NBA Daily Punts: November 25, 2013
When I construct my NBA lineups, I usually start by taking a look at players with low salaries that will allow me to pay for a few top tier players. Most DFS lineups will consist of 2-3 value plays each night, depending on the site, and this article will act as a guide on which players to keep an eye on as the day moves along. As we all know with NBA, injury news will continue to pour in as we inch closer to tip-off, so be sure to check out the RotoGrinders Twitter Feed as roster lock approaches.
In order to be considered a “punt,” a player must meet Bargain Bin Baller status on either Fanduel (5500), Draftstreet (9000) or Draftkings (4500). I will typically make a note of which site a particular player is best suited for.
Guards
Jordan Crawford – Even considering how bad the Celtics have been this season, Crawford continues to be one of my favorite targets when looking for cheap guards. He’s an exciting player who can contribute in different ways, and can put up some really big games when he puts it all together. He hasn’t had fewer than 4 assists in any of his last 12 games, and he’s usually a solid bet for somewhere between 12 and 15 points. Add in a steal or two and a few rebounds, and you have a nice stat line for a guy who costs right around 5000 on both Fanduel and DraftKings and is always capable of posting 30+ FP.
Kirk Hinrich – So much for all the Derrick Rose hype this pre-season, huh? Rose won’t see the court anytime soon, so Hinrich will occupy the starting PG position for the Bulls. He’s not a guy who can go out and win you a GPP, but if he’s playing somewhere around 35 minutes he should have no trouble returning value on his 4400 Fanduel salary. The Bulls got run out of the gym by Lob City yesterday, but they should be much more competitive against the Jazz who are also on the back end of a B2B and are just flat out terrible as it is. This game won’t be one of the higher-scoring affairs of the night so it’s one most people will ignore, but if you want to punt the PG position you should get your moneys worth out of Hinrich.
Also receiving consideration: Manu Ginobili, Patrick Beverley, Gerald Green (if Bledsoe sits), Mario Chalmers, Avery Bradley
Forwards
Jared Sullinger – He’s priced just slightly above the BBB cutoff on FD and DK, but I like him enough tonight against the Charlotte front-court to discuss him anyway. Brad Stevens is finally starting to unleash Sullinger, playing him at least 30 minutes in four of the last six games. He’s locked into a bigger role now with Kelly Olynyk on the shelf for the next few games, and with how thin the Boston front-court is, Sullinger really deserves to see big minutes. He’s an offense-first type of post player, and should see a nice number of looks against a less-than-average Charlotte interior defense.
Josh McRoberts – Charlotte’s post defense might not be so hot, but the Celtics’s is even worse. While Sullinger is a nice offensive presence, he’s not very effective on the defensive end, and I expect McRoberts to take advantage of it. He’s had fewer than 23 fantasy points (FD scoring) just once in his last nine games, so he’s a safe option if you need to go cheap at PF. For a big man, he’s an above average shooter and passer (averaging 5 APG over the last five games) and is a good bet for at least 7 or 8 rebounds against Celtics team which is usually playing small. I’m looking for a 14-8-5 type of game from McRoberts with a block and a steal.
Marvin Williams – The Jazz are so awful that I almost feel like I have to avoid the whole squad right now, but then again it’s usually easier to find value on bad teams. Williams moved into the starting lineup last night, but unfortunately the Jazz got blown out (big surprise) yet again and the starters didn’t see many second-half minutes. Enes Kanter, who Williams replaced in the starting five, left Sunday’s game with a sprained ankle, so if he’s out altogether it would open up even more time for Williams. I don’t like the match-up with Chicago as both these teams play slow and Chicago defends well, but I like his chances to exceed value across the board if he plays 30+ minutes. He’s under 9K on Draftstreet and is super cheap on Fanduel and DraftKings.
Also receiving consideration: Mike Dunleavy, Tony Allen (SF eligible on DK), P.J. Tucker, Brandon Bass
Centers
Kosta Koufos – Koufos is most likely going to slide in as the starting center with Marc Gasol out. After Gasol left Friday’s game in the first half, Koufos started the second half at center and saw a nice chunk of time with Zach Randolph also on the floor. Koufos is an above-average rebounder and has a knack for blocked shots (almost 1 per game in under 18 minutes). He’s a legitimate double-double threat if he sees north of 28-30 minutes, and he won’t cost much to roster until he has a few solid games as the starter. He should pay off his FD (4100) and DK (3700) salaries pretty easily, as long as Ed Davis doesn’t steal his playing time.
Robin Lopez – He’s been playing very well for the Blazers and now gets a match-up with Andrea Bargnani, who rebounds like a small forward instead of a seven footer. Bargnani will likely take Lopez away from the basket a bit more than he’s used to, and I’m also a little worried that the Blazers will roll out a smaller lineup for a good portion of the game. As has been the theme so far, it’s all about the minutes, and if Lopez sees his average of about 31, he’ll flirt with a double-double.