight in Draymond Green. He did average 21.5 PPG and 10.5 RPG over two regular season meetings with Golden State last year, but struggled mightily in three playoff games against the Dubs after Kawhi Leonard went down due to injury. Point Guard Damian Lillard – (9,300 DK/9,800 FD) After a horrendous shooting night in a win over the Pelicans, Dame Dollar has regained his stroke, culminating in a 12-for-23 performance to drop 36 points on Kyle Lowry and the Raptors. Now he faces the young PG that has everyone motivated in Lonzo Ball and a Lakers team that ranks 4th in pace and is giving up the ninth-most FPPG (48.44) to opposing PGs so far this season. With his standard 30% usage rate on the year and a consistent approach offensively, he’s an easy choice for the top guard to pay up for on this short slate. Potential Value Dejounte Murray – (5,500 DK/4,600 FD) Murray could benefit from the fast pace in a home tilt against the Warriors, as he’s an excellent rebounding guard. He’s also a decent reason to fade Steph Curry if forced to choose between Curry and Dame Lillard tonight. Longshot Steph Curry – (9,000 DK/9,500 FD) You may build lineups on this short slate and find that there’s salary left over, so why not pay up for the former two-time MVP? Shooting Guard Evan Turner – (4,400 DK/4,900 FD) Here’s where you can find some value on a 2-game slate, although Turner doesn’t ooze with upside either. Yet he’s averaging 10.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 3.3 APG despite logging just 27.3 MPG because he’s seeing increased usage as the point forward of the Blazers strong second unit. Portland’s been excellent at home and there is some risk of a blowout in this matchup, so if that’s the case, ET would serve as a way to hedge your bets after using Lillard and/or C.J. McCollum, or as a way to go contrarian along with a couple other bench players. Potential Value Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – (5,100 DK/5,000 FD) KCP remains a solid cash game play and an important veteran presence at SG for the young Lakers. Longshot Klay Thompson – (6,700 DK/6,800 FD) The Warriors offense is struggling in relative terms, which has forced Klay to force and hit more shots. Small Forward Kevin Durant – (9,700 DK/9,900 FD) No one will be happier than Durant to see the Spurs take the floor without two-time Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard. One of the few wings capable of containing KD, Kawhi is still without a timetable and apparently has “no possibility” of taking the floor for this early-season matchup. Even with Leonard in the lineup, Durant dropped 27 points with 10 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks in a meeting with the Spurs last year and while he hasn’t been lighting it up necessarily on the offensive end this year, he’s averaging a career-best 2.4 blocks per game and is efficient with best true shooting percentage (.657%) to date. Potential Value Maurice Harkless – (3,800 DK/4,800 FD) Harkless is a low-upside value to consider and might see a little more playing time if Al-Farouq Aminu (ankle) can’t go tonight. Longshot Kyle Kuzma – (4,800 DK/4,600 FD) Kuzma is starting to see steady run for the Lakers and that makes him a candidate to exceed value, even in a tough matchup against the Blazers solid wing defense. Power Forward Draymond Green – (7,200 DK/7,700 FD) Green is a superior option to LaMarcus Aldridge, at least in cash games, because opposing defenses are starting to lock in on LMA with Kawhi Leonard out and his production is dropping fast. Green will likely guard the Spurs best player right now and that always motivates the Human Volcano on both ends of the floor, as it did on Monday when he dropped 16 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists over 31 minutes against Blake Griffin and the Clippers. There are essentially two scenarios here: The Warriors win big, in which case their big four would be solid cash game plays, or get into a close contest down the stretch, which would allow Draymond and others to flash their upside. Potential Value Larry Nance Jr. – (5,200 DK/5,200 FD) Nance is part of a crowded Lakers rotation at forward but should keep starting and is therefore the safest play of the bunch. Longshot Julius Randle – (4,700 DK/4,700 FD) While Nance Jr. is the safer play, Randle has more upside on a per-dollar basis and he could wind up as the superior play if the Lakers fall behind big in Portland. Center Jusuf Nurkic – (5,900 DK/7,400 FD) A Nurk-Bomb was building and it more or less exploded on Wednesday, as Nurkic managed to post a 19-point, 11-rebound, full line to produce 44.25 DK points in a brutal matchup against Rudy Gobert and the Jazz. He logged a season-high 35 minutes in that contest and will now face a weak individual defender in Brook Lopez and a Lakers team that’s giving up the fifth-most RPG (18.43) and 12th-most BPG (2.14) to opposing centers this year. Despite his early struggles, he’s averaging 17.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per 36 minutes, so The Bosnian Beast is a great per-dollar option on DK as long as he’s slated to get close to that amount of run. Potential Value Ed Davis
Fuego Steve’s NBA Cheat Sheet – 11/1/17
NBA GPP Cheat Sheet Prices listed are Fanduel unless otherwise noted. 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. These are my favorite plays at each position and maybe a value play or two. The players listed are in no particular order, as I am giving choices to help build your lineups. Point Guard Kyrie Irving – $8400 – favorite high priced Mike James – $4500 – favorite value T.J. McConnell – $5000 Patrick Beverley – $5700 Kyle Lowry – $7500 John Wall – $9700 – don’t mind it, especially with Otto Porter out Shooting Guard Devin Booker – $7200 – favorite overall Bradley Beal – $7200 – like more now that Porter is out Will Barton – $5200 Andrew Wiggins – $6300 Tyreke Evans – $5400 Small Forward LeBron James – $10300 – favorite high priced Jimmy Butler – $7900 – price is still dropping, big ceiling Robert Covington – $6400 T.J. Warren – $5100 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – $4500 Power Forward Anthony Davis – $11800 – trying to get him in Ben Simmons – $9200 Paul Millsap – $7100 Serge Ibaka – $5300 – favorite value Dario Saric – $3800 – punt play Center Marcin Gortat – $6000 Al Horford – $7000 Clint Capela – $7500 Alex Len – $4300 – favorite value Check out today’s NBA Podcast already posted with myself and JaguarLou Will be in NBA chat from 6-7 to help with lineup questions or DM us on twitter
NBA Podcast – 11/1/17