FanDuel NBA Daily Picks: Fantasy Basketball Lineup For February 9

Houston Rockets center Clint Capela has been back in the lineup for more than four weeks, but he hasn’t proven to be a reliable FanDuel NBA option until the start of February.

Following his return to the court from a fractured leg, the Rockets tried to ease Clint Capela back into the lineup.

In his first nine appearances back, Houston limited his playing time to less than 23 minutes a night, ensuring he was capable not only of sustaining time on the court, but able to play at the frantic pace responsible for the team’s 38-17 record.

Not only do the Rockets score 114.3 points per game, the second-most in the league, the team plays at the fourth-fastest pace.

Capela has responded, posting averages of 12.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game, but he has been even more productive in the last four games, since Houston has increased his workload.

Also See: NBA Draft: Best Player Ever Selected in all 60 Spots

The minutes have increased to 27.5 a night over the past four games, resulting in 16.3 points and 9.5 rebounds a night. More importantly, his conditioning is fully back, enabling him to sprint past defenders for open looks at the rim.

When teammates aren’t lobbing the ball to him, Capela has proven to be one of the most effective offensive rebounders in the NBA. Capela is pulling down 2.4 offensive rebounds a night, equaling the total of Anthony Davis despite playing nearly 13 fewer minutes a game.

More from Hoops Habit

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers

The next dunk from Capela will be his 100th of the season, accounting for 45.8 percent of his made field goal attempts this season. By continually setting up close to the rim, Capela has climbed to fourth in the league in field goal percentage, shooting 64.1 percent from the field.

The impact from Capela is being felt on both ends of the floor. The speed and agility of the 22-year-old allows him to contest 10.3 shots per game, a figure higher than All-Star center Marc Gasol and tying him with Kevin Durant and Mason Plumlee for the 26th most in the league.

Capela has missed a double-double, a feat he has achieved eight times this season, in each of his last three games by one rebound, but has been an underrated asset in FanDuel NBA tournament play.

During his last three outings, Capela has generated an average of 31.5 fantasy points a game, providing a six times return on the $5,200 roster valuation he carries for Thursday night.

With Capela fully recovered from his leg injury, he is a wise value play for FanDuel NBA lineups.