Fantasy Sports Fantasy Basketball

NBA FanDuel Strategy: 5 SGs You Should Only Ever Play In GPP Format

NBA FanDuel Strategy: 5 Shooting Guards To Only Play In GPP Format

Giannis
Getty Images

When playing NBA FanDuel, there are typically two strategies to use building lineups. You are either making one taking the least risk you can for cash games (non-tournaments) where 285 will sweep most nights or you are building a risky lineup that could hit 350 if all breaks incredibly right. Rarely are players fit for both these scenarios, however. Here's a look at five SGs to only play in GPP when you can take the risk on any given night.

5. Bradley Beal - Washington Wizards

Washington Wizards v New Orleans Pelicans
Getty Images

5. Bradley Beal - Washington Wizards

Washington Wizards v New Orleans Pelicans
Getty Images

Bradley Beal averages around 25 fantasy PPG, but it is far from a reliable 25 points each night since as often as he will overwhelm with 35-plus, he will also lay a putrid egg with 15 or less. A lot of this depends on how much John Wall is scoring the ball himself. For this reason, perhaps your best bet is to avoid him completely in cash games but fire him up in GPP, particularly when Wall draws a matchup with a tough defender.

4. Nick Young - Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers v Los Angeles Clippers
Getty Images

4. Nick Young - Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers v Los Angeles Clippers
Getty Images

Perhaps Nick "Swaggy P" Young is not a poor cash game play when Kobe Bryant is out, but never when the Los Angeles Lakers are at full strength. He simply does not add much in the secondary categories, averaging only 1.9 rebounds per game, which makes him incredibly bucket dependent. Once in a while he will exceed 30 fantasy points by scoring 25 along with a few boards and dimes; otherwise, he's simply a high risk, mediocre reward option.

3. Jamal Crawford - Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers v Los Angeles Clippers
Getty Images

3. Jamal Crawford - Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers v Los Angeles Clippers
Getty Images

While Jamal Crawford is the Los Angeles Clippers' sixth man and sees over 20 minutes virtually every night, similarly to the aforementioned Nick Young, Crawford is a dangerous play as he must score 20 points in order to accumulate over 25 fantasy points due to not providing much in the secondary categories. However, his upside is undoubtedly 35-plus as he can drop 30 points any given night. This makes him a high-risk, high-reward GPP darling.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo - Milwaukee Bucks

Phoenix Suns vs Milwaukee Bucks
Getty Images

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo - Milwaukee Bucks

Phoenix Suns vs Milwaukee Bucks
Getty Images

Every time I think I have "Alphabet" essentially figured out, something like last night happens where he gets benched for the second half to only see a total of 15 minutes for the game and it ruins my lineup. He had played at least 30 minutes in six straight games and was becoming a reliable 30 fantasy PPG option; but now that it appears he is in Jason Kidd's doghouse, I would focus on fitting him into GPP lineups only until further notice.

1. Jodie Meeks - Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons v Dallas Mavericks
Getty Images

1. Jodie Meeks - Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons v Dallas Mavericks
Getty Images

Jodie Meeks missed a good chunk of this season due to injury, but Kentavious Caldwell-Pope underwhelmed in his absence. Now that Meeks is healthy, he's going to be a given for between 26-30 minutes per game. He will add three or four rebounds and three or four dimes per game, but he doesn't score much more than 15 points that often. Thus, you're hoping for the exception instead of the rule even in GPP play with his limited -- and rare -- upside.

Timothy Downs is a fantasy sports writer for www.RantSports.com. You can ‘like him’ on Facebook add him on Google or follow him on Twitter @Tidow1212.

Share Tweet