Welcome to the Saturday edition of FanDuel NBA lineup advice. After a busy and wild week in the NBA, we have a nice four-game main slate to dig into today. We only have three studs with five-figure price tags tonight and two of them are unsure to play as of this writing. With smaller slates like today’s, you have to dig a little deeper to find an advantage and set yourself apart from the field, Let’s dive in.
Check out today’s NBA Shot from FanDuel
Point Guard
Kyrie Irving (BKN): $8,700 at DET
Irving’s price tag has been steadily climbing but it still probably isn’t as high as it should be considering his slate breaking ceiling. He’s topped 60 FD points 4-of-16 games played this year and that kind of performance is well within reach tonight. We know Kyrie can score but his team-high assist and usage rates make him even more appealing in a game that’s expected to total over 230 points in Detroit tonight.
Others to consider:
Kris Dunn (CHI): $5,500 at CLE
Dunn hasn’t been putting up huge box score numbers lately, but he’s done just enough of everything to top 30 FD points in three consecutive games. Tonight he takes on the Cavaliers, who give up the most FD points on average to point guards, giving him good odds to top 30 FD points again at just $5,500.
Derrick Rose (DET): $6,800 vs. BKN
Rose has been on a tear lately, averaging 37.9 FD points over his last ten games. He’s been the most consistent player for the Pistons and should continue to rack up fantasy points against the Nets, who give up the fourth-most FD points to point guards on average.
Shooting Guard
Dennis Schroder (OKC): $6,200 at MIN
Despite coming off the bench, Schroder is playing 31 minutes per game and has a team-high 27% usage rate. It’s translated into an average of 38.6 FD points over his last three outings. Tonight he faces off against the Timberwolves, who have been a bottom-ten team against shooting guards all season and the second-worst in FD points given up to the position over the last seven games.
Others to consider:
Furkan Korkmaz (PHI): $4,400 vs. LAL
Korkmaz has been more involved in the 76ers offense lately, scoring double-digit points in five consecutive games. Philadelphia is going to be forced to continue utilizing him in some offensive capacity as they just lost Josh Richardson for several weeks with a hamstring injury. Even with the moderate price bump to $4,400, Korkmaz presents great value tonight.
Zhaire Smith (PHI): $3,500 vs. LAL
If you really want to take a tournament shot Zhaire Smith could be your guy. Last year’s first-round pick suffered a horrific rookie year, battling a broken foot and subsequent infection. He’s been called up from the G League in the wake of the Josh Richardson injury and is talented enough to produce if he gets time on the court.
Small Forward
Danilo Gallinari (OKC): $6,200 at MIN
Oklahoma City has been dealing with a banged-up frontcourt over the last week, presenting more opportunities for Gallinari. Over his last five games, Gallinari’s rebounding percentage has jumped up to 13.1%, 2.5% higher than his season average. He’s averaged 34.5 FD points over that five-game stretch and should continue to put up solid fantasy production tonight in Minnesota.
Others to consider:
LeBron James (LAL): $10,900 at PHI
On a slate this small LeBron is going to be one of the highest owned players, and with good reason. He has by far the best low-floor and high-ceiling combination of any other player available. He’s a near must-play in cash games and you’ll also want some exposure to him if you’re making multiple tournament lineups.
Chandler Hutchison (CHI): $3,900 at CLE
Hutchinson has clearly become a part of the Bulls rotation, averaging 20 minutes per game over his last five contests. His fantasy production has been up and down but he has topped 20 FD points in three of his last five games. At just $3,900 he’s a solid salary saving option tonight.
Power Forward
Larry Nance Jr. (CLE): $4,600 vs. CHI
The Bulls have been the best matchup for power forwards all season and Nance has been heating up over the past week. He’s seen his time on the court increase in five straight games since returning from injury and put up 40.9 FD points his last time out Wednesday night against the Wizards. The ideal matchup in Chicago tonight could yield similar results.
Others to consider:
Anthony Davis (LAL): $10,600 at PHI
Unsurprisingly Davis is listed as questionable as of this writing. His minutes have been limited lately, which makes him tough to play in cash games with the high price tag, but with his tremendous ceiling, you’ll want to have a few shares of him if you’re making multiple tournament lineups.
Thaddeus Young (CHI): $4,500 at CLE
The Bulls announced Lauri Markkanen is going to be sidelined for at least a month, thrusting Young into the starting lineup. His 27.6 FD points weren’t amazing Friday, but they were more than enough to pay off his bargain price tag. He should see similar, if not better, production tonight against the Cavs.
Center
Tristan Thompson (CLE): $5,800 vs. CHI
The center position is littered with injury notes and question marks on tonight’s slate, so Thompson may be the safest bet as of this writing despite coming off of the poor performance Thursday night. The Bulls give up the third most FD points and the most blocked shots to centers on the season. Thompson could easily rack up enough points, rebounds, and blocks to be the most efficient player at the position tonight.
Others to consider:
Andre Drummond (DET): $10,300 vs. BKN
Drummond has missed the last two games with a mouth injury but we should get word on his final status before the slate locks tonight. If he is able to get on the court, the league’s top rebounder should put up a big fantasy performance against the Nets.
Here’s an example of a lineup you can start with for tonight’s slate. It’s predicated on the assumption that Andre Drummond actually plays and it still has $1,000 of cap space to make adjustments as needed.
PG: Kyrie Irving – $8,700
PG: Kris Dunn – $5,500
SG: Dennis Schroder – $6,200
SG: Furkan Korkmaz – $4,400
SF: LeBron James – $10,900
SF: Chandler Hutchison – $3,900
PF: Larry Nance Jr. – $4,600
PF: Thaddeus Young – $4,500
C: Andre Drummond – $10,300
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Aaron Larson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Aaron, check out his archive and follow him @aalarson.