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Building The Perfect NBA FanDuel Lineup For Feb. 20

Building The Perfect NBA FanDuel Lineup For Feb. 20

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The All-Star break is finally over, and we're blessed with a huge 13-game slate tonight in the NBA. Not only are there a lot of games to sift through, but yesterday ended one of the most active and insane NBA trade deadlines we've seen in a long time. The NBA looks rather different now and building the perfect FanDuel lineup for tonight can be a rough task, but I'm here to help make it a little easier. Allow me to show you one way to get it done.

(PG) Derrick Rose - Chicago Bulls - $7000

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(PG) Derrick Rose - Chicago Bulls - $7000

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In his two previous games before the All-Star break, D-Rose averaged 43 fantasy points while needing to score 35 to justify his current price. Tonight, he gets a very nice matchup against the Detroit Pistons, who are an average team at guarding opposing PGs. Additionally, Spencer Dinwiddie will be starting tonight rather than the newly acquired Reggie Jackson. I feel this bodes well for Rose to score at least 30 with 40-plus upside.

(PG) Ricky Rubio - Minnesota Timberwolves - $6500

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(PG) Ricky Rubio - Minnesota Timberwolves - $6500

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For his price and his matchup tonight against the Phoenix Suns, which should be fast-paced and high scoring, I absolutely love Ricky Rubio's upside. Although Phoenix has been defending the PG position well this season, they will now be without Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas, who were both traded yesterday. Additionally, newly acquired Brandon Knight won't be available for tonight. This lines up well for Rubio to go off for 35-plus.

(SG) James Harden - Houston Rockets - $10,800

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(SG) James Harden - Houston Rockets - $10,800

james harden houston rockets sg shooting guard
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With all due respect to Anthony Davis, James Harden is my premium player for tonight, and no one should question as to why. He's a clear-cut candidate for league MVP and for fantasy MVP as well. Tonight he gets to face a Dallas Mavericks team ranked 13th against opposing SGs, but that won't deter me from paying up for The Beard. He's essentially matchup-proof and I expect no less than 35 fantasy points from him with 50-plus upside.

(SG) Eric Bledsoe - Phoenix Suns - $8400

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(SG) Eric Bledsoe - Phoenix Suns - $8400

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The selection of Eric Bledsoe was an easy one to make for tonight. Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas are gone. Brandon Knight won't be available for the Phoenix Suns for tonight and this will lead to Bledsoe having an extreme increase in his usage percentage. It also helps that he faces a below average Minnesota Timberwolves defense in terms of defending SGs. Bledsoe needs to score 42 to make value tonight and I feel he is good for that.

(SF) Luol Deng - Miami Heat - $5900

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(SF) Luol Deng - Miami Heat - $5900

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Due to Chris Bosh's sudden and unfortunate situation with blood clots on his lungs, he is most likely done for the season. While this is good news for Hassan Whiteside, it also bodes well for Luol Deng to have some increased production due to the fact that the Miami Heat will need him to produce more. Tonight, he gets to face the lowly New York Knicks, who just shutdown Carmelo Anthony for the season. Deng should score around 25 to 35 tonight.

(SF) Wilson Chandler - Denver Nuggets - $5900

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(SF) Wilson Chandler - Denver Nuggets - $5900

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Although he was having up-and-down performances leading into the All-Star break, Wilson Chandler has a great matchup tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks have been struggling to defend SFs lately and have been ranked 21st in that regard over their last three games. With Arron Afflalo being traded to Portland, it will open up even more wing opportunities for Chandler and I like him to score at least 30 tonight with 36-plus upside.

(PF) Jason Smith - New York Knicks - $5100

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(PF) Jason Smith - New York Knicks - $5100

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With the abysmal state the New York Knicks are in right now, it might seem crazy to recommend any of their players for tonight. However, I don't think it's too crazy to consider Jason Smith for tonight as he has eclipsed 24 fantasy points or more in six out of his last 10 games. With Carmelo Anthony out, he may see an extra production boost and I feel he will score at least 25 against a Miami Heat team struggling against PFs.

(PF) Brandon Bass - Boston Celtics - $4600

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(PF) Brandon Bass - Boston Celtics - $4600

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With Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger already ruled out, Brandon Bass becomes a great value play tonight against the Sacramento Kings. Over the course of the season, the Kings are ranked 28th in defensive efficiency against PFs. Even though they were defending the position better leading into the All-Star break, they're still not very good at shutting down PFs. Therefore, I like Bass tonight and he should score at least 23 with 30-plus upside.

(C) Rudy Gobert - Utah Jazz - $5700

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(C) Rudy Gobert - Utah Jazz - $5700

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With Enes Kanter being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the time is now for Rudy Gobert to take over as the featured center in Utah. Gobert should be a nightly double-double threat and that should start tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland defends centers well, but they also give up a lot of rebounds. This will help Gobert score at least 28 to make value, but I like him for at least 30 and won't be surprised if he eclipsed 40.

Rojé Smith is a Featured Fantasy Sports Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RoKnowsDFS, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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