3 Fantasy Basketball Players to Avoid on 11/2/18
In daily fantasy basketball, finding players you want to roster is a lot easier than finding players to avoid.
You can find a ton of great information and research on guys you might want to include in your DFS NBA lineups, but what about guys you may want to lessen your exposure to, or even fade altogether?
Avoiding players whose matchups or situations aren't as great as they seem can often be just as important as finding the best targets. After all, it takes only one player to sink a lineup. Searching for the landmines could mean the difference between winning and losing your contests. Which players should we avoid tonight?
Jabari Parker, SF, Chicago Bulls
FanDuel Price: $6,900
In the Chicago Bulls' last game Jabari Parker earned his first start of the year, playing a season-high 36 minutes. The extra court time did not help his fantasy production though as Parker finished with just 6 points, 9 rebounds, and 15.8 FanDuel points. Overall this season, the Bulls forward has underwhelmed offensively, shooting 44.8% from the field, well below his career rate of 49.0%. Facing one of the top defenses in the NBA on Friday, Parker's struggles could continue.
The Indiana Pacers rank in the top-six of the league in both defensive rating (105.5) and field goal percentage allowed (43.2%). That stingy D combined with the slowest pace in the league has left Pacers' opponents scoring just 102.6 points per game, the third-lowest mark this season. With points at a premium on Friday and Parker unable to find his shot so far, stay away from the former Milwaukee Buck in an eight-game slate.
Dwight Howard, C, Washington Wizards
FanDuel Price: $6,200
Friday night will mark the season debut for Dwight Howard as he plays his first game in a Washington Wizards' uniform. Having missed the first two weeks of the season with a back injury, Howard will likely be limited in the contest against Oklahoma City Thunder . While there is excitement in Washington for his presence, expectations for Howard should be tempered for fantasy purposes.
Steven Adams and the Thunder have been a nightmare for opposing centers, allowing just over 1.0 FanDuel points per minute to the position, the fourth-stingiest rate in the league. Their offensive rebound rate of 32.3% is the fourth-best in the league while Adams has provided some stout rim-protection. Players he has defended have made only 52.0% of their shots six feet or less from the rim, much less than the expected rate of 62.2%. With the uncertainty of playing and the problematic matchup, it's best to give D12 a game before considering him in your lineups.
Jaren Jackson Jr., PF, Memphis Grizzlies
FanDuel Price: $5,700
While he has shown the promise and excitement that made him worthy of the fourth-overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Jaren Jackson Jr. has had his fair share of growing pains his rookie season. The Memphis Grizzlies' big man has had issues with his three-point shot, sinking just 2 of his 13 attempts (15.4%). That has led to inconsistent scoring, with the power forward averaging 8.8 points in his last four games. The biggest concern for Jackson though has been his foul issues. The former Michigan State Spartan is averaging 4.3 fouls per game and 6.9 fouls per 36 minutes. Racking up so many quick infractions has limited his playing time, with Jackson seeing the court for less than 15 minutes in each of his last two games. That has led to a dismal total of 22 FanDuel points in the contests.
Even if Jackson stays on the court, the matchup against the Utah Jazz will be a tough one for as they give up the third-fewest FanDuel points per minute (0.81) in the league. With more reliable options at power forward on Friday -- Draymond Green, Tobias Harris, Aaron Gordon -- steer clear of the Grizzlies' rookie on Friday.
Dale Redman is not a FanDuel employee. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
