NBA

3 Daily Fantasy Basketball Players to Avoid on 2/27/19

Dale Redman  —  @DTRedman Feb 27th, 2019
Harrison Barnes has struggled to find his way in Sacramento and faces the NBA-best Bucks on Wednesday. Who else are we avoiding in DFS tonight?

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?

Danilo Gaillinari, SF, Los Angeles Clippers

FanDuel Price: $6,800

Over his last seven games, Danilo Gallinari's game has taken a step back as he is playing just 25.9 minutes per game while taking fewer than 11 shots per game. His fantasy production has dipped from his year-long average of 31.4 FanDuel points per game as Gallinari has collected more the 27 FanDuel points just three times in the last seven contests. In his previous two times out, the Los Angeles Clipper has been able to score -- 19.5 points per game -- but finished with a total of just six rebounds and three assists in over 27 minutes a night. At a price tag just short of $7,000, it is hard to justify paying for production in only one category, especially in a game where points may be hard to come by.

The Clippers face off with the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, who have allowed the fourth-fewest points per game this season. Unlike years past, the Jazz are playing at a decent pace, but their top-notch defense -- 105.8 defensive rating, fourth in the NBA -- is holding opponents back.

Gallinari knows the struggle of facing Utah all too well. Against them, the forward finished with 15.3 FanDuel points back in January as he went 3-for-14 from the floor for nine points and four rebounds in 34 minutes.

Tim Hardaway Jr., SG, Dallas Mavericks

FanDuel Price: $5,700

While an explosive scorer, Tim Hardaway Jr.'s lack of production in other counting stats -- just 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.8 steals per game with Dallas -- hurt his fantasy value. The guard experienced a slight bump in usage and fantasy production as Luka Doncic sat out two games in the last week. In those contests, Hardaway averaged 27.0 FanDuel points. In the other six games he played for Dallas, and with Doncic on the court, Hardaway posted under 23.4 FanDuel points per night as the second scoring option. His dependency on points tends to make him a bust in those tough defensive matchup like the one versus the Indiana Pacers tonight.

The Dallas-Indiana game carries an over/under of 215.5, the second lowest total on Wednesday’s 11-game slate. Over their last 10 games, the Pacers have held opponents to 43.9% shooting from the field and 31.3% from three, both rank Indy in the top-four of the NBA. They also lead the Association by allowing just 100.3 points per game during the stretch, leaving Hardaway likely to post a lackluster line.

Harrison Barnes, SF, Sacramento Kings

FanDuel Price: $5,400

Harrison Barnes has had a tough time adjusting to his role in Sacramento. In his six games played, Barnes is averaging just 11.0 shots per game with a 15.6% usage rate -- a significant drop from the 14.6 shots and 23.5% usage rate he owned with the Mavericks. The reduced role has left Barnes out of sync as the forward is posting just 10.3 points on 31.8% shooting from the floor in a Kings’ uniform. He has scored more than 13 points only once while collecting 22.5 or fewer FanDuel points four times.

Squaring off with the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo is not the matchup to make Barnes useful tonight in DFS.

The Bucks own the best defense in the NBA as they lead the league in defensive rating (103.8) and opponents field goal percentage (43.1%). Small forwards have failed to get anything going against Milwaukee too, amassing the sixth-lowest FanDuel points per minute against them this season. As a member of the Mavericks, Barnes faced the Bucks once this season and finished with just eight points, three rebounds, and 11.1 FanDuel points, his second-worst fantasy performance of the season.


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.