NBA

3 Daily Fantasy Basketball Players to Avoid on 2/14/19

Julius Randle has seen his minutes reduced lately and faces a tough Thunder frontcourt on Thursday. Who else are we staying away from on tonight's three-game NBA DFS slate?

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 takes only one player to sink a lineup. Searching for the landmines could mean the difference between winning and losing your contests. Which players should we avoid tonight?

Julius Randle, PF, New Orleans Pelicans

FanDuel Price: $7,300

Over the last four games, Julius Randle has been reduced to a reserve role for the New Orleans Pelicans. The former Laker has played 24 or fewer minutes in two of the previous three games. While he has been efficient in his time on the floor -- 1.23 FanDuel points per minute -- the big man has averaged just 31.4 FanDuel points over his last three games, thanks to two games with 15 or fewer points. If he continues to play backup minutes in a tough matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Randle will be hard pressed to come close to value on Thursday’s short three-game slate.

The Thunder hold opposing power forwards to 0.94 FanDuel points per minute, the 11th-lowest rate in the NBA this season. A big part of their success has been a strong rebounding game. OKC ranks ninth in defensive rebound percentage (73.5%) and fifth in offensive rebounding percentage (29.6%).

With Randle taking over four three-pointers per game over the last week, the Thunder’s three-point D will slow him down as well. OKC ranks in the top-seven in three-point defense, holding opponents to 34.5% from beyond the arc.

Nicolas Batum, SF, Charlotte Hornets

FanDuel Price: $5,400

In the last two weeks, Nicolas Batum’s offensive game has disappeared. The Charlotte Hornets' swingman has posted single-digit scoring in three of his previous four games and in four of the six games he has played this month. Batum is averaging 7.8 points per game while sinking 37.1% of his shots (23.8% of his threes) over his last four games. While he has posted respectable stat lines -- 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.3 steals -- the lack of scoring has capped his potential in fantasy. Batum has posted two games with 21.2 or fewer FanDuel points in the last four games. A matchup with the Orlando Magic and a surprisingly solid defense will leave Batum struggling to put the ball in the basket again on Thursday.

The Magic allow the eighth-fewest points per game (107.2) while playing at the sixth-slowest pace in the league this season. The Hornets carry an implied point total of just 105.75 on Thursday, the lowest of the six teams in action on Thursday. The last time the Magic and Hornets hooked up, Batum was limited to just seven points, finishing with a disappointing 17.5 FanDuel points. With Orlando surrendering the eighth-fewest FanDuel points per minute to small forwards, expect more struggles from the Frenchman tonight.

Dewayne Dedmon, C, Atlanta Hawks

FanDuel Price: $5,100

Even in a starting role, Dewayne Dedmon has not produced much in fantasy lately.

Over his last five games, the Atlanta Hawks' center was limited to 17.8 or fewer FanDuel points in a game three times. He has gone eight games since recording double-digit boards and is playing an average of just 24.1 minutes since February 4. His modest stat line of 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists has left him posting only 19.3 FanDuel points per game during the stretch. While Thursday’s game comes against the lowly New York Knicks -- losers of 18 straight -- their center duo of DeAndre Jordan and Mitchell Robinson has been a force in the middle lately.

Over their last six games since Jordan joined the team, the Knicks are allowing the fourth-fewest points in the paint (44.0) and below average second-chance points (12.5). They have been stronger on the defensive glass, too, allowing below average offensive rebounds (10.0).

While the Hawks make for good targets in DFS on Thursday’s short slate, Dedmon ranks low on the list tonight.



Dale Redman is not a FanDuel employee. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.