NBA

3 Fantasy Basketball Players to Avoid on 1/9/19

Gordon Hayward has disappointed this season and is likely to do so again against the Pacers. Who else are we avoiding in DFS on Wednesday?

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?

JaVale McGee, C, Los Angeles Lakers

FanDuel Price: $6,500

Over JaVale McGee’s last two games, the Los Angeles Lakers' center has flopped hard in DFS. After posting three straight 30-plus FanDuel point nights, McGee has registered a total of just 26.9 FanDuel points against the Timberwolves and Mavericks the last two times out. Facing a pair of athletic centers in Karl-Anthony Towns and DeAndre Jordan, McGee was outmatched and struggled to stay on the court, playing only 19.6 minutes per game. He averaged a disappointing line of five points and six rebounds without any blocks. Facing off with Andre Drummond and the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, McGee’s fortunes will not get any easier.

The Pistons have given up 1.08 FanDuel points per minute to opposing centers, the 11th-fewest in the league this season. They are getting it done on the glass, as opponents have collected the eighth-fewest rebounds per game (43.2) and Detroit owns a top-five rebound percentage (51.6%) thanks to Drummond. The Pistons' center leads the league in boards (14.9) and is in the top-three for offensive rebound percentage (16.3%).

Gordan Hayward SF, Boston Celtics

FanDuel Price: $5,500

After breaking out with two 40-plus performances with Kyrie Irving out of the lineup last week, Gordon Hayward reverted to his disappointing self in fantasy, collecting just 18.8 FanDuel points against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. His line of 12 points and 4 rebounds on 4-for-10 shooting was a massive disappointment following the big games but was more in line with his production this season.

Hayward has posted 20 games (out of 35 played) with sub-25 FanDuel points this season, including six of his last nine played. He is averaging just 11.2 points per game on 41.8% shooting in his first full season with the Boston Celtics. If Hayward finishes on this pace it would be his worst season in the NBA since his rookie year in 2010-11. Facing the Indiana Pacers' tough defense on Wednesday won’t help Hayward break out, either.

Indiana has given up the fewest points in the league (102.3) while opponents are shooting 44.2% from the field. Opposing small forwards have not done much against the Pacers, posting 0.81 FanDuel points per minute, the seventh-lowest rate in the NBA this season.

Evan Fournier, SG, Orlando Magic

FanDuel Price: $5,300

After averaging 16.6 points per game on 45.3% shooting the last three season, Evan Fournier has been in a funk all year. He is shooting just 43.3% from the field and 34.6% from three, his worst accuracy since 2014. Over his last seven games, he has also seen his role in the Orlando Magic offense shrink, as he has attempted just 10.3 shots per game to score 12.9 points per game.

With barely any contributions in other stat categories, Fournier has been a bust in DFS, posting four games with 17.6 or fewer FanDuel points in the last two weeks. That includes his two most recent times out, when he averaged 13.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists for 16.2 FanDuel points. With his fantasy output tied so directly to his scoring, Fournier is looking like a bust again versus the Utah Jazz.

Over their last 10 games, the Jazz own the second-best defensive rating in the NBA (103.4) while allowing the third-fewest points per game (103.9). Opposing shooting guards have bombed particularly bad against Utah, scoring just 0.76 FanDuel points per minute, the lowest rate in the NBA this season.



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.