While it may be true that building daily fantasy basketball lineups is not a rocket science, this step of the process is not to be underestimated. Whether you are only focused on the joy that goes hand in hand with taking part in the game, or you would also like to increase your chances of winning, in both cases the factor that will play the biggest role will be the quality of your basketball lineup. So, the first thing to take into consideration in order to be able to build the best fantasy basketball lineup for today (or any other day) is to get familiar with the specifics of the two types of lineups. The first kind is called “Cash” whereas the second one is “GPP.” In addition to presenting the main differences between both types, we will use this article as a way of providing you with valuable tips on how to build your fantasy lineup in practice. After all, this is what is going to lead you to success, isn’t it?
Cash Game Lineups
What you need to have in mind so that you can build your basketball lineup appropriately is that CASH lineups are suitable for small leagues, 50/50s, Double Up and H2H. Furthermore, it would help you to check the Vegas lines (point spread, O/U) as a way of figuring out the games with the highest totals and the ones expected to be close.
In addition to this, it is valuable to strive for targeting players like Andrew Wiggins and Jimmy Buttler who have solidified roles and can be expected to remain on the floor most of the time during the game. This is particularly important in Cash games since the more minutes, the bigger opportunity that can turn into production. Even if this tip can come in handy when building your lineups, remember that there are exceptions to the rules, as well. For example, Kyle Singler averaged 17.5 FD points per 32 minutes despite the fact that he also averaged more than 32 MPG with the Pistons during the previous season.
Role of Pace
“Pace” is another factor that plays a role. It consists of the number of possessions that a team manages to use in a given game. The more possessions, the more opportunities you can benefit from regarding racking up fantasy points (assists, points, blocks, rebounds, and steals). In order to demonstrate the relevance of “Pace,” let us share with you that 4 out of the 5 teams with the slowest “Pace” in the last season finished in the bottom 5 (The Heat, Jazz, and Knicks).
Usage Rate
When you build your fantasy lineup, it is worth having a look at “Usage Rate,” as well. For those of you who are not familiar with this metrics, let us clarify that it represents the percentage of team possessions that a given player happens to utilise on the court. Also, it helps to concentrate on the “Floor” of each player since it provides you with information about their lowest potential output in the respective fantasy lineup. When it comes to daily fantasy basketball lineups, it is vital not only to aim at individual matchups but also to pay attention to targeting players who are in good matches (i.e. team defence). In order to illustrate what we mean, let us give you a specific example. Why is it a poor choice to target a team such as Utah when you take part in cash games? Well, there are various reasons, one of which is that they are associated with the slowest pace, respectively fewer possessions, and fantasy production. In addition to this, keep in mind that their rim protector is Rudy Gobert who is elite, so it is not ok to target someone such as Tyreke Evans. Evans likes to attack the rim which makes the matchup wrong despite the fact that the individual one seems good.
Balance
Last, but not least do not underestimate the importance of balance when you build your daily fantasy basketball lineups. Although as fans we would like to watch more superstars like Stephen Curry and LeBron James playing in a fantasy lineup, keep in mind that this is not likely to lead to a high “Floor.” On the other hand, Trevor Ariza and players like him are considered to be perfect for cash games. The reason for this is that Ariza is expected to be locked into more than 35 minutes per night and his play is likely to lead to rebounds, steals, assists, and blocks. Even though it is not 100% necessary to aim at players who score a lot of real points, it is crucial that they are versatile. Being capable of manufacturing production even by not falling shot is what makes a difference in cash games.
DFS Basketball – GPP Lineups
GPP stands for “Tournament” and means Guaranteed Prize Pool. The strategy you need to follow when building such daily fantasy basketball lineups is completely different. First, there is no reason to pay attention to “Floor” or stability. In fact, what you are interested in is UPSIDE. Let us assume that you play at DraftKings. If this is so, there is the possibility of earning 0.5 points as a bonus for 3-pointers made. Therefore, it makes sense to target volume shooters. Still, take into consideration how crucial it is to check in advance the scoring of each site you consider joining.
Bench Players
Second, bench players who step into a prominent role in the offence and have a high usage rate are what you are looking for in GPPs. A perfect example is Lou Williams who used to be a 6th-man for Toronto with a 27% usage rate in 2014 and averaged just 25.2 MPG. In spite of this and his depressed price, he managed to average 22.2 points per 36 minutes, which made his achievement the 18-th best mark in the entire NBA.
Value-Priced Players
Another way of building a good basketball lineup for today includes targeting value-priced players in games associated with high totals according to the Vegas lines. So, keep that in mind when you need to choose between two players who are similar and have the same price, but the first one is playing in a game whose point total amounts to 210, whereas that of the second one equals 188. The choice is clear.
Game Theory
Whenever you build GPP lineups, do not forget to take into account game theory, as well. There are always popular plays. So, even if you would like to not take part in games, it might be difficult. Imagine the scenario in which you simply cannot resist the temptation of joining due to so attractive positional scarcity, price or matchup. If we take the SG position on FanDuel as an example, we need to admit that there are situations when no more than 2-3 options are available for each position. On FanDuel you need two players from the SG position, as a result of which it will not be uncommon to face a short slate. This means that sometimes it is better to do what others do instead of striving for building unique daily fantasy basketball lineups at any price. In order to know what step to undertake, make sure you inform yourself about the current situation. Otherwise, you risk missing out on value plays which can lead to lost points and missed salary.
Conclusion
As we already saw, it makes a difference whether you are about to build a GPP or Cash daily fantasy basketball lineups. Also, even if it seems more natural to go for individual choices as a way of ensuring we have the best fantasy basketball lineup for today, it is sometimes more beneficial to follow the crowd. In any case, it is worth making informed decisions, so do not forget to check out the crucial stats listed above before you start selecting players for your dfs basketball lineups.
Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineups
- USC Basketball vs. Baylor Preview (Including Lineups, TV Channel and Odds)
- FanDuel DFS Basketball Lineup (11 Games in the Basketball Competitions)