3 Under-the-Radar Daily Fantasy Basketball Plays for 11/22/16
We have plenty of NBA studs on tap tonight for daily fantasy purposes, but to fit more than one on your FanDuel team, you need to unearth some low-cost gems.
You'll also need to differentiate your lineups and roster some contrarian plays if you plan to take down some big tournaments. Keep in mind that you'll likely only need a few low-owned players in your lineup to go along with the chalk plays of the night. Find the best fits in the best spots for your roster construction to help set you apart from the pack.
With so much changing so quickly, we're here with plenty of tools to help you out. We have daily projections, a matchup heat map, a lineup optimizer and a handful of other awesome tools to help give you an edge. Tonight we have a very short four game slate that will leave you with limited options.
Consider these three under-the-radar players for your tournament rosters.
Kent Bazemore, SF, Atlanta Hawks
FanDuel Price: $4,900
Why He Might Go Overlooked:
Jimmy Butler might be the chalk across all positions tonight after his recent hot streak, and Carmelo Anthony has a nice matchup in an uptempo game. In Atlanta, Thabo Sefolosha appears ready to return from his knee injury, threatening Kent Bazemore for playing time.
Why You Should Consider Him:
Bazemore's ownership levels might be reduced with Sefolosha coming back to potentially siphon his minutes, but in reality, his string of increased production began before Sefolosha's injury. In his past eight games, Bazemore has produced at least 30 FanDuel points in four contests, and Sefolosha played in three of those games.
This will be a pace-up game for the Atlanta Hawks as the New Orleans Pelicans average the eighth-most possessions per game. Add the extra opportunities to a matchup with the team allowing the fourth-most FanDuel points per game to small forwards this season, and Bazemore finds himself in a good spot to produce tonight.
Enes Kanter, PF, Oklahoma City Thunder
FanDuel Price: $4,900
Why He Might Go Overlooked:
Anthony Davis, Paul Millsap and Kristaps Porzingis all are in good matchups and headline the top end of the salary spectrum tonight. Meanwhile, in the same price range as Kanter, Nikola Jokic and Nikola Mirotic have been very good off the bench of late.
Why You Should Consider Him:
In a game projected to total 220 points, the highest on the slate, the question is: Will Enes Kanter be needed to help the Oklahoma City Thunder score more points or will he sit for defensive purposes to limit the Los Angeles Lakers' scoring?
Because of his defensive lapses, Kanter’s playing time and production are frustratingly inconsistent. Kanter has played 19 or fewer minutes in six of 14 games this season and has failed to top 5.0 FanDuel points in three of those contests. Conversely, Kanter has topped 30 FanDuel points (more than six times $1,000 in salary) in 4 of the 8 games he has played at least 20 minutes (while never totalling fewer than 20 FanDuel points).
If he gets minutes, he has the high ceiling needed to win tournaments in a game featuring two of the top six fastest-paced teams in the NBA.
Guillermo Hernangomez, C, New York Knicks
FanDuel Price: $3,500
Why He Might Go Overlooked:
Joakim Noah has been ruled doubtful for tonight due to illness, and Kyle O'Quinn will again be the starting center for the New York Knicks. With no high salaries at center in play on tonight’s slate, people will gravitate towards value, making O’Quinn a natural plug-and-play target.
Why You Should Consider Him:
It’s tough to make an argument to not start O’Quinn, as he is more than a 1.1 fantasy point-per-minute monster -- when he plays. His rebound and block rates are tantalizing, but he only averages 10.7 minutes per game. With Noah out on Sunday, KOQ started and played just under 17 minutes.
The real winner with Noah feeling all icky sicky might actually be Guillermo Hernangomez. Better known as Willy, he has also produced mightily at times this season when he has been freed on the court. Two weeks ago, he netted 26.2 and 27.9 FanDuel points, respectively, in back-to-back games. On Sunday, it was Hernangomez who saw 29 minutes of court time even though he came off the bench. Comparing the two side-by-side, their per-36 minute stats are very similar this season, with O'Quinn having more blocks upside (and personal fouls).
Both Knicks' centers find themselves in good spots tonight facing off with the fifth-friendliest foe in center scoring. The Portland Trail Blazers also are giving up the fifth-most rebounds to centers while ranking ninth in pace. Opportunities will be plenty, but it's Hernangomez that figures to get more of them.
