Daily Fantasy Basketball Strategy: January 31, 2016

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After a high-scoring Saturday where even scores in the 300s missed cashing in some 50/50s, Sunday brings us six more games, a few of which project to be friendly for DFS purposes. Vegas is expecting a high-scoring slate in real life, and I’m expecting a good amount of DFS points to be scored as well. As usual, the afternoon matinee will not be included in this writeup. 

Vegas lines and totals

Boston (-4.5) @ Orlando – total of 204.5
Atlanta @ Miami (-1) – total of 192
Phoenix @ Dallas (-11) – total of 201.5
Golden State (-10.5) @ New York – total of 216.5
Minnesota @ Portland (-7) – total of 209.5
Charlotte (-4.5) @ L.A. Lakers – total of 202

Warriors-Knicks has easily the high over/under of the night, and with Golden State playing on the road on the second night of a back-to-back after collapsing late against the 76ers, this game projects as one that seems unlikely to be over after three quarters, boding well for all its fantasy options. The only game that really projects as an avoid is Hawks-Heat, but even that game has a couple solid plays as well. Let’s take a look at who those plays are and more for Sunday’s six-gamer.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball Strategy: January 27, 2016

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Normally a huge night for the NBA, Wednesday has “just” eight games on the schedule. While that may seem like a decent amount of games, most Wednesdays in the past have featured anywhere from 10 to 13 games, so eight is certainly a nice reprieve for somebody who goes through and projects the top eight players on every team in action like myself. There are lots of potential blowouts on this slate, so let’s take a look at which games Vegas projects to get out of hand. 


Vegas lines and totals

Phoenix @ Cleveland (-16.5) – total of 210.5
Denver @ Boston (-8.5) – total of 209.5
Philadelphia @ Detroit (-12) – total of 202
Houston @ San Antonio (-10) – total of 205.5
L.A. Clippers @ Atlanta (-3) – total of 207.5
Oklahoma City (-8) @ Minnesota – total of 210
Charlotte @ Utah (-5.5) – total of 191
Dallas @ Golden State (-15.5) – total of 215

With four games having double-digits spreads, six having spreads of eight or higher and one having an over/under 11 points lower than the next-closest game, Wednesday’s slate could get a little weird. You’re unlikely to be able to get away from rostering a few guys who may not play much in the fourth quarter, as Clippers-Hawks is the lone high-scoring game with a tight spread and even that one doesn’t have elite matchups for the studs of note. Who are the safest stars and value picks to target on a slate like this, when no game is seemingly safe?

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Daily Fantasy Basketball Strategy: January 25, 2016

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Monday is a great day for NBA fans, as the top two teams in the league will square off when the Spurs travel to Golden State to face the Warriors. There are eight lesser games on the slate as well, so let’s get right to the Vegas lines and see how this slate lines up.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball Strategy: January 24, 2016

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After a high-scoring Saturday night, Sunday brings us just four NBA games on Conference Championship Sunday in the NFL. With two early tips, we’ll have news on some of the day’s big injuries before lock. Let’s take a look at Vegas’ outlook on Sunday’s short slate.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball Strategy: January 20, 2016

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From 10 games Monday to four games Tuesday and another 11 on Wednesday, the NBA schedule has been a bit unbalanced lately. With so many games on tap Wednesday, there are bound to be some excellent DFS plays on the slate. Let’s start with the Vegas lines.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball Strategy: January 19, 2016

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Monday’s loaded MLK Day schedule has led us back to another short slate, with just four games on tap for Tuesday. There are a good amount of DFS plays on the ledger, though, and it should be a fun slate. Let’s see how Vegas feels about it.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball Strategy: January 16, 2016

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After a few days off from sharing my picks with the public—and turning some nice profits, of course when I’m not on the record—it’s time to kick back into writing gear for an eight-game Saturday. The last few days have been nearly perfect with the amount of games on the schedule, and without further ado, let’s take a look at the projected lines around the league.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball Strategy: January 13, 2016

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Looks like I jinxed Carmelo Anthony last night, as the Knicks star was well on his way to another huge game before bowing out just after halftime with an ankle injury. I’m sure my lineups weren’t the only ones crushed by that injury, but Wednesday is another day and it’s one with 10 games on tap, so let’s take a look at the Vegas lines in hopes of choosing players who will make it through the game.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball Strategy: January 12, 2016

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The NBA has given us just the right amount of games Tuesday, with an eight-game slate set to tip off at 7 p.m. Injuries to Anthony Davis and Kobe Bryant have the potential to seriously alter the DFS landscape for Tuesday, but first, let’s see how Vegas views the night.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball Strategy: January 10, 2016

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As usual, we won’t include Sunday’s early games, as DraftKings does not include them in its big tournaments. That still leaves us with a solid seven-game slate that includes a few enticing spreads.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball Strategy: January 9, 2016

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With the two early games Saturday not including in DraftKings’ big tournaments, we’ll focus on the five-game night slate, which still has many good options when it comes to DFS plays. Let’s dive right in.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball Strategy: January 7, 2016

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After a week off basking in the Florida sun, I’m back in chilly New York City for the rest of winter. Yippee. After Wednesday’s “massacre” (h/t to The Fantasy Fix’s Zack Rewis for that one), Thursday brings us four NBA games and, per usual of late, plenty of injury news that will help determine the top DFS plays. Read on to see how those ailments affect the short slate.

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Week 16 Rookie Report: Preston Smith busting out in D.C., Orchard finishes strong

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As the NFL season winds down, coaches and general managers of non-playoff teams are actively using the final weeks to evaluate their rosters heading into 2016, seeing who can be valuable contributors for their teams’ future. Three youngsters saw increased roles Sunday for their downtrodden squads, while a second-rounder continues to emerge on defense for the NFC East champions. Chris Tripodi breaks down what he saw from the first-year crop in the Week 16 Rookie Report. 

Jarryd Hayne (RB-SF)

With Carlos Hyde and Shaun Draughn out of commission in Week 16, Hayne was recalled from the practice squad on Dec. 26 and thrown into the starting lineup a day later against the Lions. The former Australian Rugby star carried nine times for 27 yards and caught five passes for 20 yards in his first extended NFL playing time.

Hayne picked up over half his rushing yards on San Francisco’s opening drive, which culminated in a short touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead. On the game’s second play, Hayne took a handoff and cut back against the grain to find the hole in the defense before being taken down rather easily by a defensive lineman after four yards. A few plays later, Hayne showed good vision and squeezed through a tiny hole before running through multiple arm tackles on his way to 11 yards and a first down.

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