NBA daily fantasy picks: Five players who could help your lineup for Feb. 2
There are just five games on Tuesday, and that presents the daily fantasy owner with a few interesting dilemmas. Carmelo Anthony, for example, is the only small forward priced north of $8,000. Do you have to start him or risk being left behind? Chris Bosh is the lone power forward whose price ticks above the modest $7,000 threshold. Can you go cheap with both of your players at that position. And if you do, should you splurge on a pair of point guards, such as Kyle Lowry ($9,000) and Damian Lillard ($8,800)? This is a fun puzzle to figure out on Tuesday night.
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PG: Kyle Lowry ($9,000) @ PHO:We’re going right back to the Lowry well. He disappointed on Monday, but there’s plenty of reason to believe he’ll bounce right back. First and foremost, he’s simply too good to slump for longer than a few games. The Suns have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to point guards this season, and Toronto’s guards are expected to be outscored only by Portland’s on Tuesday. Not only is Lowry a great play, it makes all the sense in the world to pair him with teammate DeMarDeRozan.
SG: Zach LaVine ($4,700) @ LAL:The Free Zach LaVine Movement continues to gain supporters, and even though the guy who matters most, Minnesota head coach Sam Mitchell, isn’t yet totally on board, LaVine makes a great play on Tuesday. The Lakers have allowed the most fantasy points per game to both shooting guards and point guards, making a player in LaVine’s hybrid role an especially tough cover. He has had at least 20.4 fantasy points in each of his last four games, and we know he has 40-point potential every time he takes the floor.
SF: Evan Turner ($5,200) @ NY:Jae Crowder is a game-time decision on Tuesday because of a bruised shin. His shaky status makes Turner a lot more attractive, but even if Crowder is able to go, Turner provides some value on FanDuel Tuesday. He just had a streak of six straight games with at least 20 fantasy points snapped. During that streak, he put up 25.7 fantasy points per game, just shy of one point per minute. Turner get his usual 26 to 27 minutes if Crowder plays, but if he’s out, the Ohio State product should push beyond 30 minutes.
PF: Jabari Parker ($5,200) @ POR:The Parker we’ve all wanted to see for the last two seasons finally seems to be emerging. He has at least 20.5 fantasy points in eight of his last 10 and is putting up 24.9 fantasy points per game in that stretch. That’s 20.2% better than his season average, which is, on a percentage basis, akin to Stephen Curry going on a 10-game run in which he averaged nearly 60 fantasy points. The Blazers, meanwhile, have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points per game to power forwards.
C: Karl-Anthony Towns ($8,600/$7,800) @ LAL:Welcome to stardom, Karl-Anthony Towns. Over his last four games, he’s averaging 24.5 points and 12.3 rebounds. He has scored 47.2, 46.1, 46.9 and 46.6 fantasy points in those games, and is averaging 40.9 in his last 10. He has already blown the ceiling off his future potential. We could be talking about him as a perennial all-star as soon as next season. Don’t be surprised if he continues his 46-plus fantasy point streak against the Lakers and their 28th-ranked defense against centers.
