NBA

3 Daily Fantasy Basketball Players to Avoid on 11/23/16

Jordan Sharp  —  @TehSharp Nov 23rd, 2016
DeMarcus Cousins isn't worth the salary tonight on a nearly full slate of NBA action. Who else should you avoid?

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 tonight in your DFS NBA lineups, but what about some 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 each night. After all, it takes only one player to sink a lineup. Searching for the landmines could mean the difference from winning or losing your contests.

DeMarcus Cousins, C, Sacramento Kings

FanDuel Price: $10,000

I won my first GPP with a monster late game from DeMarcus Cousins about four years ago, and I have been hooked on rostering him ever since. Every year, I get an email from FanDuel telling me that Cousins was the center I rostered the most during that season. However, on a huge night of games with tons of options at every position, Cousins' matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Steven Adams is really tough.

So far, the Thunder are allowing only 0.82 FanDuel points per minute to opposing centers, and it's been mostly Adams' doing. He is holding players he defends to only 55.9% shooting from within six feet, which is nearly five percentage points lower than their average field goal percentages.

The Thunder are also sneakily one of the better defensive teams in the NBA right now, ranking seventh in points allowed per 100 possessions at 103.4 and inside the top eight teams in both offensive and defensive rebounding rate. Cousins has posted some huge games against Adams, but he has also posted just as many landmine games, while averaging only 35.6% shooting in nine career games against Adams.

Ish Smith, PG, Detroit Pistons

FanDuel Price: $5,400

The Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons game might be the lowest scoring of the night. Vegas bookmakers the total at 188 points, and with both teams playing at the bottom of the league in pace and the top in defense, it's hard to find guys in this game who are playable. One that almost certainly isn't is Ishmael Smith.

Smith has to run up against a healthier Goran Dragic, and even though the Dragon isn't a stellar defender, he is above average in that category and Miami has proven so far this season they are tough against point guards. They allow only 0.8 FanDuel points per minute to opposing one guards. As a team, the Heat have the third-best defensive rating of only 102 points allowed per 100 possessions.

Furthermore, Miami also ranks number one in opponent effective field goal percentage of just 46.9%. With Hassan Whiteside protecting the rim, Smith and the Pistons are not in a position to have big games.

Dion Waiters, SG, Miami Heat

FanDuel Price: $5,200

Dion Waiters has been cruising recently, scoring at least 32 FanDuel points in three straight. However, he is dealing with a groin injury that he has played through, posting these three big games against three poor defensive teams against shooting guards.

The Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks all rank in the bottom half of the league in FanDuel points allowed to two guards, whereas the Pistons are one of the best. They allow only 0.74 FanDuel points per minute to shooting guards, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has helped them to that number.

Caldwell-Pope has been great around the perimeter, holding players he defends to 34.0% shooting from beyond the arc and 35.7% shooting from within 15 feet from the basket. In a slow-paced and potentially really low scoring game, avoid a banged up Waiters coming off three straight good games.