FanDuel NBA Daily Picks: Fantasy Basketball Lineup For March 17
Minutes have unexpectedly become abundant for Phoenix rookie Tyler Ulis, significantly increasing his value in FanDuel NBA lineups for the remainder of the season.
Phoenix has cleared out its backcourt, paving the way for Tyler Ulis to emerge as a viable point guard option in FanDuel NBA lineups.
The 5-foot-9 guard is in line to receive extended playing time following the team’s decision to shut down guard Eric Bledsoe for the remainder of the year, while the status of Brandon Knight remains unclear.
Knight has been held out in each of the past 11 games for the Suns and rumors have circulated about him refusing to play during Wednesday’s 107-101 loss to Sacramento.
The Suns turned to Ulis and he delivered his first double-double, totaling 13 points and 13 assists while turning the ball over once in just less than 39 minutes in his first career start.
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Ulis became the first player in franchise history to record at least 12 points and 12 assists in their rookie season since Steve Nash in 1996.
March 15, 2017: First career NBA start for @tulis3, first career NBA double-double. #WeArePHX https://t.co/zgMoyaeWMV
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 16, 2017
Phoenix trotted out its youngest starting lineup in franchise history Wednesday night, as Ulis joined Devin Booker, T.J. Warren, Marquese Chriss and Alex Len, with the group’s average age totaling 21 years and 258 days.
The youth movement signifies a trend for the remainder of the year, with Ulis, a second-round selection in the 2016 NBA Draft, likely being entrenched as the starting point guard for the remainder of the year.
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The Suns played the reserve backcourt duo of Ronnie Price and Leandro Barbosa for a total of 20 minutes, while Ulis logged a career-high in minutes played.
The elevation of Ulis into the starting lineup has increased his valuation in FanDuel NBA lineups by $1,000 since Wednesday. His FanDuel NBA cap hit of $5,400 is still a modest salary for a starting point guard.
If Ulis manages to replicate his production against Sacramento, as he totaled 38.7 FanDuel NBA fantasy points, he will provide seven times the return of his cap hit, an exceptional margin.
In the two games of his career that he spent more than 30 minutes on the floor, Ulis has produced more than 30 fantasy points.
With the Suns turning the starting point guard position over to Ulis, he may solidify himself as one of the biggest surprises in FanDuel NBA tournament play for the remainder of the regular season.