Daily Fantasy Basketball is back, which means each day XN Sports will have a column detailing advised plays and lineups for the remainder of the NBA season. For those familiar with DraftKings, their daily fantasy basketball is formatted differently this season. There is no multi-position eligibility, which makes it a bit harder to set your lineup.
For those unfamiliar with DraftKings, you are given $50,000 in cap space to select a point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, center, a guard, a forward, and a utility player. There are no points deducted for missed shots, which changes the strategy from other sites. To read the full scoring, click here. Keep in mind that a double-double awards a bonus, which can be the difference between cashing in and winning nothing.
Generally, the goal for value is at five times a player’s salary. That brings a lineup to 250 fantasy points, which will cash on most days.
Give DraftKings a shot, as there will be a few freeroll opportunities each night in Daily Fantasy Basketball. Click here to play.
Without further ado, the value plays and lineups for November 26th:
Value Plays
Guard
J.R. Smith, Shooting Guard, New York Knicks $5,900
Smith is an expensive play for a value tonight, but with Carmelo Anthony out, he becomes on. Carmelo takes 18.4 shots per game, and those have to be made up somehow, right? Enter Smith, who shoots at a rate of 0.352 per minute. With Anthony out, Smith is expected to play well over 30 minutes, which would give him at least 10 shots attempted. Keep in mind, that rate is with Anthony active. With Anthony not on the floor, Smith has a usage rate of 23.2, and the most possessions on the Knicks according to NBAwowy.com. He will need 30 fantasy points to reach value, and could reach that as the primary option on offense for the Knicks tonight.
Other values at guard: Courtney Lee, MEM $4,300
Forward
Omri Casspi, Small Forward, Sacramento Kings $3,000
Casspi at the minimum tonight is nearly stealing. He needs just 15 fantasy points to reach value and averages just one point under that. With Rudy Gay likely out, Casspi will start again for the Kings. In the Kings’ last game, Casspi drew the start and scored 22 points, notched four rebounds, an assist and registered a steal for 31 fantasy points, good for 10 times his salary. The Kings face the Rockets tonight, who have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season on DraftKings. Start Casspi with faith in cash games, and in some GPP as his price will reward you with more cap space. Keep in mind that he will be played by a high volume of players.
Other values at forward: Kosta Papanikolaou, HOU $3,800 and Danilo Gallinari, DEN $4,000
Center
Alex Len, Phoenix Suns $3,100
Len remains as one of the few cheap plays at center that has value, and is the go-to if you choose to punt center and go with a cheaper play. Len needs to score 15.5 fantasy point to reach value, which he has done in three of his last six games. Len has reached four times salary in each of his last six games, so he has a relatively high floor for a cheap play. Len faces the Nuggets tonight who rank 23rd in defensive rebound percentage and allow the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season.
Other values at center: Ian Mahinmi, IND $3,800 (If David West is out)
Lineup (GPP)
PG – Stephen Curry $9,400
SG – Nick Young $3,800
SF – Danilo Gallinari $4,000
PF – Amar’e Stoudemire $5,000
C – Alex Len $3,100
G – Bradley Beal $6,000
F – Blake Griffin $9,200
UTIL – Chris Paul $9,500
Lineup (Cash Games)
PG – Stephen Curry $9,400
SG – J.R. Smith $5,900
SF – Omri Casspi $3,000
PF – Zach Randolph $7,900
C – Anderson Varejao $5,300
G – Jamal Crawford $5,400
F – Kostas Papanikolaou $3,800
UTIL – Damian Lillard $9,300
Lineup (Studs and Duds)
PG – Stephen Curry $9,400
SG – Courtney Lee $4,300
SF – Omri Casspi $3,000
PF – Brandan Wright $4,700
C – Anderson Varejao $5,300
G – John Wall $9,900
F – Serge Ibaka $7,000
UTIL – Victor Oladipo $6,400
Cash Games are H2H and 50/50s
GPP are tournaments
Injury updates as of noon EST:
Carmelo Anthony OUT
Dwight Howard OUT
Patrick Beverley OUT
*Keep an eye on the inactives, as things in the NBA change at the last second. Good luck tonight.
