3 NBA Defenses to Exploit in Daily Fantasy Basketball

Sacramento Kings

With George Karl starting his first full season at the helm of the Sacramento Kings, everyone was talking about the offensive impact that would have on the team. There wasn't much talk about the defensive side of the ball. That's where the Kings have had issues this year. Even though they boast the league's ninth-best Offensive Rating (105.1) the Kings have lost three of four to start the season due in large part to the NBA's seventh-worst Defensive Rating (107.0).

We can't tell quite yet if the Kings' lack of defensive success is going to be a trend going forward because DeMarcus Cousins has missed roughly a game and a half and is expected to miss more with an Achilles strain. For now though, they're one of the top teams to get opponent exposure to for obvious reasons.

For starters, the Kings play at the highest pace of any team in the league, with 103.3 possessions per game. With a poor defense it comes as no surprise then that they give up 110.5 points per game (27th in the league). How teams find success is fairly easy to see as, in a nutshell, the Kings lack discipline and fail to affect shots within the three-point line.

Sacramento is 28th in the entire league, averaging 26.3 personal fouls per game That has led to 23.5 made free throws and 32.3 free throw attempts against per contest which gives opposing teams a nice boost in points. As I said, it doesn't stop there because the Kings just can't seem to defend the paint and alter shots. They are next to last in blocks per game -- a measly 3.3 -- and see their opponents shoot exactly 58% from two-point land. In case you're wondering, that's last in the Association.

If you follow the numbers accordingly, it would be wise to target players who like to get into the lane on drives, especially those particularly prone to getting foul calls. Just like in a real game, a free throw equals a free point in fantasy too.