FPBC Lineup Review - March 16th
FanDuel is running a contest between nine of the top fantasy content sites to see who is able to put together the best lineups over the course of five weeks. For more details, visit the FanDuel Partners Basketball Championship homepage.
Would you look at that? All it took was a score of 371.5 points and RotoGrinders is back in this thing. The road was rocky at the start, but we’ve climbed back into third place with four nights remaining in the contest. Unfortunately, our two low scores are basically locked in already, so we can’t afford another slip from here on out. Featured is a breakdown of my favorite play at each position.
Point Guard
Kyrie Irving: $7,300 – Irving wasn’t even on my radar until about 5:30 ET. As soon as LeBron James was ruled out, he became close to a must play in my eyes. His usage goes through the roof without James on the floor and he and Kevin Love (featured below) are going to have to shoulder the load offensively. His matchup against the Mavericks is neutral at best, but the opportunity was too good to pass up.
Shooting Guard
J.R. Smith: $4,400 – Smith wasn’t a must play for me, but with LeBron James out, I like the value that he offered at the position. He should see a boost in both usage and minutes and he shouldn’t have a problem reaching value at his discounted price point. As long as this game stays close, the Cavaliers’ stack should pay off.
Small Forward
Kevin Durant: $10,300 – Choosing between the superstars in this slate was tough. Originally, I had Russell Westbrook and DeMarcus Cousins as my two favorites, but as the day went along, great plays opened up at both of their positions. Small forward is the one spot that was really lacking tonight, which is why Durant stuck out like a sore thumb. Tonight’s game against the Celtics is expected to be uptempo and high-scoring, both of which are good for Durant.
Power Forward
Kevin Love: $6,800 – Like Kyrie Irving, once LeBron James was ruled out, Love became close to a must play. His usage is going to go through the roof, he will likely see a minutes boost, and he may rebound at a slightly higher rate as well. I expect him to be highly owned, but feel like anyone that doesn’t take him will find themselves behind the 8-ball. Love should get back to his double-double ways against the Mavericks.
Center
Andre Drummond: $7,900 – I really wanted to pay up for DeMarcus Cousins here, but again, there were some good alternatives at center. Drummond has had a great track record against the Hawks and it’s a matchup that suits his game. Atlanta has the third worst rebounding differential of any team in the NBA this season.