FanDuel NBA: Continue With The Hot Hand

On the opening night of the regular season, Kawhi Leonard and Damian Lillard showcased their improvements in the offseason and became must start commodities in FanDuel NBA lineups. 

Until Damian Lillard and Kawhi Leonard prove otherwise, they are must-start players in FanDuel NBA daily fantasy basketball lineups.

Lillard wanted to be crowned as the league MVP this season and dominated the Jazz in his debut, tallying 39 points on 65 percent shooting from the field with nine rebounds and six assists during a 113-104 victory for Portland.

No player has totaled 39 points, nine rebounds and six assists in a season debut since Michael Jordan in 1989.

From anywhere on the floor, Lillard was dangerous, as he connected four times from 3-point range and connected on each of his nine free throw attempts.

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In the fourth quarter, Lillard was at his best, totaling 16 points in the final period with a league-high seven coming during crunch time.

During the same time Lillard was establishing himself as an MVP candidate, San Antonio forward Kawhi Leonard solidified himself as the favorite to once again claim Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Against the highly vaunted new look Golden State Warriors, Leonard was the catalyst for a defense that stole the ball away 13 times, tying with Boston for the second most to begin the 2016-17 season.

Five came from Leonard and he managed to turn routinely turn an excellent defensive play into an easy scoring opportunity.

Anytime the Warriors managed to keep up with Leonard defensively, he was forcing his way to the free throw line.

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By the time the final buzzer sounded, San Antonio left Oracle Arena with a 29 point victory as Leonard totaled 35 points, five rebounds, five steals and three assists.

Leonard attempted and converted 15 free throws, six more than any other player to start the regular season.

Eight teams will take the court Thursday night, but Leonard and Lillard are playing to well to pass over in FanDuel NBA lineups.

Top Four Point Guards

1. Damian Lillard ($9,100) vs. Los Angeles Clippers
2. Isaiah Thomas ($8,000) vs. Chicago Bulls
3. Dennis Schroder ($6,500) vs. Washington Wizards
4. Ty Lawson ($5,100) vs. San Antonio Spurs

Rationale:

• The 3-point shot didn’t fall for Isaiah Thomas on opening night against Brooklyn, but he still found a way to tally 25 points. The long range attempts didn’t drop, as he finished the night 2-of-7 from 3-point range, but Thomas still finished the night shooting 50 percent from the field and made all nine free throw attempts. Add the nine assists, six rebounds and two steals, Thomas is producing at a much higher value than he is listed for Thursday night.
• The first impression Ty Lawson gave the Kings wasn’t a pretty one, as he was late for a shoot-around then missed a team flight the following day. Sacramento still awarded Lawson its final roster spot. Lawson is expected to receive a heavy workload through the first eight games of the season. Lawson is the only true point guard on the roster and he totaled nine points, seven assists, six rebounds, two steals and a block in his Sacramento debut. Darren Collison is serving an eight game suspension to begin the season, propping up Lawson’s value in FanDuel NBA lineups.

Top Four Shooting Guards

1. C.J. McCollum ($6,900) vs. Los Angeles Clippers
2. Bradley Beal ($6,200) vs. Atlanta Hawks
3. Avery Bradley ($5,600) vs. Chicago Bulls
4. J.J. Redick ($4,600) vs. Portland Trail Blazers

Rationale:

• If the preseason finale is any indication of Bradley Beal’s output this season, he will be making a push for the Eastern Conference All-Star team. Beal poured in 19 points, nine assists and didn’t turn the ball over once against the Raptors. Washington signed Beal to a five-year, $128 million extension this summer and plan to feature him further in the offense.
• J.J. Redick, the league-leader in 3-point field goal percentage last season, is looking to increase his effectiveness from both the field and long range for his fourth consecutive season with the Clippers. Redick is a value play in FanDuel NBA leagues for his scoring prowess, but won’t provide any contributions elsewhere.

Top Four Small Forwards

1. Kawhi Leonard ($8,200) vs. Sacramento Kings
2. Jimmy Butler ($8,200) vs. Boston Celtics
3. Jae Crowder ($5,500) vs. Chicago Bulls
4. Kent Bazemore ($5,100) vs. Washington Wizards

Rationale:

• Doubting Jimmy Butler hasn’t worked out previously. The Bulls selected him with the final first round selection of the 2011 NBA Draft and he has since been selected to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team for each of the past three years and a pair of All-Star games. Plenty of doubt surrounds Chicago with an unconventional lineup, but Butler will have steady opportunities to produce points, rebounds, assists and steals, critical in FanDuel NBA lineups.
• Kent Bazemore is a boom or bust prospect Thursday night. The relatively low cost makes him an interesting play, as he both thrived and struggled against the Wizards a year ago. In his first meeting with Washington, Bazemore poured in 25 points, but totaled just 12 points in the three other meetings, so anticipate an extreme performance either way.

Top Four Power Forwards

1. Blake Griffin ($8,600) vs. Portland Trail Blazers
2. Paul Millsap ($8,000) vs. Washington Wizards
3. Markieff Morris ($5,600) vs. Atlanta Hawks
4. Nikola Mirotic ($5,000) vs. Boston Celtics

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Rationale:

• Blake Griffin is continuing to master other aspects of his game, completely shedding his label as just a dunker. The 6-foot-10 forward has dished out an average of 5.1 assists per game over the past two seasons and enters the 2016-17 season completely healthy. Griffin has been working on a 3-point shot, but converted just 33.3 percent of his attempts in preseason.
• The move to Washington completely reinvigorated Markieff Morris. In 27 appearances with the Wizards, he totaled 12.4 points on 46.7 percent shooting from the field and added 5.9 rebounds a night. Morris has evolved into a true stretch-four, and if his 3-point shot is falling, he could be a steal at more than $1,000 below an average player.

Top Four Centers

1. DeMarcus Cousins ($9,800) vs. San Antonio Spurs
2. DeAndre Jordan ($8,000) vs. Portland Trail Blazers
3. Robin Lopez ($5,700) vs. Boston Celtics
4. Mason Plumlee ($5,100) vs. Los Angeles Clippers

Rationale:

• For the past three years, the rebounding crown has been a two-man race between DeAndre Jordan and Andre Drummond. A year ago, Drummond managed to supplant Jordan as the top rebounder in the league as he seized control on opening night and never relented. Drummond was limited to just six rebounds in Toronto Wednesday night, opening the chance for Jordan to reclaim his title.
• Across the board, Robin Lopez provides solid numbers at the center position. During his lone season in New York, he averaged 10.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He shot over 50 percent from the field and just under 80 percent at the foul line. While the numbers aren’t staggering, they are plenty from a player taking up little cap space.

Final Lineup

PG Damian Lillard $9,100
PG Dennis Schroder $6,500
SG J.J. Redick $4,600
SG Bradley Beal $6,200
SF Jae Crowder $5,500
SF Kahwi Leonard $8,200
PF Markieff Morris  $5,600
C Robin Lopez $5,700
Total Cost $60,000