If you have played daily fantasy sports for very long, you realize by now the importance of being contrarian, especially in large-field tournaments. Being able to recognize which players are going to be owned by the majority of the field and find players that you think have a similar point projection but will come at much lower ownership can really separate yourself from your opponents.
It’s a lot easier in NFL to identify the players who will be low-owned due to Thursday Night slates, but NBA can be much more difficult if you aren’t an experienced player.
The purpose of this article will be to bring you some high-upside players at each position who will likely go overlooked and give you an edge.
Keep in mind when constructing rosters that these are contrarian picks. There is a reason that they will be overlooked by many; they are risky plays. If possible, I’d try to relegate these players to GPP-only use, where their high risk-reward styles make more sense.
Carmelo Anthony, SF, New York Knicks
FanDuel Price: $8,500
Why He Will Go Overlooked:
Carmelo Anthony hasn't played exceptionally recently and is part of a small forward player pool that includes LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Paul George, along with viable value plays such as Jae Crowder, Luke Babbitt, and Maurice Harkless.
Anthony's game also has the lowest over/under on the slate, which is just another reason for daily fantasy players not to roster him.
Why You Should Use Him:
Melo is determined to end the season strong, regardless of the Knicks' record, and he is doing just that -- averaging 37.5 FanDuel points over his past five games, with three 40-plus performances during that span.
Anthony looks to carry that momentum into tonight's matchup against the Hornets, who have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season. Anthony has played the Hornets three times this season and topped 39 FanDuel points in two of those meetings.
They also may be without Nicolas Batum tonight, who is their best perimeter defender. Without Batum, Charlotte really has no answer for Anthony. Courtney Lee is a solid defender, but he will be very undersized if tasked with guarding Anthony.
Monitor the injury news today. If Batum is ruled out, Anthony is a terrific tournament option.
Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers
FanDuel Price: $8,000
Why He Will Go Overlooked:
Damian Lillard has played well recently and draws an appealing matchup. If you stop there, it seems unlikely he goes overlooked. Point guard, while always a deep position, has three plays who should be very chalky today: Russell Westbrook, Jose Juan Barea, and Tim Frazier. Most people will likely go with Westbrook and one of the cheaper options, leaving Lillard overlooked.
Why You Should Use Him:
After struggling for a week, Lillard rebounded with back-to-back impressive performances, in which he averaged 42 FanDuel points. His price hasn't risen to his previous level, which offers a nice buy-low opportunity tonight.
Lillard draws a matchup against the Thunder tonight, who have struggled to defend point guards all season, due to the oftentimes lackadaisical defense of the gamble-prone Russell Westbrook. While Lillard hasn't put up gaudy numbers against Oklahoma City this season, his skill-set would suggest that a correction is coming. He should post his third consecutive game of 35-plus FanDuel points in this uptempo matchup.
It's not often that you get to target an elite talent at a discounted price and ownership. Give Lillard a long look while constructing your tournament lineups tonight.
Julius Randle, PF, Los Angeles Lakers
FanDuel Price: $6,600
Why He Will Go Overlooked:
Julius Randle was a popular play around the industry last night, and then he went and shot 0-of-6 and posted a plus-minus of -30. That's not good.
In addition to recency bias, Randle will lose ownership to Tobias Harris in a revenge game and Thomas Robinson, who has stolen the hearts of daily fantasy players over the past week. Both are priced similarly but are slightly cheaper. As a result, expect Randle to go under-owned.
Why You Should Use Him:
Randle was popular last night because he was essentially the last man standing for Los Angeles. Brandon Bass has been shut down for the season, and Larry Nance Jr. was out with some soreness. Assuming that tonight's game isn't another complete blowout, Randle is a good bet for 35-plus minutes tonight.
While the Clippers have been average against power forwards this season, they have shown some vulnerability in the post. Part of the reason they struggle against posts is their 29th ranked Rebounding Rate.
While Randle's FanDuel point total last night wasn't pretty, his peripheral stats still checked out, as he piled up 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and a block. He's not going to shoot 0-of-6 on back-to-back nights, so he should be able to top the 23.4 FanDuel points he put up last night. In his two previous meetings with the Clippers, he averaged 17 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, and 32 FanDuel points.
I prefer both Harris and Robinson in cash games, but Randle is worth a look in tournaments tonight.