First off, a quick introduction, though if you don’t know what FanDuel is, well, you’re missing out. FanDuel is a site that offers daily fantasy sports games. Participants are given a chance every day to select new players, fill out a lineup and, most importantly, win some cash. If you choose poorly on Monday you can come back on Tuesday and try again. Essentially, it’s sports gambling but 100 percent legal. So yeah, you should be signing up.
Fantasy basketball advice: NBA FanDuel sleepers/busts for Wednesday, Feb. 4
The Feb. 4 schedule features 11 games, which means plenty of options for NBA FanDuel action. Sign up at FanDuel to start earning a deposit bonus.
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As for what we're going to be doing in this space: The goal here will be to direct your attention toward some players who you might not otherwise consider. If you're here and reading this, then you already know that LeBron James is really good. But when filling out a roster you can't just pick out stars. You'll blow your cap that way and get stuck praying to the basketball gods that a guy like Kosta Koufos gets into the game. No, if you want to win, you have to take advantage of certain matchups -- and in order to do that you have to know where to look. That's what we're here for. Also, this space is going to be used to give you advice for Wednesday's games. Tuesday night is generally a slower one in the NBA, while Wednesdays are always packed (there are 11 games slated for this Wednesday). So with that, let's get started.
3 players to target
Brook Lopez, C, Nets: Lopez has been awesome of late, even as he continues to come off the bench. Over his last three games he's averaging 26 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, and he's been playing an average of 36 minutes per contest. On Wednesday, Lopez and the Nets will be playing the Raptors, who are in the bottom half of the league in points allowed per game to opposing centers (via HoopsStats.com). Case in point: Lopez dropped 35 on Toronto on Friday, and there's no reason to believe that the Raptors will be able to figure out a way to stop him this time around.
Pau Gasol, C, Bulls: Gasol has pretty much been great all year (18 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two blocks per game), but this is more about his matchup. This Wednesday, he and the Bulls will be facing the now Dwight Howard-less Rockets. Donatas Motiejūnas is getting a lot of the center minutes, but he can’t guard Gasol and when he goes to the bench, Houston is throwing out guys like Josh Smith and Joey Dorsey. Neither of those guys can play down low with Pau, who it seems is destined for, at least, 20 and 10.
J.J. Barea, G, Mavericks: Barea started for the injured Rajon Rondo on Monday, and in 29 minutes of action, he scored 10 points, dished out eight assists and pulled down four rebounds. He’s been real solid all year (his per-36 minutes numbers are 16 points, seven assists and four rebounds) and is comfortable in, and familiar with, Rick Carlisle’s offense. The Mavericks will also need him Wednesday night. They’ll be playing the Warriors, a team that opponents often try to contain by forcing Stephen Curry to play defense. That means letting J.J. Barea run wild. The game will also likely be a high-scoring one, which only adds to Barea’s value.
3 players to avoid
Derrick Rose, PG, Bulls: You know what the former MVP is shooting over his past five games? 36 percent. He's also going up against a Rockets team that, behind Patrick Beverley, has been smothering opposing point guards all year, holding them to an average of 19 points per game, the fifth-best number in the league according to HoopsStats.com. Over this five-game stretch, Rose has also seen his minutes climb to 38 per game. That could create problems against Houston, a team that loves to play fast. Also, as mentioned above, it's safe to assume that the Bulls will spend most of their time on offense feeding the ball down low and trying to take advantage of the small Rockets. It just seems unlikely that Rose finishes this game with any sort of impressive box score.
Jeff Teague, PG, Hawks: The Hawks point guard has struggled with his shot of late, shooting just under 40 percent over his last 10 games. He’s also got a tough matchup on Wednesday when the Hawks face the Wizards, who are led by John Wall. Wall, as you probably already know, is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. He’s also going to make Teague work on the other end of the court. There are tons of great point guards available on Wednesday. Save Teague for another night.
Jarrett Jack, PG, Nets: If you’ve been riding Jack over the last couple of weeks, it’s time to bring that to an end. The reason: Deron Williams has returned to the lineup. Jack still got the start on Monday, Williams’ first game back, and he did play 40 minutes. But Williams played 29 and looked good too (15 points, three assists, three rebounds). Overall, it’s been a rough year for Williams, but he’s not going anywhere and the ball is still going to be in his hands most of the time. Wait for Jack’s price to drop before you start going with him again.
Other notables for Wednesday
What was said about Gasol above -- same thing applies to Joakim Noah going up against the undersized Rockets front line ... Speaking of the Dwight Howard-less Rockets, Josh Smith is now getting more minutes and touches. In his last five games, he’s averaging 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal per game ... Also stepping in for an injured player is Lakers guard Wayne Ellington. In the five games the Lakers have played since Kobe Bryant went down, Ellington has averaged 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal per game.
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