NBA

NBA Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 12/1/15

Robert Covington has been scorching hot since being inserted into the 76ers starting lineup.

If you've never played daily fantasy basketball before, it's time to start. Unlike traditional leagues, you're able to select the players you want on that specific day only, giving you a different squad to root for each and every NBA night.

Today's lineups can be found here. The information below is to help you understand why particular players are being picked, because we don't want you going into the night completely blind. We want to help you. Keep in mind, however, that things often change up until tip-off, so make sure you're refreshing the optimal lineups as close to the start of games as possible.

Let's get to it.

The Best of the Best

Anthony Davis - Davis has been somewhat hard to trust as of late due to his durability issues. That said, he's hard to ignore any time he's in the Pelicans' starting lineup. The Brow has been spectacular when able to stay on the floor this season, averaging 24.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals on a per-36 minute basis, and will likely see at least that amount of playing time tonight. The Pelicans' star forward draws a plus matchup against the aging Zach Randolph and a Memphis defense that has given up the seventh most fantasy points per game to opposing power forwards, and he should see plenty of action in what is expected to be a close, high-scoring game. Davis is our top overall projected player on the board tonight.

LeBron James - You may be surprised to hear me say this, but with all of the media focus on Stephen Curry and the Warriors, King James and the Cavaliers seem to have flown under the radar early this season. The four-time MVP has been just as good as ever to open his 2015-16 campaign, filling up the stat sheet with 25.6 points, 7.5 boards, 6.6 dimes and 1.3 steals in 36.5 minutes per game. He has also accumulated the sixth highest Usage Rate in the league at 31.9% and ranks eighth in our player power rankings with an impressive 13.6 nERD. James draws a dream matchup against a Wizards' squad that has given up the most fantasy points per game to opposing small forwards and can be had for a very reasonable price of $10,100 on FanDuel and $9,700 on DraftKings. The Cavaliers' star is an elite play in all formats tonight.

Top Mid-Range Values

Brandon Knight - Now on his third team in three years, Knight finally seems to have found a home in Phoenix. The former Kentucky Wildcat has fit into perfectly into the Suns backcourt with fellow Wildcat Eric Bledsoe. Both Knight and Bledsoe are incredibly versatile players who can play either guard spot, are strong defenders and great passers. Both are having career years and warrant daily fantasy consideration nightly basis. Tonight, the Suns get the pleasure of facing off against a struggling Nets team that currently ranks 23rd in Defensive Rating (105.6) and has given up the 10th most points per game to opposing teams this season (102.6). Additionally, the Brooklyn backcourt has allowed the fifth most fantasy points per game to opposing point guards and sixth most to opposing shooting guards, which bodes well for the Suns' two star guards. However, Knight is the preferred play out of the two given his less-expensive price tag across the industry. 

Robert Covington - After missing nine games with a knee injury, Covington has returned to the 76ers lineup with a vengeance. The Sixers' swingman has been a fantasy beast since being reentered into Philadelphia's starting lineup three games ago. In those three games, Covington has averaged 17 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3 assists and a ridiculous 7 steals per game. In fact, the budding 76ers' star snatched at least six steals in every game over that span, becoming only the second player in NBA history to grab six steals in three consecutive games -- the only other being Alvin Robinson back in 1986. Covington gets an excellent matchup against a Lakers' team that ranks in the bottom five in the NBA in both opposing points per game (106) and Defensive Rating (109.4) and has a tremendous opportunity to make it four straight games with at least six steals against a young, sloppy Los Angeles offense. Tonight may be your last chance to roster Covington for less than $7,000 on FanDuel or DraftKings so strike while the iron is hot.

Basement Ballers

Isaiah Canaan - Canaan has once again overtaken rookie T.J. McConnell for the starting point guard position in Philadelphia, and has returned to fantasy relevance. In six games in the starting lineup this season, the 76ers' point guard has posted 14.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2 assists with a very respectable 22% Usage Rate in 33.4 minutes per game. Given his matchup against the defensively-challenged Lakers, Canaan should have little trouble reaching value tonight at just $4,400 on FanDuel and $5,000 on DraftKings. Much like his teammate Covington, Canaan makes a great buy low while he is still priced as a backup.

T.J. Warren - With P.J. Tucker struggling to open the season, Warren has been trending upwards as of late. Over his last four outings, the Suns' sophomore forward is averaging 19.3 points and 5.3 boards in 29.5 minutes per game. He is coming off of his first career double-double -- he scored 15 points to go along with 11 rebounds in against Toronto on Sunday -- and has played at least 30 minutes in each of his last two games. Warren gets a strong matchup against a terrible Nets' defense and should stay hot tonight in Brooklyn. He should provide spectacular value at just $4,400 on FanDuel and $4,500 on DraftKings.