NBA DFS Playbook Position Coach: December 9, 2015

For the most part, my NBA position coaches have focused on which positions have cheap options and which positions you should pay up for. That is not going to stop, but this week I have something else for your consideration: which positions have the most options. When I set my DFS NBA lineups Wednesday, I’m filling the shooting guard position first and the point guard and center positions last. The reason is simple. There are only three or four shooting guards I like—depending on your DFS site of choice—so I’m going to pick those first, confident that I can fill the remaining positions no matter how much money I have left.

To that end, there are point guards and centers I like at every price point, so I am comfortable waiting to the end to fill those positions. This is especially true at point guard, where I struggled to limit myself to just seven names. I could have easily included Deron Williams and a couple others. Why commit to a point guard early on and potentially struggle to fill out the rest of your lineup when you know you can probably find somebody at any price point you will be happy with?

Point Guard

I feel like if you don’t get a ton of points from your point guards Wednesday, you will face an uphill battle. There are so many guys I like, I’m not sure you can get away with playing two cheap point guards. That being said, I do like Mario Chalmers and Raymond Felton. Both have played well lately, and both could have to pick up the scoring slack Wednesday in the face of injuries. I’m find playing one of those guys, especially if it means I can spend the savings on John Wall. The Rockets have allowed the third-most opponents' points this season and the third-most fantasy points to opposing point guards.

Goran Dragic is in a similar position to those two, but we have seen in recent years he can be spectacular when he is playing well. Dragic has averaged 17 points and eight assists in his last three games.

Zach LaVine torched the Lakers last season to the tune of 18.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, and while he has gotten better this season, the Lakers have not. While I prefer LaVine for his price, Ricky Rubio is a worthy DFS consideration as well.

With Marc Gasol most likely out, I don’t see how the Grizzlies are going to slow down the Reggie Jackson-Andre Drummond pick-and-roll. If I have to choose, I prefer Drummond to Jackson, but there are other centers I like a lot as well, and I don’t see why you can’t play both Drummond and Jackson, especially in cash games.

Shooting Guard

In a lot of ways, the shooting guard position simply boils down to whether or not you play James Harden. For the most part, I am. Not only his Harden the best fantasy player on Wednesday’s slate, he has the best matchup. Harden is even more attractive because there aren’t many shooting guards with nice matchups, unless you play on a site where Marcus Thornton, Zach LaVine or Andrew Wiggins are eligible there.

Victor Oladipo is the next-best alternative to Harden, as he is averaging 17.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.9 threes and 1.6 blocks in seven games since moving to the bench. The Suns are in the top six in the NBA in opponent’s points, threes and steals, which should work out well for Oladipo.

It may still be a while before Wesley Matthews produces consistently for fantasy, but very few guys in his price range can drop 36 on any given night like Matthews did Sunday against the Wizards. I like Matthews quite a bit for tournament lineups. 

Small Forward

Here is the position where you can save some money to spend on those stud guards. Kawhi Leonard is dealing with the stomach flu, Carmelo Anthony has reached 20 points just once in his last five games, and the rest of the small forwards are nice players, but they aren’t exactly special. I think you will be just fine rolling the dice on cheaper small forwards Wednesday.

Marcus Thornton and Corey Brewer both went off Tuesday, thanks in part to Trevor Ariza’s early exit. It is doubtful both guys have big games again Wednesday, but I bet one of them will. You should probably just play whichever guy is cheapest on your site of choice, but I like Thornton slightly better.

Andrew Wiggins’ price may not ever be this low again this season. He is coming off two poor shooting games, but that is much more likely to be an aberration than a new trend. I’m buying now before his price goes back up, especially against the terrible Lakers.

All of the Suns’ trends that look favorable for Victor Oladipo should also benefit Tobias Harris, and Harris could see more minutes and shots if Aaron Gordon is out again with his ankle injury.

I buried the lead a bit, because the small forward I like best Wednesday is Jeff Green. The Grizzlies are extremely thin up front after Marc Gasol sprained an ankle and JaMychal Green sprained a knee Tuesday. I expect Green to play heavy minutes and get a lot of the shots that would normally go to Gasol.

Power Forward

Jared Sullinger had 20 rebounds Monday against the Pelicans, and Wednesday’s opponent, the Bulls, are one of the few teams allowing more rebounds to opponents than the Pelicans.  On the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Jared Sullinger, we have Zach Randolph. Z-Bo doesn’t have a favorable matchup, but he should get a ton of minutes and shots with Marc Gasol out. I doubt he has a terribly efficient game, but he will probably get his numbers in the end.

Trevor Booker and Derrick Favors have five double-doubles in the three games Rudy Gobert has missed. Favors is the far better fantasy play, but Booker is solid and quite cheap. Last, but not least, I like Chris Bosh to have a big day against a Charlotte team that has allowed more fantasy points to opposing power forwards than any team in the league. 

Center

With Nene still out and Drew Gooden questionable, Marcin Gortat could see a few extra minutes Wednesday. The Rockets are fifth in opponent’s rebounds and blocks and have allowed the second most made field goals within five feet of the basket, so I would like Gortat even without the extra playing time.

As I mentioned in the point guard section, I love Andre Drummond Wednesday. To me, you have to play at least one of John Wall, James Harden and Andre Drummond Wednesday. I managed to fit all three in a lineup, and while that may have been a mistake, I love it.

Kelly Olynyk is my cheap alternative at center, but he is another player I’m probably only using in tournament lineups. He has scored 21 in two of his last three games, with a six-point effort sandwiched in between.

Last, but not least, I expect Hassan Whiteside to eat the Hornets alive inside Wednesday. If I didn’t love Andre Drummond so much, Whiteside might have been my top play of the night. Since Al Jefferson went down, the Hornets are fourth in opponent’s rebounds per game and eighth in opponent’s blocks per game. Who out of Marvin Williams, Cody Zeller, Spencer Hawes, Tyler Hansbrough and Frank Kaminsky is going to keep Hassan Whiteside off of the glass? Exactly.