FanDuel Partners Basketball Championship Review

Ten of the top fantasy sports content sites are going to be competing in the FanDuel Partners Basketball Championship. For full details about the event, click here. Basically, RotoGrinders will be competing against some of the other big sites across the industry to decide which site is the top fantasy basketball projector in the industry. This should be a fun event and I’m excited to kick it off for Team RG!

We had a nice ten-game slate on tap tonight and in a limited field, I didn’t want to think too far outside the box. I decided to roll with my cash game lineup in hopes to get Team RG off to a good start. This slate was interesting, as I basically wanted to roster ten point guards and all five Pistons’ starters. The real debate was which superstar to pay up for. LeBron James was in a great bounce-back spot, Stephen Curry is always dangerous, and both superstars from the Thunder were on my radar.

Point Guard

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Russell Westbrook – I was close to paying up for LeBron James, but liked the value options at small forward enough that I decided to go with Westbrook as my cash game anchor. When it comes to a high floor, no one is basketball can top what he brings to the table. He basically has a 50 point floor with the potential for a lot more. I also liked that the spread against the Mavericks was at only 4.5 points.

Derrick Rose – Rose, Mike Conley, and Reggie Jackson were all comparable plays for me tonight. I decided to go with Rose, as his usage rate has been through the roof ever since Jimmy Butler went down with his injury. I also liked that he was playing at home in an uptempo game against the Wizards. Update: After not being listed on the injury report all day, Rose was scratched right after lineup lock. Sorry, Team RG. This one’s on you Bulls!

Shooting Guard

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Zach LaVine – Even though LaVine is set to come off the bench, he should still see 30+ minutes of action tonight against the Raptors. His price is still down on FanDuel and he has been surprisingly consistent over the last few weeks, scoring at least 20 fantasy points in each of his last ten games.

E’Twaun Moore – Using two Bulls in cash games makes me feel a little uneasy, especially when one of them is not named Pau Gasol. However, Moore has really stepped up for the Bulls with Jimmy Butler out. He has been playing minutes in the mid-30s and the Wizards have struggled to defend wing players all season.

Small Forward

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Tobias Harris – The Pistons are short-handed right now. The Thornton/Motiejunas trade fell through, while Stanley Johnson and Anthony Tolliver have both been ruled out with injuries. Harris should be set for 35+ minutes against the Sixers, who are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA this season.

Marcus Morris – I expect Harris to be the chalk play at small forward tonight, but I’m guessing that Morris will have a much lower ownership, even though he is in just as good of a spot. Morris should see close to 40 minutes tonight in a great matchup against the Sixers. As mentioned earlier, I wanted a lot of exposure to the Pistons tonight.

Power Forward

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Zach Randolph – Without Marc Gasol, Randolph has seen a sizable boost in minutes, fantasy production, and usage rate. He has hit the trifecta. Randolph would have been a strong play tonight even in a bad matchup and once I saw that he was facing the Lakers, this pick was a no-brainer.

Gorgui Dieng – Dieng has been so consistent with Kevin Garnett and Nikola Pekovic out. He has played at least 35 minutes and has scored at least 33 fantasy points in seven of his last ten games. Even though his matchup against the Raptors is less than ideal, he should see extended playing time even if the game gets out of hand.

Center

Andre Drummond – I expect Drummond to be 1000% owned tonight. The Sixers are ranked dead last against centers, they don’t rebound the ball well, and they lead the league in blocked shots allowed. I thought about fading him to make my lineup different, but I didn’t want to be the one guy to fade him on a night that he scores 50 fantasy points.

About the Author

Notorious
Derek Farnsworth (Notorious)

Derek Farnsworth (aka Notorious) is a lead RotoGrinders Expert and one of the most recognizable names and faces in all of DFS. Before joining the RotoGrinders team, Derek received a Master’s Degree from the University of Utah. When he’s not busy providing content, he’s dominating the DFS industry as evidenced by his consistent top rankings in several sports and multiple Live Final appearances. Noto provides expert NBA, NFL, MLB, and PGA analysis for RotoGrinders Premium members on a daily basis and has also been nominated for five different Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association (FSWA) awards. Follow Noto on Twitter – @RG_Notorious