Welcome to the NBA GPP Pivots article, where we’ll be looking to uncover some sneaky-good DFS plays away from the popular selections. These recommendations are usually risk/reward commodities meant to be used in large-field tournaments. Typically, blending these low-owned hidden gems with well-aligned staples contributes to a viable GPP strategy.
Keep in mind that the following player write-ups were constructed earlier in the day, and sometimes injury/rest situations can alter the fantasy landscape. Monitoring our NBA News & Headlines Feed throughout the day will keep you in the loop while giving you the subsequent DFS consequences of each information piece.
We will be looking at Tuesday’s two-game main slate starting at 7:30 ET.
POINT GUARD
Alec Burks - New York (vs. Minnesota)
First off, Kemba Walker is questionable tonight. If he’s in, then Burks becomes a riskier DFS option. If he’s out, then Burks will see enough minutes to be a productive fantasy asset. Burks has come through with 35+ fantasy points in two of his last three games. That lone miss (yesterday vs. Charlotte) stings with just 12 FP in 25 minutes. Foul trouble and an early start time probably factored into that cringe-worthy outing. However, Burks could be in a position to bounce back while playing up in pace against the Wolves.
SHOOTING GUARD
Hamidou Diallo - Detroit (at Golden State)
Diallo is an interesting play that moves into tournament consideration with only two games on the board tonight. He’s carved out a nice 25-28 minute role for the Pistons. That has catapulted him to 32+ fantasy points in three of his last five outings. However, the flip side of that doesn’t look great, as Diallo went for 22 FP or less in four of his last seven. We have a classic risk/reward scenario on our hands, but Diallo makes sense as a tournament diversifier with upside to his name on this limited slate.
SMALL FORWARD
Malik Beasley - Minnesota (at New York)
Beasley’s salary has bottomed out on all DFS sites, making him an intriguing bargain tournament play this evening. Most of Beasley’s fantasy production comes from sinking three-pointers, which is difficult to predict on a game-to-game basis. However, it also gives him some upside while seeing 25ish minutes off the bench. Beasley’s salary is hovering just above the minimum right now, so he makes for a capable bargain filler while hoping he can hit his shots from distance.
POWER FORWARD
Jarred Vanderbilt - Minnesota (at New York)
Vanderbilt is pretty much the opposite of Beasley, his teammate mentioned above. “Vando” rarely scores in the double-digits, but he’s an excellent rebounder who can snag a few blocks and steals along the way. We have seen Vanderbilt come through with impressive fantasy performances over the past few weeks. Most notably, he racked up 43 and 60 FP in back-to-back games over a week ago. That’s more of an exception than the rule, but it’s worth pointing out that Vanderbilt’s fantasy profile can come through with GPP-winning upside.
CENTER
Kevon Looney - Golden State (vs. Detroit)
Looney isn’t one of the most heralded fantasy options from Golden State, but he could get the job done tonight. This matchup vs. Detroit looks great, as the Pistons rank 21st in defensive efficiency to centers and dead last in rebound rate. Although Looney has a low fantasy floor around 15-17 FP, he has come through with 30 and 44 FP in two of his last five games. The table is set for him to flirt with the higher end of that range tonight.