NBA

3 Daily Fantasy Basketball Players to Avoid on 11/17/17

Victor Oladipo is running up against Avery Bradley tonight in what could be a big landmine game for the Pacers' guard

In daily fantasy basketball, finding players you want to roster is a lot easier than finding players to avoid.

You can find a ton of great information and research on guys you might want to include in your DFS NBA lineups, but what about guys you may want to lessen your exposure to -- or even fade altogether?

Avoiding players whose matchups or situations aren't as great as they seem can often be just as important as finding the best targets. After all, it only takes one player to sink a lineup. Searching for the landmines could mean the difference from winning or losing your contests.

Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana Pacers

FanDuel Price: $7,700

Victor Oladipo has been on fire since the calendar turned to November, averaging 22.6 points and 36.3 FanDuel points per contest over his last eight. Those numbers look cash game-worthy on Friday night, but with the Indiana Pacers hosting Avery Bradley and the Detroit Pistons, it's not the greatest matchup for Oladipo.

In their last meeting earlier this month, Oladipo shot just 8-for-21 from the floor for 27.6 FanDuel points. He was featured in this article on that day, and he is back for the very same reasons tonight.

In their 13 career meetings, Oladipo is shooting just 33.3% from the floor when he plays Bradley, and so far this season the Pistons are holding opposing shooting guards to 0.76 FanDuel points per minute. Even though this one is at home for the Pacers, Oladipo should be avoided in cash games.

Rudy Gay, SF, San Antonio Spurs

FanDuel Price: $4,900

Rudy Gay has played well for the San Antonio Spurs this season, and with the absence of Kawhi Leonard once again on Friday, Gay might seem like a good target as a low-cost small forward.

However, there are several things working against him tonight, and the main one is his teammate, Kyle Anderson. The former first-round pick is averaging 27.3 minutes per game in November, compared to Gay's 21.9. Gay has also played less than 20 minutes in two of the Spurs' last three games, and Anderson's solid play has been a big part of that.

There is also the tough matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder to worry about. The Thunder are holding opposing small forwards to just 0.68 FanDuel points per minute, which is the best in the league according to our DvP Matchup Chart.

Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Sacramento Kings

FanDuel Price: $4,100

Even though Willie Cauley-Stein has started all 14 games for the Sacramento Kings this season, his minutes have left a lot to be desired from a fantasy perspective. Even though he has played well, Cauley-Stein's minutes have been dropping rather abruptly in November, and he has a very tough matchup on Friday.

The Portland Trail Blazers are holding centers to 0.93 FanDuel points per minute this season, the best in the league. Combine that with having to defend Jusuf Nurkic, and you have a recipe to fade Cauley-Stein despite his low price and good per-minute potential.



Jordan Sharp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jordan Sharp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username TEHSHARP. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.