Which players should you build around and which players should you fade in DFS as we tip off Monday's NBA action? Our experts have the answers.
Today's panel includes ESPN Fantasy's Eric Karabell, Kyle Soppe, plus DFS expert Renee Miller.
Players to build around
Kyle Soppe: Tyson Chandler, Phoenix Suns
Listen, it's a three-game slate, and you don't need me to tell you that all of the expensive guys are strong plays ... you need help fitting as many of them into your lineup as possible. The Nets rank 29th in preventing paint scoring and 25th in rebound rate, a nice spot for Chandler to walk into, given that his average distance of shot is under one foot this season and that he is averaging more than 10 rebounds a game since the beginning of the 2012-13 season. This is a game featuring the two fastest-paced offenses in basketball, so there should be no shortage of possessions -- and thus opportunities -- for Chandler to stumble into a double-double. Investing in the veteran allows you to stack as many Warriors as your heart desires in the this slate of games.
Eric Karabell: Mike James, Phoenix Suns
You never know what you're gonna get in terms of his field goal percentage, but I like most anyone against the Nets, especially guards. James is capable of big stats, and he remains priced really nicely.
Renee Miller: D'Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets
Vegas has set a 234-point total on this rematch of the Halloween treat of DFS games. The two fastest-paced teams, each in the bottom five in defensive efficiency and top five in fantasy points allowed to opposing guards, make up for there being only three games on the slate. Russell's high salary is definitely affordable with the only $10K-plus stars (Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry) playing in what could be a blowout tonight. Russell has put up well-rounded stat lines in good matchups this season and should easily get you the 40-45 fantasy points you need. The fact that he is SG-eligible on FanDuel makes him even more appealing.
Players to fade
Kyle Soppe: Dennis Schroder, Atlanta Hawks
I'm personally a big fan of Schroder, but there is no way I am locking him into my lineup tonight. The one-on-one matchup with Kyrie Irving doesn't scare me, but the Celtics have been strong as a unit defensively (they lead the league in defensive efficiency), and this game is very likely to be the lowest-scoring content on this short slate. That lowers the floor on Schroder, as his carelessness with the ball (4.7 turnovers per game in November) and lack of defensive stats (his next block or steal will be his first this month) figure to make reaching value very difficult if his scoring stats are at all suppressed. Schroder saw his assist-to-turnover rate and field goal percentage dip in a major way last season on the second night of back-to-back games, and that is the position he finds himself in tonight after playing 31 intense minutes last night in Cleveland. No thanks.
Eric Karabell: Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat
Although he's played well since returning from a concussion, his minutes aren't quite to the level we expect, and big men versus the Warriors can sometimes be ineffective since they face small lineups. This doesn't figure to be one of Whiteside's monster stat games.
Renee Miller: John Collins, Atlanta Hawks
There aren't many poor DvP matchups on this slate, but the Hawks' frontcourt gets one of them. Boston has allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing power forwards (and centers) so far this season. The Celtics are also boasting the league's best defensive efficiency right now, and rank second in rebounding. That's around a seven percentage point rebounding rate advantage over Atlanta, adding to the reasons to fade Collins. All the Hawks will face the slower pace of Boston, but it's PGs and PFs who are most affected by it. Collins has been arguably better than Ersan Ilyasova was before the former got hurt, which is why I list him as the fade; but none of the Hawks bigs will make my lineups tonight.
