3 Daily Fantasy Basketball Players to Avoid on 10/22/18
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?
Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Minnesota Timberwolves
FanDuel Price: $10,100
In the two games Jimmy Butler has been on the court this season, Karl-Anthony Towns has been an afterthought in the offensive game. He took a total of 16 shots while posting an 18.5% usage rate against the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers to start the season. The big man averaged just 27.5 FanDuel points in those contests. While he was limited on opening night to just 22.5 minutes due to foul trouble, Towns had plenty of run against Cleveland in Game 2, playing over 34 minutes, but finished with just 12 points. Besides Butler returning to the lineup, Towns has a tough matchup with the Indiana Pacers on Monday.
Facing off with Myles Turner will not help his stat line. Opponents are shooting just 28.6% when defended by the Pacers' center this season. Overall, opposing centers are scoring just 0.9 FanDuel points per minute against the Pacers this season, which is the third-lowest rate in the league. Costing over $10,000 on Monday, you can find a better use for your money than Towns on a nine-game slate.
Nicolas Batum, SF, Charlotte Hornets
FanDuel Price: $6,900
Nicolas Batum seems to never leave the floor for the Charlotte Hornets this season, averaging 34.7 minutes per game. While that would seem to make Batum a target to play on Monday, most of his time on the court has been empty minutes. The small forward is averaging just 9.3 points and 4.0 assists per game, which are his lowest totals in seven seasons. He can thank a career-low usage rate of 12.3% and a 38.5% field goal percentage for that. Batum's numbers are due to rise after his slow start, but Monday is not likely that day as he faces off with a well-rested Kawhi Leonard.
A two-time defensive player of the year, Leonard is holding opponents to just 40.0% shooting so far this season. Overall, the Toronto Raptors have been a tight defensive unit, limiting opponents to the third-lowest shooting percentage (40.7%) and seventh-lowest points per game (106.0) this season. Combine the matchup with the poor start and the wealth of small forward options on Monday, and it's best to leave Batum out of your lineups.
Ricky Rubio, PG, Utah Jazz
FanDuel Price: $6,300
Small sample size and all, Ricky Rubio has been a DFS disappointment so far this season. In his season opener, the Utah Jazz point guard finished with 1 point, 4 assists, and 10.4 FanDuel points. Even as his numbers were better in Game 2 -- 13 points, 10 assists -- he finished as a sub-optimal fantasy value as he didn't bring much else to his stat line. Playing a defensive-minded Memphis Grizzlies squad on Monday won't help Rubio shake off the bad start either.
As expected, Memphis has been trying to grind out games, playing at one of the slowest paces in the league. Mike Conley appears fully healthy and as strong of a defensive presence as ever. He helped limit the Atlanta Hawks starting backcourt to 8-of-21 shooting (38.1%) the last time out. Specifically, opposing point guards are scoring FanDuel points at the 10th-lowest rate in the league, 0.85 per minute. Whether you are looking for a high-ceiling or safe play at point guard on Monday, best to look elsewhere than Rubio.
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.
