Daily Fantasy Basketball: Studs/Duds/Sleepers for 3/8/2016
By: Ray Levay (@Ray_Levay13 on the FL App)
Recap of Yesterday’s Lineups:
· DraftKings: 335.75pts/319.75pts
· FanDuel: 320.8pts
Tonight’s Studs:
*All prices reflect DK prices
- D’Angelo Russell ($6,900)
· He’s in a fantastic matchup tonight with the Orlando Magic, who rank 28th against opposing PGs. Not only that, the Magic are playing on a back-to-back after losing to the Warriors late last night. Expect fatigue to play a factor. And if that’s not enough for you, Russell has been brilliant lately in all parts of his game and I expect him to stay hot tonight.
2. Kawhi Leonard ($8,200)
· For the past few weeks it’s been clear that Leonard is the focal point of the Spurs offense. Prior to last night, he had put up 40+ fantasy points in 9 straight games. I don’t expect the Spurs to lose two straight road games & I think Kawhi will be the main reason why. The only worry is a blowout, but I think he’ll easily get 30+ minutes. I’m expecting a big night from #2 and he will be well worth his somewhat high price tag.
3. Victor Oladipo & Aaron Gordon ($7,100 & $6,700)
· I’m a big fan of this dynamic duo tonight. They’re facing the Lakers who are 13th against opposing SGs and 19th against opposing PFs. I know that those statistics aren’t impressive, but Oladipo & Gordon are both very good at stuffing the stat sheets. Also, there’s potential that starting center Nikola Vucevic misses his 2nd game in as many days with a groin injury. That would make the scoring/rebounding load even heavier for Oladipo & Gordon. I expect them to put up very solid numbers tonight.
Tonight’s Duds:
- Ricky Rubio ($6,200)
· The semi-low price tag is tempting but I’m staying far away from Rubio tonight. He’s in a tough matchup against the Spurs who rank 7th against opposing PGs. In addition, I think the Spurs will come out hungry for a win after a tough loss to Indiana last night and this game could very well turn into a blowout and limit both his minutes and his upside.
2. Kobe Bryant ($5,100)
· This one kills me to put on here. Not only is Kobe in a really tough matchup against Orlando, but he’s still banged up and getting limited minutes. He’s been dealing with a sore shoulder for the past couple weeks and hasn’t been putting up much stats at all. There’s a decent chance that Bryant just sits out tonight. But, even if he does end up playing, I’m staying away because there’s better Laker options (Russell, Randle & Clarkson).
3. Al Horford ($7,000)
· I’m usually a fan of Horford on most nights, but not tonight. He’s in a ridiculously tough matchup against the Jazz. I’m expecting Derrick Favors & Rudy Gobert to drive him crazy all night down in the post, severely limiting his upside. Plus, it’s been more of the Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague show lately. So, I’m staying away from the former Florida Gator.
Tonight’s Sleepers:
- Garrett Temple ($3,200)
· With Bradley Beal out tonight, Garrett Temple will be expected to play bigger minutes at SG. At a ridiculously low price of $3,200, all Temple needs is 16 fantasy points to return 5 times his price tag (5x is usually ideal value). He put up 21 fantasy points in his last game, and that was with Beal stealing minutes from him. If that’s not enough, the Trailblazers rank 22nd against opposing SGs, making Temple not only a great play tonight, but also a player that may be largely owned.
2. Patty Mills ($4,000)
· The Spurs are playing in their second of two back-to-back road games, so I expect that Tony Parker may be a bit fatigued from last night. I expect Mills to get 20+ minutes and may even have close to 30 by the end of the night. In addition, the T-Wolves rank 22nd against opposing PGs. Plus, this game may turn into a blowout, allowing Mills to receive even more playing time and we’ve seen what he can do with close to 30 minutes on the court.
3. Al-Farouq Aminu ($4,100)
· Aminu is coming off a solid game in which he scored 21.3 fantasy points. He’s been getting solid minutes all season and has produced decently in his time on the court. He has a great matchup against the Wizards who rank 25th against opposing SFs. Yes, Lillard and McCollum are still the main guys in Rip City. With that said, I think the Wake Forest product will return value of 5 times his price tag because not only can he score well at times, but he also contributes to rebounding, assists and even steals and blocks from time to time.
4. Bonus Sleeper: Jason Smith ($3,000)
· This one is all about the availability of Nikola Vucevic. If Vucevic sits, you almost have to start Smith because he should easily return the value of his price tag with a decent amount of court time. If Vucevic plays, I’d recommend not inserting him into your lineups because he could potentially score under 10 fantasy points and under 20 minutes of court time. So, keep an eye on Nikola’s availability tonight.
Other Options That I Like:
1. Marcin Gortat ($6,800)
· He’s in a good matchup with the Trailblazers who rank 21st against opposing Cs. He’ll put up great rebounding numbers, but his night will be determined by what he does otherwise. I think he’ll be a 15–10–3 kind of guy tonight with a few blocks, so that definitely warrants a start if you can afford him.
2. Kyle Lowry & DeMar DeRozan ($8,800 & $7,700)
· They’re in a fantastic matchup tonight against the lowly Nets. I think they’ll have great games and the only thing keeping them out of the stud list is the possibility of a blowout. They’ll perform well while they’re on the court, but how long will they be out on there?
3. Carmelo Anthony ($8,400)
· He’s in a decent matchup with the Nuggets tonight who rank 20th against opposing SFs. He’s been RED hot lately and I expect that to continue tonight. I’m a big fan of him tonight and in my opinion he’s a close second behind Kawhi out of all the options at SF tonight.
Tonight’s Lineups:
1. DraftKings: PG: D’Angelo Russell, SG: Victor Oladipo, SF: Kawhi Leonard, PF: Aaron Gordon, C: Jonas Valanciunas, G: Patty Mills, F: Carmelo Anthony, G: Garrett Temple
2. FanDuel: PGs: D’Angelo Russell & Patty Mills, SGs: Victor Oladipo & Garrett Temple, SFs: Carmelo Anthony & Kawhi Leonard, PFs: Aaron Gordon & Thad Young, C: Karl-Anthony Towns
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